Adding yourself to your blog

Many of us bloggers get so entranced in our technical or topical blogs that we fail to 'keep it real' By keeping it real, you can connect with your readers and make them feel more comfortable while reading. This is important if you want them to stick around or return.

By keeping it real, you are injecting a piece of yourself into your writing. This is the number one element that will make your blog unique and special. For many of us technical or topic writers, this can be difficult to do since we are focused on an authoritative voice to get credibility.

So, here are some tips to help you;

• Include an 'about me' page or element on your sidebar.You may want to include a picture and a snippet about where you live and what you do.

• Write a post about something in your life and how it relates to your topic. For example, recently I joined Twitter. I joined Twitter to test it out for a post write. I never imagined that I would get so many new friends and hits on my blog. Okay, so now I've put something in my post about how my life relates to a topic.

• Mention a comment or a blurb about a site that you link to. Include how and why you enjoy this.

• Tell your readers something about yourself. For instance, I enjoy comparing my writing style with my friend who also writes a blog. He goes by Shakespere. Shakespere is more of a writer and I'm more of a tech person. We have known one another for years.

• Use a link list of blogs or sites that you enjoy visiting. It may be a good idea to have two lists, one for blogs or sites that you enjoy visiting and one for sites or blogs that are related by topic to yours.
  
  
• Invite people into your social networking world. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace etc. You can add a badge and suggest people to follow you.

Usually bloggers who are blogging specifically about themselves will start off with a personalized emphasis while bloggers with a technical or other focus will need to think about having to do this. When you feel more comfortable writing, consider adding personalization to make your writing more inviting.