“Should Kids Blog?” plus 1 more

Posted: 20 Jun 2011 01:04 PM PDT

This guest post is by Onibalusi Bamidele of YoungPrePro.com.

Do you know that over 6 million underage children write blogs with or without their parents’ consent? As a 17 year old blogger, I’ll be giving you my opinion on “kid blogging” here, and I hope by the time you finish reading, you’ll be able to make the decision about whether you should allow your kid to blog or not.

Why you should allow your kids to blog

Allowing your kids to blog might be a great decision. In case you’re not yet sure, below are some of the main reasons why you should allow your kids to blog.

Blogging helps improve written language skills

I have been blogging for almost two years now, and within that period of time I have written hundreds of articles. I have also met countless young bloggers, and those who have been following me from the beginning of my blogging career tell me that my written English has improved significantly.

This is also the case for Gloson from GlosonBlog.com. Take a look at his blog and tell me if you believe the blog is owned and maintained by a 13-year old Malaysian kid.

Education is important, and so is going to school, but what many people won’t admit is that being the best at something is more about practicing it than learning it. Blogging has evolved in a way that makes the blogger more interested in blogging—especially if the blogger is a kid. By writing on the same subject regularly, young people can improve their writing significantly.

Blogging boosts communication skills

Another great reason why you need to encourage your kid to start blogging is because it helps them learn how to communicate effectively. I’d like to use myself as an example. When I started blogging, I’d send emails to other bloggers, but I hardly ever got a response—I simply wasn’t good at communicating with others. But as time went on, I started reading other blogs, reading others’ comments, and replying myself, and so my communication started to improve. I now get a reply for almost every email I send.

It’s also important to know that there are different cultures in the world, and the modes of communication in every culture are different. By blogging, your kid would be able to get feedback, comments, and emails from people from every walk of life—and it is only a matter of time before he or she learns how to communicate effectively.

Blogging teaches us how to deal with critics

It really doesn’t matter what your age or skill is, there will always be people who don’t want you to progress. A lot of kids are brought so that they are not corrected by outsiders, so when they start to grow up and receive any comment from an outsider about their performance, they think they’re doing something wrong. If they are not used to being criticized they won’t know how to face even constructive criticism. They may be discouraged, and that can end up affecting their performance and self-esteem.

But when they blog and are criticized, they’ll do their research and see it’s a common thing in the blogosphere for commenters to disagree or point out areas where a post could be stronger. As time goes on, they’ll learn to accept criticism and see it as a part of life—especially for someone who wants to become successful.

It can help generate pocket money

Through blogging, your son or daughter could generate a little pocket money, and come to know what it means to “make” money. Retireat21.com recently released a list of 30 top young bloggers making money online. Most of these bloggers are under 21; there are several bloggers under the age of 17 on that same list.

Take a look at Sushant Risodkar who just turned 18 and is making thousands of dollars every single month from affiliate marketing. Benjamin Lang is only 17, but has built one of the most successful young entrepreneur blogs online. Take a look at Devesh Sharma, who also is 17, and has guest authors flock to his blog. I’m only 17, and I make an average of $3,000 online every month.

When kids make money from their efforts, it really means a lot. First, it means they are learning what it takes to become independent of their parents. Second, they are learning that making money takes time, and requires hard work—thus encouraging them to spend their money wisely.

These young kids further prove that you don’t have to have formal qualifications and a steady job (especially important, considering the high global unemployment rates) to succeed in life. Young bloggers also understand the importance of being self-employed. This is good, because it means they would never have to be in debt to further their education, and they wouldn’t have to look for job when they graduated—unless they wanted to.

Blogging is great…

…but it isn’t only for adults.

There is a lot that kids can gain from being bloggers, and it would be even more awesome if their parents could be there to guide and encourage them as they do so. This will prevent them from going the wrong way, and ensure they have someone to hold them accountable for their actions online.

Would you let your kids blog? Let us know in the comments.

Onibalusi Bamidele is a 17 year old kid blogger and the founder of YoungPrePro.com. Download his ebook titled “From 0 to 3k Monthly” to learn how he averages $3,000 online every month.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

Should Kids Blog?

Blogging for the Greater Good

Posted: 20 Jun 2011 07:04 AM PDT

This guest post is by Michele C. Hollow of Pet News and Views.

My most popular blog post garnered over 500 comments. I asked my readers to leave a comment about their adopted pet. For each comment, a leading pet food manufacturer donated 25 bowls of food to a local animal shelter.

For those of you who volunteer at animal shelters, you know how hungry shelters can be for food and other supplies. Getting my readers to take action is the goal behind my blog, Pet News and Views. I want my readers to care about animals as much as I do—and they do!

So in addition to blogging about pet care, pet travel and other lifestyle pet and wildlife-related issues, I focus on the positive side of animal welfare. Writing about people who work with and on behalf of animals is my passion. I look up to these heroes, and so do my readers.

The couple in California who rescues dogs from hoarders, the 15-year old girl who runs her own animal shelter, the organization that has helped close a large number of greyhound race tracks, and many others are the subjects of my posts.

I ask my readers to contact state legislators to ask them to support or vote against specific bills. A bill before the Nevada senate denying water to wild horses and wild burros drew thousands to action. In addition to covering it on my blog, others posted similar calls to action on their blogs and on their Facebook pages. We asked our readers to send letters to the Nevada tourism office and to the senators stating we would boycott the state if the bill to deny water to horses was passed.

As soon as we learned that the bill was defeated, we asked our readers to send thank you notes. The power of blogging constantly amazes me.

Readers want to help

A call to action gives readers a chance to flex their voices and make a difference. I get a lot of "thank you" emails from readers who are happy to pitch in.

Accentuate the positive

I focus on the positive side of animal welfare. If I constantly posted all the negative stories, I wouldn't be able to function—and readers would stay away. So, by reporting on my heroes and the good they are doing, readers are drawn in.

Find great people and their stories

I have contacted most public relations and media departments of animal nonprofits for story ideas and people to profile. I get information—usually a press release—and contact names and numbers so I can conduct an interview. I'm sure many of you can do the same. So many nonprofits have important stories that are often overlooked by mainstream media. Just ask, and I'm sure you will get a welcome reception. Heck, they will put you on their press lists and invite you to their events.

Going for the stars

While my favorite stories are about everyday people who make a difference, I recently started covering celebrities. I don't watch much TV. I don't read People, Us Weekly, or gossip blogs. I never cared about the lives of celebrities, but I'm starting to post about those who are using their celebrity to help animals. These stories have a higher Google ranking than my non-celebrity stories.

If I were to write about their personal lives, I wouldn't get a response. However, when I ask a media rep if I can interview their client about a specific cause that client is involved with, I almost always get a "yes."

Do a Google search, and enter the name of the celebrity followed by the word "causes." Check out the cause, and if it is a match for your blog, contact the nonprofit. For instance, Reese Witherspoon volunteers on behalf of the Children's Defense Fund and other child-related nonprofits. Obviously, she is not a fit for my blog. But if you are a mommy blogger, she is a good candidate.

I have written a lot about Farm Sanctuary; it is one of my favorite nonprofits and they get a lot of celebrity endorsements. Thanks to my connections at Farm Sanctuary, I was able to post stories about Emily Deschanel of the hit series Bones and Wendie Malick of Hot in Cleveland. I also got to post a story on Jackie Chan, who volunteers on behalf of several wildlife causes. His celebrity got to me—I was starstruck!

By focusing on the good that the celebrity is doing, I get to promote a cause that is also important to me. Plus, I get to interview someone who will bring my blog numbers up. Even the B-list celebrities count! Some musicians have their own following, and when I post a story about an up and coming group, they let their followers know—which brings more traffic to my blog.

And as an added bonus, the staff at the nonprofits I cover are regular readers of my blog. My biggest thrill was reporting on the Born Free Foundation, and the director left a comment.

A friend told me not to worry about my numbers, but to be concerned about who is reading and commenting. Pet News and Views is a niche blog. It covers people who have pets and who care about wildlife and farm animals. I'm reaching my peeps—people I truly am in sync with.

Advertisers

My advertisers know that, too. I recently told an advertiser from the U.K. that while I have readers in the U.K. (and I want more), the majority of my readers are in the states. His company sells pet products in the U.K., and I thought he would be better off finding a blog with a larger U.K. readership. He said he wanted to advertise on my blog because the readers really care about the topics and seem to take an active role.

So that takes me back to blogging for a cause and knowing my audience. They are concerned about the same issues I am. And for that, I feel fortunate.

Michele C. Hollow writes the blog Pet News and Views (http://www.petnewsandviews.com), a site for pet lovers and admirers of wildlife. Her blog focuses on pet care and the people who work with and on behalf of animals.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

Blogging for the Greater Good