For all those aspiring writers out there, blogging seems to be a perfect outlet, a medium to test your writing skills before making an attempt to get published. And even if you are a published writer you will realize that merely churning out ideas from your computer is not enough, because other than writing, blogging encompasses many more areas. Writing is merely the first step towards blogging, it takes a lot more to get people to read what you write.

Don't get me wrong, I am a firm believer of “content is the king”, but this king also needs a kingdom. And this kingdom is built by reaching out to fellow bloggers, interacting with your readers, sharing ideas and also coming up with creative projects...and of course, active participation in social networking. Blogging beyond writing includes interesting mix of activities and strategies, here are some of them:



Random Surfing

Once you are done researching and writing for your blog, you must spend some time to check out what all is happening around you. Some may consider random surfing to be a waste of time, but trust me, you will be surprised with how you can draw inspiration from things that aren't even related to what you write about.

By random surfing, I do not mean your Google reader or blogs that you've subscribed to, I mean bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon or Digg (although Digg is losing its charm now). Spending some time to check out your Twitter timeline can also bring heaps of information. But you need to be prudent while surfing randomly, there are high chances that you might get carried away. ;)


Read One of Your Old Articles Once A Day

Reading is a part and parcel of writing, and it includes reading your own work as well. Every morning when I log in to my blog, I choose one of my old articles and give it a thorough read. Usually I find something that needs to be edited in the article and it also gives me a rough idea of how my writing has progressed since then.

It also helps in identifying your most popular posts and understanding the reason behind it. Your old posts can also trigger ideas for your next post or perhaps teach you what 'not' to do next.


Conduct A Fun Contest

I know what you're thinking...a giveaway contest advice yet again. But I am not talking about sweepstakes here, I am talking about fun and interactive contests on your blog. You can conduct a poll, ask your readers to share the worst book they've ever read, or the worst movie.

You can also encourage your readers to submit photographs and publish the best ones, poem submissions or short story submissions also gets them going. Indulge your visitors in fun activities, acknowledge best submissions, boost their ego and trust me they will keep coming back for more.


Craft Something

Very often you will find bloggers sharing creative DIY projects through their blog and it is a great way to interact with your readers. Create something fun on your own and share the entire process through your blog. Take pictures, create videos if you like, and give step by step instructions so that your visitors can give it a try at their home. Make sure that you mention warnings or side effects if any.

You can share recipes, patterns, graphics or fun crafts to inspire and indulge your readers in fun activities. Encourage discussions about this project, because people will be asking several questions and sharing their own ideas as well.


Interview A Peer or An Expert

I am sure that as a blogger, you must've been advised to write guest posts time 'n again. But interviewing your peers, experts and even your competition can be a healthy change to your blog. People like it when they see new and interesting people being featured on a blog, they also like to read inspiring interviews of people they look up to, know their stories and get some inside scoop.

It may not be very easy to convince well known people for an interview, but trust me, some of them will surprise you and make an effort to spare some time for you. It also depends on how you reach out to them.


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