What Blogging Can Teach You – Part I

I’ve Developed Some Mad Blogging Skills Over the Years

In my previous post, I list several things that I learned from blogging which eventually led to a career change into an industry which I never thought was possible.

Aside from taking coding classes, I personally think having a blog and highlighting the skills I gained from my blog was what got me job interviews. I didn’t have any formal education in any field of technology and prior to my current job, I didn’t have ANY tech experience, nor did I ever work for a tech company.

The following is a  list of skills that  I have gained from having my own blog(not all have been listed on my resume).

Experience with a Content Management System/Creating Content for the Web

WordPress is a content management system.  You can use it to create a site for your business or your own blog. You create, edit, delete, schedule and publish content with WordPress.  Having your own blog and publishing your writing on it is solid proof that you are creating content for the web. It showcases your writing style and subject expertise to potential employers.  Being a staff writer on another site helps because it says that other bloggers/site owners like your work and they believe your work is also worth publishing for the online community to see.

Experience with Blog Layout Design using StudioPress Theme for WordPress

Update: I have switched over to a custom theme design and no longer use a theme designed by StudioPress. However, if you have a free theme and are looking to upgrade to more of a professional look, the themes by StudioPress are well-done and very affordable. Many go for $99.95 USD.

I am currently using the Lifestyle Pro child theme designed by StudioPress.  I have little coding knowledge to design a theme from scratch, but I’ve used enough themes to know how to create a decent layout for a blog using a theme template.  Many of the themes come with built-in colour and layout options.  There is even a separate plugin, the Design Palette Pro, that is available for purchase if you are looking into more advanced customization options.

Social Media Management

 Whether it be Facebook,  Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram, almost every blog has at least one social media account, if not all of the above. From my own personal experience, I would say Twitter is the easiest and quickest way to get followers.  It’s been pretty slow in terms of getting followers for Facebook and Google +, which by the way if you haven’t followed me on social media, now is a good time! 🙂  I don’t believe they have an Instagram for my Blackberry model (Yes, I have a Blackberry).  As resourceful as Pinterest is, I’ve only been using it lately for wedding ideas.   Over the past few months, I  have been focusing my efforts on Pinterest and Instagram, the more visually based platforms.  Having social media accounts for your blog helps to promote your blog/blog posts and enables you to interact with a lot of people online.  It helps get your name out there.

Advertising/Giveaways/Promotions

When a potential advertiser contacts me, I always provide them with a media kit that lists my rates and my terms and conditions for advertising on the blog.  I’ve learned how to use Rafflecopter when hosting a giveaway on my blog.  I’ve contacted people for blog interviews. While I promote them on my blog, they do the same for my blog on their social media accounts. It’s a win-win situation.

SEO and Google Analytics

 This is the area I know the least about, but am going to make an honest effort to learn more about since analyzing your blog stats such as web traffic can help you determine how to make your site better and discover more about your visitors.  All I will say about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is that it is a process that helps improve your site’s visibility on search engines.  People can’t read your amazing content if they can’t find you and that is where SEO comes in. You want your blog to be SEO-friendly.

Are there any other specific blog skills that you think are worth adding to the list? What particular skill have you learned from blogging?

Let’s work together to help you develop those skills – learn more here.