Blogging 101 – 10 Tips when Blogging – Part 3

 Please note that tomorrow, being 24th September, is a public holiday here in South Africa, so a blog will not be posted.

Blogging 101 – 10 Tips when Blogging – Part 3

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting (Pty) Ltd 

Following on from the previous articles where we looked at Being yourself, People are just People, Say what you mean and mean what you say, Keeping it tidy, Interpretation and Perception, Success or Failure and Everyone has their own Journey, here are some more tips around the content of your blogging.

1. Water, Water Everywhere, but Not a Drop to Drink!

Nowadays we often hear the term “Information Overload”.  That said I also often hear people saying that they “don’t have the information that they require” or that they “don’t know where to find” the information that they need.

There is an abundance of information freely available on the internet.  Here’s the thing though, you have to learn how to look!

Much like the “good old days” when we actually went to the library to do our research, we had to know where to look to find the information that we needed.

Walking into the library for the first time for me was really overwhelming.  I must have been around 5 or so at the time.  I remember standing in this huge building, surrounded by really tall shelves that were filled to capacity with what looked like millions and millions of books.

I stood rooted to the spot, bursting with the desire to read everything in sight but having no clue where to start.

The internet is pretty much the same - you have to learn to define and clarify your questions in order to access what it is that you need to see.

Follow like-minded people or people who are clearly experts in their fields.  Connect with and follow your clients to find out what they want and need.  Join groups and discussions and interact with them all.  You will be amazed at the amount of valuable, interesting stuff that you will come across.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Most people are by nature helpful.  Sure you get the odd idiot who would rather kick you to the curb than give you the time of day, but by enlarge, the average person will help.

Here’s the thing though, you have to ask for help.  It’s unrealistic to expect people to automatically, intuitively know when you need assistance. 

So if you find yourself feeling a little overwhelmed – ask for help.  More often than not you’ll find that the answer is a lot simpler than your thought it would be.

The reality is that it is human nature to complicate things!

3. Don’t give up!

The final piece to this puzzle - don’t give up!

In order to get to your destination, you have to take that first step.  I understand that you may be feeling daunted and unsure, but just get started.

I was terrified when I wrote my first article and as soon as it was posted, I wondered what all the fuss was about!  I celebrated the achievement and went on to write the next one and the next and I am still having fun and writing, more than 2000 articles on.

So stop thinking about doing it and just get it done!

Till next time, happy blogging!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za