Even though it may seem to you that writing will always be writing, done the same way and using the same techniques, it is a changing performance that adapts to the necessity of new readers and new technology.

This blog is intended to help you make your own writing content on the Internet. From where to begin, writing tips, using social media as a tool and all the way to avoiding plagiarism. These 6 steps could help you become a sophisticated writer, or in other words, it could prepare you to become a new blogger.

Before the computers and Internet came to life, there was only a way of writing: print writing. In the article ‘Web Writing vs. Print Writing’, we can find how online writing is a better market, because you will not need to wait long to get published. You can post articles, essays or stories, giving you a broader range of writing topics that could be easily found by anyone in the planet.

The easiest way to do that is starting up a blog. In the article ‘Top Reasons to Start a Blog‘ we can see some of the pros that we could get from blogging, such as:

• Connecting with people like you and share your thoughts and opinions.
• To make a difference in how people think about a specific issue, and make them think in the other direction.
• To have fun and be creative. Sharing your hobbies and activities will help your blog have passion about the topic.

As explained in the article ‘Reasons Writing for the Internet is the Best Job Ever’, writing online will let you have immediate feedback, with comments from your readers. Even though they could be positive or negative, you will have honest opinions on your work that could make you become a better writer post after post.

There are many different blog platforms, some of the most popular ones are, WordPress, Blogger and Tumblr. Melanie Nelson, social media trainer and consultant, recommends WordPress because of its easy user interface, but also recommends Blogger or Tumblr for intermediate and beginner bloggers. If you are still undecided, this chart could help:

Picking a name for your blog could be a lot of fun. Sean Manning, creator of Talking Covers, recommends using something simple, plainly stating what the blog is going to be about. He also recommends using this same name for features as social media and your contact email.

There are differences between writing online against print writing. Making the transition from a traditional print writer to a blogger could be difficult, but these tips are just some of the basics that you should know before typing your thoughts:

BE RELATABLE, BE YOURSELF. What would make a reader go to your blog instead of a newspaper article? Give your post a personality as a way of keeping your readers’ attention.

USE LINKS WITHIN YOUR POSTS. This would be a great way to give your readers other great blogs, websites or even a previous post from your site, increasing your clicks and giving your blog a better search engine ranking.

RESPOND TO BLOG COMMENTS. This is an opportunity to connect directly with your audience. You will make them feel that you appreciate their feedback.

INCLUDE IMAGES. Your readers need to be stimulated visually. Choosing the right picture could make your post more engaging and interesting for them.

CRAFT YOUR POST’S TITLE. Choosing your title can be crucial, not only to catch your readers’ attention, but also for the post to be in the top of a search engine result.

PROMOTE YOUR BLOG. It will be hard to get readers if you don’t make yourself visible. Having a Twitter, Facebook or YouTube account, as well as letting your relatives and friends know about your blog, could be crucial for its success.

WRITE IN THE ACTIVE VOICE. To be effective in online writing you have to get straight to the point, lending a sense of urgency to your writing.

KEEP IT SHORT. Only include main ideas and not sentences without a fact.

GET SOME INSPIRATION. Read other blogs; get ideas from creative writing blogs such as The Write Practice or Goins Writer.

This is the tips’ list I chose. Here are all the articles that I used:

– Best Practices for Writing For Online Readers

– How To Write a Blog People Want to Read

– The 12 Do’s and Don’ts of Writing a Blog

– How to Craft a Blog Post

– 10 Terrific Creative Writing Blogs

The article ‘5 Tips on Picking Great Images’ states that posts with pictures are proven to get more clicks than the ones that do not have a visual aid.

Showing life in your picture that touch the readers feeling, choosing sprinkle colors that get the readers attention, posting an unexpected and different picture, are just some of the tips that could make your post more appealing.

Social media could have a huge impact in your blog success. Here are some tips on how to write and use the most important social networks out there.

TWITTER

Shea Bennett, co-editor at ‘AllTwitter’, had some tips on how to use a tweet in a better way. First of all, you will need to make your tweet accurate and pleasant, appealing the highest amount of readers. Use hashtags that relate to your story or that are trending at the moment. Other important part of twitter is to shorten your link, with a website like bit.ly, giving you more characters to express your message.

FACEBOOK

‘7 no-brainer Tips to Write an Awesome Facebook Post’ suggests you should ask a question, in order to engage the users and make them interact. You should also keep it short, give a clear call-to-action, offer some valuable information, post an image and give them a link. These tips could make you gain more likes and readers.

YOUTUBE

In case you want to use videos in your blog, this video could help you with the basics, on how shoot good video for your viewers:

Like in print writing, you would need to avoid plagiarism in your blog. Some of the ways to do avoid it, are included in the article ‘How to Avoid Plagiarism When Writing for the Web’.

You will need to use direct quotes and online citations. Take your time and read multiple sources, include links in your posts and paraphrase.