You Want to Be a Blogger?

Talking blogging on The First Show on GNTV.

Ever since Blogging was introduced in the early days of the Internet, it's continued to become one of the most popular forms of digital communication.  In its early days it was more about sharing your personal stories, like an online diary.  Almost every blog in the beginning featured a writer pouring their hearts out sharing information about their daily lives.  Fast forward to our current time and blogs are not only online diaries, but often a 'go-to' source of information in many facets of life.

I recently appeared as one of the guests on The First Show, a morning talk show that airs on GNTV.  The topic was the state of blogging in Ghana.  This was an opportunity to share my knowledge with the viewers who may have shown interest in becoming a blogger.  We discussed everything from the basics of how to get started to how you can make money using your blog. 

When it comes to topics you will find entertainment, fashion, food, news, politics and relationships are covered on blogs around the world.  Some have garnered such a big following they are brand entities on their own.  In the continent of Africa, bloggers have used the digital tools as a way to express political views, share information and learn what's going on in other parts of the continent.  It's also a place where we find a lot of misinformation, fake news and tabloid style reporting.

Unfortunately in Ghana there are lot of bloggers that write stories just to get clicks and traffic to their sites.  They often don't consider the repercussions of spreading inaccurate information.  As a result there is a source of contention between bloggers and journalists in the country.  We spoke briefly on the topic.  The other guest admit that he is willing to twist stories on is site when he is paid for the content.  He spoke about the importance of making money and that of course he would take payment on certain stories. 

When asked if it costs a lot to start a blog, I spoke about the fact you don't have to spend anything to get started.  In the early stages you may not have the resources to pay for certain things when you start your blog.  That's what makes sites like Blogger and Wordpress great tools to start your blog for free.  Of course, if you want a unique domain name, you should pay for it.  There are also tools like widgets and sometimes even the layout of a page that need to be upgraded and will cost you.  Within time, after you've gained a following, you should consider upgrading to have access to certain tools.
If you have a domain name that you don't want anyone else to take that is one thing you must buy.  It would usually cost less than $25 dollars to register it.  You can do it directly within Blogger and Wordpress.

I would love to share the footage from the full interview here.  I was told by the station that the network would post the interview on YouTube.  So far, I have not seen it, but when it is finally posted, I'll be sure to share it here.