By Zoe Anderson
People have been journaling for centuries, and blogs have only become popular within the past decade or so. Journaling isn’t dying – it’s still an important part of the daily life of the passionate writer. What is changing is the way people share information and exchange ideas. By turning your journal into a blog, you can become part of that transformation. You may even meet likeminded individuals who will inspire you and help you grow as a writer.
Re-imagine Your Perspective
Journaling is a very personal style of writing. You don’t have to explain your details or past memories to yourself while you’re journaling. There’s no reason to mention the specifics of something you remember clearly to set the scene for yourself, as you already understand this aspect of your story. When you’re journaling for the benefit of someone else, you’ll have to work harder to include the details you would take for granted if you were only writing for your own benefit. Adding more details ups the quality of your storytelling and allows your readers to develop a better visualization of your anecdotes.
Start with the Right Site Design
You’re a writer, not a web designer. You may not know the best way to translate a journal into a blog. There are a lot of platforms for writers that offer free templates, but you may not be able to optimize them in a way that helps you showcase your content. Hire a web designer on a website like Gumtree and collaborate to create a functional design that will be easy for readers to navigate and provide an excellent organizational system.
Consider Your Niche
Memoirs are wildly popular, and it’s easy to turn your blog into your memoirs. If you don’t want to be that open, you’re not out of options. You can create a journal blog on a specific subject or hobby. Are you an avid gardener? A hobby entomologist? A bicycle enthusiast? You can tailor the content of your blog to stick to a specific niche. It may even be easier to collect readers that way, as they’ll be able to find you when searching for blogs that cater to their personal interests.
Think Twice About Oversharing
You might not want the whole world to know about your most embarrassing moment or a tragic thing that happened to you. If you do, be thoughtful in the way you present that subject and try to avoid posting pieces of information that could implicate others and create uncomfortable social situations. You should also be vigilant about oversharing in ways you may not realize – especially when it comes to posting phone numbers or your specific physical location in a place where any stranger could see it.
Network With Other Bloggers
One of the most important aspects of maintaining a successful blog is networking. You need to build connections to gain readers and boost your visibility. Exchanging links and guest posts can help you rise in the ranks of popular search engines, allowing more people to find you simply by searching for a specific subject. You’ll also be able to gain a following from blogs that have large readerships just by networking with the blog owner.
On a closing note, there’s one important thing to remember. No matter how you decide to approach your journal blog, just remember to update on a consistent schedule. Failing to update can cause you to fade into oblivion as readers don’t know when to expect your next post.
Zoe Anderson is a marketing assistant at StudySelect. She’s keen on learning about new branding strategies and digital marketing tools.
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