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Anyone can start a blog...its
straight-forward!
A "blog" is a web-based journal in which people can publish their
thoughts and opinions on the Internet. It's the "New HOT Thing"
bloging! |
Steps to a blog
1.
Register
domain name:
There are several choices in blog
software. One is Website Creator at
daddygogo.com. It
is recommended that you register your
own domain. That way if you ever
decide you want to use a different blog software or move to another service,
you at least stand a chance of keeping things intact
2.
Private or Personal:
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? Most blog sites offer the ability to password-protect your published
posts so only those who you approve of can view what you've written. So
password or open to the world?
3.
Make your blog
portable:
Don’t tie your blog too closely to the corporate infrastructure of where
you're employed. If you go elsewhere you can take your blog with you.
4.
The Look:
Decide on how you want your blog to look. You can pick a color scheme and
layout. Most sites come with a set of
predefined layouts and schemes that
you can choose from, or you can edit your own.
5.
Pick a Topic:
Once you've blog is up and going, pick a topic and kind of stick to it.
Decide what it is you're going to say. Themes can be pretty broad but you
can go outside those boundaries from time to time, but you should pretty
much stick to the topic.
6.
Getting
Started:
One way to get started is by referencing and quoting material from other
blogs and Web sites and then commenting on them as you see fit. Eventually
you will develop a mix with longer essays that express thoughts that you
want to develop. After you've set up your blog, write
a few posts to test it out, and make any adjustments to the layout or style
that you see fit.
7.
Write about
what interests you:
Otherwise you will get bored with
writing and it will become dull and not interesting. Avoid writing about
what you think your readers want.
8.
Get people to
read your blog:
Link to other blogs and say interesting things. People notice when you link
to their blogs and will follow the link back and read what you have to say.
If it’s interesting enough they might link to you, comment on what you say
and drive traffic to you. Read your own blog and follow the links.
9.
Creating an
"About..." page:
List biographical data and let people know who the blog's author is. Some
people hate going to blogs and not being able to find out something about
the person writing. Knowing something about the person is part of the blog
experience.
10.
Publish your blog:
Send the URL to your friends or publish the URL
on your website. Add the URL to posts you make on other blogs.
When you write something interesting that you
think someone would enjoy reading, feel free to point it out in an email. DO
NOT SPAM, an email to a few people you know that asks them to read and
provide feedback.
11.
Feedback:
At a minimum, make sure that your email address or a comment form is
available on your blog for people to send feedback. You may want to
experiment with comments on blog entries and see whether you like them. Some
people do and some people don't.
Tips
- Keep posts interesting.
Avoid focusing on things that readers won't find worthwhile.
- Update your blog frequently,
more people will return on a regular basis to read it. Establishing a
reader base will motivate you to write more and in turn more people will
read your posts.
- Spell-check
your writing before posting.
- Make money
off your blog by placing ads such as Google Ad Sense advertisements. If
popular enough, your blog could start to pay your bills!
- No one visits your site
for the first few months. As with communities this large, it will take
some time for your blog to get noticed.
- Do not use abbreviations or
slang. If you want a broad international
readership, do not use terms that might not be easily understood by people
who are not from your country/area.
- Avoid Posting Personal
Information that might be objectionable to
other people. (Example: Your sister might object that it's published on
the Internet that she is an alcoholic.) If something is personal, make up
a name. Avoid using last names.
- You should start by
finding a name for your blog site.
Need some help?... try "Domain
Twist" at daddygogo.com
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