Community Spotlight #1

Feeling alone is common when we are starting to write. Gaining readership for a blog takes time. You don’t have to go it alone. That is the point of this newsletter is to connect with others who are starting their blogs. So that we can grow together. 

The Community Spotlight shares posts from the Blogging Buds community. I encourage you to read and comment on each other’s content. This is an important aspect of the writing process as others may inspire your own writing. Even reading outside your niche! 

Here is what I read this week and what I learned.

From Sarah Rainsberger, we have this tip on writing technical docs. Sarah explains how enthusiasm may come off as dismissive to people who are learning. This is by implying that something is easy even if it is  only our excitement that makes it seem that way. It is an important reminder that our word choice matters. There are ways to communicate better. 

From Ananya Dash, we have a newsletter discussing recent posts in science writing. I love this approach of curation that gives you an overview of the best that is out there. It solves the problem of finding the most interesting topics in a sea of content. I love science writing but I’m not always able to catch what is out there. Especially outside my interests in mathematics. 

That is it for content from the community for this week. 

I am always reading to educate myself and learn more skills. I've collected a few of the articles that I’ve come across that might help you on your blogging journey. 

How To Spot SEO Myths: 26 Common SEO Myths, Debunked by Helen Pollitt

This hits home that there is advice that people take too seriously when it comes to SEO. We forget that the search algorithm is a black box and that people don’t actually know what the ranking factors are. This post debunks some of the most pervasive myths. 

Creativity is the byproduct of work by Robin Rendle

The title of this post comes from a quote as explained by the writer. The main point is that creativity isn’t something that comes to us idly. It happens when we are working on projects. This occurs frequently when we are working out problems. Even if the solution doesn’t come to us right away it might appear as we begin tinkering with things. 

How to write a content marketing strategy step-by-step by Jeffery Kranz

This is an older article but one that I return to again and again. Formulating a content strategy will give you clarity on why you are writing your blog. It forces you to think through and plan out your content. This post approaches things from a business perspective. But you can ignore the parts that don’t apply to your writing. 

What did you read this week? Reply to this email with your answers.