Thoughts on Blogging Part 11
The New Year is often a time for revised plans, renewed ambitions and a desire to get back on the proverbial horse when it comes to content creation. More often than not, many of these lofty ambitions wither on the vine or fall victim to our propensity for indolence. Which is why I think it is prudent to ensure that any goals that you set for yourself are realistic and attainable. If for example, you have just started blogging, then it is wiser to focus on developing and maintaining a writing schedule, rather than trying to get a million page views in your first month. Impossible goals lead to disappointment which can then crush your optimism. Measured, targeted achievements, obtained over a credible time period may not seem so satisfying but they get the job done. Which is why I have given a great deal of thought to my own blogging goals for 2020. I am not going to alter or replace the blog template, nor am I going to embark upon too many side projects such a streaming or creating video content. Although I’d like to do such things I cannot sustain them or cope with the volume of work they will create. This year I am just going to try to create as much written content as possible and focus on expanding brand awareness.
For years, I’ve been using Microsoft Word as my primary means of writing blog posts. It serves my needs and is a very robust piece of software, filled with bells and whistles that I seldom ever use. However, there can be some compatibility issues from time to time but these are seldom the fault of Microsoft. Contains Moderate Peril is hosted via Squarespace and they’re constantly tinkering with the “backend”. I often log in to post an article only to discover a subtle change to the UI. Until recently I could import a Word Document without any formatting issues. However, a recent change now means that additional spaces are added between paragraphs and hyperlinks are lost. No doubt Squarespace will alter this in the long term but it makes for extra work in the meantime. Hence, I have started using Google Docs to create posts. At present there are now issues when I copy and paste the content into the post editor and then there’s the added bonus of accessibility. Google Drive allows me to access my draft documents from anywhere. At present, I spend a lot of time at my parents house. Using Google resources means I can write on the fly and be more productive, despite being away from my home office.
One of the keys to finding an audience is to promote your content on social media. It’s not something that everyone is good at and it can also make you feel very self conscious. One aspect of social media is that you are shamelessly drawing attention to yourself and that’s not to everyone’s liking. But it is a necessary evil so its best approached as a job. Out of all the various social media platforms, I find that Twitter is the most efficient means to promote my writing and generating traffic. However, to gain any traction requires a sizeable following of like-minded people who share common interests. I initially gained my Twitter following between 2010 and 2013 and it was mainly down to holding regular giveaways. I offered game codes, Blu-rays and DVDs as prizes and made leaving a comment on the post and following me on Twitter, as part of the means of entry. It broadly worked. Although some people would follow and then later leave, most seem to have stuck around. I wish to increase the size of my Twitter following so am going to reinstate the giveaways and hold them monthly. As I said earlier it can feel a bit of an impersonal Quid Pro Quo but I feel it is one of the more socially acceptable means of promotion.
I am also currently experimenting with Instagram to see if I can develop a presence there. I have an existing account that I have so far used just for family related content. However, I have now purged this of photos of my Granddaughters and such like and warned existing followers that I shall be changing tack. The idea is to try and create a community of followers and to focus on movies and TV. The medium lends itself to posting a screen capture of a scene from a classic film and then throwing it open for comments. This could also be used to promote existing film reviews that I’ve written. Of course it may not work and this may not be the right use of this platform but it’s worth a try. Social media can be flexible but it can also be an online cul-de-sac. In the past I’ve experimented with Facebook and building a community there. I had a website plugin that easily facilitated posting exiting blog content direct to Facebook. But I found that instead of bringing readers to my blog, it simply developed into a separate online presence of it own. as I didn’t want to have to manage multiple communities I stopped doing this and now just use Facebook to keep in touch with friends who have emigrated.
But no matter what ideas you can come up with to increase your readership, the fact remains that the best way to grow your blog is to just keep writing and posting new articles. Google seems to bear this out, as my film reviews are frequently found via online searches and make up a substantial amount of my overall blog traffic. It is a somewhat clichéd old adage but “if you throw enough crap at the wall, some will eventually stick”. Write about what you enjoy and just stick with it. Talk to other bloggers or comparable content creators. Keep at it and you will develop a style and the standard of your material will improve. But above all, just keep writing. Find a time of day that works for you and get your thoughts down on virtual paper. Remember, each blog post doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. Three coherent paragraphs should suffice. But a degree of determination and self discipline, so that you do actually do some writing, will yield results in the long run. It’s also rewarding to set a New Year’s Resolution, or long term goal that you do actually achieve.
