Learn how to start a blog

I. Having 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:
• 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:

1. 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 free writing 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.

II. 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.

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