On blogging…

This is my 200th blog – a milestone I wanted to celebrate! I’ve been writing my weekly Health Blog for the past 4 ½ years, with the occasional break, mostly during holidays. I’ve learned a lot by answering your questions and have had fun sharing new information and ideas I’ve come across.

Many of the blogs I’ve written are referred to as “evergreen” in the blog world – blogs with information that continues to be of value over time to readers. When I check the statistics for my blog, I see that people often read previous articles. There’s also a search tool (magnifying glass symbol) at the top to help find topics you’re interested in and I try to always remember to add search engine flags (preceded by a #) to help them show up in general internet searches.

My original goal

Although my purpose for the blog has evolved over the years, I originally started because it was recommended by book marketing experts as a way to contact readers, a way for them to get to know me as a writer, part of my author’s “platform”, to create a presence on the internet. I’ve found it’s also been a fun way to stay in touch with friends and family who are far away and get to know new readers a little bit. It surprises me that my blog is read all over the world, but with the search tools built into Google, perhaps it shouldn’t. The world seems smaller now than it used to, somehow, with both information and infections so quickly spreading across the globe.

I also read constantly about how to write better, how to improve your blog, even sometimes about how to write characters and construct a novel, which I may try one day. Blogging experts say you should have a purpose for your blog – mine is to both entertain and inform. My goal is to help you be healthier and to inspire curiosity and introduce new ideas to my readers. And once in a while I'll tell you about something I've created or an accomplishment I'm proud of... like today! A blog, experts say, should always end with a “call to action”, encouraging readers to do something after reading but, most of the time, I skip that altogether! Still room for improvement in my blog, I guess…

Can’t be everything to everyone…

I know that not everyone will be interested in every blog, since my subjects can be quite varied while still discussing physical or mental health. I’m always excited when I get a new subscriber and just a little sad when someone unsubscribes, but I know we are all deluged with email these days – sometimes it’s just too much to keep up with!

I’ve also had a few unsubscribe because of technical problems – trouble opening the blog or receiving my email. Experts recommend adding a star or flag to one of my emails to tell your mail server the mail is something you’re interested in, and to add me to your email contact list. You can usually do this easily by hovering your cursor or holding your finger over my mail address in the “from” field, then choosing "add to contact list" from the box that pops up. On my email program, this is found by clicking the 3 dots in the box.

With the audio version of the blog, besides helping me improve at creating audio, it also makes it easier for my subscribers to listen on-the-go. I’ve also learned reading my writing out loud helps to find typos and awkward wording that can slip past when re-reading silently. The brain is amazing at filling in the blanks or seeing what you think is there (not what’s actually there…)

Blogging has its downside

The downside of my blog is that most weeks, I don’t do any other writing! But I am almost finished a book-related project: producing an audiobook from my Hormone Lady book. It’s taken longer than I originally thought it would but I've improved with practice, making fewer mistakes that had to be corrected later. While reading it out loud, I also found a few areas that needed improving and updated the print files for future copies. My book is “print on demand” and it’s printed only when ordered, so the newest version is always shipped.

The audio version really is ready to upload to a distribution service, but I know it isn’t perfect and my “perfectionist” side is making me hold back… However, as with writing, they say that “done” is better than “perfect but never finished” and you have to decide at some point to move on to another project.

I also thought I’d try uploading the video of my book interview to YouTube, mostly to learn how to do it. I shared it on Facebook but, these days, you need to pay to have very many people see a post. YouTube offers another medium for reaching potential readers that is easier to share, and figuring out how to use it will be another little learning challenge. So, there’s always something to do…

My “winter project”

Since I’m going to be home this winter and visiting may be restricted, depending on how well we all behave in the next few months, I figure it will be a good time to accomplish a few things. I dug out the outline I started ages ago for my next book and put it front and center on my desk. It will be about the environment, a subject I’ve been thinking of writing about for a while – I’m sure you’ve noticed a blog or two I’ve written on the subject.

Tell me what you think of this idea: I’m thinking of using a photography point of view (drawing from another of my hobbies), looking at the environment through 3 lenses: wide angle (world pollution concerns), a 50mm lens, the “nifty 50” that photographs things life-sized as we see with our eyes, (our personal environment, inside our homes and workplaces) and “macro” (the environment we create inside: our microbiome). Now that I think of it, "micro" (as in microscope) would be more accurate for bacteria, yeasts and viruses... Who knows if I’ll keep that analogy, but it’s helping me to organize what I want to talk about. For several personal reasons, environmental concerns, inside and out, have become a passion of mine over the years.

Staying independent

I’ve had a couple of offers for advertising on my blog in the past year or so, but I’ve decided not to go that route. I really don’t want anyone telling me what I can or cannot write about or influencing what I say. My goal for the blog was never to make money and, except for the odd course I take to learn “how to” (like doing audio), the blog doesn’t cost me anything but my time. Since I learn so much by doing it, it’s worth it!

However, I do like to help others get started in the blogging world, especially those interested in writing about health issues. So, if you’re a health professional interested in starting up a health blog, contact me! The more solidly referenced information out there, the better, to counter all the misinformation we see these days. And, to any pharmacist readers, I think sharing information is a great way to promote a pharmacy or professional practice, rather than relying on sales flyers!

Last word…

I’d like to make sure you continue receiving my emails, and recently mail delivery systems seem to be putting more and more non-spam emails into junk folders. So, please add my email: Jeannie.beaudin@gmail.com to your contact list and, if an email does go to your junk folder, drag it to the inbox or click “not junk” if you see that at the top. Here’s an article that explains what else you can do if that doesn’t work: How to whitelist an email address.

Thanks for reading my blog and I hope to hear from you in the future. Remember, as always, comments and questions are welcomed!

PS: That's my newest all-the-dye-is-gone photo above. Now I'm wondering... why on earth did I bother dying it in the first place??? :)

Jeannie