Blogging should, even at the worst of times, be about having a bit of fun with words. I’m not saying you should be a wordsmith or someone spinning a web of words no one can unravel. Far from it, it’s more about just going back to basics and having fun or being playful. Think of it this way; when you were a kid you only did stuff you enjoyed. Why did all of that change? The message is still the same, to try and enjoy yourself because you’d be surprised to see just how much your writing will improve once you start to experiment with throwing in a little bit of joy in there.

Some will look at it as being frivolous and unnecessary, but some will relish the change in tone. Just as it is in the real world, you can’t please everyone all of the time but you can most certainly at least make sure that you are having a good time while you’re at it. This idea struck me while I was peering in at a class full of kindergarten kids busy with some art classes creating what I would at best (or worst) call modern art. Most of those kids were less busy trying to create a work of perfection and more intent on just having a whale of a time and slathering the walls (and occasionally the paper in front of them) with all sorts of colors while doodling all kinds of unrecognizable shapes.

Amazingly, even at such a tender age, some of them displayed a remarkable capacity for intricacy and quality in their work and looking back I realize that those were the ones that were having the most fun while they were at it. Over time, as I observed this intrepid bunch of kids more and more, I noticed subtle variations and distinct improvements in the way these kids used a brush or even their fingers to paint an image and the more they tried something new, the more evolved their art became over time.

And then it struck with the force of a thousand Elephants stampeding through the Savannah; how is it any different for blogging?

As you pick up and drop styles of writing and experiment, you will stumble upon some that stick and work for you while there will be those you discard and this is true for you and your readers. Your personal experiments could range from satirical styling to sardonic ranting to even using a third person writing style. There are no rules other than those that you impose on yourself, but there is one overriding rule; it has to be impactful for you and your readers, otherwise where’s the fun in trying something new?

No you don’t, simply because you are busy performing the same routine of searching new ideas, working on it, developing content, and optimizing your blog. This happens with all bloggers. They are too zoomed-in into the posts, and so deep into the words that they don’t know how their entire copy looks like.

Besides, most bloggers are emotionally attached to their work. Even if the content is not appealing, they simply love their post, and admire their blog. However, this is not how your readers might perceive your work.

Here are few ways that will help you zoom back and look at the big picture:

1.    Give Some Time

As soon as your finish your first draft of an article, leave it alone for some time, at least 24 hours. For some, it would be irresistible to stay away from written content, ready to be posted. But wait for a while before you return to the copy.

When you grab it again, after few hours, you will have new ideas to infuse, and surely you will spot many errors in the article. You might even fall off laughing at some errors. This is the magic of ‘leaving it alone’ for some time. You are out of your writer role, and enter the casual reader mode, which you help you gain different perspective about your blog post.

How long should you leave your copy alone? If you are a blogger, leave your post alone for 12 hours or a day. However, if you have just finished with an ebook, wait for at least 3 weeks or a month before you start proofreading the content.

2.    Become a Reader

When you grab your copy after a day’s break, try to enter a reader’s mind, and read it from their perspective. Check the article out as if it’s the first time you are reading it.

Don’t make any corrections. Simply read it. You can do this by getting a printed version of your post, or converting it into PDF file so editing is not possible.

While reading the post, check for:

Vague Ideas

Extra, Unnecessary Content

Redundant, Obsolete information

3.    Seek Feedback

Instead of assuming your blog is superb, seek for real feedback. You can get actual feed back from your commenters, forum participants, and writing circles. However, don’t ask you family, or friends, especially your mom about your blog. No matter how stinky or irritating your post is, they would always appreciate it.

While asking for feedback, make sure you are clear on what you want. Don’t simply ask them to check your article. Instead, ask them specification on whether you want them to check for typos, unnecessary information, clunky sentences, or other errors.

4.    Proofread Your Article

Typos or grammatical mistakes are common in blog posts. But, to make sure you don’t make any major ones, proofread your articles well. I find it really helpful to proofread on paper. We generally tend to skip mistakes that aren’t picked by spell checker or grammar checker. So, doing it on paper would be very effective.

If you are into blogging on any other internet-based business, you cannot ignore social media. More than entertainment, it’s now an essential marketing tool for every business. When I started this blog, I wasn’t aware about the power of social media tools, and hence, all my efforts during initial few months were literally washed out. I don’t want this to happen with any of the bloggers, new or existing. Here is a list of things that I have learned over time, and these are crucial lessons every blogger must inscribe in their minds.

1. Businesses, today, are not physical. You must have sweeping internet presence.
2. It’s not necessary to be present in every corner of social media space. Determine which tools work best for you and be effective there.
3. Have a proper Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plan well before you start your business. If you want to survive in the internet space, you would have to optimize your presence rigorously.
4. Not many bloggers are making use of videos and charts. Understand that people want information that can be accessed quickly and conveniently.
   
5. Technology changes every minute. To keep up with the pace, keep yourself well-informed. Read every article that talks about technology, social media, internet, and so on.
6. Most bloggers work for money. This can be, however, achieved only if they help people genuinely.
7. Do not neglect your readers. Every tiny interaction matters. If a reader requests some specific information, write a post about it, answer every comment. Make sure you share a good relation with them. Some people call them traffic. For me, they are my clients.
8. Quite similar to your health, social media wouldn’t bring results by working on it for a day. You will have to spend some time daily to get best results.
9. If you have a social media presence, be ready for insults, negative feedbacks, and harsh comments.
10. Don’t measure results everyday, keep working on it. Do not, however, give up at any cost.
11. Avoiding social media will harm your business, not your competitor’s. If you want to make money online, you will have to spend time with these tools. Period.
12. Be calm, humble, and patient. Things wouldn’t always turn up as expected. Deal with it politely.

These are some of the most important things every blogger must remember. What are the other social media lessons, you have learned from your business?