“Blogging is graffiti with punctuation” — Contagion
Fellow bloggers, if you’re like me, you probably didn’t have childhood dreams of growing up to write blogs. First of all, blogs (or even the Internet, for that matter) didn’t even exist when I was a kid. No sir, I grew up saying I want to be a writer. But here I am, and the transition from writing books to blogs was honestly a rough one for me.
I thought I was going to write best-selling novels and award-winning poetry. I believed deep down in my naive little heart that I was going to be the next great American author, spending my days lounging around my beach house effortlessly composing my next masterpiece.
Then I grew up. And got a clue. So here I am, and the transition from writing books to company blogs was honestly a rough one for me. Here are some blogging commandments I picked up along the way that my fellow creative writers turned bloggers must know.
Top 5 Blogging Commandments
1. You must know way more about computers than other writers
Do your poet friends know anything about HTML coding or Photoshop? I’ll bet you do! Bloggers need a repertoire of computer skills at their disposal. If you’re a blogger, you know that mishaps like connectivity issues and Internet bugs can be showstoppers when you’re trying to push out content. If you’re getting the “blogging is for lame-os” vibe from your poet friends, don’t worry, chances are they’ll come crying to YOU next time their hard drive crashes. Who’s the “lame-o” now?
2. You must write more than other writers
I remember sitting in my creative writing class in college, thinking a 5-page story assignment was a lot of work. Ha! Good bloggers update their content almost every day, in addition to sending out pitches, and writing guest posts. All this content adds up to a ton of writing every single day. I can’t help but snicker at my friends who are stressing out because they only have three days to finish a poem. Three days is an eternity in the blogging world! Blogging is the best boot camp for fledgling writers. 2,500 words a day? No problem!
3. You must be more versatile than other writers
Fiction writers and poets have the artistic freedom to explore themes and ideas, which veer off the beaten path. Bloggers have to think more like marketers instead of artists. If you’re a freelancer, you know that your writing has to be like a chameleon, instantly adjusting to different parameters and client specifications. Sometimes we have to be highly descriptive with lots of flowery language and extended metaphors. Other times, we have to be short, sweet, and to the point. I know a lot of writers (including myself) would refuse to revise a problematic piece because of “artistic integrity.” As a blogger, I quickly learned that I needed to hop on down off my high horse, and just write appealing content.
4. You must have marketable skills
Bloggers have to learn SEO, know the difference between various publishing platforms like Tumblr, WordPress, and Blogger and understand how to incorporate effective social media marketing strategies. Being a successful blogger requires ninja-esque writing skills. But, my blogger friends, you should know that good writing isn’t enough. Great (and profitable) blogs are a masterful blend of content, design, and marketing. When you’re blogging solo, guess who is responsible for making that happen? YOU. Bloggers must juggle 16 different skill sets at the same time. This makes us awesome—and super employable.
5. You must develop a strong online presence
Bloggers have to be online all day, everyday, and be well established on social media platforms so our readers can connect with us. Have you ever Googled yourself and saw nothing but news on other people with the same name as you? I have! Apparently there is a European actress with the same first and last name as me. Well she doesn’t know it, but the two of us have been in an SEO competition for over a year. As soon as I started blogging and guest posting, some of my stuff finally made it to Google’s page one search results. Take that doppelgänger!
Author
Jessica Ruane blogs and does content marketing for Instant Checkmate , a fast growing Internet startup that specializes in criminal background checks.