How to Start a Free Gossip Website
Since the days of Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons, celebrity gossip has been a guilty pleasure for many people. With the advent of the Internet, the interest in gossip websites has skyrocketed. Those who run and write these sites have the ability to develop a growing readership, generate an income, and, in some cases, become celebrities in their own right. With some ingenuity and determination, it has never been easier to start a gossip website of your own with no overhead cost.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Computer
- Internet access
- Celebrity-related magazines, newspapers and books
Instructions
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Establish a Free Website
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Search the Internet for free website services. Both Google Sites (sites.google.com) and Yola (http://www.yola.com/) offer websites and website-building tools at no charge. Blogs have become increasingly popular, and several companies offer them absolutely free. Blogger (http://www.blogger.com), WordPress (http://wordpress.org), and LiveJournal (http://www.livejournal.com) are just a few.
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Name your site or blog. Be sure to pick something unique that your readers will be sure to remember.
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Build the layout of the site. All the previously mentioned services offer preformatted templates that make this set-up process a snap. In a matter of minutes, you will have your own website up and running online.
Research and Writing
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Surround yourself with as much gossip-related material as possible. This includes celebrity magazines, newspapers, books and other websites. Arming yourself with knowledge of the current goings-on in the gossip world will make you a valuable and trusted source of information.
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When you have a solid grasp on the latest happenings, you are ready to write the first post for your site. Come up with a catchy title that will attract a reader's attention. In your article, make sure to cover the five W's--who, what, when, where and why--of the story. Also, many bloggers post personal opinions on the stories they relate.
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Remember to cite your sources. Tell your readers where you got your information. Unless your story is an exclusive scoop that you yourself uncovered and investigated, providing a link back to the original story is essential to maintaining your integrity as a trustworthy source.
Marketing
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Start marketing your site and getting your name out there. With the recent onslaught of personal blogs and websites, marketing is vital to establishing a readership. Use social networking sites such as Facebook (http://www.facebook.com), Twitter (http://twitter.com) and MySpace (http://www.myspace.com) as a means of discussing your website with others.
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Register your blog name and address to free search engines, which will help readers find you more easily.
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Link to other sites and blogs. By doing so, you get the attention of those sites' owners, which helps establish you in the "community."
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Tips & Warnings
If you're interested in generating an income, place advertisements on your website or blog. AdSense (https://www.google.com/adsense/) and AdBrite (http://www.adbrite.com) both offer free ad placement on your site. With an appointed number of clicks, you begin to make a small profit.
When placing images on your site, do not infringe on another party's copyright. Only post royalty-free images or images in the public domain. Violating a copyright is a serious offense.
