Are you thinking of starting a blog to promote your business or profession, or do you just want to share your thoughts on a subject that you love? Blogging is either free or inexpensive, and you can get started in moments by creating a blog on a site like Blogger or WordPress. To develop your concept, launch your website and promote your writing, this article will show you what you need to get started.
Part 1: Coming Up With a Blogging Concept
Ask yourself what you love, care about or wish to share with others. If you're going to write about something regularly and keep your blog fresh with new information, then you need to write about something that stokes your passion or that reflects your daily experience. Try some of these ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
Politics. Sure, everyone has an opinion about politics, but you may have a unique point of view that needs to be heard.
Food. Who doesn't love good food? Share your recipes, start writing reviews of the local cuisine scene or write about how the food that you ate in China was nothing like the food that Chinese restaurants serve in the U.S.
Movies. Reviews of movies, old and new, are always fun for movie buffs. And if you keep it fresh by adding clips and pull from sources that nobody else is using, you could have a hit blog on your hands.
Cars. Are you a car enthusiast? Post pictures of your favorite new models or reports from car shows.
Your business. Your blog doesn't have to be a hobby. A blog can be a fantastic tool for connecting with your customers and for providing them with helpful information.
Think about how you want to help people. While you want to know your broad subject area, you need to focus your blog topics more narrowly, so that it has a clear purpose. Here are some ideas for ways that your blog can connect with your intended audience:
Teach something. If you're passionate about a particular subject, and you have a lot of experience in that area, then you can offer your knowledge to both people who are new to the subject and others who are as experienced as you are.
Provide the latest news and trends. Write about the latest developments related to your topic. You want to be someone who's viewed as the ultimate insider so that you can continue to increase your blog's readership.
Make people laugh. Are you the funniest person you know? No matter what your subject area, you can present your experiences and thoughts in a humorous way that will really resonate with people.
Inspire others. Have you overcome an obstacle, such as a serious illness or a difficult life experience? Do you want to turn your challenges into something that will inspire others to overcome their problems? If that's the case, then make your blog inspirational.[1]
Know what not to blog about too. Your workplace, your coworkers, your family members, etc. may take a dim view of anything on your blog if it blows open secrets, shares confidential information, makes fun of people you work or live with, or causes other people trouble. Know the limits––check with your workplace what is and is not permissible by way of personal blogging and ask your mates and family before including them in your posts.
Spy on your competition. Take a look at other blogs on your topic to see what other people are already doing. Ask yourself what you have to offer that is different from what other people are already doing. Identifying your niche will give your blog an angle that distinguishes it from your competitors.
Generate some names for your blog. Try brainstorming a list of names and writing them on a piece of paper, or talk to friends and family to get ideas. You can also try freewriting to see what comes out of your mind as you free associate about your topic.
Research keywords related to your subject to help people find your blog. Go to a site like the Google Adwords Keyword Tool.
Enter items that are relevant to your topic into the appropriate search field. You can search by word or phrase, by website or by subject.
The tool will generate words or phrases associated with your topic. Pick the words that have a high number of monthly searches but have low to medium levels of competition. Try to include them in your blog name.
Check these keywords from time to time when you're writing a blog post. If you fit the keywords into your posts in a natural way, then search engines may be more likely to pick up on your blog and show it to people who are conducting searches about your subject.
Decide where to create and host your blog. Blogger and WordPress are 2 of the most popular blog creation sites on the Web.
Blogger: Google owns Blogger and has set it up for ease of use. Your blog will be extremely easy to set up and maintain, and you'll have Google's traffic management tools at your disposal. You can purchase a custom domain name for US$10 per year or you can get a free BlogSpot domain name such as yourblog.blogspot.com. If you already own another domain name, you can use it for no cost.
WordPress: With WordPress, getting started will take more time. However, you'll find that WordPress has a wide variety of more sophisticated tools for enhancing and promoting your blog. You can purchase a custom domain name on WordPress for $18 per year or map an existing domain name to WordPress for $13 per year. If you want a free domain, you can use something like yourblog.wordpress.com.
Part 2: Starting a Blog on Blogger.com
Navigate to Blogger. If you have a Google account, then log in. If you don't have a Google account, click on the red "Sign Up" button in the top right corner and register for a Google account.
Click the "New Blog" button.
Fill in your blog name and your desired blog address.
You can choose a template from the options on the screen, or you can choose a template later if you want to see more options.
Click the orange "Create Blog!" button.
Select the "Start blogging" link.
Enter your title and your text. When you're done, click "Publish."
Part 3: Launching a Blog on WordPress
Point your browser to WordPress at http://wordpress.com/. Click on the the "Get Started" link.
Fill out the online form. In the last field, type the proposed web address for your blog.
The host will do a quick lookup to see if the name appears on their system already. If your desired name is taken, WordPress will display a series of available alternatives. You can choose 1 of those options or try a different domain name until you find something that works.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Create Blog."
Wait for your confirmation email. When it arrives, click the link and then sign into WordPress with your username and password.
Choose a Theme for your blog. Your Theme determines the layout and appearance of your blog. You can either search for themes after clicking on the "Find a Theme" button or you can browse Themes based on criteria like what's trending or what's most popular.
Click on the Theme you want and fill in the fields on the General Settings screen. If you want to, you can upload a photo of yourself by clicking the "Choose File" button in the gray "Blog Picture/Icon" box.
Decide whether you want your blog to be private or public. Do you want any Internet visitor to be able to read your blog, or do you just want your friends and family to be able to read it? Pick the appropriate setting by clicking on the "Reading" link beneath the "Settings" tab.
Write your first post. Click the "New Post" tab and enter your title and the body of your blog. You can also add photos, videos or links by using the appropriate buttons. When you're done, click "Publish Post."
Part 4: Promoting Your Blog
Use social media to connect people to your blog. You can promote your blog on your personal social media accounts or on your business accounts.
Most blog hosting sites will automatically publish a link to your newest blog post on Facebook or Twitter. Look for sharing settings or buttons when you publish your post. For instance, WordPress lets you control sharing by going to your Dashboard and clicking "Sharing" under the "Settings" tab. Blogger has social media buttons on the bottom of your post for sharing.
Add buttons to your posts. Your readers can click these ready-made buttons to share your blog on their Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or other accounts.
Write something about yourself. Add an "About Me" page on WordPress or click "Layout" and then "Edit" under "About Me" on Blogger. Promote your expertise related to your topic as well as including any personal information or background information that you want to share.
List your blog to draw traffic. You can add a Blogger site to Blogger's listings. You can also list your blog with directories like Technorati or Blogdex.
Interact with other bloggers. If another blogger "Likes" your site, then go to his or her site and either "Like" a post or follow the blog. Also, comment regularly on other people's blogs. People will get to know you from your comments and will come to appreciate your expertise.
Add your blog address to your email signature. You can also add the address to your business cards.
Produce stellar content. If your blog is full of grammatical errors or looks unattractive, you aren't going to draw regular visitors. You also need to make sure that you publish regularly so that your content is up-to-date and fresh for your readers.
Tips
Many people like to read blogs from their mobile devices. Make sure that your blog site has a mobile version that is optimized for smartphone or tablet viewing.
Before you set up your blog, take some time to make sure you aren't duplicating a blog name that already exists. Also, check your domain name to make sure that it's unique enough not to get mixed up with other sites.
Get into a routine of blogging. Make it part of your day. Soon, you will notice things during your day and think, "Hey, I'll blog about this." You can also add reminders to your calendar program so that you are prompted to blog on a regular basis.
Some sites allow you to make money off your blog by using an Amazon Associates ID or by placing Google AdSense advertisements. If people click on your links, then you could make some residual income from your blog.
If your blog is informational, always be checking your facts. People won't want to return to your site if they realize you don't have your facts straight!
Make sure you have some rules about what to do and not to do on your blog so people don't go crazy and say inappropriate and bad things.
If you want to maintain a blog for your business, but you aren't confident about your writing skills, hire a professional writer to write your posts for you.
Warnings
Spend time reading a basic book or website about avoiding infringement of intellectual property and defamation when blogging. There are some good basics available both online and in book form, to help you steer clear of potential legal troubles. Knowing a little can save you a lot.
Remember that what you post is visible to the world, so be careful about how much information you share. Also, in certain countries, blog posts that are critical of the government or otherwise "offensive" could get you into serious trouble. Be smart about what you post.
Prepare yourself for some unkind comments, especially if you are blogging about sensitive topics.
Avoid posting anything that infringes on the privacy of others if you allow everyone to read your blog. If something is personal, avoid using last names at the very least, or make up a name for that person. Also, avoid posting private pictures of other people without their permission.
Be wary of unwarranted attention. Don't give out too much personal information such as your full name, your location or other identifying information.
Things You'll Need
Computer
Domain name
Blogger, WordPress or other blog hosting account
