Happy Anniversary to my blog! Today is my 3rd blog anniversary! Since the first, I've published 521 blog posts. I've learned a lot about blogging along the way, too.
Here are some of the things I've learned:
- I enjoy blogging more than I ever dreamed!
- This blog is a place for me to share my truths. I must write first for myself, tho never forgetting I have an audience.
- There are certain skills to blogging; knowing how to use the technology well, writing in a very conversational and open style.
- Blogging friendships take work, just like face-to-face relationships. You must nurture them or they will die.
What have you learned from or about blogging, either by reading or writing a blog? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
My blog turned 3 this year too (in Feb) and I've learned a few things about this too.
ReplyDelete1. Blogging can feel narcissistic, but the blogs that I enjoy the most are the ones that share the most about the person writing them. So I wax on!
2. I find it creepy when people I "meet" online are mysterious about themselves and who they are. I strive to be open and real to avoid being one of the creepy ones.
3. You can learn an awful lot by being a "lurker" on others' blogs. I try to leave comments when I feel compelled to do so, though, because comments always brighten my day!
1. I almost never left comments on others' blogs until I started my own. I didn't realize how great it feels to know that someone else is reading and has a response.
ReplyDelete2. I've learned that blogging makes me view the triumphs and challenges of my day--however big or small--with more of a sense of humor. It is fun to go through the day with an eye toward sharing pieces of it with others.
3. I've learned how many good writers, good people, and creative thinkers there are out there. (I already suspected, but it's nice to have reminders!)
Thank you for sharing these wise thoughts, Allibrew and Mep!
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteWhat I love most about blogging is meeting more like minded people than I ever knew existed in my real world!
WOW....I've been blogging just over a year. I've met some very intersting people along the way and all types of personalities and I like that.
ReplyDeleteI have met a lady in my area via the "blogs" we both have and we have become "online friends"...we are going to do lunch soon. It's so crazy because we went to church last week and someone came up to my daughter and husband...and introduced herself because she recognized them from my blog photos...and it was this lady!!!!
SMALL world. I never got to see her "face to face" because we missed each other in the crowd. But that was sooooo funny I though.
It takes a bit of time for me to trust certain people but this lady is very sweet and like minded so I didn't mind opening up further with her nor her with me so that's cool. I wouldn't do that with just everyone though.
I think it's also been important for me NOT to use real names for my daughter and her friends and such. I TRY to be very careful about this especially.
Anyway....I've met some very cool people like you! So this has been fun really.
And I do try to leave comments on people's sites because of course because we all want to have people communicate with us as well.
All good feedback of course. :~)
Hi, Joyce and Brenda - Great sharing! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogiversary!!! I read alot of art blogs and feel that they keep me in touch with what is going on in the indie-arts world. I often learn about new books coming out or conferences coming up through blogs. Also, I get to know great people like you, Steph!
ReplyDeleteWow! Those are very insightful "lessons learned"! I've been blogging off-and-on for about 5 years... more regularly for the past year. Not sure I have anything to add to your list.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree about writing for yourself, but never forgetting you have an audience.
I have found blogging to be worth the effort!
Happy third anniversary. I enjoy your blog very much and hope to someday have one of my own. Great tips from everyone on blogging. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary! I love reading your blogs and viewing the lovely photos you include.
ReplyDeleteoh my! three years! wow. you certainly know more about it than I do, and i agree with all those things you said. it is a bit if work, but such fun work it is!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 3rd Blog Anniversary. Your wonderful Blog inspired me to give blogging a try. It is fun to be able to keep up with friends life's happenings this way.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteMy blog is about a year old now, and I've learned quite a few things in that time.
1. Technical stuff, like SEO. Very necessary if your blog has anything to do with a business, and useful even if it doesn't.
2. Mixing preplanned posts with off-the-cuff posts. I like to have some things that are well thought out and some that keep it fun.
3. Finding my own balance of the subjective and the objective in my posts. This is an important element in blogs that I enjoy reading, so I try to cultivate it in my blog, as well.
It's great reading everyone's insights! Thanks for the post, Steph!
Well, I tried to leave a comment the other day but must have had computer troubles, because it didn't "take," and I definitely wanted to be among those wishing you a Happy Blogiversary!
ReplyDeleteI'm such a blogging newbie compared to you, but one thing I've learned (and continue to learn with our print magazine) is that shorter is often better when it comes to content. People's time is very limited, so I don't need to fancy myself that I'm the New Yorker. One of my goals is to make sure the day's post can be read in about 1-3 minutes (not that I time it or anything; I'm not quite THAT obsessive!). I love that your blog posts are short and sweet and have lovely photos. Oh, and yours is a very "thoughtful" blog, and I like that a lot!