You have ideas to share, and you’re eager to tell the whole world about what you know and why everyone else should know it, too. These days, perhaps the best way to share your ideas is online. But you may be wondering where to connect with people and how to get started. In that case, try some of the following ideas.
Get Involved in Wikipedia
If you’re an expert in a particular subject area, get involved in Wikipedia to share your knowledge. This online encyclopedia is always looking for people who can contribute factual, well-researched entries that give others an abundance of details about a topic. You might start by editing an existing article in your area of expertise, especially if you’ve noticed that it’s faulty or incomplete. Later, you can move on to writing full articles on your own or collaborating with others in your field.
Do be certain, though, that you are following the Wikipedia rules. Wikipedia is quite strict about its content, and accuracy and clarity are key. Read the rules ahead of time, and make every effort to adhere to them as your write. If you don’t, you risk having your articles marked as incomplete or even being blocked from the site for major violations.
Start a Blog
Perhaps you’re more interested in starting a blog. This can be a great way to share your ideas with the world. First, decide on a scope for your blog. It should be broad enough to give you plenty to write about but not so broad that you risk losing your audience if they’re only interested in part of what you have to say. Next, write up a list of possible posts. This will help you stay on track as you get your blog started.
Plan on writing a new post at least once a week. A new blog would actually benefit from two or three posts per week especially as you build your audience. You can keep your posts relatively short. Most people who read blogs don’t care to spend a half-hour reading a post. Ten minutes might be the maximum, and even that could be stretching things. If you want to write longer posts, consider splitting them up into two or three parts.
Improve Social Media Sites
Maybe you aren’t much of a writer. In that case, you could focus on your social media sites as a way to boost your online presence. These allow you to share photos, artwork, shorter written pieces, and more. You could focus on one or two social media sites or spread your work across several. Interact with your viewers, too. Reply to comments, and comment on other people’s sites. This will help you network with individuals who share your interests.
Build a Website
Maybe you don’t find social media quite enough for you. You want to present even more of your ideas or work to the world. Then build a website. You could showcase your art or share a special project. Start small and simple. You can always add more along the way. Then be sure to link to your new website on your social media pages so that you start getting visitors. Update your website frequently, too. After all, you want your visitors to keep coming back.
Use Forums
Finally, if you’re interested in networking and conversing with other people, you might try out some forums in your subject area. You’ll connect with people who love the same things you do and want to share their ideas. You may be surprised by how much you learn. Just be careful in your interactions. Don’t share personal details, and always be polite even when you disagree with someone. Your interactions should be respectful and helpful to everyone.
Boosting your online presence doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can be a lot of fun. So try some of these ideas to meet new people and share your knowledge with the world.
