Blogging... The "Right" Way

Kassem

Hey everyone. I've been thinking of starting a blog for a while now but I never actually did, mostly because I do not have enough time to write articles. But I'm still going to start my own blog soon and I'll try to squeeze some time for it. Anyway, I guess many of the members here are bloggers (right?), so could you please give some tips and resources on how to be a successful blogger?

Thanks in advance!

EddieEC

Well I have some experience, just be creative with your posts, and if it's technology news/related stuff, make sure what you're saying is accurate, and use proper English. Try to attract viewers with your posts, make it fun to read your posts. That's all I have on mind now.

samer

Try to make a lot of timeless, quality articles as opposed to the latest newsflash. Those articles will be useful for the years to come and people will continue linking to them if they are informative.

Start networking with other bloggers in your field and swap posts (guest posts). Mention some of their relevant articles in your own articles and try to befriend the authors.

If you want to be read, don't write for the sake of writing. A lot of people don't have a lot of time to waste, captivate them through a simple, clear writing-style!

kareem_nasser

thnx Samer this helped me.

XhacK

http://www.problogger.net/
http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/
good luck ;-)

xterm

XhacK wrotehttp://www.problogger.net/
http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/

Those two sites are so incredibly annoying in terms of layout and formatting.

Joe

xterm wrote
XhacK wrotehttp://www.problogger.net/
http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/
Those two sites are so incredibly annoying in terms of layout and formatting.

seconded.

I had to leave the page after 10sec, because my hurt too much. Both times.

XhacK

these two websites have the BEST content for bloggers!
You are a blogger...so u know that it's all about content right? :P

Kassem

samer wroteTry to make a lot of timeless, quality articles as opposed to the latest newsflash. Those articles will be useful for the years to come and people will continue linking to them if they are informative.

Start networking with other bloggers in your field and swap posts (guest posts). Mention some of their relevant articles in your own articles and try to befriend the authors.

If you want to be read, don't write for the sake of writing. A lot of people don't have a lot of time to waste, captivate them through a simple, clear writing-style!

Very much appreciated! These tips are definitely great for anyone trying to succeed as a blogger. I have a question though: Suppose I'm going to start a blog which concentrates on Flash/Flex/AIR/Actionscript 3.0, is it okey to include articles about (1) other programming languages/IDE's/Tools (2) General tech stuff (3) Non-related stuff like psychology, philosophy, politics, social issues, news... etc? Do you think it's better to concentrate on one single topic or is it okey to diversify?

XhacK wrotehttp://www.problogger.net/
http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/
good luck ;-)

Will check them out, thanks :)

Joe

Kassem wroteI have a question though: Suppose I'm going to start a blog which concentrates on Flash/Flex/AIR/Actionscript 3.0, is it okey to include articles about (1) other programming languages/IDE's/Tools (2) General tech stuff (3) Non-related stuff like psychology, philosophy, politics, social issues, news... etc? Do you think it's better to concentrate on one single topic or is it okey to diversify?

There is no definite rule, and that's the beauty of it! It is your blog, and it can be whatever you want it to be. However, if you want it to be a successful one there are some questions you should ask yourself before you start. Yet before addressing those issues, I will give you a golden advice: Do not obsess over visitors and traffic. No matter what you do it'll take some time before you get some. I have been blogging for 6 months now and I only have 10 regular readers most of which I am already acquainted with. And now for some more practical advices, think about this stuff:

What type of blog do you want it to be?

Some people focus on a single field so that they can attract a particular niche of readers. Some people feel empowered by the idea of being published they only care about writing down their ideas on every subject. Some people want to relay "buzzes" and like to link to others. Your blog could be educational, recreational, technical, ... It's up to you.

For example I started my blog as a training to (hopefully one day) become a tech journalist. I post long articles dealing with general issues of the software world. This is how I want it to be. But hey I understand your thing about politics, philosophy and such, my choice was to start a second blog (far less serious one) where I could write down all the crazy ideas. The second blog is just for me, I don't advertise it. It has some traffic but nothing compared to the main one (3000 visitors in 6 months!)

You should also check out arithma's blog. arithma posts technical articles (Flex/actionscript too), where he almost always posts his codes. It's very interesting and you could use it as inspiration.

I have started writing a post about my advices to start blogging. Be sure to check it out when it comes out :)

Joe

XhacK wrotethese two websites have the BEST content for bloggers!
You are a blogger...so u know that it's all about content right? :P

Oh how I wish you were right... While it is true that no blog will ever be successful without decent content, it still takes a lot more to make your blog a good one. Unfortunately.

As an example there are at least two of us here (and I am sure there are LOTS of others) who couldn't finish the articles regardless of what was written. Nothing forces me to read those blogs, so more often than not I am walking away without finishing reading.

Always keep in mind that the ergonomics of the published work (and by that I mean readability, usability, general 'look &feel') will always be of crucial importance whether in blogs, prints, medias, ...

Aj_BlaZ

my advice you want to start a new blog , search as many blogs as you can about the same subject you want to start with and then try to learn from them etc etc , and there you go you have some knowledge about blogging

now my advice about blogging: stay away from it if your not too good at it , it will waste your time eventually ;)

arithma

You should also check out arithma's blog. arithma posts technical articles (Flex/actionscript too), where he almost always posts his codes. It's very interesting and you could use it as inspiration.

Thank you rahmu :)

My blog started parted of something bigger than the blog itself. I wanted motivation to continue shaping my skills. It's a personal blog centered about my coding as well as my personal development as a developer.
I use it also as a moving portfolio, and it is easier than creating my own portfolio website - which is evidently still in development.

Kassem

@ rahmu: thanks for the input man, highly appreciated. And yeah actually arithma's blog is very interesting, especially to a Flash/AS3 developer like myself, I'm one of his followers/readers now :)

arithma wroteIt's a personal blog centered about my coding as well as my personal development as a developer.
I use it also as a moving portfolio, and it is easier than creating my own portfolio website - which is evidently still in development.

That's exactly what I want my blog to be!

samer

I have a question though: Suppose I'm going to start a blog which concentrates on Flash/Flex/AIR/Actionscript 3.0, is it okey to include articles about (1) other programming languages/IDE's/Tools (2) General tech stuff (3) Non-related stuff like psychology, philosophy, politics, social issues, news... etc? Do you think it's better to concentrate on one single topic or is it okey to diversify?

It is better to focus on a niche topic and excel in it than to cover a variety of topics and have yet another blog. Choose a a precise topic and become an authority figure. Someone posted a link to a PS3-hacking blog with thousands of comments. The reason it's so popular is because it filled an unsaturated niche with quality content. This is what you need to do.

xterm

On your blogging quest, especially as a programmer you need to write this 'one' post that would climb up the results of Google search. This would really help attracting 'interested' programmers.

Kassem

samer wroteIt is better to focus on a niche topic and excel in it than to cover a variety of topics and have yet another blog. Choose a a precise topic and become an authority figure. Someone posted a link to a PS3-hacking blog with thousands of comments. The reason it's so popular is because it filled an unsaturated niche with quality content. This is what you need to do.

agreed... I will be writing about Flash/Flex/AIR and of course Actionscript 3.0. Hopefully that would attract Flash and Flex developers.

xterm wroteOn your blogging quest, especially as a programmer you need to write this 'one' post that would climb up the results of Google search. This would really help attracting 'interested' programmers.

Could be true. Maybe writing some tutorials, providing useful classes, tips and guides, resources... etc would attract those programmers. I will be starting the blog soon, I'll prepare a few articles first.

Thanks for all the tips guys, appreciated :)

Joe

xterm wroteOn your blogging quest, especially as a programmer you need to write this 'one' post that would climb up the results of Google search. This would really help attracting 'interested' programmers.

My article about data carving with foremost has already got me 1 500+ visitors and is still very active. 'Stumble Upon' helped a lot ;)