I have been writing my blog for just over one year, I write and post a new blog
every other day. I do at times suffer a slight touch of writers' block, however not
very often, I have found if I follow these 7 ideas I am able to develop unique
content, consistently. There is a lot of blogs written about "quality" content, just
what it defies description, I have yet to read a definition of "quality" content that
does not define it by saying it must be "quality" content. What quality content is to
one person is completely useless to another, to me the phrase doesn't mean
anything outside of accurate spelling, good grammar, excellent punctuation, and a
good flowing manner. My company is in the self-reliance niche, it is an easy niche
to write about as I am able to relate most life skills to it. My way of dealing with
blogging is summed up briefly in the following 7 rules I have found I follow mostly by instinct.
1) I write to one person, it is not possible to write interesting articles that will be of interest to thousands of people
while making that my goal. Abraham Lincoln said it best with his statement, "You can please some of the people
some of the time, but not all the people all of the time." So I don't try to, as an example my latest blog, posted this
morning, was written on the Volcano eruption in the Philippines, Mount Mayon. I spent time in the island country
from 1970-1973, I was in the Navy and the ship I was stationed on called port in Subic Bay. This blog was written
with the memory of a young child, he was about 10 years old at the time, leading a water buffalo down the side of
the highway. He had no clothes on, obviously very poor, I think of him as being 50 years old today. I make every
attempt at identifying with the trials and tribulations of his life's journey, compassion is a very real part of my writings.
He is the most important part of that blog, there are thousands of people like him in the world, in my mind, all will
relate to that blog, they are all on the internet today, they are important. I make sure to answer every comment as
soon as I am able, it's important also.
2) I choose one word to start out and build from there, I read everything, all day long. In the course of that reading,
there are many subjects that interest many people, each one of those subjects consists of words, sometimes
thousands of words. Of those thousands of words, I will choose one, I will then perform a mental exercise of word
relationship, many mornings while lying in bed, (while in the no-zone, no get up, no stay in bed zone) I will think of
all of the words I can relate to that one. All of those words are subject to being a part of, or the main word in my
keyword, or most likely my key phrase. By going through that thought process I also come up with ideas for other
blogs, sometimes the blog I intended to write takes a back seat due to creating ideas for blogs related to that word
that I feel I must write first. I never take on more than one word forming one idea at a time, I am not a multi-tasker.
Much of my niche includes "homesteading", so if I were to chose the word "ice cream" it would enable me to write
many blogs before I got to the how to. Conjuring up key phrases creates openings for other blogs. For instance with
the key phrase "making homemade ice cream from scratch", it is possible to begin the series of blogs with a blog on
constructing a pasture for your new milk cow, that would be one blog. Some words are easier than others, weather
disasters for example practically write themselves, others like the DNA of a salamander would take a lot of
investigation and study for me. Almost any word will work, it depends on your knowledge of the subject and your
willingness to study it that is the deciding factor. I have found humans are interested in everything, if you question
that, take another look at what search words you use to find anything on the web, more than likely millions of
websites are listed.
3) I pay no attention to the word count, that's not what I'm in this for, I'm in it because I love to write, read, and think
about people and life in general. I have written a few blogs with 800 words, maybe one or two, I have not written any
less that I can remember. I have written many blogs over 2,000 words, however, most are in the 1200-1800 word
range, but I am not tuned into word counting, I don't pay any attention to it until I am finished. By allowing the
number of words to dominate my writings I find I do myself a disservice, if am writing a mediocre blog and force
words I have found I am able to turn it into a horrible write up, likewise it's possible to turn a great blog into a
mediocre one in the same way. I have never found the opposite to be true. I write until I am finished writing about
the subject, forced words appear to be just that, forced. It's a bit like playing music, (I play the guitar), if a piece of
music is written in "C" scale and I end it with an "F" cord for example it sounds unfinished and leaves the listener (or
musician) wanting it to be finished with a "C" chord or note. That's what is meant by a performer telling band
members to "bring it on home now". As in this paragraph, when a subject is exhausted it's time to go to the next
one, it has a natural ending if I write more I will lose you.
4) I use my companies "mission statement" to orient my blog around, after all, I'm trying to encourage people to pay
a visit. I have always believed in a mission statement, I won't paste and copy it here because it has no relevance.
The goals of the company are set in a statement that is capable of drawing me back to the basics of why I started a
business, it's the important stuff. It also is a reminder of who I am, because after all, I wrote it with my interest and
ideas about what I want to accomplish with my work. If you do not have a mission statement, maybe you should, just
writing it brought a new perspective to the way I think about how I am involved in my business.
5) Write for people, not the search engines, my main focus is always people, after all on the other side of what I am
writing in "notepad" is a person reading it, you are what's important. Other than adhering to the obscure
requirements of the major search engines, keywords, SEO, and original content there is not much else to do for the
big guys, due diligence goes a long way. I never cut and paste anything, I don't even do quotes, I use links if I want
to reference an article. I make sure to have 3 sources before I write my blog unless I know everything about the
subject, (boy that will be the day), I made that mistake once and was called out on a piece of false information, it is
not fun. In my reading and investigation, I make sure the information I am digesting is current unless I am writing a
historical document which I often do, check the dates of the article, Most of the time if it's older than a few months it
is history, I have to know the difference
6) I pay no attention to making money, I have the attitude if I perform due diligence and write well the money will
come, it always has. I don't want to present myself as appearing to be greedy, it's easier to do than what most
people realize, My personal belief is if a person's whole interest in life is money, they are doomed, take a look at
Facebook, greed appears to be doing them in. I have a grandson I was working with starting a music blog, he wrote
like two blogs and asked me when he would start being paid. (What you are thinking are my exact thoughts, holy
cow.) I advertise very infrequently and when I do it is maybe one product, I don't like being the target of a sales pitch
constantly, so I don't hard sell anything, many blogs do, I don't read them. When I do advertise I use a Link, even
then it must be a product that is directly related to the sentence I just wrote. For example, if I just wrote an article on
knot tying I may add a link with a notation "This Link is to purchase 50 feet of handmade natural fiber rope." With
sales I am upfront and honest, when you click that Link you know before you click it you are being encouraged to
purchase something.
7) I am not a "shock jock", I will not write about Politics, Religion, Abortion, Gun Rights, or get involved in any local
disputes, it's just not my nature, there is nothing I can solve in a 120-word tweet or a Facebook argument. I make no
attempts at fixing the world, I have one vote, and I use it, that's all.
That's a summary of how I blog, it is working for me, maybe you would like to try a few of my ideas, I'm not sure how
successful my approach is, it appears to be working, I gain readers each week, it's a slow process. I am in it for the
long haul, I don't plan on ending my blogging any time soon, I have been writing since I was in grade school.
I appreciate the time you took to read this....
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