Formation Of A Blog: 3 Distinct Writing Categories, Examples, & Challenge...?!?!
"Give your time & teach something. Give your following & learn something."
Hey fellow Steemians! Yes, You. Welcome to the start of a blog! My blog to be exact, but it might as well be your blog too. Whether you follow along, chime in, or find the inspiration to follow your own path, you all belong here. Do you know why? Because you said you do! Are you making it here in Steemland? I'll likely notice you, and follow along. If you're floundering, maybe I can help. That's what my blog is for. I'm going to start right now by showing you how I do things.
Every blog needs a beginning, a starting point to base ideas off of. Enter the world of Steemland! Comparing Steemland to a personal blog is like comparing apples, and well, ELEPHANTS! What do I mean by that? Personal blogs start with ONE main idea. It can have branches, but those offshoots must relate to the "big picture". Say you start a blog about Toasters. You might write about the best bread for making toast or even favorite types of jelly. What you wouldn't do is write about swimming lessons.
In Steemland, none of that matters. Steemians can post about anything that moves them into taking the action. But does that mean we shouldn't have some order? Some general direction that we can move in personally? Of course not! It would feel like starting a dozen different tasks, but never making any real headway on any of them. Instead, start with 3 subjects that you know. It could be anything from work, to play, to a service you provide. Everyone has value to offer, they just don't all know it.....yet.
"What You Wouldn't Do Is Write About Swimming Lessons. In Steemland, None Of That Matters."
Examples Of Starting Categories - My 3 Branches
Maybe you travel, breed dogs, and drink lots of coffee doing it. Those could be your three starting categories! Notify me about your coffee posts if you do it. Keep in mind these are only starting points. Each thread can begin and end as you choose, which opens up room for new pursuits. Hey, we're people after all. We change, as do our interests. Your interests belong to you, though they'll overlap with other people's (Again the coffee!). For the purpose of this post, we can use mine as examples. Two of my choices are cut & dry. I already have blogs in these areas. The third category is a new direction, and one that will exist solely here in Steemland.
#1 Fishing - What Do You Want To Know?
Fishing is an area I can offer my expertise. Have you ever caught a fish? Can't stand the smell or the slime? This may not be for you. There's often blood involved and it's not for the feint of heart, but complaints tend to stop once chefs do their work. Please join me if you are so inclined on my offshore fishing blog @ FishtFight.com. But the point of Steemland is help Steemians here. So....fire away with any fishing related questions on any of my posts in that category. I'll consider it a pleasure to help out with answers.
#2 Online Business - Build Your Own Blog!
Will you count on Steemland to make it or break it? It's not that I blame anyone for doing that, but I like having my eggs in more than one basket! Before coming here with a head full of steem, I've built two sites of my own. There's the fishing blog above and there's also ThePocketFeeder.com, a blog about starting a blog. In Steemland, I'll be dropping tips about SEO, keyword research, backlinks (are they really worth the effort?), hosting, and a slue of other topics.
#3 Project Selflessness - Help A Fellow Steemian!
I'm going to start this project. My hope is that other Steemians will pick it up and make it a trend. IMHO, Steemit is about creating positive change in an ugly world. Not everyone has the ability to effect change on a large scale, but people "only get better one by one" (At least that's what Sting said).
So here's the deal....
I'm going to pick one Steemian and build a website for them. My only cost will be the domain name, of their choice, and my time. I expect the experiment will be just as valuable for my own development as it is for the recipient, with a much larger possibility in tow. Once the site is set up, the recipient will do the blogging. This isn't a hand out but a chance to help oneself. This will also be a category I continue to blog about, whether it's to show off the progress of the recipient or encourage others to help as well.
How will I choose the recipient? Boosting this post won't help, because it's not about me making better money. Save that for my other categories! What will make the final decision are the comments you leave. I'm not looking to be wowed, just to know that the receiver intends to follow through and blog. Maybe I'll go by the votes that come out of Steemland on your comments. Keep an eye out for future blogs by myself on this subject. Drop a line if you have advice or suggestions to make it work out better. Holler if you want to get involved. I look forward to hearing from you!
Baby Steps To Freedom - It All Starts With A Vision & Small Actions
So what do I have here? Nothing really but a few ideas. A script I can work off of. Hopefully this post alone helps open some eyes up to a better method. It's tough to write without a direction and no plan. So what's important to you? What would you like to read and learn about from any of my three categories? Am I the expert? Not by a long shot. It's only through your teaching ("Give your time...") that I find myself where I am today, plus a little effort of my own. Where will my next post begin? With fishing, online business, or a hand out to someone else? Stay tuned and be sure to follow if you care to find out! For continuing support of @inalittlewhile, just give a shout out right here or on my first couple posts:
Angler vs Halibut: Handicap To The Halibut
1 Under The Belt - From The Bottom Looking Up
It's really nice of you to want to help other steemians out....
And that generous offer...WOW.. You deserve a medal.
Btw @gotgame. I pay for a platform to build websites. There's 22 open spots left for new domains. Why not use them to help a fellow steemian? :)
I plan to.... I just resteemed your post, hopefully someone sees it... I'm gonna get the word out to my other steemit friends privately...
Thanks @gotgame. That's the thing that I need help figuring out. Who deserves it most? So if anyone has nominees, that would help. A selection process? That's why I was thinking maybe by the comments people leave, then the upvotes that come to those comments? Idk
No medals. I just better follow through. Lol :)
I trust you will
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Thanks for sharing this @inalittlewhile
Thanks for chiming in. :)
OMG, i found you! Wow, I am a big fishing fan too, I have to be my partner is a fisherman... they've done tv show on him here in australia...we just went to New Zealand catching !8 -35 pount rainbow trout.... amazing! I've followed you and I am exceptionally interested in learning from you ..... I actually think we have a fair bit in common! Amazing.... i really want to show you the rainbow trout... massive, and caught on 4 pound line.... I hope you keep in touch!
Blush. Thanks for coming over to my page and for the compliments. My in-laws have a sign above their front door, "Fishermen Welcome". That applies to ladies too. :) Nice chat earler and I look forward to more (and better) conversation. :)
Well that's fantastic, because so do I! Wow, I really feel chuffed to have stumbled across you in the chat!! All because of a rude person who was not behaving like a good Steemian! I look forward to learning from you!
Where are you from?
The Fam and I are from Southern Caifornia. San Diego North County.
haha, I thought maybe Australia.... that was your accent in my head as I was reading your replies, but that's because I'm Australian!! (I'm an idiot - LOL!!) Im going to have to send you a pic of the rainbow trout that my beautiful step son caught!! Maybe I will through the DM chat...(the fish is off the show!)
Nice. My first client as a writer is an Aussie. I still have him on skype. I did work on his site, fishermensangle.com. Cheers! Looking forward to pics of monster rainbows. :)
Yes!! The monster Rainbow's are from our NZ trip, and my god, amazing! You wait till you see the local (to the Whitsundays) Spanish Mackeral, Tuna, Marlin, Sailfish, Barramundi and Salmon (amongst other species....) the works mate! Im so excited...I'mm not much of a girly girl, I am a painter and decorator by trade, also Interior designer, and artist, dabbling in writing... (which is my secret love)... Hence Steemsausage doesnt give to much away about my sex. A Sausage is also a mystery bag!! You never know what is inside! Refreshing to 'meet you' @inalittlewhile ....@steemsausage.
Am I missing the pics? I was looking for them.
What a great start, but I'm not into fishing and not certain how else I can help you contribute to others.
I love your idea of helping someone start a blog. I would feel happier knowing that someone who needs it is also going to use it well and thus, benefit.
I would suggest you collect a number of requests and of people suggesting others and then take a bit of time to look at what they are currently doing and decide for yourself (you are the one with blogging experience) for whom such a blog-gift will be most valuable.
You mentioned
Could you expand on that? Not certain what you mean - I only think I know.
Thanks. I guess you could help by leaving a future comment if you feel someone deserves it. I think you're right that the proper recipient will show through.
Keyword research is about finding terms that are popular in search engines as they relate to competing websites. You want to be found when people search in engines. People here don't like google, but it's not the only search engine just the biggest.
Backlinks are thought of as desireable, especially when authority sites link to yours. They can, however, get you in trouble with search engines if you acquire them through certain means. I'll be blogging more about this on future posts. :)
Okay and thanks, My confusion was due to my thinking they are related/for use in Steemit.
I have followed, so you will be seeing more of me (warning, my comments always tend to be a bit longwinded)
:)
You are most welcome. :)