Creative pursuits: How to share your passions online
From knowledge gathering to knowledge sharing, access to the Internet has enabled us to connect with and express our creative passions – whether it’s a lifelong hobby or a passing interest.
From blogs to video tutorials, sharing your hobbies and passions with others online is a smooth process if you know how and where to start.
Connectivity and the evolution of "digital lifestyles" have opened up a world of learn-and-share opportunities for millions around the world.
From knowledge gathering to knowledge sharing, access to the Internet has enabled us to pursue and share our creative passions – whether it’s a lifelong hobby or even a passing interest.
A plethora of digital platforms have made it possible for those creatively inclined to connect with vibrant online communities and take the virtual learnings into their day-to-day lives.
So if you want in on this world of learning and sharing, here’s a handy quick-start guide.
Blogs
One of the most basic platforms that enable you to share content online is blogs. From Wordpress to Blogger to microblogging websites, there are hundreds of millions of blogs on the Internet. One estimate put the total number at 152 million in 2013!
A quick Google search on any topic will show you that there are numerous sites devoted to pretty much every passion you could imagine. Gaming, cooking, pottery, toy boat racing – you name it!
In order to get noticed, put some thought into how you’ll make your blog stand out from the crowd.
Using a niche passion or hobby can be a good way to ensure your blog or website gets some visibility and visitors.
For instance, "mummy blogging" is a crowded market, so in order to start a blog about being a mother, it's worth looking at an idea that's either a niche or solves a problem for your audience. A good example is a blog for mums who want to cook for kids with food allergies, or mums who want to find more work-life balance.
Whatever you choose to write about, just make sure it’s genuine, otherwise you might find it difficult to keep a strong stream of content. Original and engaging content will help your Google search rankings, which will make it easier for people to find you.
Pinterest makes sharing visual and appealing.
It’s fair to say that social media has transformed the virtual (and real) world as we know it. If you have a passion or hobby that is visual, Pinterest is a great platform to share it.
Pinterest allows users to create pinboards and showcase images. If you’re selling goods or services - mainstream, vintage or niche - Pinterest lets you share your work and lead directly back to you for enquiry or purchase.
From creative inspiration to business benefits, Pinterest is great for those who have time-consuming creaive pursuits.
As Pinterest is a completely visual medium, a successful page is one that uses bright, high-quality and beautiful images to showcase hobbies and interests as well as products and services.
Tumblr brings together blogging and social.
Tumblr
Tumblr is a combination of a blog and a social channel. The great thing about Tumblr is that it supports a wide variety of content formats - from GIFs to written word to videos and images, you can post anything to a Tumblr page.
Again, a visual medium, Tumblr allows users to access pre-fabricated themes to create the perfect social blog to showcase their interests and passion.
There are Tumblr pages for pretty much everything you can imagine so if you are looking to create one of your own, the key is to make it about something that is uniquely yours.
Great Tumblr pages use specific niche content that serves a specific purpose - whether it's photography tips, gardening advice, news curation or even cat memes!
YouTube and Twitch
Video content has been "the next big thing" on the Internet for some time now! From publishers to marketers to independent bloggers, everyone wants to take advantage of the success of online video.
If your passion is something that could benefit from the use of videos, there are a number of platforms that allow you to do that.
The largest (and perhaps the best known) is YouTube. YouTube allows users from around the world to create and curate bespoke channels to . So if you are looking to start creating video content, there are numerous categories that are available on YouTube, including:
-Gaming
-How-to & Style
-Music
-People & Blogs
-Pets & Animals
The key to a successful YouTube channel is creaing videos that are on topic, entertaining and shareable. With so many channels available, it is important yours stands out so others with similar passions can find and enjoy your content.
If your passion is gaming, the success of it on YouTube has created another video specific channel, Twitch. Twitch is a live streaming site specifically for gaming. While YouTube allows users to create videos, edit and upload them, Twitch is a live broadcast to viewers and followers.
Whether you want to reach as many people as possible or just have a record of your passions online for a small group, making use of one, a few or all of these channels can be a great way to ensure you get the most of sharing your passion online.