Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts, opinions and experiences to the whole world through the internet. I've been blogging for almost two years now and I do admit that it's simply the best way for me to make the whole world know that I exist. Saying what I want to say freely is a wonderful thing!
I know a lot of people who are interested to start their own blogs but aren't sure how to begin.
So, how to start a blog? It's simple! Just follow these few not-so-difficult steps:
I know a lot of people who are interested to start their own blogs but aren't sure how to begin.
So, how to start a blog? It's simple! Just follow these few not-so-difficult steps:
- Decide on which topic you want to blog about
This is the first and most important step in starting your own blog. You need to have a main topic that you will be writing about. Although you can write about anything and everything, it is better if you have a specific topic in order for you to attract more readers. If you love to travel, write about where you've been and your experiences in such places. If your passion is about shopping and beauty products, then be that your blog's main theme.. and so on... You can of course mix related topics [such as shopping and travel, etc.] for as long as you feel like it will not destroy your blog's entire theme. - Decide on the title of your blog
This can be tricky sometimes. There are a lot of bloggers out there who go for very long blog titles. Although it's not forbidden, I suggest that you think of a blog title that is short [this will make it easier for your readers to remember], unique, catchy and of course, related to your blog's theme. - Begin with a free blogging service
Now that you are sure on what you want to write about, the second step is for you to get a blog hosting provider. Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad [offers a 14-day trial], Bravenet, etc. offer free blogging services. You do not have to pay a cent. By starting with a free blog hosting service, you get some time to be familiar with your provider's platform, creating and editing of posts, creating and fixing your layouts, etc. - Find a blog template that fits your blog's overall theme
If you do not have any idea about HTML codes, I suggest that you stick with your blog hosting provider's pre-made website templates -[these are for free]. Make sure that your template is reader friendly [Select background colors/designs which aren't too flashy nor those with annoying colors. Also select approriate font sizes so your readers will not have headahes reading your posts. Your readers will not be interested to go through your entire article nor come back if they find your layout too annoying to the eyes.] You can change the template anytime. - It's now time for you to create your own domain name
Once you build up confidence in your writing and in your blog, you can now host the blog yourself by buying your domain. Do not worry, domains aren't really that expensive. I am using Blogger [www.blogger.com] and I only pay 10USD each year for my www.ovahcoffee.com domain. One good thing to remember is to find a domain name that is more or less the same as your blog title. If you notice, my blog's title is Ovah' Coffee with a domain of www.ovahcoffee.com . This way, my regular readers who are used to the Ovah' Coffee title can easily remember the domain name/URL/web address of my blog.
If you do not want to host your own domain, that's not a problem. You can always stick with your free blog hosting website. - Update your blog regularly
You do not need to create new posts everyday. At least once a week is okey. This is to let your readers know that you are an active blogger and that you update your blog in a regular basis. - Start visiting other blogs
As a beginner in the world of blogging, you need to make sure that people know that you and your blog exist. You can do this by visiting other bloggers' pages. Take a few minutes [spend at least 30 minutes a day doing this] to read a post or two, comment and leave your blog's URL. This way, they will be interested to visit your blog in return. Most of the time, this is where "blog friendships" begin. - Exchange links/badges with your blogger friends
Now that you have some blogger friends, you can start filling up your blogroll by exchanging links [also fondly referred to as exlinks] with your blog friends. Through this, you are able to strengthen your blog's backlinks which is necessary when it comes to Google Pagerank. Badge exchange [exbadge] is also an alternative to link exchange. If you still do not have your own blog badge, create one now by following the simple steps here. - Do not forget to submit your URL to social networking sites such as Twitter, Technorati, Facebook and more
One best way of inviting more people to visit your blog is by joining different social networking sites. Once you are a member, submit your blog's URL and ping your blog every now and then. - Have your blogs listed in different blog directories
Blog directories help your blog gain exposure. You can check some blog directories Ovah' Coffee has been listed in at the bottom part of this blog.
That's just basically it! You are now on your way to blogging!
Spread your wings! Let your ideas be heard! Let the fun begin!
7 comments
Hello maxi! very nice post. i bookmarked it. i'm going to give this link to my sis and my friend who wants to start blogging. thanks! :* :* :*
ReplyDeletehi maxi, i like this informative post of yours ;)
ReplyDeletei'm here again reading your posts. i was kindda hoping you will mention something about webmaster tool ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Maxi! :) :) :)
ReplyDeleteGreat advice once again. This is definitely a must-read for those that want to start blogging on here!
Good night to you there my dear blugging friend! ;) :)
up til now, am still thinking what should I blog, like u blog about fashion and health and ur past time, but me am still thinking what ehehehe.... for now my current blog wil do, and am stil working on my content, i feel I should do more with it...cge lang im taking baby steps baby steps hehehhe...nice post Maxi !
ReplyDeleteate maxi!!! hows you? i miss you!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteI am okey GG. Miss you, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for dropping by and sharing some love! You're lovely!
Maxi
Ovah Coffee
The Pastime Shelf
SweNay.com
Homeaholic