Baby Bloggers to Cosmic Blogging

Janine Nelson

Our Cosmic Energy 

Am I intimidated right now? Of course. Should I be? Probably. Whether I’m blogging for my grade or with the intention that this could be something that grows on me. Time, patience and practice will only be able to tell. I worked my blog’s identity around the word “cosmic.” Why? First, the word has many definitions, but I like to think of it as something positive that surrounds the world with a new definition that can expand our consciousness. Will this blog do that? Probably not but at least I’m manifesting the thought and that’s the point. Regardless of what you think about my blog or rather what you don’t think of it, this baby blogger is about to hand you advice about writing a professional blog! Contradicting, I know but I will refer to what I learned from actual professional blogs to help you (and me) with pieces and devices that will better our own goals. 

Attention, Please! 

I enjoyed reading the blogs under “Personal, Entrepreneurial, Side-Gig,” meaning I like to read something that is relatable and real. Something we can connect with to one point of our lives or another. The topics are endless and there are so many opportunities to write about what you enjoy and realize how many other people have the same interest or experiences as you! For example, “In Defense of Y’all,” Pamela Johnston adapted to Texas “Southern Charm” and eventually made peace with the use of “Ya’ll” down here in the south. It was a cultural change that many of us go through and (can relate too) as we move through a different point in our lives. I have not always lived in Texas, so I knew exactly how she felt and what Pam experience was. Did you see the way she set it up too? The first thing we see is an attention grabber! A picture with red lettering that says “Hey Ya’ll.”  A foreshadowing of what the topic will probably be about and your initial thought of if you will continue to read it.  Format is also key here. Though there are many small paragraphs, it does not look overwhelming but like the dialogue of two characters communicating back and forth with each other. I hate to admit it but we as people are naturally lazy and look for the easy way out. I'm not here to judge but remember you are writing a blog for other people to read so make it people friendly. 

Picture perfect?  

Humans are very visual creatures. As I discussed previously, the power of pictures is important. That being said, make sure credit is given where credit is due. I was not entirely aware of this myself but we learn in “GOOD, FREE, SOURCES FOR PHOTOS THAT YOU CAN REUSE, PART 1: FIND PHOTOGRAPHERS,” by Steven Vrooman that flickr is a great site to get quality pictures that are 'safe for commercial use' so if the image is used specifically in the marketing and promotion of a product that results in financial gain. Otherwise, you are ok as long as you do not explicitly or impliedly claim ownership of the image. Find good quality pictures on flickr.com where you can find great photographers and their photos to capture your story.

Get flicking!  

Visualize your growth

There are other ways to tell our story, not only with solid pictures but in paths like journalism and research, charts and graphs are best to understand the data in places like sales and trends. Pick the best visual for the topic your discussing. This concept is to provide information and back it up with facts. In “Why Marianne Williamson’s Unconventional Presidential Bid Didn’t Catch On,” By Nathaniel Rakich there are many hyperlinks with supporting data on the topics he is discussing. I like it this way because it is convenient for us as readers but also shows the credibility of the writer. It also makes it easy for us to understand if we are not sure what we’re reading or looking at. Graph and charts give us this kind of reinsurance we need especially when you are looking from an analytical viewpoint. This data is most used in politics, sports, mathematics, etc. Have good visual aids!

Are the customers always right?  

This is a picture of me or in this case a Whataelf (A Whataburger employee during Christmas) . If I know anything about engaging with your consumers and your employers it would have to be from working in fast-food.  Below you will read on how to capture your audiences and keep them coming back for more. 

Rachel Terzado

Corporate Content and Public Relations blogs are actually more fascinating than it sounds. As a communication major, my first job will probably be in Public relations as this way of blogging is great to engage your audiences and build relationships with customers and business partners. They want to be likable and trusting for viewing audiences.  In “How To Up Your Game With CenturyLink’s Dynamic Connections” by Shaun Andrews one thing we see in the first couple of sentences are quotation phrases like “People who work together will win,” he once said, a positive message no doubt.  Wording is very critical here, they went us to trust them. They want to seem reliable and friendly. The format is also important here because they use bold, bigger font for the main idea of each paragraph which helps us understand what exactly we are looking for in the text. Overall, it is important to grab your audience’s attention.

Baby Bloggers, UNITE!   

There you go infant bloggers, my first endeavor of blogging for you and I. Act natural, the blog is about something that intrigue you and don't forget the BOOM! POW! KABAM!