Reasons for Blogging and Tips for Beginners

I was just reading an article by Susan Gunelius ( About.com) on tips for new bloggers. But before I discussed some of her tips, I know there are three main reasons why people blog.

1. You want to inform and be an expert in your field and perhaps earned income via ads in your blog
2. You want to promote a business. By blogging you will attract clients as well as developed social networks
3. You blog just for the fun of it. You want to share your ideas and opinions. In doing so, you improved your writing style and have fun sharing your ideas and joining discussions on topics you like.

I know there are other reasons why people blog. I will be happy if you share your reasons for blogging. For me my reasons are a combination of #2 and #3. I have no expectations to earn a lot of money from ads in my blog and website. At present, I am earning about $10 per month from Google Adsense.

Now let me discuss some of the tips for the beginner blogger:

1. Be yourself. Your blog is an extension of your self, your brand or niche!
2. Be inviting. Joined social networks ( twitter, Face Book etc...) to increase traffic
3. Be risky. Try new things like plug ins or sponsor a contest

Speaking of sponsoring a contest, I have published in my blog, a two-nights free stay at my beach house in Marinduque worth $100, for the first person to comment and guess the setting of the two photographs taken at night in the beach house. So far, I have not received any reply. So, to make it easier for everybody, I change the contest. All you have to do is write an essay in not more than 250 words, why you want to visit Marimduque. Conditions for redeeming the prize remain the same.

Last, but not least,

4. Be persistent. Try to update your blog as often as you could. If you run out of ideas, recycle your old blogs. Remember readers do not read at the end of your blog. It is not a book.

There were several other tips in the Gunelius article. But the above 4, I consider the basic tips, one must practice to be a good blogger for whatever reason.

Please let me know of other reasons why people blog and also if you have other tips for new bloggers that I have not mentioned above.