| By :
Mark Etinger
Start a blog. All the cool kids are doing it these days. It is an easy way to get your voice heard and your ideas recognized. Unlike traditional print media and news that are extremely formal, blogs have a much more personal touch. That makes them very accessible to readers. It also means, however, that people tend to get lenient and forget that it is still a source for information that people will devote time to reading. That is why you must make an effort to build your credibility as a source and provide useful content for readers. Start your blog with a mission statement: "I want to write about 'blah,''' and then follow through regularly as you come across experiences in your life and whatever is going on in the world around you that you consider relevant in each post. The more true to the material you promised readers, the more people will begin to trust your opinion. This especially true if you have done your research and took time actually providing fresh and interesting content. Avoid the mainstream and get innovative with your content. The more in-depth and detailed your work is the more people will find it interesting and credible. When relevant quote sources or research. Be sure to drop credit where applicable. Be social and interactive -- build connections with other bloggers and see if you can share thoughts. Invite guest writers if you know they're well-versed on a topic. Get on blogrolls. Do whatever it takes to establish your presence as an 'expert.' Use search engine optimization (SEO) to your benefit. Use hyperlinks, social bookmark your content, open comment sections and encourage viewers to participate. Always be approachable. These are necessary when you want to be taken seriously. When you get into the technical aspects of the blog to generate traffic, the search engines will rank you higher. Don't be spammy. There are ways to make money and headlines simply by providing honest material. Also pay attention to the way your website looks. Beauty is deadly. If you have a well-designed site people will stick around just to explore the eye-candy. Given that it really is just the initial hook, it won't hurt. The more professional your site looks the more viewers will believe what you say. Enjoy your time spent working on this. It will be worth it in the long run, especially if you develop a network.
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