How to Blog

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A computer
Internet access
Minimal computer savvy
Free blog software
An interest in writing or art
A little bit of free time

Step 1

The first steps in creating a blog are actually pretty easy (we'll get to the tough stuff later!). There are several free blog hosting services available to choose from. Some of the more popular software is from Blogger.com (also referred to as Blogspot), WordPress.com, and MovableType.org. I've listed those three in order of ease of use: Blogger is easiest, WordPress less so, and MovableType is best for professionals. Your first task is to visit these sites and see which one suits you best. Links to this sites are at the end of this article.
Step 2

Think about the purpose of your blog

Once you've decided to take the plunge and start a blog, you need to think "big picture." There are a couple of aspects of your blog that are best decided at start-up. First, what is the purpose of your blog? Is it a place to stay in touch with your family and friends, or will you be writing about politics for anyone on the Web to read? Of course you can start small, as most people do. Maybe you simply enjoy writing and want to use a blog as a writing exercise. That's how I started blogging, and 2 years later I have ended up meeting and corresponding with many other bloggers who read my blog. Common blog themes are a photo blog, personal blog, business blog, and political blog.
Step 3

Second, you need to name your blog. It's getting tougher to be original as more people start blogging, but take some time and I'm sure you'll come up with a clever or catchy name. The best thing to do is try to decide on the focus of the blog at this point. Google some prospective names before you commit -- I thought "Ramblings" would be a great word to use in my blog title, but it is fairly overused at this point in the blogging world.
Step 4

Next, you'll need to commit to one of the blogger hosts, and pick a url. All of these sites listed above have easy step-by-step instructions for setting up your blog, and will let you know if a url is available. Try to choose one that will be easy for people to type. In other words, use something short, with the name of the blog included. If your blog name is "Matt's Picturama," you could use matt-picturama.blogspot.com, if it's available.
Step 5

Follow the instructions at the blogger host site

At this point, every blog hosting service has instructions for the technical side of setting up a blog. Generally, you start by choosing a template, which you can always change later if you don't like the way your blog looks. Also, take advantage of the user forums, which are extremely helpful for new users. Follow the directions carefully, and ask for help when you need it.
Step 6

Now it's time to start posting. Whether your focus is on written text or on images, get some material on you blog. The other things -- the sidebars, the "about me," and the blogroll will grow over time. You now have a presence on the Web, and you need to make it worthwhile for your visitors.
Step 7

Try to post something on your blog every day

The next step is to keep posting -- every day if possible. Your posts don't need to be long, in fact sometimes shorter posts are more intriguing. But think about your own experience -- if you visit a website over several days and the content has not changed, do you still go back there? Even if you can only post a few times a week, commit to staying on a regular schedule.
Step 8

So now you have a blog with updated content, but how do you know if anyone reads it? There are several free services you can use to see who comes to your blog. Two of the most popular ones are SiteMeter.com and WebCounter.com. Follow their instructions to install the site meter on your blog, and then check the stats occasionally to see your audience growing. Links to these sites are at the end of the article.
Step 9

Use your email signature to promote your blog

Uh oh! No one's visiting your site? It's time for you to do some promotion. Here are two surefire ways to bring traffic to your blog: (1) Leave comments at other blogs, always adding your blog's url in the space provided for just that purpose. You may be surprised at how many people casually click on a commenter's name and end up a fan of your new blog. (2) Put your blog's url in your personal email signature. Again, you may be surprised at how many of your family and friends will visit once they know about your blog.