Time for the obligatory NBI tips n’ tricks post! I really should have put this out sooner, but in any case, here it is now!
So you’ve got your domain name secured, your WordPress (or other blogging platform of choice) installation all set-up, and you’ve messed around with the theme settings a little and gotten some good, unique-looking results. Now, it’s just you and the keyboard in front of you – so what comes next?
First thing’s first – an introduction, of course!
A first post can be hard to pull off. In the case of this particular site, I kinda cheated since I had simply moved my blogging activity from my older blogger site to here, so my inaugural post was me basically saying “hey, this is where I’ll be doing stuff from now on, thanks.” No, seriously, check it out. But, luckily, your first post might be easier to do than you think.
I feel like a first post shouldn’t be anything but a quick introduction to what you plan to write about, what games you play, and just something to let people get a feel of what to expect. If you jump straight in to blogging about a specific topic, it doesn’t leave people with much to go on besides what you wrote – although it’s great that you’re eager to start! It’s much better to just write up a quick introduction of sorts, even if it doesn’t end up being super in-depth. In fact, I should mention that Syp’s links to new blogs with simple, one-sentence descriptions have grabbed my attention as a reader much better than anything – simply because I know what I’m getting, and that’s important. Also, throw in short n’ sweet description somewhere in the sidebar as a permanent way for newcomers to get a general idea about your blog – chances are your first post won’t be the only entry on your site for very long!
Find out what kind of blogging works best for you.
I’m a regular reader of dozens of blogs, all with different styles and post types, as you would expect. Wilhelm at The Ancient Gaming Noob regularly posts about his in-game experiences complete with screenshots and often humorous little captions. These posts have a very narrative and personal feel to them, and it’s often very enjoyable to read through as a result. Other bloggers like Keen take a more analytic approach, breaking down the design behind MMOs in particular in a very thoughtful manner – this too, makes for an enjoyable read. Syp happens to do a bit of both, you’ll notice his posts can be several paragraphs or simply a single screenshot – remember, anything goes. Just keep going at it, and eventually you’ll find several styles of writing and post structure that suit you!
Stick with it!
During your first few weeks, or months, even, you may begin to feel some writer’s block, as we all do from time to time. If you’re sitting there at the keyboard, and it’s been days since your last update, but you feel the ideas aren’t flowing – don’t be afraid to call it quits and try again another time. Who knows, you may suddenly think of some exciting topic only minutes later while in the shower or on the couch – inspiration is like that sometimes. It’s best never to update for the sake of updating – take a break, distance yourself and do something different for a while – and come back later when you feel like blogging. Never force it upon yourself to update – pressure to do anything hardly produces good results.
Pick a name that works!
I personally had some trouble with this. I registered “nomnom.info” during a GoDaddy promotional event where they were selling domains for super-cheap, and instead of putting it to use, I just kinda let it sit. I was still blogging – lightly – on blogger at the time, and one day I got tempted to move from blogger over to my own, self-hosted site, simply because I’d have more control over the site and how it operated. So, I did just that – and decided to put the whole thing under “nomnom.info” because I couldn’t think of anything else at the time. I still, to this day, regret that, and it’s not exactly hard to imagine why, I’m sure. I mean, “nom’ing,” or eating in general, has little to do with video games. Sure, it’s almost the dialogue trademark of Team Fortress 2′s Heavy, but I make no mention of that on the site because it’s never really been relevant enough – maybe it would work if this was primarily a TF2-themed blog, but it isn’t.
So now I’m kinda stuck with it. I’d love to change it, but I have yet to come up with anything better. Coming up with a good blog name is one of the hardest parts of starting one, actually – so don’t settle for anything until you’re entirely satisfied with your choice! The best blog names I’ve seen are ones that aren’t game-specific, and are usually kind of witty in some way. It’s a good idea to make your title not specific to any game because it kind of ties down your entire site to that one game, and it’s best to stay general. I’ve seen so many bloggers go from game-specific blogs to more general ones because it’s just a lot easier. Having a blog called “StarCraft II is the Shit,” and then finding out StarCraft II really isn’t the shit doesn’t really do you any good. Stay general with your name, and you’ll be much better off.
So that’s it! Four tips to consider as you work your way into the blog-o-sphere. Man, that term sounds so 90s.
As always, check out the NBI HQ for more delicious info on all things blogging!
-rav4ge
