How to Start a Blog: Write Your Own Story
As a kid I always thought my life would make an interesting book. It had many ups, downs, plot twists and characters that came and went. The older I got I realized I wasn’t the only one with an interesting and equally ridiculous story. Take a look at my best friend, Madeline, for example. She flew to the other side of the world to collect Hyena saliva and while she was there, she made sure not to miss her photo op with a tranquilized lion.
No lion was harmed in the making of this photo.
Sure I had crazy stories and weird phases, like the time I spent a whole summer raising rats, only later to cut off their heads, put their brains on ice and study the lipid composition to see if alcoholism was a genetic trait. Or when I thought it was a good idea to chop my hair off, dye it purple and wear funky glasses because I was an “art” student.
At the end of the day we are all human who live out our lives separately and yet connected. We all have crazy relatives, weird jobs, bad bosses, and dreams for a better life. If you decide to start a blog, add one as part of your business or enhance the one you already have you need to reflect on that human characteristic.
If you go to a website with a blog that only talks about products or is constantly trying to sell you something, you aren't going to be interested and you definitely won’t stop to read it again. So stop pushing similar tactics on your own website, it doesn't work. You have to focus on quality content that is helpful, valuable and human.
Tell people your story. Start at the beginning, but remember your audience is shifting and although we would all like to think the same people tune in everyday, that isn't the case. Continue to retell “your story” periodically. Add a thread of you as a constant tone throughout your writing.
I am not trying to say that every business that has a blog needs to turn it into a lifestyle theme, I just mean you can’t take yourself out of the equation. For many that means avoiding third person. For others you may have to take a more factual “news” type approach, but there are still opportunities to add flair, spice and everything nice.
How do you keep your voice alive on your blog?
