New Zealand Blogs

What is a blog?

Keen to get into the blogging craze that's sweeping the online world? Learn what makes New Zealand blogs popular and find tips for becoming a good Kiwi blogger right here. You’ll be on your way to becoming a blog-master in no time.

• Blogs

New Zealand blogs, also going by the name weblogs, are now everywhere in the online world. It seems every which way you look, people are venting, expressing opinions and musing on the web, and leaving their word trails for all the world to read. For beginner New Zealand bloggers, this guide will help you get started on the road to blogging brilliance.

What is a New Zealand blog?
Basically, a blog is an online journal in which thoughts and ideas can be expressed and shared with others. An NZ blog can also be places where links to other interesting web sites can be collected. This is similar to the bookmarking system on your Internet browser.

As well as words, blogs often contain images, audio or video elements, and music, and can contain anything from political views to breaking news, private thoughts and messages to the world. A blog is easily created and updated, even for those not technically inclined, and is now the most popular way of making our voice heard in the cacophony of the Web.

How did blogging begin?
It's been huge for the last few years, but where did blogs spring up from? They've become more than just collections of links and are now personal modes of expression for hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

They're also immensely popular, most likely as a result of their personal nature. Blogs are windows into the lives of friends and strangers. Even those with a political or news bent bring a hefty dose of personal opinion and imagination to their content.

What's the point of a blog?
The motivation for having a blog can vary greatly from one person to the next. You might create a blog to:

• Post interesting, informative or humourous links

• Write about your views on a particular issue and encourage debate or discussion
• Share your professional knowledge with a blogs for business

• Keep a record of what's happening in a certain field of interest, eg. Political happenings, animal rights acitivism or the world of science and technology

• Make friends who share your interests or views (you can link to their blog and they can link back to yours)

• Keep friends and family up-to-date on your adventures, especially if you're on the other side of the world

Are all blogs are created equal?
Certainly not. Many blogs fall by the wayside after just a few months, usually when the blogger loses interest or runs out of time to update his or her blog. Some are of interest to many people; others are mainly for the blogger and his or her group of friends.

True to its democratic roots, the good blog seems to increase in popularity while the not-so-good blog slinks away. Essentially, the more interesting the content of a blog, the more people will link to it and hence its popularity increases. Some of the best blogs get massive numbers of visitors each month and are viewed avidly each day by a large number of readers.

How do I create a quality blog?
The best New Zealand blogs don't necessarily share the same opinions or cover similar topics. The quality of a blog depends less on its topic than on the style of writing used by the blogger, the frequency of updates and the active community of readers. To become a formidable force within the blogosphere, try to:

1. Write in your own distinctive style
Even mundane life can appeal to a large number of people, if written in an engaging and interesting style. Use your own voice - what is most endearing about blogs is their informal, conversational language, which speaks directly to us as individuals. Remember though, the style you use should fit with your blog's subject matter. A political blog is more likely to become respected and enjoyed if it is written with some level of formality. Aim to develop a style that is:

• Readable (try reading your entry aloud before publishing it online)

• Interesting (including detail and try to vary your sentence structure)

• Conversational (as if you're talking to your readers, rather than lecturing them)

• Suited to your audience (think about who will be reading your blog and write accordingly)

Read other NZ blogs to see what works and take some tips from those blogs which appeal most to you.

2. Update your blog as often as you can
Imagine getting hooked on your daily newspaper fix, only to find your newspaper of choice was delivered sporadically, sometimes on a Wednesday, never on a Friday and occasionally on the weekend. Once your readers see they're onto a good thing, they'll want new blog entries all (or most) days. If you're finding it a struggle to update daily, you might like to try:

• Getting a one or two friends to co-author your blog (make sure your styles will still make for a cohesive blog)

• Updating your blog on a weekly or monthly basis (just make sure your updates are regular and reliable)

• Make a note during the day of things that you want to include in your blog (this will ensure you never run short on ideas)

3. Make your blog interactive
The best Kiwi blogs are those that allow comments from readers and other bloggers. You don't have to enable the comment feature on your blog, but doing so will make it more interactive. You will develop a dialogue with your readership, rather than having a one-sided conversation with yourself. It is also a good way to get feedback - both good and bad!

Remember though, if you do allow comments, keep an eye on them to ensure there are no comments from spammers getting through (junk marketing) or offensive comments (which you are able to remove).

So, what are you waiting for?
Blogging is an instant publication fix - you can create a blog, customise it and post your first entry in less than an hour. If you are eager to get published, why not write your own New Zealand blog and get into the latest Internet craze?

Looking for more information? Find New Zealand blogs in the NZS.com directory.

Usability : User Behaviour images from Flickr: popular blogs, blogger barbie and Corporate.