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How to Read an Informational Blog Article

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Lately I’ve been getting an increase in comments here, and I wanted to say two things:

  1. Hi! Welcome. It’s good to know I’m not just speaking into a void. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and share your opinion with me! I love waking up to see new comment notifications. I don’t want you guys to be shy about leaving comments at all. If my writing made you feel something, or you have any tips/tricks to share about lifestyle things I talk about, feel free to leave them!

The second thing is the reason for this article. Due to the increase in comments, I’ve noticed an increase in comments on older posts and those comments are… let’s just call them non-constructive. And I know, this is the internet! People are going to find old things in newer years and have different opinions about them.

But that’s not what I want to address. I’m talking about receiving comments telling me that certain information in my articles is ‘wrong’, and then delving into what is frankly just very unimaginative hate because I’m ‘spreading misinformation’. Maybe part of that is because I’m a writer, but some of those hate filled comments I see and all I can think is, ‘that is the best insult you could come up with? Really?’

Not that the content of the insults is the point.

Anyway, to help mitigate these kinds of comments, I wanted to write this article, to give you guys a more guided approach to how you should be reading informational articles. These tips should help you not only on this blog, but everywhere!

So, let’s get into it.

And actually before we jump into it, I’m going to add this little disclaimer: I’m talking strictly about regular/every day folks who blog. Not like, scientists or professional information people. They play by different rules than us mere mortals.

 

Step 1. Look At How Long Ago The Article Was Written

If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet (or y’know, the planet Earth), you should know that what is considered ‘correct’ information changes all the time. Very quickly, depending on the subject!

And, I’ll even give you a hint: people who write articles? They are not psychic! (Or at least, not always) They won’t be able to tell at the time their article gets published if the information in it will become disproven in five years, ten or hell, even later that same year!

As with everything else humans do, you gotta do the best you can with the information you have at the time.

So, if after reading an article, you think the information is not correct, scroll back up and look to see what the date of publication is. If it’s an older article, chances are the information was accurate when they wrote it.

Also, many bloggers don’t add updates to articles, because well, speaking from experience, that in itself could become a full-time job and not leave time to write anything new.

Specifically for myself, once I publish an article, I deem that subject ‘done’ and I move on. I don’t want to keep making articles on the same topic, because I would find that boring to write, and I assume you guys would find that boring to read.

Unless it’s something very specific and/or I feel very strongly about it, there’s usually only going to be 1 article about it. That said, if you guys have anything you’d really like to see me update/get a fresh opinion on, let me know!

 

Step 2. Who Wrote The Article?

Are you on a scientific or official government website, or are you reading Joe from the bar’s blog to see if he posted today’s boner joke?

Taking into consideration what type of blog you’re on – and therefor, the kind of person who wrote the article – should help you determine the level of scrutiny you’ll need to read it.

If it’s an official government website, yes, you should expect the information to be as accurate as it can be, and that it was written by someone who is very knowledgeable on the subject.

But if it’s one of those stay-at-home-mom blogs? Well, Sharon is just trying to share her tips from personal experience! She doesn’t have a doctorate in Mothering, she’s just trying to help people in the same boat as her!

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: not every single person knows everything about a subject.

Why doesn’t Sharon know about the new Swedish article that was published 5 months after her article about the ‘proper’ way to clean baby bottles? Well, speaking as a blogger, most of our articles are written in advanced – sometimes by months – and I would guess because she’s busy actually y’know, living her life!

Especially when we’re talking about lifestyle bloggers, people engage in different lifestyle in many different ways! You could walk outside and find five vegans (or carnists, activists, etc.) and none of them would be living the exact same way.

So what ‘qualifies’ someone to write an article on a lifestyle subject? Usually, it’s just whether or not they are living that lifestyle, or they are interested in/will be living it soon.

That’s it.

No PhD’s required.

 

Step 3. Where Is The Person Who Wrote The Article Located?

I kind of briefly touched on this in the point above, but another reason Sharon might not have heard about the Swedish article? Because she’s busy living her life in the suburbs of the mid-western USA.

While the internet has made it a lot easier to access information from all over the world, people still need to take the time to search for the information!

And unfortunately, a lot of people are just too busy to take dedicated time out of their day-to-day to research certain things. Especially if it’s a thing they already think they’re knowledgeable on. Why would you spend time looking up tips on something you already think you know how to do well?

You wouldn’t!

Or at least, most people don’t. There are exceptions to this of course, but they are called ‘exceptions’ for a reason!

Speaking specifically for myself, I don’t do nearly as much veganism research (for example) as I did back when I was first transitioning. (Which was all the way back in 2016)

That doesn’t mean I think I know everything there is to know about veganism, but I know enough information to get through the day-to-day stuff, and for the most part, know enough to write articles about it with confidence.

Do I still check vegan-specific news websites? Yes. Am I still following vegans on social media, listening/watching their videos? Yeah!

But I’m not dedicating huge chunks of my day to veganism research anymore. I don’t need to. (Also I don’t have as much time, but that would be a different article)

So the next time you come across an article that you think is inaccurate, I want you to keep these tips in mind before you leave a comment.

If you’ve done the above and still think your comment is warranted, see if you can re-phrase it to not sound so… mean/condescending. People are always much more receptive to listening to others if they aren’t feeling attacked.

Especially if you want the person you’re commenting to to actually listen/take in what you’re trying to tell them, instead of having them just write you off as a ‘hater’.

Good luck!

*The stay-at-home-mom blogger example was just the first example I thought of to use as a ‘regular’ person. It in no way was meant to be an insult or anything. Also the name Sharon was just the first one that came to mind. If your name is Sharon and you run a stay-at-home-mom blog, I wasn’t trying to insult you, I promise! (If you’d like more clarification, feel free to message me!)

I don’t really have other articles in the same vein as this one, but if you’d like to check out more of my blog, a good starting point would be the front page!

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Writing, Writing Tips

How to Run a Blog

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I’ve touched on some of these points already in previous articles, but I wanted to write this post to show you how to put them all together. Running a blog isn’t hard per se, it just takes some time and effort. It really just takes 3 steps to become a blogger, and though they may sound simple, the execution can be quite daunting, especially if you’ve never been self-employed.

But, don’t worry! I’m here with the below three steps to help make your transition a little easier.

 

Step 1: Come Up with an Idea

You can’t post articles, your opinions and advice about nothing, so first you have to think of what you want your blog to be about. It can be anything you’re passionate about. Lego? Cool! You think dinos would’ve been cooler if they wore fedoras? Sure, why not!

Whatever topic you pick though, it should be one that you can make multiple posts about. You can’t be a blogger if you only have 1 post. If you want to be serious about blogging and make it any sort of ‘real job’, you’re going to need to pick topics you can consistently post about, and come at with new ideas.

You can even pick more than one idea, if you just can’t bring yourself to choose. Like myself, I have different sections on my website for the different things I’m interested in: veganism, writing, and a new lifestyle section. I’m in no ways an expert on any of these topics – I never went to school and got a degree for any of them – I’m just a person who thinks (hopes) my experiences and opinions on these topics can help others who are on a similar path.

The point of your blog is to share things you’re passionate about, and maybe even help other people on their journeys, so you can make your blog about whatever you want. Find your reasons and topics, and go from there. Though, if you’re just starting out, I’d recommend starting with 1 topic, just until you get the hang of all the rest of it. Don’t want to overwhelm yourself when you’re starting out. Remember: you can always expand your blog to incorporate more topics/things later on, but it’s a lot harder (and looks worse) to let a part of your blog die.

 

Step 2: Get Organized

Now that you’ve got your idea, it’s time to think about how to put it into action. I suggest coming up with as many article ideas as you can and writing them down/keeping the list somewhere safe, so that you aren’t scrambling on posting day.

And, speaking of posting day: decide on a posting schedule. Most of the advice I had come across when I started out said to start out with posting just once or twice a month, until you get the hang of things. I thought that was way too little – after all, how was I supposed to drive traffic to my blog if I wasn’t posting regularly? – so I decided on posting roughly 5 times per month.

A month of posting for me looks like 2 articles, 2 short stories and 1 product review. The articles I try to rotate between the different sections of the website, so that I’m posting to each section ‘fairly’, and not giving more attention to one topic.

I realize posting five times in one month sounds insane, but when you break it down – 2 stories and 3 articles – it really isn’t that bad. I usually don’t count the stories as ‘work’ when I think about the website, because I’m a writer, and I’d be writing stories anyway. And yes, while I like all the topics I post about, it takes more work for me to write the articles than the stories. Stories I’m constantly coming up with, but articles require research and more planning so that I’m not just babbling on and on for a few pages.

Making posts coherent can be quite the task, especially when I’d rather be writing fiction. This is why, as said in my Time Management post, scheduling articles and making yourself a to-do list can be a huge help.

Not only will it let you make sense of all the ideas you just came up with, but it will also help take the pressure off yourself when you can see all the ideas planned out. This way, you won’t have to worry about the blog looking dead, and you won’t feel like you have to do everything right now. Having a set schedule (that you stick to) will also benefit your readers. Think of it like being punctual – if you post on a schedule, people will know when to expect you, and can then go ‘greet’ you (ie check your blog) consistently.

 

Step 3: Marketing

You can’t have people flock to your blog if nobody knows it exists! I know it sucks, but you have to market yourself. Post on social media and tell people why they should check you out. What new (or creative) ideas are you bringing to the table? Why should they change their routine to go see you? In what ways will you be making their day better (and feel like they’re missing out) by visiting your blog?

The truth is, people are selfish creatures, and don’t like change. Which is why you need to make yourself seem important enough for them to check out. Dazzle them with your new ideas, your polarizing opinions, or whatever you’ve got going for you. Be yourself, and people will flock to you. Even assholes get followers, so don’t fret!

This is (in my opinion) the hardest part about being self-employed. On the one hand, you don’t want to sound gimmicky/click-bait-y, but on the other, you want people to come to you, because you know you’re awesome. Unfortunately, it takes time to build yourself a following, and though it can be discouraging when you don’t get many (or any) likes/views on a new post, you have to keep going.

If you quit, you’re guaranteeing nobody will ever see your hard work.

Part of marketing is also learning how to monetize your blog. There are tons and tons of options out there, everything from Google Adsense to being paid by companies for dedicated posts, but as someone just starting out, I don’t want you to worry about that part.

You can worry about making millions once you have your blog established and a dedicated audience. No company will pay you to promote their product to no one, which is another reason getting good at marketing is a big help.

Do what you can with what you can, and a little pro tip: Don’t be afraid to pay for some ads! I know, I know, you may think that’s a cop out, or that you don’t have funds to do ads right now, and that’s okay! Just make sure you don’t discount paying ads as an option forever.

There are literally billions of people on the planet, and your manual posting can only reach so many.

Bottom line (and yes, I know it’s cheesy): keep going. Don’t give up just because it’s hard, or because it’s harder than you thought it’d be. Nothing worth having comes easy. Hard work does pay off. It just might take a little longer than you expect.

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Writing, Writing Tips

WFH: Time Management

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*This article was written 20.04.29, when the corona-virus lock down was beginning to go into full swing in Canada. Please excuse any reference/comment that is no longer applicable.

Now that everyone is pretty much forced to work from home*, you may be scouring the internet trying to find ways to make it work. After all, you’ve always had a physical separation of your work space from your home, so how are you supposed to focus on work while wearing pj’s, and being so close to the dirty laundry?

Maybe you have set work hours from your job, or maybe you’re trying to start a work from home business and the line is a bit blurrier. Either way, you’ll need to know when to close your laptop and switch from Work Mode to Home Mode.

Walking the line between getting work done and having time to relax can be difficult for those who aren’t use to it. Fortunately for you, I’ve been working from home since I started my writing career, which was around 2016, and while I’m not a master, I’ve definitely picked up a few things.

The best thing tip I’ve found is learning how to time manage. Without time management, you’re pretty much lost in the sea of work and relaxing.

But, never fear! Below are the best tips to help you with your time management, so you can take some practical steps into getting things rolling.

 

Tip #1: Have Clear Work Hours

Scheduling your work hours is probably the #1 most important tip for being able to pull this off. If you don’t draw the line in the sand of when Work Mode begins and ends, you’ll constantly be feeling like you could be working when trying to relax, and trust me, feeling guilty for not working 24/7 is not conducive to a good work environment.

Whether you have set hours from your job, or you’re making it up as you go, set yourself work hours. I personally work (about) 10am-8pm. This will help ease your planning of say, knowing when to take a break and do some chores, or when to get dinner ready.

And don’t forget to allow yourself to take breaks within those work hours! You get breaks in the office, and your home office shouldn’t be any different. It’s okay to take a quick coffee/smoke/pee break during your work hours. Or, if you have an unexpected knock at the door? (Which you shouldn’t unless you’re getting stuff delivered) Get up! Don’t feel that just because you’ve set work hours, you need to be glued to your chair.

That’s actually not healthy at all! If you’re able, get up and stretch every few hours, or stand at your desk so you aren’t sitting all day. This will also help you feel less like you’re ‘stuck’ doing work. Just because it’s ‘business hours’ doesn’t mean you can’t take a quick break.

If you worked in an office and used to take regular breaks, do that at home! Try to keep as much of your routine the same, so it’s easier to stick to.

And, once the scheduled Work Hours are up? Get off your computer. I’m serious, especially if you’re starting your own business, I know how tempting it is to keep going. But then the next time you look up it will be 3am. Detaching yourself immediately from your computer once work is done is a big help in mentally keeping those work boundaries straight.

 

Tip #2: Schedule/Make a To-Do List

I know, I know, not everyone is great at scheduling, and not everyone likes to-do lists. But, scheduling stuff is honestly not as hard as some would make it seem. You can schedule literally as much or as little as you want/need to. If your brain will explode at the near thought of having to plan out your whole year (or week), start smaller!

Start with a to-do list for just today. Or, you could break it up even more by making a morning/afternoon (or hour by hour) to-do list. Everyone loves checking/crossing things off a to-do list – it gives you a sense of accomplishment, so go ahead and make one!

Now, again, if you are working a regular job from home, you may have clearly marked things to do, but if you’re a blogger, or similar ‘not real’ job person, this may be more essential to you.

As a blogger (and author!), I’ve found it imperative that I schedule my posts. Back when I started really getting into blogging and making my website functional, I would post 5-10 posts in a few days, and then wouldn’t touch it for a few weeks/months. That’s not exactly a good business model, neither for gaining fans, nor for your sanity.

Having a set schedule will take a lot of pressure off, so you don’t feel like you have to do everything right now, and it will give your fans a dedicated time to check in. It’s hard to see what’s new with someone you like if they post sporadically.

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I’ve found it helpful to list out everything you want to eventually get posted/done, and then organize from there what takes priority. For me, when I’m deciding on what posts to do, it’s actually kind of easy. Since I have a bunch of different interests, I cycle through them.

The way that works the best for me, is to list all the posts I want to (eventually) post, and then fill them in (rotationally) to an editable calendar. This helps keep me organized, since I plan out the entire year, and it takes the edge off my anxiety, because I know it will all get done.

For example, this post is scheduled for publishing August 3rd, but I’m writing it April 29th.  (Hello from the past!) That kind of advanced planning doesn’t happen by accident! Since I have the entire year planned out, it allows me to schedule posts as far in advanced as I need, thus giving me more time to do other things I enjoy. (Like starting the next book, or working on merch, or even just relaxing/having time to spend with family)

Being organized and scheduling my shit actually feeds my lazy side. If I don’t want to do any work at all and take a day off? Sure, I’m scheduled till August, so why not?

The one downside to this method is that you will eventually have to kick your own butt to make sure things are getting done. Which actually leads us into the last tip:

 

Tip #3: Discipline

Not everyone can thrive while working from home. I understand this kind of not-as-structured lifestyle is for everyone. But, I also think one of the main reasons why so many people fail is because they lack the discipline.

Having the ability to kick your own ass is a dying art, but it’s something you’re gonna have to learn to do if you want to succeed.

A lot of people in my life have complained to me about being ‘stuck’ working a job they don’t like, and thus they don’t have the life they thought they would. And, not to sound like a privileged white lady, all I can think is nobody forced you to get that job. Sure, there may have been people who forced you to get a job – but other people can’t force you to make decisions.

They can try to manipulate you either emotionally or some other way, but ultimately, it’s your life, and you just need to find the inner strength and courage to stand up for yourself and say ‘hey, this is my life. I’m going to do whatever I want.’ And if they don’t like it? Well then maybe you need to analyze what it is they’re adding to your life.

If you’re unhappy with your life, take some time and really think about why. Where did things go wrong and what steps can you do to change your life? It’s your life, you have the power to make yourself happy. Do some soul searching and think about what you want your ideal life to look like. What way of life would make you happy?

Once you see the figurative light at the end of the tunnel, start thinking about how to connect yourself from where you’re at now to there. What steps can you take – even if they’re small – to get yourself to your ultimate life? It’s never too late to make yourself happy, you just have to try.

Honestly it is that simple.

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