I've recently thought about starting a blog about many things including my ever growing toy collection. The only thread I could see that seemed relevant was how easy do you find writing a blog.
My question, though, is more about starting one! I am not savvy in this, any advice? What sites to use? How often should you write? Do you have to be particularly known to start, or will people just pick it up somehow? I am not comfortable with sharing it on social media in order to get some hits.
There are plenty of free sites that allow you to blog with no cost. I've set mine up on wordpress but I think there are many including blogger and tumblr. Google it and have a read decide which seems best for you. I find the wordpress free service very easy to use, after a few initial hiccups. But you need to be mindful of t&c such as no affiliate links and no pornography. You're unlikely to get many hits if you don't publicise somehow. I don't get a great deal and that's ok cos my blogging is a reminder of my journey (when I get time), but on blue days it does get to me that I've only had x number of hits this week or whatever. I'm sure there will be more advice from more experienced people soon...
I use Wordpress and I really like it, initially I was using blogspot but switched over a few months later - I'd advise reallllly looking over your options carefully before you make one because switching was a pain in the bum! Also you might want to go the self-hosting route at some point as it's much freer but it's up to you ultimately.
Read up some stuff on SEO. If you don't have any social media accounts then you'll probably just be getting hits via google/search engines and if you link to your blog in your Lovehoney profile/anywhere else you put it. It's not the end of the world but if you do want your stuff to get out there and gain a few readers I'd highly recommend just making a twitter account for it or something - there are quite a few sex bloggers who aren't active at all on social media I think but most of them have been established for years, so...
Also, hey epiphora has a nice guide here - http://www.heyepiphora.com/2013/02/epiphoras-beginners-guide-to-sex-toy-reviewing-and-blogging/
Ahh thanks. Good advice there. I'm not really doing it for hits, I've just found I really like writing about it and researching things. These forums are good for me because my friends aren't exactly into the same things as me, or as bothered about sex so discussing it here is a good start.
I'll have a good think about it and see if it's for me :) If it's free there's no harm in trying I guess :)
Sorry to bring up an old thread, but didn't want to make a new one when this one is entirely relevant :-)
So yeah, blogging is something I think I'd really like to do after reading others blogs. The only problem is, I don't have a clue where to even begin! I've never done anything like it before, although I do very much enjoy writing and I've had fairly good reactions from the few friends that I have shared my previous writings with. So does anyone have any advice on where to start? What sort of content should I include? Just any advice at all really! Thanks in advance!
I actually made a blog. I haven't even written the start about me piece!! My words disappeared and I just forgot about it. I may go back to it and actually start it properly eventually. My problem is, my twitter was my personal one and I changed it to a sexy one. So I can't use that for my blog lol. I'd have to make a new one . Which means starting that from scratch!
Have a look at other blogs - see what content they are putting out. When I started mine, I took my old lovehoney reviews and rewrote them for the blog. I also took the opportunity to reassess the toy, and wrote new reviews if my opinion had changed.
Then I started to add additional content like 'how to' guides etc.
It really depends on what your goal is - whether you are just blogging for pure fun, or whether you want to monetise your blog (through using affiliate links etc).
I've recently thought about starting a blog about many things including my ever growing toy collection. The only thread I could see that seemed relevant was how easy do you find writing a blog.
My question, though, is more about starting one! I am not savvy in this, any advice? What sites to use? How often should you write? Do you have to be particularly known to start, or will people just pick it up somehow? I am not comfortable with sharing it on social media in order to get some hits.
Any advice would be appreciated :D
Like any written piece of literature or art, the most daunting element is the first paragraph and where to go from there. Once you have been posting for 6 months to a year, you will look back over the original content you published and think, gosh I was really poor at writing then. Like any skill one undertakes, it takes a lot of practice, and with practice you naturally improve. One piece of advice I would offer, is before you start, prepare a list of subject matters you would be happy to write about, then select specific topics for the week ahead. A second piece of advice would be to produce a couple of pieces in advance, that way if life throws you a curve ball; you won't miss any deadlines you have set yourself.
In my opinion, wordpress is the best platform to use for blogging.
From a SEO pov (search engine stuff), google doesn't like content that is repeated, so if you happen to take your LH reviews and put them on a blog, change them so they aren't exactly the same.
For me, writing is easy but for others, it is not. Try not to over think things and let your imagination flow.
I'm still mulling over making a blog for reviews...just don't know if I could update it regularly enough to hold anyone's interest! I take way too long writing and rewriting sometimes...
I'm still mulling over making a blog for reviews...just don't know if I could update it regularly enough to hold anyone's interest! I take way too long writing and rewriting sometimes...
You can always "recycle" the reviews you've already written when you run out of inspiration for new posts :)
I'd be more than happy to assist anyone with any questions about starting a blog. I have my own (www.naughty-corner.com), been up for 3 yrs.
I first started off, like you guys, reviewing as a forum member and added my review to a blog and then reviewed my own products, then slowly introduced my self to retailers and now have a steady flow of products being sent on a monthly basis (as well as my own, i treated myself today from LH and purchased a 3 for £10 offer and the deal of the day).
Over the last year I have been branching out into awareness topics and advice, mainly as it is something different for me and topics that I like and feel need airing.
Personally, if you willing to put both feet into the water, I would set a blog up that is your own domian (I am now with host gator and found them to be the best over all). It gives you more leway over what you can do i.e. design, write about and helps with search engine things.
As a blogger myself, I can safely say that reviews are all well and good but you need to add something that jumps out to your readers. Be it your own writing style, photography or a little bit extra.
Most companies I work with, like to see that a blogger has an invested interest in sex toys and what they are about, rather than just receving a free product to review.
But over all the adult blogging community is a brilliant place, I have made a alot of good friends and learned a lot, about sex toys etc.
Im just so confused about the whole hosting thing! I had a look at a few including host gator and they mention things you need to download in addition and it just sounds overwhelming!
I like the idea of doing it but it just sounds like something i could never get my head around!
Just throwing this out there, but is blogging only generally one person? A few people have said about the time commitment but could a blog be shared by several people who all have access to update it? Could be an idea for a few people to share one?
A blog could be shared, yes. As long as it's stated who is writing what, I see no issue with this.
Downloading stuff is to do with creating your own templates etc, CCS work, which I have no clue about :(
But then, you should back up your blog atleast once a month, well I do but that's due to me having loads of stuff on there. Hostgator has a wordpress platform, which is pretty easy to use....I say this, as I can use it and I am sh*t with website stuff lol but there are people out there in the sex blogging world, that are happy to help x
I just created a blogging site about my daily sexual experiences. I love writing about the naughty things I get up to, but I find it is getting me into trouble! For me to post about my sexual adventures I need to find a guy to have sex with which in turn gives me something to write about and lol... Im not getting a rest!!! Not that I need one!