People, Passions & Projects #4: Niraj Blogs

J = Jinal
N = Niraj

J: Thanks for joining the series! How have you been, how's your work going?

N: Yeah not bad, this week hasn't been that busy but some weeks are busier than others. It really depends on what you've got on, it really does vary.

J: What were your reasons for starting a personal blog?

N: So I started in January 2019 for the very first time. I was at university back then, so I used it to share my experiences of university and important topics such as mental health and wellbeing from my own experience, with the intention that the experiences I share will help others. It was a stop start kind of thing at university, I never took it seriously. But since finishing my degree in June 2020, I started properly. The lockdown and summer gave me time to put into my blogging and just carried it on, even after starting my job.

J: Nice! What kind of things do you write about?

N: So now it does vary, its mostly about mental health, wellbeing, lifestyle and also autism.

J: And going back to your first blog post, what sort of things were you feeling when you published it?

N: With the first post it was a case of 'will anyone read it?'. You don't even know if people will look at it as you're doing something for the first time, it can feel quite unknown.

J: Yeah definitely, so I recently published my first blog post not that long ago now, and it was my first step putting something out there for anyone to read, but once you take that first step it gets easier from then on.

N: Yeah I think that first step is always the hardest.

J: Have you also noticed that your writing style has changed as your progress?

N: I guess when I first started writing, I was very specific on proof reading, and as you write more blogs it becomes quicker and easier to write. I don't proof read it as much anymore. I guess in that way it has changed, but more than anything it becomes easier.

J: Is that also because you're writing about stuff that you're passionate about or is it more that you have more practice now?

N: I think it's more the practice aspect, you know how to structure a blog, what type of content to write about the people can relate to, and how to make it appealing to readers.

J: And the people who comment and read your blogs, what type of audience are they from?

N: Good question! I wouldn't really say I have a target audience in mind. Initially when I first started I talked about university, so that was more for university students, I guess because my topics are so broad (mental health and wellbeing affects everyone) it means there's no real target audience as such. People of all ages read it.

J: Its more about you sharing your own experiences in the hope that someone out there will find it useful.

N: Yeah exactly, whether you're just starting university, a mother, it can be anyone.

J: What has the reception been like to your posts, have you had any comments/interactions with people who read your blogs?

N: There's a comment section below my blogs, so people comment on that which is always nice to read.

J: Do you read through and reply to those comments?

N: Yes I do, I feel I need to! I reply to all of them.

J: I think it's nice that you try to acknowledge everyone that shows you support.

N: They're taking the time to read my posts, it's the least I can do.

J: You also do something quite interesting which I haven't seen on many other blog sites is that you do 'guest posts' and 'collab posts'. Why did you decide to do that?

N: It's more guests posts where other bloggers come and write about a topic that they're interested in on my blog. It helps them write to a different audience, and adds a bit of variety to my blogs. What I would say about that though is I made sure I established myself with my own posts first, then brought guests in. I spoke about this with another blogger last week and she said that previously she did guest posts, but it felt like that dominated and took away from her own content. At the end of the day, your blog is your own content, and guest posts are just an addition to that.

J: How did you find these people, how did you get into contact with your guests?

N: I think it's mostly Instagram. It's kind of random, you follow them and engage in one of their stories, then you can connect with them.

J: Are these people from a completely different background to what you write about?

N: Not really, I think it has varied but most my guest bloggers are of similar ages. One of my recent guest posts was 'the pros and cons of having too many friends', so that was on friendships rather than mental health and wellbeing.

J: When you started, what were the first steps you took to put yourself out there?

N: I think the hardest thing is actually getting yourself out there. You always have these doubts like 'will people read it?' and 'if people read it, will they actually like it?', the main thing is that first step. You may find that in your first blog only five people read it, but at least that's a start. The main thing is having that courage to put yourself out there. Once you do something for the first time, it may be tough but when you do it for a second time it gets that bit easier, until you get to a point where it's a lot more natural.

J: That's what I have found recently, as you're essentially one year ahead of the journey that I'm currently on, so I can resonate with what you said. Looking at the more technical aspects of it, how did you design your website?

N: So this was via WordPress, so I didn't need any coding experience. It's like a website builder, so you just fill in details and it did the rest. It's not my own domain. There's also Wix and SquareSpace, it's built so that you don't need any prior knowledge to do that.

J: If someone wanted to start writing, how would you say they should approach that? Because the way I approached it was to not give too much thought to my first post as I knew it wasn't going to be perfect.

N: So I think the key thing is, with any post (not just your first) you should write it on something you're interested in and not what you think people want to read. I think a mistake that even experienced bloggers make is that they write content that they think people want to read for views. It's easier to write about something you're interested in, in your case you did a half marathon, and you were interested in sharing your experience of running and training for it. As you also said, I don't think you can ever have the 'perfect' post, especially with writing, what readers value more is the content rather than how well you write. I don't have an english background, I have a maths background, but that shouldn't stop you.

J: Do you think also that consistency is important in blogging?

N: Yes, definitely, especially if you want your readers to stay engaged. Even if it's once every 2 weeks, just trying to stick to that. But also life does get in the way sometimes, so don't be too strict with it. But to build your following, consistency is important.

J: When you started before you had any followers, how did you get people to visit your site?

N: I initially promoted my blogs on Facebook, but in terms of following it was the WordPress followers. ?You start with a few, and you very slowly build it up. Another thing which is quite important in building your following is engaging with other bloggers, because you can't expect someone to magically find your blog, and if you want people to engage in your blog it's only fair that you engage in theirs.

J: Have you had any interesting experiences or opportunities open up to your because of your blogging?

N: I've had the chance to meet other bloggers, but also via my work I'm now part of the Diversity and Inclusion Network. I share my blogs to them sometimes so that's interesting for them to also learn.

J: Looking at the first point you just mentioned there, did you manage to convert any of those online friendships into real life friends?

N: Just one! But they're based all around the country and world.

J: And the second point you mentioned was that you are part of the diversity team at your work, how did they find your blog?

N: So this was after I started, so I told them I have a blog and asked them to let me know what you think. It was positively received, and a good number of people read them from all levels, even partners of the firm.

J: It also shows that you're interested in stuff outside your work, you're not just someone who's career based.

N: When you work at a company, it can be hard to get yourself noticed, especially as a junior, so its a nice way to show your work.

J: Last few questions now. If there's someone who is a complete beginner to everything, what are the top three tips you would give them if they wanted to start a blog?

N: The first thing is to take that leap of faith, the hardest step is always the first. We also discussed before this talk that we sometimes lie to ourselves and make excuses, 'it's not the right time' or 'I've got other things to worry about'. You're more just using that as an excuse to not start, so the leap of faith is important.

N: The second thing is to write about things that you are interested in and not what you think other people want to read.

N: My third point is to try and be authentic. For example your blog was quite nice on running a half marathon and what you learnt from it. It wasn't something I had seen on another blog. If you write about too many standard topics, people will have already read that. People will remember the blogs that are unique and authentic.

J: Where can people find you on the web?

N: Here's the link to my blog and Instagram. On my blog there is also a contact form.

J: Awesome! Thank you Niraj!