by Cheryl Rickey

Created on: April 16, 2009   Last Updated: April 17, 2009

Over the past few days I have been in contact with several people who are starting up their own blogs. The question I heard the most was "What if no one wants to read what I write?" and "What can I write to make them want to read my blog"?

Funny, I wondered the same thing myself when I started blogging. Then I just went about writing and didn't worry about who would be reading what I was writing. I didn't want to write content just to have people agree with my views. It is so important for my blog to be a place where I can always be myself with no boundaries.

Last month, John Haydon asked me to write a guest post on his blog CorporateDollar.org. John knows that I have a style of my own that I won't give up, so he asked that I write a piece called "How To Be Yourself".

In light of the questions I was asked over the weekend by some "newbie" bloggers, I thought it would be a good idea to re-post the piece I wrote for John's blog. If you're new to blogging, I will let you know that I'm certainly not an authority on blogging, but I have enough experience to know what works...and what blends in with white walls.

When I started my blog a little over a year ago, I wondered who would read my pointless ramblings? A week after I started writing my blog, people were actually reading my often tilted view of every day life. Moreover, they commiserated about my struggles, shared in my joys and applauded my opinions.

I soon became addicted to reading blogs and quickly realized which ones made me come back often. People who wrote from their heart and did not attempt to be someone other than their truest self became part of my growing list of daily reading. Perhaps that is why an increasing number of people read my blog. I am always myself.

Whether you have a business or a personal blog, the key to capturing the attention of readers is to infuse your true personality into your writing.

Help readers identify with you by adding personal experiences to your blog. I compare this to being in school and having one teacher who taught from the book and a second teacher who told a personal story about the subject he was teaching. The second teacher always received my complete attention.

Write as if you're speaking. If you don't use the Queen's English when you talk, don't use it when you write. Bottom line, spell correctly but be yourself.

Don't second guess yourself. If you think, "Maybe I should not post thisno one will care" chances are you're wrong. Go outside of your comfort zone.

Be passionate about everything you write. Don't be afraid to be a little controversial. We're only here for a short time. Why hold back because you're afraid of a negative comment? You can spin that negativity into a positive almost every time.

I tend to say it like it is. That's my personality and I'll be darned if I'm going to edit it.

People want real.

Especially in these tough times, there's a greater chance someone will want to connect with you on a personal or business level if they know you're not a robot. Personally, I'd make a terrible robot because I just can't be tamed by a remote control. I truly appreciate anyone who blogs with a healthy dose of reality. As my son says, "That's how I roll."

Now, go be real. I need to get some sleep.

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