Blogging Basics #1 – Content Specific Writing

Different services provide many types of opportunities for people who like to write. Social networks such as LiveJournal, Facebook and MySpace provide places for people to share their daily stories and link up with one another.

The next step for many people that get into that is to write content specific blogs, which can provide useful information and endless hours of fun for web surfers. Most internet traffic goes to sites that center on specific topics. This is probably because the average surfer does searches that are interest based, which lead them to material about the particular interest they have in mind. This can lead to a lot of traffic on a content centered blog, much more than one might expect from a generalized journal on a social network. For those who are interested in making money with their writing, Content specific blogs are eligible for advertising from affiliates and other options which may generate some pocket change.

Affiliate advertising has it's pro's and con's. For one, if you are trying to run any kind of business that is related to a blog you write, it may not be in your best interest to use outside advertising on your page. If you have a product or service of your own to sell, you don't want to pull your potential customers off your page and send them somewhere else. At the same time, the potential audience you have on the Internet is very broad. Sometimes getting involved in social networks that are related to your business may draw you more positive attention. A balanced common sense approach should help you figure out weather or not advertising would be advantageous for you, and in which ways.

Blogging has another positive result for freelance writers. It puts your work out there and allows others to see informal examples of your capabilities. If you want to get into writing on a professional level, using blogging to increase your visibility as a writer is a good move.

By default, blogging is great practice for other writing projects. If you start blogging, or keep going with developing things you have already put together, other kinds of writing projects are very natural. Unlike 20 years ago, this technopalloza opens up a lot of doors for people who are talented at writing. It is not difficult to self publish your own books, or to get into writing articles professionally. It has a great appeal to many people- what other job can you do while still in your pajamas's and drinking copious amounts of coffee?