Tips for Starting a Tech Blog

[mynameiskishan]

Hello, This is my first post on MacRumors. I am in my teen years, and want to start a small technology blog, where I can post reviews, unboxings and new technology news. Do you have any tips for starting one? I have created a "blog page" at blogger.com, hoping maybe later, I can use AdSense to get some profit...

Also, what do you think is better, Starting a Google Blog Site (blogger.com) or using a Google site to create my own technology website.

Thank You!

 

[AnimaLeo]

Do something different. There are already literally thousands of tech blogs. Many of them much more established than yours, you're going to have to bring something that no other blogs have to the table.

=Profit.

 

[Jessica Lares]

Don't be biased and make sure you're balanced. There are a lot of tech blogs out there that are all pro-Apple and anti-everybody else. Everyone thinks that iOS and the Mac is the best thing ever, but very little is said about other phones and computers, unless they're talking about how they've ripped the ideas from Apple.

There are a lot of tech review websites out there, but there's always room for more sites as long as you're willing to put your good effort into it.

Blogger is a great choice. It's more customizable compared to WordPress.com and the Google Sites platform isn't all that great.

 

[mynameiskishan]

Youtube Account

I am also thinking about posting Youtube videos with reviews, unboxings and the latest news. Do you think I should do both or I should just stick with one...

I'm thinking to just make a Youtube Channel, and post everything there...

Any tips for Youtube?

Also, any ideas for Youtube Usernames? My name is Kishan Singh, and I'm a boy...

 

[acxz]

If you're going to make videos, take a look at what others are doing, see what works and what doesn't.

As for unboxings vs reviews, do whichever you're most comfortable with. Unboxings should be straight to the point where as reviews should be more comprehensive. Again do your research and see which you like the idea of most. As someone said above though, if you do reviews, be objective.

Make sure you have a steady stream of products coming through. Regular videos are key to getting an audience going. It'll take a while to build up a subscriber base but once you have, YouTube will look after itself.

I think one mistake a lot of people make on YouTube is they don't make their videos very watchable. You need a good quality video with good lighting, and good audio. It's no good using a phone camera in a darkened room with just a desk lamp for lighting and a built in microphone. Invest in good quality equipment and speak clearly and people will want to watch your videos as they pop up on their feed.

Best of luck.

 

[malman89]

Write quality content. Quality > quantity, though having plenty of quality if you want to publish often sure doesn't hurt. I'd start it off as being more of a weekly thing (expect updates every Tuesday!) to establish a reader base and go from there.

Have a decent name for the blog. Catchy names are cool, but trying to hard and failing is worse, so keep it relatively simple.

Layout doesn't need to be anything fancy - just clean and easily navigable. Unless you're a designer or know someone that can do something a bit more in-depth, but again - crap content + snazzy site = who cares.

And just produce quality content - one more reminder.

 

[TonyK]

If you do un-boxing posts, but quick once the product hits retail. An un-boxing means very little a week after something is released. Much more impact if you can get it the day of. Like any news item, the longer something has been out the less news worthy it is.

There are a lot of technical blogs on the web. There are a lot of them that provide less than quality information. Make every attempt to provide quality information. Watch grammar and spelling because it will be easy for people to dismiss the blog if there are glaring issues with grammar or spelling.

Don't reveal your age on your blog. It should matter to no one how old or young you are. All that matters is a blog that provides quality information.

Get your blog in to search engines.

Make sure you want a BlogSpot blog VS WordPress. There are differences and the longer you go with one over the other the more difficult it can become to switch cleanly. I just did this on Saturday from BlogSpot to WordPress and had to re-edit each post because the <!--more--> tag in BlogSpot got munched. It might have been the 3rd party editor being used but still it can be a pain.

Take care,

 

[Hellhammer]

Do something different. There are already literally thousands of tech blogs. Many of them much more established than yours, you're going to have to bring something that no other blogs have to the table.

=Profit.

So true. There must be something unique in your blog that makes it worth reading. OP, I don't want to sound cruel but here are a few facts:

1. You will have to buy everything on your own. Manufacturers won't give each blogger a free review sample, it takes time to create contacts and gain visibility. Seeing that you're a teen, I guess your budget is very limited (accessories like cases may be affordable enough, but there are literally thousands of user reviews in forums etc already).

2. I don't know about your background but you most likely don't have much experience in the industry. That limits your point of view and possibly your knowledge as well.

3. Be patient. Your site may go unnoticed for years and it's very unlikely that your page views will increase exponentially - you would need something exclusive for that. You still need to be active, though.

It's a rocky road with lots of competition. It can definitely be fun but you need a lot of passion to make it more than just a hobby.