Datasheet

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Part I: Getting Started with Blogs
Watching how someone else blogs is a great way of finding out how to be suc-
cessful yourself! Keep track of how the blogs you enjoy are keeping you interested:
Take note of how often the blogger updates his or her blog, the writing style,
and which posts you find most engaging and get you to leave a comment.
Setting goals
Just like you have many different reasons to blog, you have many ways to
create a successful blog. Don’t forget that your goals and plans might not be
the same as another blogger’s. Do think about what your goals are and keep
those goals in mind when you start your blog.
The following are ways that you might define a successful blog:
✓ Numbers: Many bloggers are eager to attract readers to their blogs, and
they define success by the number people who visit every day.
✓ Comments: Some bloggers find the interaction with readers in the com-
ment area of the blog very gratifying. For these bloggers, getting a com-
ment every day or on every post might mean they’re successful.
✓ Results: Many bloggers start their blog in order to accomplish a task
(such as raising money for a charity), to sell a product, or even to get a
book contract (blogs have done all these things). When these bloggers
meet their goal, they know they’ve succeeded!
When you start your blog, take time to think about how you define success.
Do you want to help your entire family keep in touch? Do you want to let your
friends back home know more about your college experience? Are you start-
ing a company and trying to get attention in the media? Consider writing your
goals into your very first blog post and then returning to that post every few
months to see whether your goals have changed and to remind yourself of
what you’re trying to accomplish.
Writing well
Many people think that blogs are poorly written, misspelled, and full of gram-
matical no-no’s such as incomplete sentences. Most criticism has at least some
basis in reality, and this case is no different. Many bloggers do write their blogs
very casually, paying only cursory attention to spelling and grammar.
For many, this informality is part of the charm of the format. Readers find
the colloquial, conversational tone accessible and easy to read, and bloggers
who write informally seem approachable and friendly.
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