be next to readers
Blog (Part 1)
There, I accidentally came across some blogs I was looking for
Christians who have lost their sheep,They gave me another level of perspective on how I view blogging…
For me, words are the most natural expression of life, more natural and more real than speech. For many years, I have felt that the joys, sorrows and joys in my words are closer to my heart than words can express.
But words become visions, missions, and callings. Just writing, or liking to write, is not enough.
Find a publication venue
Frankly speaking, before entering the world of blogging (called blogs in Taiwan), I was facing difficulties in publishing in print media.
I have some experience in submitting articles to newspapers and magazines. If you are willing to write, it is not difficult to publish, but there is no motivation to write in pieces. Writing columns for Christian publications has pressure to publish, and I get a lot of encouragement, but it is difficult to penetrate the non-Christian readership. .
Non-Christian publications have to compete with orthodox writers, celebrities, and singers for a small space. If articles want to be alive and not religious, they have to be compiled very carefully to have a chance to be published.
At that time, I was being educated at home, and my time, physical strength, and spirit did not allow me to continue to go in that direction.
Then comes publishing. The procedures are more complicated and the waiting time is long. Once it is published, no one may buy it; giving it away may cause trouble to others.
I prayed for a long time about publishing an article. At that time, I had not published an article for many years. I just wrote and kept writing. There were actually many completed articles saved in the file.
divine encounter
Two years ago, when I took my children to a gathering at my brother’s house in Texas, I was getting close to God one night, and suddenly the idea of starting a blog came to me very strongly.
That experience was very rare since I entered the written ministry, and it was truly a sacred encounter for me.
I knew blogging before that, but I didn’t like it very much because I didn’t like the too lazy way of expressing words.
Most blogs make me feel like the blogger is out in his pajamas greeting guests. Nature is natural, and freedom is freedom. However, in front of strangers in pajamas, I can only laugh and not dig my heart out.
And most blogs have a lot of photos and drawings. It’s not that I don’t like image art, but I’m a bit overbearing with words. When it comes to publishing articles, I hope that when readers read, they can listen fully to what I want to say through the words.
The last reason why I don’t like blogging is that the unbounded way of exposure on the Internet makes people like me who value privacy very uncomfortable. It’s hard for me to understand why someone would post photos of their family online and let everyone know on Facebook where you are eating and who you are quarreling with.
I still can't get used to the mobile phone, because I really don't understand why I need to be found and talk to people at any time? In the past, when you didn't have a mobile phone, you could answer the phone at a convenient time, and most people wouldn't say anything. But after you have a mobile phone, if you don't answer the phone, you will be complained about, or misunderstood that you are doing something wrong.
So before that, I didn’t think about starting a blog either rationally or emotionally. But that night, there were no signs or visions, but it was clear.
When it comes to seeking God’s will, I never rely solely on inspiration or accept one-sided prophecies. I emphasize that to be moved is to feel something, so that night I started to study online, get to know more about blogs, and also visit blogs that have exploded in popularity. On the other hand, I continued to seek further guidance from God. What kind of blog should I start?
During that process, I don’t know what happened, because the reasons why I “disliked” blogs were still in my mind, but my heart changed from obedient to open to having fire.
A week later, I started my blog.
"Private School Madam" is my first blog. It was first opened in Qimo, Taiwan. Some brothers and sisters in China said that it was not available in China, so I opened another blog on Sina.
Later, I set up another one on the United Daily News website, because I felt that the audience was different, and the blog articles on the Internet were more "pajamas-free", and many writers opened blogs there. There, I unexpectedly met some Christians who blogged in search of lost sheep. They gave me a different perspective on blogging.
1. Neighbors
Every Christian needs to have the mission of opening his life to others and allowing others to see the footsteps of Jesus. It’s just that the methods we use are different.
People who write articles want to live directly in the lives of readers, hoping that through publication in newspapers and magazines, they can directly influence them with words. I assume that unless they don’t buy or subscribe, if they do, they will own my articles. Or, I can say that my articles will directly enter their “industry”.
But writing blog posts, my role changes.
Blogs are a good way to become a neighbor to some people, and even become a familiar and accustomed neighbor in the lives of many people at the same time.
Just like someone who traveled thousands of miles to China for the sake of the gospel and became neighbors to some ordinary people in the city who might never meet him if they did not go there. They were not given the title of a formal missionary, but just claimed to be one. Life missionaries live among a group of people, and by opening their lives, they let people around them see Jesus in themselves.
Blogs allow us to live in a place within reach of many people without moving.
Starting a blog means moving near many people and becoming their neighbors. So, what are the qualities of a neighbor?
Trait 1 I am here
Neighbors are not guests and do not come and go. Neighbors, whether you have a relationship with them or not, you know that they are there. Under normal circumstances, as long as you knock on the door, you can go and visit. There is no need to buy tickets, just pay attention to the opening hours. Even if you are an old neighbor, you don’t need to make an appointment. You can go in at any time to borrow some salt or soy sauce, or ask him to help pick up your child.
Blogs also have this "I am" quality. My articles may not be able to go directly into readers' homes like they are published in magazines or books, but my blog is always there, and readers don't need to buy or subscribe. , not to mention waiting for publications or books to be published.
Trait 2: Non-aggressive
Between neighbors, communication often starts with practical needs in life. You help him get a letter when he is on vacation, or he takes your child home when he is too busy to help you. You met at the door, from chatting to exchanging one or two innocuous information, the more you talked, the more you talked, the more you talked, the deeper you talked. This kind of non-aggressive communication has a long-lasting influence.
Most people who visit blogs are less defensive and willing to read blog content because of the non-invasive nature of blogs.
Most people will immediately notice whether a magazine or newspaper is political, religious, or a magazine or newspaper with a specific meaning, but when dealing with blogs, they are usually very tolerant. My private school wife in China has many non-Christian readers. They will not refuse me to use the background of "God is the principal" to talk about family education concepts. However, when I submit articles to print media, no matter how much they like my writing style and content. Most editors worry about "too much religious flavor".
Blog/Blog Editor Recommendations 1
"Madame Teacher" http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/madame-teacher/
▲The author’s first blog, an article dedicated to home education
Trait 3 Relationship Orientation
I have been blogging for almost two years before I finally understood that no matter which type of blog I choose and how carefully I manage my words and content, I can’t get rid of the fact that blogging is a very relationship-oriented medium.
When an article is published in a newspaper, magazine, or book, even if readers are eager to interact with the author, they usually do not take actual action. As long as your content and writing are relevant, readers will take you to heart and take the initiative to pay attention to your articles.
But readers of blogs who come back again and again have almost all communicated and dealt with the bloggers. Are there any exceptions? Of course, exceptions can be made for great writers. Zhou Guoping, who wrote "The Lights Are On", did not say a word no matter how readers asked questions or expected answers to messages. But none of us are bloggers like that, so no exceptions.
Three things are important in determining the relationship between bloggers and readers:
Blog/Blog Editor Recommendation 2
"Could it be an immortal legend" http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_632828010100jlpm.html
▲The blog of literary preacher Mo Fei (Chen Huiwan), a place for publishing works
1) Update the blog regularly
No one will visit a blog frequently and see the same articles every time, no matter how exciting those articles are.
Blogs are different from books. When people go to blogs, they expect blogs to be like organisms, living, growing, and changing. Therefore, many popular bloggers who teach people how to start a blog will mention regular updates when talking about their secrets.
Regular updates give readers something to look forward to, and also give yourself a reminder. Most experts recommend updating at least once every two weeks.
In the first year I opened Private School Madam, I updated it very regularly, and a group of loyal readers came to visit me. In April this year, because all the articles in stock were used up, and life was too busy, I stopped updating for about six weeks, and there was no update. There was no explanation. When I came back to post an article, the number of readers was reduced by two-thirds, so I had to visit again.
Yes, you can subscribe to blogs and receive notifications when updates are updated, but many people don’t subscribe to blogs. I don’t like it myself. I would rather add bookmarks to mark interesting or valuable content on websites or blogs. I like an extra notification letter in my email box.
So readers who haven’t seen any new articles after visiting a few times just assume that it’s something like you’re moving and won’t knock on the door again.
Of course, I was very touched during that time when I received a message on the private school wife’s blog in Taiwan. A reader told me that he had never left a message, but he had been a regular visitor from the beginning and read my articles carefully. A lot of help, I hope I can continue running this blog and not stop.
His letter made me feel ashamed and made me feel like an irresponsible blogger.
2) Reply letter
Neighbors must come and go in order to have relationships, feelings, and influence.
I have seen many popular blogs, and the bloggers are very good at responding to visitors. No matter what comments they leave or what wrong messages they leave, he will always reply.
I am very troubled by this, because in reality I am very incompetent in this regard. I can't think of a sentence for a long time when people say something, which is more difficult than writing a paper.
Another aspect is time. Sometimes I don’t even have time to publish a blog post. I have a lot of emails to reply to, and I have to reply to people’s “casual remarks”. It's really tough.
Later, I thought about the characteristics and direction of my blog and decided to respond selectively. If you really need it, or if you are moved after reading the message, I will reply, and I will reply very seriously. For other things, I will see if I have time.
3) Return visit
Many visiting readers are also diligent bloggers themselves. Returning to visit their blogs is an encouragement to them and can also deepen their relationship with each other.
4) visit
Visiting is a great way to increase your readership.
There are so many blogs online, how do people know about your blog?
In addition to relying on readers who have been here to promote and introduce, the best way is to visit other people's blogs everywhere. As long as you visit Sina's blog, photos of visitors' blogs will appear. Some bloggers will return to see who visited their blogs. Taiwan Chimo does not have this function, so it is more difficult to promote the blog.
A very popular blogger may not return a visit just because you show up, but if you leave a message or comment, you will usually get at least one return visit.
I have been to many blogs, and there really isn’t much to read in them, but they are very popular. The reason is that the bloggers are diligent in making friends and visiting other blogs.
Blog/Blog (Editor’s Recommendation)
★Madame Teacher, author’s blog 1: http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/madame-teacher/
★Waiter of Kingdom Waiter, author’s blog 2: http://blog.udn.com/kingdomwaiter
★Mofei blog: http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_632828010100jlpm.html
★Big sister Xiaoen’s blog: Parent-child blog: http://smalln.pixnet.net/blog
Trait 4 Diversity
Relative to print media publishing, blogging can allow for a vastly increased number of faces and roles.
I remember when I used to lead worship services in church, if I couldn’t find a pianist and I had to perform by myself, I would play the piano for some songs and use the guitar for accompaniment for some songs.
Brothers and sisters don’t know the truth, but they still think that I am very versatile and versatile. But the fact is that although I can play the piano and the guitar, I am not good at either. I can’t play some songs well on the piano, and I can’t play some songs well on the guitar, so I use the strengths of the two instruments to offset their weaknesses.
Blogs also have this benefit. To publish articles in newspapers and magazines, the writing requirements are very high. If you cannot cross this threshold, you will not be able to publish. However, the blogs on most websites can contain multimedia, which opens many doors and windows for those who have a burden for word ministry.
I would like to introduce a few windows that everyone can consider:
1) Community Volunteer
You can be in a certain blogging group and not receive a salary, but you can have a destination and contribute silently. For example, I met those North American brothers and sisters on the United Daily News website. They blogged, made friends, and really cared about their fellow bloggers. They will go to non-Christian bloggers to recommend Christian blogs, and even go to Christian bloggers to invite them to care about some bloggers and make friends with bloggers who are open to faith.
I personally had a Christian reader who discovered on a blog that a certain blogger was a Christian who had left God, so he started to go in and have conversations with him. Later, the blogger encountered suffering and came to a turning point in his life. , this reader thought it was a good opportunity to persuade his prodigal son to return home, but he didn’t know how to bring him back, so he came to my blog and left a message, asking me to visit the blogger’s blog to see if I could help him regain his faith.
2) Community hypermarket
I know a brother who is a doctor and is very interested in literary work, but because he is a young international student, he feels limited. Later, he opened a blog, which he calls a hypermarket. It covers everything from health knowledge to theology. Of course, they are all good things that have been screened and reproduced. If people come, they can at least benefit from one aspect of their body, mind and soul. Occasionally, he will also post some of his own articles.
Nowadays, the Internet media is overflowing, just like there are hypermarkets everywhere, but the products in many stores are good and bad. This brother thinks that his burden is to build an online hypermarket. Not only are everything in it free, but all the goods are taken away. It's good stuff.
I like blogs that are more specialized, so I like to open different blogs with different topics. But I don’t deny that the readers that can be attracted in this way are very limited. For example, if a single person comes to visit his wife in a private school, the article may be published in a few seconds. Just take a look at the classification and leave, because they have different aspirations and different ways. And every time I start a new blog, I have to rebuild my readership.
But in a hypermarket like the one built by that brother, anyone can probably find what they want. It’s like going to a Walmart shopping mall (Walmart). After a quick trip, you’ll have all the basic necessities, food, housing, and transportation. Although everything is popular and not sophisticated, very convenient.
When we go to a hypermarket, it’s easy to buy things we didn’t originally intend to buy, but when we go there, we want to try them out. That's what that brother thought. If a reader comes to read about health knowledge and sees the title "Abundant Life" by the way, he can click in and take a look. However, if these people want to teach him to post a blog on "Abundant Life", he may not be willing.
The blogging world is colorful and full of challenges! Ma Ruixin will continue to provide you with in-depth analysis in the next issue, so stay tuned.
Author profile
Ma Ruixin is a young international student with a master's degree. She has lived overseas for more than 20 years and is a literary worker.
His articles have appeared in various newspapers and magazines. He was a columnist for Cosmic Light Magazine. He is currently the author of the column "Family Management" of "True Love" magazine. He is the author of the essay collection "Wandering Son's Footsteps" and the author of the parenting blog "Private School Madam".