The Internet has revolutionized the way we think. As a matter of fact, I believe that it’s going to change the way we operate and perceive the world around us a lot more than we can even imagine right now.
In other words, there’s never been a better time to be a creator instead of a consumer, to be exposed to so many different points of views and beliefs, absorb them, and then offer your own thoughts to almost everyone who can find your words and read them.
What does this mean for you?
Well, for one, it means that your words, if carefully crafted, can nudge the world a bit.
If that isn’t something to get excited about, I don’t know what is.
But in order to put a dent in the universe, you must make sure you are putting out high-quality content.
You must blog like a boss.
1. Write as if the world rests upon your shoulders
There’s no doubt there’s an epidemic of passivity, negativism, and self-doubt going around these days. People seem to have lost hope, to have lost that perspective on life that allows them to aspire towards greatness.
It’s your job to think big, to infuse every word you write with passion, to offer people a different perspective, to inspire them, to offer them the right information at the right time, just so they can make their dreams come true.
Life is kind of short, if you think about it. Terribly unpredictable. Why not do your best to leave the world a better place? Do your own bit of soul saving, your own bit of changing the world… you’d be surprised at the impact your words have when you start writing about big topics.
2. Do your best, your absolute best, nothing but your best
If you had time to write just one last blog, what would it be about? How would you choose to write about it? How much care and passion would that blog contain?
Well, write your last post, the post that is going to stay at the top of your front page forever. The first post people are going to read when they visit your blog. The last thing you’ll ever write. Your very best piece, your magnum opus.
And write that post every single day for the rest of your blogging career. That’s what a boss does.
3. Take a stand
Don’t be one of those wishy-washy bloggers who don’t have the fortitude to take a stand. Hate something? Write about it. Love something? Write about it. Break free from social conditioning. Tell it as it is, even if it’s an uncomfortable truth you need to offer your readers. A harsh wake-up call.
The world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, as Rocky Balboa so eloquently put it. If you are lucky enough to take a peek behind the curtains, do tell us what you saw. We’ll be grateful for it.
4. Embrace the uncertainty, the paradox, the nuanced points
Mainstream media presents simplistic truths, but life rarely works like that. It’s much more complex. There are paradoxes and nuanced points everywhere. Everything is debatable.
A blogging boss knows that, and offers his readers both sides of the coin. The good and the bad. Yes, this means that you will be misunderstood by some people, hated by others, but there will be far more who will admire you for it.
We are conditioning ourselves to fail if we do not embrace how uncertain things are, how we do not know as much as we think we do, how subjective things are.
5. Be direct
Say what you mean, mean what you say. Don’t use ten words, when five will do. Tell it as it is, don’t sugar coat it for fear of stepping on someone’s toes.
In the age of Web 2.0 you’ll be stepping on someone’s toes even if you try to please everyone, which leads me to the next rule…
6. Don’t be afraid to piss people off
I’m not saying that this should be one of your goals, but all I am saying is that it will happen at one point or another. You have complete freedom when it comes to your blog. Imagine that. Creative freedom like never before. You are so lucky just to have that.
No point in acting as your own censorship just because you are afraid of some hateful comments or e-mails.
7. Don’t be too concerned with your reputation
My favorite quote on reputation is from Don Delillo’s Cosmopolis:
“But the phenomenon of reputation is a delicate thing. A person rises on a word and falls on a syllable.”
People build reputations, even in this online ecosystem, as if building a gargantuan sandcastle. The odds of some wave destroying is too great.
If people understood how fragile reputations are, they’d just be themselves and not give a damn about what anyone else thinks or says about them.
In order to blog like a boss, you must assume full responsibility for your content, which is something that few people ever do. You are the one who is writing those words, and you must accept whatever consequences – let’s face it, it’s highly unlikely someone is going to kill you for some blog post.
That was a nuanced point. It means quite a few things, and I do urge you to use your imagination, and do not rush to share your home address with folks on the Internet.
To blog like a boss, you must have clarity of intent above all else. Know what you want to say, how you want to say it, why you want to say it, and what you want to accomplish by saying it.
That is all, folks.
What is the one topic you always wanted to write about but never had the courage to do so? What’s that one post you’re afraid to write?
Excellent post. I think I meet most of those requirements for blogging like a boss.
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Reblogged this on Author Steve Boseley – Half a Loaf of Fiction and commented:
Something I’m definitely working on, but some of these points are hard! I think i’m pre-programmed not to piss people off, so i feel i’m going to struggle with that one. Whilst difficult, I can see the sense in all of the points made here…
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I have written a memoir about the topic I always wanted to write about: my seven grandchildren… my first impressions, how they grew and changed, and my role in their lives (they now range in age from 23-28. But, writing it wasn’t the part that took courage. Publishing it – or creating a copy for each of them to have – that’s the part that needs courage! I’m afraid my honesty may be offensive to two or three of the seven – – – and to my daughter-in-law, the mother of four of them. (All four of those CA grandkids were adopted)… There are dozens of stories there!
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Hi Jan,
It’s a part of being a writer. That’s how it is. We need to be brave enough to write about the things that no one else will, the things that some other person wishes we wouldn’t.
Sometimes, the people who know us the best, when they read some of our stories and words, they end up feeling like we are strangers to them. I suppose that is the price we must pay in order to make so many strangers feel like they know us.
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Poignant!! Thanks, Cristian! ❤
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That was awesome. I am a “new” blogger and that made an impact. Thank you.
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Thank you, Linda. I am glad you enjoyed this post of mine.
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Loved this tips!
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Thank you!
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This is a great post. If I’m to write my last blog post I would write on gender equality and love which I would be writing on soon . we need to treat each other with love irrespective of our gender , race ,color , religion . we are all humans
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Fantastic topic!
And thank you for reading and for taking the time to comment!
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I will be following your guideline for blogging, I have a huge problem when it comes to expressing myself in writing.I decided to try writing to help improve how I express myself
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As a beginner,I want to know what it takes to be versatile and original in my contents.It’s pretty much important to not be monotonous and interesting at the same time.
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The idea is to write about what matters most to you. What sets your soul on fire.
If you write about that, you’ll be interesting.
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Does it depend whether it is monotonous to the readers or not?
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It is extremely difficult to be monotonous when writing about stuff you’re passionate about.
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What about the frequency of the posts per week?
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That depends on you and your time and energy. It also depends on how long your blog posts are. The idea is to be consistent. Find a rhythm you can stick to. If that’s one post per week, fine. If it’s one blog post per day, okay. It doesn’t matter, as long as you can sustain this frequency over a long period of time.
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So it’s all about length and consistency
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Yes.
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Great to hear from you.Will do my best.Truly grateful😊
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My pleasure.
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One more question,sir?
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Do I need to customize as well as monetize my site or it is a bit too early for that?
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It depends. I wrote a blog post on that a few days ago. Blogging and Making Money. I highly recommend you read that one.
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Thanks for your true inputs
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My pleasure.
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I fear being monotonous
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An advice would mean a zillion😊
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Reblogged this on and commented:
I love all of the content The Art of Blogging posts, but I just absolutely had to reblog this one. His advice is amazing and something I look forward to reading as a blogger who is trying to grow. From statements such as “Break free from social conditioning” to point six, which says “Don’t be afraid to piss people off,” I knew I had to reblog this post. If you’re an aspiring blogger or trying to grow, I one thousand percent recommend reading this.
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Always good stuff. It’s funny, I’m finding the more I blog, the less I’m caring about what people think in my daily life… which is good.
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Great post, full of substance….read every bit with “flicking” fingers. YASssss you said it well.
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Fab motivational blog
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Thank you!
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Thanks, as always, for the tips!!
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Thank you for reading, Conni. Glad you enjoyed this post!
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Wow! That is one good blog post. I especially like how you wrote about online reputations as sandcastles. And #7 is rich.
I would love to write about religious books on my book blog, but I am planning to create a whole space just for that.
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I love this post. Your blog is supposed to be a place where you can have creative freedom. Be yourself. You’re taking that passion away from yourself if what you post is based on other peoples standards of what’s acceptable.
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Wonderful post! I have always spoken my mind, which has branded me as pretty much a pariah all my life. I never try to be unkind, but am often perceived to be precisely that. I gave up long ago on the idea of being “understood.” I am finding my blog to be the perfect platform for my passions, stories and opinions.
Thank you for a most inspiring post. May I reblog? I simply must share this.
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Hi,
Thank you so much for the compliment. The line between honesty and malice often feels like walking on tightrope. And often, it all comes down to how others perceive our words, their own mood, etc.
And, yes, you can reblog this post. Thank you!
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