Professional Blogger in the Making

At the beginning of this week, I was completely unaware of the potential of creativity that comes with blogging. It is, in a sense, similar to writing, but you can do SO much more with a single blog post. You can give millions of people access to your thoughts just by hitting the "publish" button.

I have always envied people who have aesthetically pleasing, successful blogs.

In the Fall of 2012, I joined the tumblr community, looking for a chance to blog my little heart out. I was quickly disappointed. My dashboard was quickly bombarded with loads of recycled nonsense.

I am a girl who looks for quality, substance, and individuality in a blog’s content rather than just hitting copy and paste. Or for example, the “reblog” button that people on tumblr are often too quick to use. Needless to say, I did not find what I was looking for.

After picking up The New Media Driver’s License Resource Guide for the second week in a row, I was pleased to find unlimited resources in creating and managing your very own blog! There were 2 sources that I took to heart while creating my blog.

Blogging Resource 2-33: Naming Your Blog: How To Create Catchy Blog Names

(page 70 - http://www.chrisg.com/catchy-blog-names/)

This resource was a major tool in my creation process. Mainly, because I believe people DO tend to judge a book by its cover and that you can make or break your blog’s image with the title.

I only came up with about 15 different names for my blog before deciding on the best one: Dreaming Wide Awake. My reasons were largely influenced from Chris Garrett’s tips on his own blog on how to create a catchy name.I wanted my blog to be a personal inspiration to live an amazing life, as well as being a motivator to live life to its fullest potential to anyone who may come across my blog in the future. In a sense, “Dreaming Wide Awake” to me is another way of saying “Living the Dream” 

Some of the tips that stood out to me were:

1. Who is your blog for? Who do you want your audience to be?
2. Have fun with it and be creative!
3. Think about the personality you want to evoke.

Blogger Resource 2-18: 101 Ways to Make Your Blog More Popular and Successful

(page 63 - http://seo2.0.onreact.com/101-ways-to-make-your-blog-more-popular-and-su...)

This resource has officially been bookmarked. It gave me loads of ideas and information about promoting a blog that I had never thought about. Plus, it is in list form (my favorite) so it is quite easy to read.

I will absolutely use this resource as a checklist for my new blog.

3 key takeaways from this resource I have already begun taking advantage of:

1. Add an unforgettable image or huge headline in your blog header.
2. Get social on twitter (and other social media sites). Take advantage of your resources! Gain the support of your Twitter followers.
3. Use PERSONAL images. Be original. Be creative!

(Note: I kept this resource in mind when creating my blog's header. I used a personal photo that I took of my two best friends on a boat and personalized it further by adding the title of my blog!)

I took the New Media Driver's License Resource Guide, the internet with unlimited examples of blogs, and an open mind and created my very own blog.