My thoughts on blogging and my Personal Strategy for developing a digital brand

Hi Guys,

Welcome to my first blog!

Just to give you a brief intro, my name is Xavier Wong and I am currently studying my Masters of IT at QUT (Queensland University of Technology). Currently enrolled in Enterprise 2.0, this unit has given me the opportunity to experience and explore the world of social media and blogging.
My first entry is about what I would like to achieve with my blog, what makes blogs successful, my own favourite blogs, as well as my own personal strategy on how to increase my readership.

Let me start off on why I want to start blogging (apart from passing this subject, haha). From a young age I have always been a people person, and always enjoyed meeting new people and engaging in conversations, but as time passed I found that with study, work and being in a committed relationship, meant that finding time meeting people in person has become difficult. The interaction that occurs as a result of social media such as Facebook (yes feel free to add me 😛 ) or even mobile applications such as Whatsapp, became a perfect way for me to communicate with my friends without losing touch. Whether commuting on the bus or walking from point A or B, I could always start a conversation, pick-up from a conversation at any time, without a necessary time constraint.

Here is where blogging comes in.

The thought occurred to me that I could set aside a few moments each week to express my ideas and opinions and sharing my experiences/knowledge with the greater community (yes, that’s you world) whether it was of my latest overseas adventure or latest dining experience. I see blogging as a personal tool, a way to develop my own digital identity and a way for me to reflect on stories and thoughts, as well as becoming a better writer and having my voice heard. On top of this, building my own reputation as a blogger and building online relationships is a great way to meet and read more about other people’s experiences.

But to do this, I have developed my own personal strategy to increase my blog audience:

1.  Post frequently, whether daily or weekly, make sure that my blog is up to date and that I reply to messages or posts as frequently as I can to ensure that the interaction is maintained between my readers.
2. Persistently comment and raise discussion. By sparking conversation, on both mine and other blogs can allow for my posts/comments to captivate readers, and therefore increase my blog follow-ship.
3. Reviewing and reading other blogs and seeing what works well for other people/communities.
4. Connecting with other people, subscribe and follow other blogs.
5. Promoting my blog, through other social media such as Facebook or twitter, or even friends and family.
6. Asking for help! To not be afraid to make mistakes and ask for help, at work I have started talking to two avid bloggers, and I am making an effort to learn from them.

To finish off I would like to repost a couple of the blogs that I like and why I like them:

(Image courtesy of thedhaus)

Dezeen

With over 2 million visits a month, it’s a no brainer that these guys are definitely doing something right! With my love of design, I love how simple the layout is of this blog, and how it always has captivating and expressive imagery/photography. With informative posts (on the articulation of the design) and tonnes of pictures, you can view these designs all day, and see what others have to say. Design is always subjective so it’s always interesting to see the often controversies online.

(Image courtesy of Gizmodo)

Gizmodo

What can be more fitting than a blog about my other passion of gadgets and technology. Gizmodo always has posts on the latest products and the inside’s (sometimes pure gossip or hearsay, but other times spot on), you can count on these guys having an opinion on this season’s most wanted items. I love how this website informs consumers on pros and cons, what to look out for, how to be prepared and when products are to be released. The conversations that spark as a result of this often can lead to other questions or even solutions/difficulties, and often informs me enough to make an opinion of my own (this is especially great if I am thinking of purchasing a particular product).

Thanks for reading guys.

Please like and comment, I’d like to meet you guys online and to share our thoughts!

See you soon.

Xavier