Here’s my advice for new as well as some older bloggers.

• If you’ve never blogged, don’t worry at all what your blog is about. Just read other blogs, make friends and write whatever. It takes time to learn what you want to write about.

• The most important thing to do is read and comment on other blogs. Don’t comment on 50 different blogs, pick 10 and comment daily. You can start without a blog for a month. Then tell your 10 friends your ready. You’ll have 10 readers. If anyone says this isn’t the best way, they are wrong. This is the only way. It’s impossible to know everybody that come by. As you get better, you’ll find ways to be friends with bloggers you never read. Thats weird but true. Some people help the distressed with their blog. They may not read yours regularly, but they migrate where they are needed. That’s how it is.

• After you start your blog, join Technorati. Don’t be a Technorati snob like some people who have 3000 fans but only have 7 favourites of other blogs. I see these guys with shallow, refabricated, stolen and rediculous content; and they try to look like other authors!!! If you dress like another blogger, etc. – you are a ridiculous moron:) If you are faved by someone, then fave them! Check once or twice a week and keep it straight.

• Don’t be a dork copycat. If you write a money blog then chances are you copied John Chow’s blogroll. I’ve seen tons of people who have 0 readers, 0 comments and yet they only have the most famous rich bloggers on their link list. That is really ridiculous. Most of the big money bloggers have terrible, boring blogs. Most of them arent bloggers. They are rich guys who happen to have a blog! My friend Mike mentioned how he hated a sports car header. If I see a guy next to a red sports car on the header, I can’t click away fast enough!

• THE BIGGEST MOST IMPORTANT RULE – Be you. Try to find you. Never try to do anything like someone else.

• How to gain true, faithful readers: Here is the only way- Go read a regular set of blogs. Comment at least once every time you visit. Don’t worry about writing, just read and comment. Make sure they know you well and expect you. If they arent reading yours by then, ask them to read! Ask bloggers you know to write a comment for them. They will. Don’t ask strangers to come comment. They usually never will. Make friends. There are bloggers with thousands of friends who actually don’t read them. Some guys comment only on rich bloggers, as if to leave their handprints on the sidewalk in Hollywood. Those aren’t friends or good bloggers.

• Always help others and have fun. If you have a great idea, don’t be greedy, share it. Friends make great ideas better.

• Buy your own domain before you start blogging. You”ll be grateful in the long run. Have a lot of diversity in what you read. Before blogging I had never met anyone from Malaysia. Now, I have more than ten Malaysian friends! Stick with your blogging buddies through thick and thin.
• There is no better advice than this, if there were, I’d have written it here. Lots of folks say the same things I’m saying. They are right.

Also, please don’t take offense like I think I’m the only person with the answers. It’s just that if you are are a real beginner, you probably don’t even know what Technorati is yet. There is lots of good advice everywhere, but as a beginner you should limit yourself to really just reading and commenting. This will give you a great headstart:)

Tags: blogging, newbie, Newbie tips