While it seems like the Internet has been around forever. Most of us have been using it for only twenty years or so.
Though we are all connected, the Internet can be a very lonely spot like my picture of the beach at Cedar Island, North Carolina.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Tumblr supplement the many blogs and websites that have sprouted over the years.
If you are like me, when you have a question, the first place you turn is the Internet and probably a Google search.
Yet when you strike out on your own to create an Internet presence beyond a Facebook page, it can feel like no one is listening much less providing any answers.
There are some important things to consider if you want to use the Internet for something beyond finding out what your friends are doing.
- Your content has to be relevant and interesting.
- You have to find an audience.
- You have to keep and build your audience.
- Writing regularly is the only way to conquer the first three items.
- Beyond everything a passion for what you write must show through.
These five things are just the absolute basics without considering any of the technology decisions. When I first started writing for the Internet in 2004, I remember waiting anxiously for the first people to view my posts. It is pretty easy to question what you are doing if no one is finding your message.
I regularly update a post, The Best Website Advice You Will Get. It provides information on how to make the step to a website of your own. If you do not want to take the time to read the article, head on over to WordPress.com and sign up for a free blog.
If you can manage to create at least a post a week for several months, upgrade to a domain name which relates to what you are writing. Then use accounts at Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and Tumblr to grow the number of people who visit your posts.
Work at being a better writer. Don't write just to be writing. Always have a message or some worthwhile advice. If after a year, you barely feel like your head is above water, understand that most people go through the same experience.
Try hard to connect with people who have the same interests. Consider a Google+ community for people with similar interests. Listen to what they are saying. Does you content add value to the conversation? If so, don't give up easily. Writing for the web does get easier and there are many great ways to create a successful Internet presence. Unfortunately there are no good roadmaps.
Here is some other advice that might help.
Take a break when you don't have anything of value to say. You will know when it is time to starting writing again.
Finally do not be surprised if your passion for writing and posting on the Internet is not shared by other family members. If I am lucky my wife will do the first proof reading on my books, but I cannot remember her reading a blog post or article of mine in years. That is just the way it is.
Writing for the Internet and being successful is a lot like swimming three miles in a pool. As long as you have the basic skills, most of it is mental and pushing yourself to work harder and go farther than you thought you could go.
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