Bloggin', blogger, bloggy



Image found on prospectresearch.com via Google

 Blogging is an ever changing area, and there's nothing black and white about it. The area in between, actually, is quite vast. There are very few set "rules" about blogging, so I want your opinion.
How do you decide what "type" of blog you're going to have?
I tend to favor the personal intermixed with the professional. I love going with the flow of the day, how I'm feeling, and writing what I want to write about. But do you think this is counterproductive for readers?
I've heard mixed opinions on the matter. Some people insist a topic-specific blog is essential to holding on to readership, others disagree. What is your opinion?

Just since I started this new blog, multiple people have said to me, "I really want to start a blog, but I'm not sure how, exactly." Well I don't have it all figured out (I know, you thought I totally knew what I was doing here. Fooled ya!), but here are three things I've learned about blogging in my endeavors so far.

  1.   Your blog needs to reflect who you are.

• Nobody wants to read some stuffy, boring, textbook style blog post. Make it fun! Make it a unique reading experience every time they open your page. Are you feeling angry about a new law that was passed that you disagree with? Show it! Happy about some new restaurant that opened in your town? Let's hear it! If you have a happy, fun, outgoing personality, we should be able to gather that from reading your posts. Same applies if you have more of a withdrawn, deep, poetic personality. Being able to relate to the blogger on some level keeps readers coming back, and keeps you, the blogger, real.

    2.   Find the relevance.

• Yes, you are going to post some things that maybe only those close to you will care about sometimes. But before posting ask yourself, "How is this relevant? Why does this matter? Why should people care?" Some readers might not realize it's relevant until they read your post. YOU convince them, by what you've written, that it's important. Sometimes the relevance can be found in simply bringing a smile to a readers face, making them laugh. Sometimes it's deeper, challenging their opinion on some heated topic. If you think it's important enough to write, people need to think it's important enough to read.

    3.   Make it interactive.

• Ever read a blog that's just 1,000 words? BOR-ing. For example, if you talk about some great new miracle product you tried that's working wonders on your hair, share a link where people can go buy it themselves. Or if you read some fantastic feature article on some couple that battled cancer together during their engagement, post the link! Hyperlinks are your friend. Help people get clicky. And how about some pictures? Or video? If you go on some grand vacation to Italy and blog about it, I'd like to see some pictures, please! Even a graphic, fun or serious, can be helpful and intriguing. And lastly, don't pretend like your readers aren't there. Ask them questions in your post. If they comment, respond to them. Now, you don't have to respond 100% of the time, but keep your eye out for commentary. Again, readers want to connect.

What it boils down to is this; you make your own rules in the blogging world. You decide what works for you and what doesn't. A little trial and error never hurt anyone. Kinda like my blog... it's anybody's guess what will work for me, and it's my job to find out!

Happy blogging!

Here's a link to some useful tips about blogging.

Back to the blog-0-sphere

Back to the blogging world! Time to talk life.
At first glance, you might find the name of my blog interesting. Or maybe not. But either way I'm going to explain it to you.
Let's go back, back to when I was growing up. My parents were those super cool parents, you know, the kind who all your friends liked? The kind who friends would say, "You should consider yourself lucky. I wish my parents were that cool!" Well, now that I'm older... married... "grown up" if you will... I have to say I agree with all of those friends. I have some pretty cool parents. I admire their advice, and value their wisdom. They are some pretty smart folks, in matters of the head, and of the heart. They know when to interject, and when to back off and let a life lesson play out.
My dad's motto has always been my favorite and something I have used many times over. He always said to "eat life up with a big ol' spoon." To this day I think that's genius. Such an oversimplified statement, obviously, but genius in its simplicity. I mean really, what's not to enjoy about life? And why do we get stuck trudging through it, just managing to get by day after day? His motto stands as a constant reminder to me that life is good, life is a gift, life should be enjoyed. To the fullest. Work hard, play harder.
So therein lies the decision to call my blog "big ol' spoon." Because on this thing, we'll talk about life... what it's made up of, how to get the most out of it, how to grab hold and eat it up with a big ol' spoon.