Blogging & Beyond

I really enjoyed this interview with blogger Tiffany B. Brown. Brown has created many websites and blogs that make her credible and widely experienced. She is also a web developer and is well versed in journalism and other interactive media sorts. 

For a few years I have tried to create blogs, but have never gotten around to actually keeping up with them. Brown says that she follows a few regularly and others that she just stumbles upon. I feel that most people who are interested in blogging generally go through the same thing. 

I have followed a blogger who travels the world and works out a lot - two things I love. However, I now follow her Instagram more than her actual blog. I think this is a testament to how social media and the Internet is ever-changing. Being a journalism major and interactive media studies major, I have worked with everything from completely print to social media marketing techniques. The way people get news, follow things they are interested in and even share updates, are always changing. Websites become sleeker looking. New social media platforms are constantly being created. 

Brown says “never underestimate the power of comments and community.” This is especially important in the world of blogging and growing social media platforms. A simple YouTube video curates various comments and reactions. Those comments usually generate more responses, thus creating a sense of a community.

Community is also utilized and created through searches and interests. Search engine optimization – something Brown mentions in relation to how audiences reach her sites – and Google Analytics are useful tools in growing audiences and creating communities.

Another important point Brown makes is that her blogs revolved around what she was interested in. This is critical in making a blog that is interesting and full of content. If a blog were like writing a paper that you had no interest in, how many people would view it? Probably much less than if the topic were of interest and went beyond just stating facts and simple information. Interesting blogs keep audiences interested.