It seems hard to believe that I started this blog a year ago today.  When I published the first post I was very unsure about whether I would be able to commit to blogging on a regular basis but now I can’t imagine not doing it. It has become a way of life – a place where I can explore ideas; share experiences and reflect on things I’ve read about.   Along the way I have learned a lot about blogging and so I’ve decided to share some of what I’ve learned, today, on my blog’s 1st Anniversary.  Here goes:

1.  It’s what you write that matters

It might sound obvious but it’s all about the content.  Find a theme that is clean and uncluttered so that people can just concentrate on what you have to say.  Pick interesting topics to write about and find your own writing style.  It isn’t a good idea to “nick” content from other writers but it is ok to use other’s ideas for inspiration!

2. It’s okay to post at your own pace

Starting to write a blog can be intimidating, particularly when you see that some bloggers post at least once a day, sometimes more.  I originally set out thinking that I would blog at least twice a week but I quickly realised that it was important to not just write for writing sake but only when I had something to say.  On the basis that this is my 127th post, I’m still meeting that target on average!  How often I post is affected by a number of factors but mainly by my workload.  Remember that quality is far more important than quantity! 

3. It’s important to post material that is provocative (from time to time)

I’m not suggesting here that you set your stall out to… but it will come as no surprise that many of my most read posts are the ones that were a little contentious, that focused on challenging issues where others will certainly have an opinion. And it is also good to pick up on topics that are being readily discussed. Here are some examples of posts that caused a storm:

• Can’t be arsed
• What’s it called?
• Funniest joke of the year 2012

4. Make sure your about page is up to scratch

The about page on your blog is arguably one of the most important pages as many new readers who come across your blog will want to know more about it and the person behind it. Who are you? Why do you write this blog? How often can they expect to see new posts? These are just some of the questions a new reader may have.

5. Harness social networks to spread the word

If you want to grow the number of visitors to your blog you must harness the power of social networks. Twitter and Facebook are two of the most powerful tools in driving people towards my blog content and have helped connect me with many other bloggers who share similar ideas and write about similar topics.   It is also worth sharing your content on topic specific forums if they let you – I’ve been banned for life by some of the Football boards as they seem to think I’m advertising, despite pointing out there is no financial gain whatsoever – hey ho!

6. It is about discussion

Most bloggers are looking to generate discussion around their posts. This is what the blogging thing is all about and it’s really important that you respond to comments from people.  I try to reply to comments within 24 hours although occasionally life gets in the way.

The commenting does not end there though.  It is not all about you.  If you want to drive people towards your blog and encourage them to comment on your own posts then you must comment on other people’s blog posts. It raises your profile amongst the blogging community and will encourage people to look up your blog when they have seen you comment on their own posts.

7. Understand SEO and analytics

Without going into too much detail, if you are serious about blogging and see it as more than an opportunity to collect your thoughts then it is worth taking a bit of time to understand ‘Search Engine Optimisation’. In very basic terms this is making your blog more visible to search engines like Google. I could end up writing an entire post on this and only scratch the surface in many ways. To really get a handle on how your blog is doing it is also worth signing up to Google analytics.  There is a very handy WordPress plugin to help with this.

And with that I will bring this post to an end.  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last twelve months of blogging and I’m very excited about the next twelve.  There are some amazing events coming up such as the London Olympics later this year and the Glasgow2014 Commonwealth Games in 2 years time so expect lots more posts from me over the next few months and years!