When starting to blog, you will most likely search the internet for some advice on how to keep the blog alive, how to make people visit your blog (yes, we all do blog to be read. Otherwise we would just keep a diary in our desk), how to make people come back to your blog, how to make money from your blog and well, deep down there, it would be nice to be featured in any of these blogger of the–year–nominations. (Do check these links out, though you will probably get stuck reading and following loads of new blogs, which will make mine loose footage on your list of priorities.)

To help you achieve any of these goals above, there is a lot of guidance to be found on the web itself. Just google for “how to write a blog” and get lost in the evidence. However, for me it comes down to 2 basic lessons:

1. Write regularly. This does not mean daily. Many of us have a far too busy life anyway to write something down every day. Plus, ideas also need a little time to crystalize in your head. My personal goal is to make it 3 times a week. If I do more, congrats. But I will not put myself into the stress of having to produce something daily and thus loosing the power to follow up.
2. Focus. Because that is what makes you an interesting blogger. The above mentioned lists all assemble bloggers in particular fields: political, young, business, music. There always needs to be one common denominator so the list makes sense and appeals to one particular target audience. So choose your focus and then look at it from different angles. (Side note to make sure this post is also focused and thus earns its merit to be on my blog: focusing on one topic does not necessarily mean you are catering to the same target group the whole time. That is what makes it even more interesting.)

After all, a blog is just the documentation of your journey of developing even more expertise on the topic you are passionate for. So document it well, so when you come back in the future, you understand how you came to where you are today.

• monthly goal
• quality