The following is a guest post from Wesley Novack, owner of WesleyTech.com.
I recently watched the movie Dear Me: A Blogger’s Tale. This film is a cute romantic comedy about a girl named Samantha who waters plants for a living, but aspires to break into the world of professional marketing. The movie is not very exciting or action-packed, but blogging does play an integral role in the story. Observant viewers can learn some real life lessons from the blogging related situations that spring up throughout the film.
Lesson #1. Blogging is therapeutic.
Samantha starts blogging after her therapist suggests that she start a journal. She finds that her blog helps her deal with her anxiety and daily life challenges. When you share your experiences, views and opinions online AND you are proud of what you write, you reap rewards. Some of these rewards include a sense of accomplishment, the feel-good feeling of helping others, a sense of belonging by contributing to the online community and much more. That’s right, blogging makes you feel good!
Lesson #2. Be careful what you publish.
Samantha starts her blog out anonymously, without attaching her real name to any of her posts. Eventually, her identity is revealed and everyone at her office discovers that she is the blog author, causing her much embarrassment. Take note newbies; your identity can be revealed! Court orders, online sleuths and many other situations can unveil the real person behind a blog. Don’t publish anything that could get you into legal trouble or embarrass you professionally.
Lesson #3. Own your own content & domain.
At one point in the film, Samantha calls into the blogging service that hosts her blog and asks them to remove her posts. They refuse! To avoid this type of problem, you must host your blog on your own domain and maintain full control of your content. If you are serious about blogging, you need control over your online environment!
Lesson #4. Pay attention to your readers.
Near the end of the story, Samantha’s friend asks her if she keeps up with her blog mail. Samantha then discovers a flood of fan mail and feedback from her readers. Reading and responding to your readers comments and emails is essential to the success of a blog. After getting in touch with her readers, Samantha finds out that she has inspired and encouraged others with her writing. She then pledges to continue serving her readers by keeping the blog alive.
If you’d like to buy or rent Dear Me: A Blogger’s tale, it is available through Amazon, Blockbuster or Netflix.
I hope that these simple lessons will help out some of you aspiring bloggers out there. If you have already seen this film, what other blogging lessons could you find?