Blogging Tips for Beginners

You may think that writing a blog is easy. It’s just putting your thoughts down on paper (or a computer screen, more likely), right? It’s not like a college essay, where you have to include a thesis statement and stick to APA format, so it’s simple, right?

Wrong.

Blogging is a lot more work than most people realize, but it’s definitely something you, as a voice over actor, should think about doing. Not only does it create a stronger web presence for you as an actor and thus drive more traffic to your website, it also allows you the opportunity to reflect and discover more about yourself as a professional.

If you’re new to blogging, though, it may seem a bit overwhelming. Use these tips to help you get started:

1.    Let the writing come naturally. Blogging ISN’T a college paper, so it shouldn’t sound like one. Write the words as you would say them naturally. It’ll be easier for people to read, and it will just sound better, plain and simple.

2.    Create interesting content. Most people don’t want a detailed rundown about your adventure at the grocery store - unless something extremely interesting happened. Make sure your posts are relevant to voice over, to you as an actor, and above all, that they contain interesting content.

3.    Be unique. There are literally hundreds of voice over blogs on the internet (including mine, of course). If you want yours to be read, it needs to stand out. Take a look at what others are writing, and try to do something a bit different (but still interesting and relevant!) with yours.

4.    Include imagery. Plain old words on a page can be boring, so include pictures, gifs, or videos to spice things up a bit.

5.    Make sure it’s formatted properly. If your blog consists of one insanely long paragraph, no one will want to read it. Trust me. Break text into paragraphs, create headings and subheadings, and use bullet points or numbered lists as necessary. These all make your blog easier to read, and thus more likely to be read.

6.    Spell check. I don’t think this one needs to be explained.

Blogging can be a ton of fun, but it’s not exactly a piece of cake for most people. It takes time and effort, but the benefits and potential reward definitely make it worth it.