A personal Blog is an online platform where individuals share their thoughts, experiences, interests, and hobbies. It serves as a personal diary or commentary in a digital format, often written in a conversational and informal tone. The following quote is from Andrew Sullivan, explaining why he blogs. Perhaps you relate!
The simple experience of being able to directly broadcast my own words to readers was an exhilarating literary liberation.
A personal Blog allows you to share your creativity and style with an online community. The great thing about starting a personal Blog is that you can be a beginner. It doesn't matter if you have years of writing experience or none whatsoever. Many personal blogs are run by people who simply want to share their thoughts with the world.
Personal Blog Meaning
The term personal blog refers to a blog that is managed by an individual, rather than a business or an organization. The content of a personal blog is typically centered around the blogger's personal life, interests, and opinions, offering readers insights into their unique experiences and perspectives.
Here's a one sentence definition of both blog and personal blog.
A blog is usually written text but often includes pictures, videos, or other artwork to make it look more appealing.
A personal blog is your own online platform where you can share thoughts, opinions, and stories about yourself.
Personal blogs are different from other blogs because they are created and hosted by you, and cater to your own personal audience.
Fig. 1 - A personal blog is primarily used for non-commercial purposes.
There are no set rules for a personal blog. You can write as casually and conversationally as you like because this is your blog! Personal blogs are often more informal in tone, unlike a magazine article or a scholarly piece of writing.
Why Start a Blog
Many people start a personal blog because they have ideas they want to share. Personal blogs are a great way to connect with other people with common interests.
Common topics people like to write about:
Personal Blog Structure
If your blog is purely for your own enjoyment or to share some thoughts with family or friends, you can structure your blog however you'd like. Many personal blogs are spaces for individuals to express themselves in an online journal format, so the structure isn't a top priority. If you want to write freeform, go for it! But what if your goals shift? In that case, you'll want to be organized from the start.
A well-organized piece of writing keeps readers engaged. If your blog is just a giant wall of text, people may get overwhelmed and leave the page.
Typical Blog Structure
You can follow a typical essay format in a blog post if you like, but again, personal blogs tend to stay pretty conversational, as if you're talking to someone you know. But if you're struggling to organize your thoughts, try using each of these:
Personal blog posts tend to have shorter and more frequent body paragraphs than your average essay. This can make your posts more digestible for your readers.
Include In Your Blog
You want to include a few things throughout your blog.
Links to social media
This is optional, but sometimes it can be helpful for people to see things you share on other platforms. If you're using your personal blog as a portfolio, then sharing your LinkedIn account on your blog is a good idea.
Personal Blog Example
Personal blogs can showcase your passion. Sharing personal stories is a good way to connect with your readers. Perhaps you have a unique experience that others might find inspirational. Sharing your own stories in a blog can validate others who share your feelings.
Ideas for personal blogs can revolve around a blogger's life experiences or hobbies. Here are some ideas and examples:
- Travel blog: Share experiences and tips from your travels.
- Food blog: Document your cooking adventures, restaurant reviews, or unique recipes.
- Book review blog: Share your thoughts on the books you read.
- Lifestyle blog: Write about a variety of topics, including health, fashion, home decor, and more.
- Personal growth blog: Document your journey towards personal development and self-improvement.
Maybe you are a foodie and like to share your experiences from different restaurants you've been to around the world. You could use your passion for food to create some type of food blog. Or maybe you're an avid reader, so you want to write about books on a book club blog. The point is, there are many reasons to start a personal blog, and all of them are valid! Here is an example of how someone might start a post for their book club blog:
3 mental benefits to joining a book club
Hello, fellow word-nerds! This weekend was so busy for me – but in the good kind of way!
I was finally able to unpack some boxes and set up my reading nook in the new house! I'm so excited! I can't wait to show you guys the new chair I ordered once it arrives.
The best part about this weekend, though, was my monthly book club. It's always been a safe space for me – a place I can learn and grow as a person. I've come to appreciate the thoughtfulness and insights I get from talking about books with people I know and love. Here are a few things I love about book clubs:
You'll Learn to Express Yourself
Not everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts on things -- especially if you're an introvert like me! Everyone takes a turn sharing their thoughts about the monthly book, and it challenges you to think about what you want others to hear from you.
In my experience...
Notice the casual tone. Personal blogs are flexible in how they're presented.
Personal Blog Steps
Starting a personal blog can seem daunting at first, but it's actually quite easy! Here are some steps to take when you're ready to start your own.
Fig. 2 - There are many blogging options such as travel, food, and lifestyle blogs.
Key Terms
First, take note of these to stay on top of your blogging game!
Hosting is the server that powers your website. Every website in the world uses a hosting site to provide its services or information.
Domain Name is your online address. This is what you type into the search bar to go to your website and blog.
SEO means Search Engine Optimization. This is something you can learn if you want to gain more traffic to your personal blog's website.
Now the action begins.
Personal Blog Steps
You can break this into seven steps.
1. Consider Costs
Does it cost money to create a personal blog?
That depends. Paying for a host and domain usually means getting a unique website without the website builder's name attached to your URL. This would be the difference between yourwebsite.wix.com versus yourwebsite.com. You might have to download hosting software if you choose a paid option instead of the free option.
2. Pick a Host
There are many to choose from but here are some of the most popular ones. They all have instructions for installation:
3. Choose a Domain Name
These are some of the most popular websites where you can register your domain name:
Most of these blogging websites include free domains and hosting for beginners. Again, there are paid options if you want a more professional blog.
Pick a domain name that feels relevant to you and what you're writing about. Using your name is a common choice, i.e. a free domain would be something like yourname.blogger.com.
4. Design Your Blog
If you're entirely new to blogging, don't worry! You can choose from templates on your blogging website if you aren't interested in mastering HTML or other types of code.
Fig. 3 - Consider what appeals to you and your audience when creating a personal blog.
5. Start Writing
You know your topic, so get to it! However, you can also write a personal blog based on prompts.
Personal Blog Prompts
Every writer draws a blank at times. It's equally true that every writer draws inspiration from other sources. Sometimes that means we need a prompt to help us get our creative thought process going.
Websites for Prompts
The amazing thing about the internet is that you can find ideas everywhere you search. But for that very reason, it can become overwhelming, especially if you go down a Google rabbit hole of what to write about. Before you know it, you may have spent more time on research than writing. Try visiting these popular websites first when you need some inspiration:
Using Apps for Prompts
Phones can often be a distraction when trying to write, but here are some apps that can turn bad habits into inspiration:
Prompted Journal
Writing Prompts
Daily Writing Prompt
There are other ways to come up with writing ideas, such as taking fifteen minutes to brainstorm ideas you're passionate about. But if you're still feeling overwhelmed by the options, you can use this prompt for your first post: 5 Reasons I Started a Blog. This can help your readers get to know you and establish what readers can expect from your page.
Personal Blog - Key Takeaways
A personal blog is your own online writing platform to share your ideas and thoughts. The thoughts and ideas belong to you, the author.
Starting a blog includes finding a hosting website and domain name.
Some blog types include food blogs, personal stories, and book reviews.
Prompts for personal blogs are encouraged! Some popular websites include Reddit, Tumblr, and Writers' Digest. You can also use apps for prompts.
Personal blogs are conversational in tone and writing style.
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