Know the Pros and Cons, Audience Engagement, and Cultural Differences in the Blogosphere, with Insights on Appreciation, Insults, and Future Considerations.
Should I start my blog in English or in my native language? Before starting this blog, I thought a lot about whether it should be in my native language or in English. I thought that English would be better because you can develop much more, your writing can reach a larger audience, which would translate into more visits and, consequently, more benefits.
I opened it in my native language because I was afraid that I didn’t master English perfectly. If you’re going to do something, at least do it well, I told myself. With what I know, I can say that I manage quite well, but English still gives me some trouble, especially with past tense.
I believe I would have managed quite well, also, if I had opened it for English speakers/readers. Maybe even better than now.
That’s because I noticed something very important: no matter what you write on your blog, no matter how much you try to help people, here it is very rare to receive a simple “thank you.” It’s not the same abroad.
A clear example: I posted several tutorials on YouTube to see how AdSense works, and those who found them helpful did not hesitate to thank me.
Here, if you try to help a little, not only are you not appreciated, but you might even find yourself with some insults, as has happened here a few times. To fit in with the people who insult you, you have to mention others as well. That’s how you bring in traffic: attacks, insults, shock, horror, and a lot of p**n.
If I could turn back time, I would think twice before deciding to open my blog in my native language.
Well, this is for the future…
What has been your experience with blogging in your native language versus blogging in English? Have you encountered similar challenges or differences in audience engagement and appreciation? Share your thoughts and insights in the comments below!