And Another Thing

I have been surfing the Internet looking at blogs this morning. I have realized that a good way to learn what not to do while blogging is read other blogs.

I set up a blog on Blogger to see how the features compared with WordPress. Blogger is owned by Google now and obviously has a lot of money behind it. It is easy to use and reasonably flexible. If you are considering blogging, then Blogger is another option.

Currently, I still don’t think it contains the features of WordPress, but I will test it further. My Main Blog will remain Chiriquí Chatter and will stay under WordPress.

I think what is important, for new users, is to find a platform that is easy to use and then focus on content. Browsing the other user’s blogs will show you striking examples of good and bad content.

Here is the my Blogger Blog.

Consistency and Content

Consistency in the frequency of posting is important. If you post every day for a period of time and then change to posting once a week or once a month, it will confuse and frustrate your readers and they won’t know when they should expect your next entry. When they get too frustrated they will just stop returning. A blog doesn’t need to have a post every day, but the frequency of posts should be reasonably consistent.

While consistence is important, the content is much more important. Don’t post something just to get an entry posted. If you only post twice a week, but the posts have content, the readers will come. If you post every day and half the posts say” I am not sure what to write today”, then your reader will think, “I don’t know why I wasted my time today.”

If you are going to take a hiatus from posting for a while for a vacation or some other reason, then let your readers know that you won’t be posting. If you give them a date when you are going to post again, then keep your word.

Readers become a part of your extended family. Treat them with respect and you won’t become the black sheep of the family.