THE IDEA of having a WordPress blog has been germinating in the back portion of my mind for quite some time. Why it took so long to start a blog here is due to the fact that I had three other blogs running on the Blogger platform.

I was blogging like there was no tomorrow on those three blogs so much so that I just couldn’t find the time to open a WordPress account.

If you’re curious to know about my three Blogger blogs, here are their screenshots and you can click on the links to pay a visit:

CommonSense With Markk (My primary blog)

The NextPost (Main focus on making money online)

WiredHound Blog (An eclectic newsy blog)

I had to work doubly hard to build up their contents. And it went on for several months before I finally turned my attention to Blogging On My Mind.

I’m still not sure whether the blogging efforts can be sustained. I guess I just have to chug along and see how things develop.

Coming over to WordPress will be a good experience, too. Since I started with Blogger blogs, and having gained some insights into this fascinating world of blogging, I guess I’m better equipped this time, having experienced through trial and error the idiosyncracies of this growing phenomenon called blogging.

Blogging On My Mind will be an extension of my thinking transformed into words on this blog. It will be about my perception of blogging and bloggers. It will project my views on all aspects of the World Wide Web.

As this blog matures overtime, it will be monetized to generate some online income to help maintain the upkeep of this blog. And I’m not blind to the fact that along this Blogosphere trail, there’ll be twists and turns, unexpected changes, and a plethora of new ideas and developments that will come about.

By now, there are probably more than 80 million bloggers around the world and the uptrend, according to experts, will continue unabated with new sites growing exponentially.

In the past two years, traditional companies are discovering the unique power of blogs. The monetization of blogs shows great potential as the momentum picks up with more bloggers hopping on the surfboards to ride the blogging waves for pleasure and profit.

Last year, it was reported that web advertising was expected to increase by 50 percent to USD23.6 billion in 2010. If that came true, we could be sure to see a huge surge of ad dollars landing on blogs.

Magazines, newspapers and other traditional media organizsations are seeing this new “paradigm shift.” The blogs and websites are becoming powerful competitors.

Of related interest:
How a website or blog can be unique

One major mistake faced by bloggers especially those just starting a new blog is that they fail to write for their audience. Being new to the blogging scene, it may not have occurred to them that good writing is the key to convince visitors to read their blogs.

Many blogs out there are crying for visitors but they do not realize that their scattered thoughts and bad prose are just turning people away. If you want them to read and appreciate your writing, you have to start thinking like a marketer.

It’s all about communication. That’s blogging and marketing.

As one marketer puts it: “Unless your blog is only for your family or your business colleagues, you’re probably writing with the hope that someone will read about what you think.”

So if you want your blog to flourish, you have to write about something that people will find it worth reading. Build a loyal readership with good content because that’s the way to keep them coming back to your blog.

Here are some key factors that make your blog worth reading:

1. Stay true to your topic

Opinions are fine, but unless you’re Google’s head honcho, very few people will want to know what you ate for breakfast. Stick to your gun. If your blog is about gadgets, then write about gadgets.

2. Always write in a conversational style

You can forget what your English teacher taught in school. Forget corporate-speak. Write the way you speak, conversational style. This way you won’t sound uptight and unnatural.

3. Be an opinionated blogger

Don’t bore your readers with pleasant platitudes. Most people respond better to an honest airing of views. Give them a piece of your mind if you will.

4. Be witty and have a sense of humour

Show them you’re someone with a sense of humour and can be very witty in your writing.

5. Know what you’re talking about

If you’re writing about your profession, you’d better know what you are talking about. Most bloggers are well-informed and will throw brickbats at you if you’re found out

7. Update frequently, but don’t burn out

Avoid burnout. Bloggers are only humans, so stick to a publishing schedule that is humanly possible for you. If you’ve just updated your blog and find a story you want to share, save it for later. Don’t work yourself into a corner.

Blogging should not be regarded as a rat race. Pace yourself nicely and you will find it’s a pleasant journey… and rewarding, too.