The BMW Enthusiast's Blogging Tips

Starting this blog as been awesome, especially with blogging about my favorite automaker. Here are some tips for new bloggers. These aren't in any particular order, just some thoughts off the top of my head...

Pick a blog topic that interests you.
It doesn't help your blog by posting on a topic that you dred writing about. Find something that you will go all out to write about. Find a topic that you have an opinion on. This will help create your voice to your publics.

Be a consistent blogger.
Set a goal to blog on a consistent basis. Normally, I'll blog once a week. If you can, do that. Once a week is a good starter to blogging. If your topic is newsworthy, then there should be enough info to cover each week. You can also bring up old topics and compare them to new ones. Your consistency will lead to consistent followers.

Invite others to your blog.
It's huge that your blog invites readers to join in effective two-way communication. Ask your readers to leave comments. It's a good way for readers to come back and to share your blog to others, not to mention keep the conversation about your interesting topic going.

Go outside of your blog.
Go out and find other bloggers who are blogging about similar topics like yourself and gain a greater audience. Not only could you gain the audience of a similar blogger, but vice versa. Its a win-win situation.

Be yourself.
Your blog is an extension of you and what you want to portray to your audience. Loyal readers will keep coming back to hear what you have to say. Put your personality into your blog and create a consistent tone for your posts. Readers dont read because they just want news. They value your opinion so they'll look to you for it.

So, take these tips to heart and start blogging! Comment and let me know how your blog is going and what is an important tip for you!

Issuu.com

As a part of my Advanced Public Relations course, I created a digital magazine about myself. This was a great challenge to strengthen my Adobe Creative Suite skills, namely InDesign. I think the end product turned out great... for the time being. I am always tweaking, changing, and modifying my work. Here's the "issuu" below and check out other digital magazines at ISSUU.

Open publication - Free publishing - More social media

Follow Sunday...

Alright, it doesn't roll off the tongue like Follow Friday does, but none the less, here are some BMW newsgroups and twitter profiles I follow:

BimmerFile
BimmerFile has a vast array of BMW reviews, articles, and media outlets to tickle your weiss mit blau fancy. The editors at BimmerFile are concise and unbiased when it comes to their reviews, just the way it should be. If you have an interest in any BMW vehicle, you are apt to find it on their site. You can also follow BimmerFile on twitter.

BimmerPost
Like BimmerFile, BimmerPost offers reviews, news articles and lots of pictures and videos. BimmerPost offers one more feature that is definitely worth mentioning: a forum. This is where BMW enthusiasts such as myself go to voice our opinions for various topics. Check out their forum here over the E90s (current BMW 3 series models, including the 330i I did a video review over last week.)

BMWBlog
This is my favorite out of the BMW info groups, namely because I know instantly when there's a new article on the site via twitter. I also have the ability to subscribe to RSS and E-mail feeds. BMWBlog is dedicated to posting current news, photos and other bits of interesting info about the BMW world. Their ultimate goal is to bring BMW enthusiasts together and create a unique BMW community.

Take a look at these pages and happy following!

2006 BMW 330i Video Review

I had the opportunity to test and review a friend's BMW over the past weekend. I had a great time filming with Eric and Michael, and thanks to Lisa for letting me drive your BMW. Check out the vlog and let me know what you think and if you're now thinking of buying one!

BMW M3 Sedan Review

This week, I present to you one of my favorite beemers: BMW M3. Produced as a 2008 model, this M3 is the first saloon debut in a decade. Driving Television produced a great video blog about this 2008 model. The review is very informative, presents factual information, and the driving shots are great. The best part about this review is the comparison within the same brand: BMW M3 vs. BMW 335i. Check out the video and comment if you'd rather have the M3 or the 335i and why.

On Another Note...

This past week, I had the opportunity to create a podcast with 3 of my classmates about Social Media. Elyse, Taylor, Kylie and I quickly went to work on our tips to creating an effective online presence. Listen to the podcast guys, you'll be glad you did. Happy Halloween!

7 Social Media Tips for Creating an Effective Online Presence

Blast from the Past: BMW Podcasts

I've recently discovered podcasts from BMW. According to the website, you can listen to the stories direct from BMW. These stories cover BMW models, innovations and various technologies. These podcasts contain interviews with individual BMW experts about innovations and their personal impressions. The site also includes various audio books. Unfortunately, they all are about 4 to 5 years old. This would be an interesting concept for BMW to market along with their viral videos, but nonetheless, true enthusiasts would be more than willing to listen to the podcasts anyway. I listened to a couple podcasts, more news about BMW products than audio books. Of course, the information was dated, but they were accurate and a joy to listen to. I'd advise any enthusiast to listen to any of the podcasts here.