How to Begin Blogging
If you've decided you have something to say and have no idea how to say it, perhaps it's time you started a blog. A blog will allow you to get your ideas and words out to the world with just a little bit of time and very little investment. How, though, does one go about creating a blog, and what do you have to do to maintain it? Luckily, blogging is one of the easiest things to begin.
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Instructions
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The first thing you need to decide on, obviously, is the topic. It can really be about anything, as long as it's consistent throughout. And limit your blog to one topic, as it will make it clear to your readership, as you acquire one, what to expect.
There are tons of topics from which to choose; maybe you are into music and want to talk about that. Your blog could then be dedicated to music. -
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Next, you have to create the blog. If you have programming skills you can program it from scratch, which is the best option for getting your blog to look and function exactly the way you want it to. On the other hand, if you don't have any experience writing computer programming, there are several sites out there that are free and will allow you to use their templates to create your blog, including wordpress.com and blogger.com.
Think of a catchy title for your blog. Both wordpress.com and blogger.com allow you to link your domain name (the stuff after "www" in a web address) to your blog, so your title can be your domain name, as long as you own it. Visit godaddy.com to secure a domain name. -
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Write some content. You have a blog, so now is the time to get your ideas out to the world.
Every time a blog is updated it becomes more visible to search engines such as Google, which makes it more visible to people searching for it. Also, it allows new readers to go back and catch up with all of your previous postings. Remember to make sure you put tags, which are one- or two-word phrases that identify what your post is about, on your blog. Most blogging software has a dialog box where you can enter these tags. Tags allow your readers to search for posts about certain topics, and search engines also find your blog posts via tags. -
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Make sure people can find your blog. There are several indexes, such as technorati.com and blogcatalog.com, where blogs are put into categories so people can find them more easily. If your blog is on these sites, there is more of a chance people will find your blog and read it. Register and make sure you include links to these sites on your blog.
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People should be able to find your blog in a variety of ways. Many blogging software programs allow you to set up an RSS feed, so a user can subscribe to your blog via the RSS feed and then automatically receive updates via a program such as Google Reader when you update. Also, make sure people can subscribe to your blog via e-mail, as it is the best way to get people to subscribe, since most people check their e-mail every day. A site like feedburner.com can help you set up an e-mail subscription.
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Don't let your blog become "dead"---that is, one that is never updated. You should add at least one new post every week. Sometimes regularly updating your blog is difficult, but it's imperative tht you keep at it to build your readership.
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Tips & Warnings
Look for post topics everywhere you go. Chances are you are surrounded by what your are blogging about, so use your experiences to formulate blog posts. Also, comment on other blogs you read, as the owners of those blogs most likely will comment on yours. And always try to include your blog address in your comments. Be sure to accept comments, even if they are not positive. Sometimes negative comments, if they are constructive, can stem a good discussion.
Make sure you don't blindly accept all comments without moderating them. Not everyone in cyberspace follows the rules of decorum, and some might make comments that are profane or not constructive. The flip side of not posting enough is posting too much, as your readers might start ignoring your additions because they feel bombarded with nonstop noise from your blog.
