Blogging For Dummies, 7th Edition

Chapter 23

Ten Things All Bloggers Should Do

The 22 chapters before this one cover every blogging topic that you might imagine, from choosing your site's URL to monetizing your writing. Now you may be asking, what else is there? Beyond the topics covered in depth throughout this book, you can tap into a vast variety of tips and tricks that can take you to the next level or even help you settle in happily where you are right now. In the interest of space and time, I cover ten of these pointers in this chapter and leave you with your blogging career to discover and enjoy the rest.

Discover Your Voice

Are you the life of every party? When people describe you, do they begin with the word “funny”? Or do you consider yourself to be quiet and reflective? Perhaps you're known within your circle of friends or family as the go-to person for useful information or helpful tips.

Your blog is an extension of you, and discovering your blog voice is a bit like discovering yourself. Many bloggers struggle in the first weeks (or months or years!) to find their blogging voice. It's also quite common for bloggers to travel far down their blogging path before deciding to change their writing style.

As you begin thinking about your blogging voice, ask yourself what you want your readers to know and feel about you. Do you want your blog to mimic an informational website, perhaps sharing product reviews or the latest news? Or would you like to treat your site as an online journal, sharing every bit ...