I want to write a blog . . .

LeannePip

LeannePip

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 August 2010
Messages
3,184
Location
Southampton
Visit site
I've been thinking about it for a while, but never got round to it.

I love reading everyone else's but I'm still not 100% sure, I'm using this year for pushing myself outside of my comfort zone and making bold choices and changes, so i'll give it a go!

I want to use it as a diary for myself mainly, to track what we're up to, but also share thoughts that I might have along the way which might be useful for other people. And also thinking of doing some reviews/ how to's if that takes off.


Where to start? what platforms do you all use?

Also inspiration for a catchy 'title' . . .
 
You should! Mine started when I began blogging for Your Horse last year. I’ve been a bit lazy with my website recently and really need to update it.
I mainly share through facebook and twitter, plus I have an Instagram account.

I probably could be a lot more proactive with regards getting it out there and sharing things from my accounts. Twitter is probably my more successful platform, helped obviously because the magazine retweets a lot of my things.
 
Wordpress is good if you're just starting out and are not 100% comfortable doing all the hosting and page building yourself. I think they also allow you to use your own domain name if you buy one. Apart from that Wordpress is 100% free and you can use different themes; some free, some paid. There are also a large selection of add-ons though these tend to be paid.

Another option is just to set up a Facebook page and 'blog' through that which is very popular. Again, 100% free but there's not as much flexibility as with your own website. OTOH you have more time with this to focus on creating high-quality content because there's no back-end to spend hours making tiny tweaks to ;).

If you're happy self-hosting you can get decent hosting packages for ~£10pcm, and you'll have to buy a domain name to do this as well (I think I pay £10 a year per domain name but I've not checked since last renewal). For hosting I use Tsohost who haven't given me any problems in 4 years. I'm currently running 5 sites across 2 servers (3/2 split) as 3 of the sites are low traffic and the other 2 only have moderate activity. 4 sites use Wordpress with themes I've built myself, the other uses a paid theme because I was short of time when I was approached to build it.
 
I've done a few tentative posts on a google blog but I'm useless at updating it regularly. It's silly because once I get writing I really enjoy it but there is that small voice in my head saying it's no good and no one would want to read it. I've always hated people reading what I've written, even as a child I found it really cringey.
 
Have no advice for you as have never done anything like that, but just wanted to reply to say that I will most definitely read it if you do a Web based one (I'm not on Facebook so miss all the good stuff on there)

Good luck x
 
Shall we start a blogging club for all of us who want to and never really have?! It's something I've toyed with quite a lot over the years but never actually did anything about!

But LP, you should definitely start one! I love reading your reports in C&T and your mare is just gorgeous, so I'm another who would read it if you did :)
 
Thanks guys!! I'm going to give it a go I think :) I guess I feel like CPA in that surely no one actually cares or would want to read what i write, but at least I now have two readers!

IKMV - That's a great idea :D

I'll try and get something running tonight :)
 
Will you post links on FB LP? I often read blogs that pop up in my news feed but I'd forget to go and look for them otherwise. I'm the opposite of DabDab!

I tend to jot down my daily ramblings on my own FB page , I like using that because facebook memories automatically pops them back up a year later so I am reminded of things, plus it helps you to see the progress you've made (or not, in the case of Millie's many injury posts :p)
 
The thought had crossed my mind but.... I don't care! When one of OH's friends sent me a friend request I warned him that it was all about my "gluepots" as he puts it so nicely. Saw him the other day, and he remarked that I hadn't been joking... they can unfollow if they choose ;)
 
I've got a blog on wordpress. The only thing I don't like about wordpress is that if anyone wants to comment they need to register which I know puts a lot of people off. So I link the blog to my FB page too and everyone comments on that instead!

I really enjoy looking back at previous posts when I am feeling disheartened - it puts things in perspective. I try to post the cr@p as well as the good so it is realistic. I like it when people read it, but that's not why I do it. It's for me mainly. Other people reading and enjoying it is just an added bonus!

A blog club is a good idea. I love reading other people's blogs.
 
LeannePip said:
Thanks guys!! I'm going to give it a go I think :) I guess I feel like CPA in that surely no one actually cares or would want to read what i write, but at least I now have two readers!

IKMV - That's a great idea :D

I'll try and get something running tonight :)
Click to expand...


Hi LP, another here who would love to read your blog :-)

i have just finished reading Victoria Brants 2nd book , which was a christmas gift ( she started off as blogging I believe ?.."Diary of a Wimpy Eventer") and is going great guns .. so i would say go for it ! :-)
 
I started a Wordpress one when I bought Bruce in November. Really easy to use, you can make it as complicated as you want (I want it very simple because I do not have time to mess with it!). I also started mine as a bit of a personal record; I just want to be able to look back on my journey with Bruce, and chart the progress we've made. I haven't shared it here yet because I'm too scared. The name and tagline are so cheesy hehe I couldn't think of anything good though! If you want to check it out it's at https://starofsenate.wordpress.com/ also the photos are all skewif, it's not very professional... but then it's not meant to be really! :)
At the moment it's pretty overloaded with hoof/barefoot updates; I'm hoping it gets more exciting later on in the year!

I also would like to read your blog - and that of others - so am going to look up the ones on this thread later! :) I haven't updated mine since last Tuesday, I had the EP out yesterday and had loads of good stuff to write about but our internet went down (cheers, Virgin!) so will hopefully catch up tonight.
 
I've got a blog, not really horsey but about our move to Ireland / property renovation. It's aimed really at us (to look back and see the progress) and friends and family.

Mines on weebly (https://www.weebly.com/ie?lang=en) which is fairly embarassing since I'm a computer programmer and web developer. I needed to get it up and running in a hurry when we were in the process of moving, and TBH I've not had any problems with Weebly for what I want. It will automatically post new blog posts to facebook and / or twitter too which is handy.

(blog is https://towercottage.weebly.com/)
 
confirmedponyaddict said:
I've done a few tentative posts on a google blog but I'm useless at updating it regularly. It's silly because once I get writing I really enjoy it but there is that small voice in my head saying it's no good and no one would want to read it. I've always hated people reading what I've written, even as a child I found it really cringey.
Click to expand...

Tell me about it. Our PE coach asked me to do a match report on a hockey game as im.captain. did she say it was going on the website? NO
 
I started a blog a year or so ago but I'm rubbish at remembering to update it! I think it hasn't been updated since last summer :o

I'd love to actually do it properly and I keep saying I'll get back on it, but I don't do all that much with Juno so it probably wouldn't be that interesting! It is nice to look back at a couple of old posts (there aren't many on there ha!) and see what I wrote.
 
I have a FB page for my horse Kevin. I started it as a joke and its been fun. I do it as a mixture of myself and Kevin adds his bits (;) ) People seem to enjoy it and its fun having a record of your progress. Its slowed down since I've retired Kevin but people still ask about him. Just go for it.
 
Let us know when you have it up and running LP.

I love reading everyones blogs! I have one too but mine is lifestyle/nutrition related.
 
I think if you're going to blog seriously, you have to do it because you want that record, not because you want people to read it to be successful.

Its more like a public facing diary.
 
DiNozzo said:
I think if you're going to blog seriously, you have to do it because you want that record, not because you want people to read it to be successful.

Its more like a public facing diary.
Click to expand...

I started mine because I was going to do progress updates as Juno was so unfit when I got him and I wanted to look back at improvements. But then I forget to update or get half way through an update and it takes me ages to get back to it and if I don't get into the habit I forget and months go by....
 
I have one that my mare "writes". It's a record of our lives together. "She's" been writing it for 11years.
When it was started she is my first and I never thought I'd have another. My age is against me and she is the most amazing perfect (for me) there will never be another like her. I wanted a record of our time together.
Somehow last year I bought another.....oops. "He" adds his bits to the blog.
It's mostly a load of nonsense, we are just happy hackers so not the most exciting to read but it's such fun for me going back and looking at what we were doing on this day 1/5/10 years ago.
 
Do post a link when you're ready, love blogs! I started a page for Topaz so I could record our progress, Skylla has been added so I may need to 're-brand' it :lol: ;), my only upset is that FB pages don't do the time hop so it only shows things I shared back to my own profile...
 
eventer and proud said:
sorry typo
amitythwaiteseventing.webstarts.com
Click to expand...

Ah... interesting - your horse is a good looking chap - a friend used to breed Trakehners http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/muschamp+danube her stallion now departed. Bit of advice - rewrite your "Sponsorship" page - never use the phrase "if you are interested"- complete turn off, it's what the advertising industry call a closed question. Be more positive :- "I'm actively looking" - "your company would benefit" etc.,

Good Luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top