Assess Your Blogging Skills And Knowledge

Assess your skills and knowledge before you delve in

Next, we’re going to examine some skills that are necessary in order to create certain types of blogs. Be as honest (even as harsh) as you can in your self-appraisal.  Remember, if you really can’t write well, your readers are going to know. If you can create first-rate artwork, now is not the time to sell yourself short.

I can write: very well / pretty well / are you kidding?

My writing has been published by others: Y / N

My sense of humor can be described as: dry / sarcastic / ironic / witty / are you kidding?

I can write well in the following languages: _________________________________

I can program computers using the following languages: ______________________

I have written computer programs that are in use by others Y / N

I can create professional quality artwork: Y / N

I have used the following graphics packages: ______________________________

I have taken the following arts or graphics classes: __________________________

My artwork is currently being used by others Y / N

Extra Credit:

I’m consistently surprised that people ask my opinion about: __________________

I have a million stories about: ___________________________________________

I know more than anyone else about: _____________________________________

People would pay for my knowledge about: ________________________________

Now, look over all your answers and pick the category where most of them fit best: __Artistic __Business __Hobby __News __Political __Rant __Reference

__Society/Culture __Spiritual __Other:______________

For example, if you are passionate about technology and know more than anyone else about RS-232 serial interfaces, then a technology blog may be the beginning of your Blog Empire.  If you are fanatical about gun rights or racism or personal privacy, but can’t write, then a news or reference blog may be right up your alley. 

If your skills overlap multiple categories, that’s ok as well.  You may be able to create a category that no one else has tried!  But pick your category carefully: the success of your blog empire is going to depend on whether you can consistently offer your readers the content that they will return again and again for.  Your mental health will depend upon whether you love it enough to stay the course.

Develop a Blog Theme

Every successful blog has a theme - the idea or subject your blog is about more than anything else - that makes it a go-to site in the minds of readers. In order to make your blog a success you must be able to contribute something unique, and that something is going to make up the theme of your blog.  It might be a comical take on the news.  It might be in-depth tutorials for a certain software package.  It might even be rumors you hear in your daily job as a top-level political analyst. It may be short stories or fascinating photographs.  But you have to find that certain something that only you can contribute and that people want to read or see. 

Your blog’s theme can be summed up by what you want you blog to be famous for, the one unique thing your blog presents or contributes. Pick three or four key words that describe your content and your presentation of it, based on your skills, abilities, and knowledge (e.g. “satirical partisan political commentary” or “sentimental love poetry”).  Then complete your theme:

Blog Theme: My blog is known and respected as the best place on the internet to find: ______________ ___________________ ________________ ____________