If you are going to start a blog there are some things that you need to consider before you take the plunge.
1.) Make sure your blog is set up on the right hosting service. - By this I mean, should you be using a free blogging services like WordPress.com and Blogger.com or should you be setting up a blog on your own domain.
If you are planning on using your blog to promote an existing business or if you are planning to use it in any way to make money I recommend that you set up your blog on your own site. If you are just using a blog to tell your friends what is going on or to let out your personal rants with no plans to make money with it you should be fine on the free services.
Having your own domain name and your own site makes it so that you can add features like plugins that will optimize your site for better performance in the search engines which should bring more targeted prospects to your site.
2.) Choose the right blogging software - There are a number of different software programs you can use to create a blog such as Joomla, TypePad, Concrete and WordPress. I recommend WordPress because it is the most highly supported when it comes to plugins, themes and even support. There are a number of sites that will help you with your WordPress blog besides the support that you will find at WordPress.org.
3.) Keep your blog in one niche - I do a lot of blog research and I constantly find blogs that have numerous niches covered. They will cover items such as custom cigars and acne on the same blog. Most of these are using some type of auto-posting system and throwing in Adsense and other advertising programs. These are the type of sites that make the search engines and PPC advertising systems change their rules and end up hurting everybody.
If you keep your blog in one niche the likelihood of getting readers to come back time and time again is greatly improved. This brands you as an expert in your niche and builds loyalty with your prospective customers.
Your niche should be something that you have an interest in. Even if you aren't the expert you should still be able to tell if a post is good or if it sucks and only put good ones on.
4.) Do some keyword research - Keywords are the heart and soul of your blog. If you are relying on the search engines to get traffic to your site you need make sure you are using keywords that are being searched and are targeted to your niche.
Google's keyword tool is a free service where you can see exactly how many people are searching for your keywords on Google every month. This is a great place to start your keyword research.
5.) Make your blog reflect you - this simply means that your blog should be something that reflects your personality or the personality of your business. This can be the tone of voice you use in your posts or it can be something as simple as putting your name and picture on the blog. Let people know who is doing the talking, let them see you, let them put a face to the voice and you will find that you will get a better following than trying to be the anonymous expert.
If you know all of these things then you are ready to start blogging. If you follow these policies and you stay true to yourself, your readers and your niche you will succeed with your blog. - 16036
1.) Make sure your blog is set up on the right hosting service. - By this I mean, should you be using a free blogging services like WordPress.com and Blogger.com or should you be setting up a blog on your own domain.
If you are planning on using your blog to promote an existing business or if you are planning to use it in any way to make money I recommend that you set up your blog on your own site. If you are just using a blog to tell your friends what is going on or to let out your personal rants with no plans to make money with it you should be fine on the free services.
Having your own domain name and your own site makes it so that you can add features like plugins that will optimize your site for better performance in the search engines which should bring more targeted prospects to your site.
2.) Choose the right blogging software - There are a number of different software programs you can use to create a blog such as Joomla, TypePad, Concrete and WordPress. I recommend WordPress because it is the most highly supported when it comes to plugins, themes and even support. There are a number of sites that will help you with your WordPress blog besides the support that you will find at WordPress.org.
3.) Keep your blog in one niche - I do a lot of blog research and I constantly find blogs that have numerous niches covered. They will cover items such as custom cigars and acne on the same blog. Most of these are using some type of auto-posting system and throwing in Adsense and other advertising programs. These are the type of sites that make the search engines and PPC advertising systems change their rules and end up hurting everybody.
If you keep your blog in one niche the likelihood of getting readers to come back time and time again is greatly improved. This brands you as an expert in your niche and builds loyalty with your prospective customers.
Your niche should be something that you have an interest in. Even if you aren't the expert you should still be able to tell if a post is good or if it sucks and only put good ones on.
4.) Do some keyword research - Keywords are the heart and soul of your blog. If you are relying on the search engines to get traffic to your site you need make sure you are using keywords that are being searched and are targeted to your niche.
Google's keyword tool is a free service where you can see exactly how many people are searching for your keywords on Google every month. This is a great place to start your keyword research.
5.) Make your blog reflect you - this simply means that your blog should be something that reflects your personality or the personality of your business. This can be the tone of voice you use in your posts or it can be something as simple as putting your name and picture on the blog. Let people know who is doing the talking, let them see you, let them put a face to the voice and you will find that you will get a better following than trying to be the anonymous expert.
If you know all of these things then you are ready to start blogging. If you follow these policies and you stay true to yourself, your readers and your niche you will succeed with your blog. - 16036
About the Author:
About The Author: Randy The Hermit Baustert has been working online since 1994 and is the top rated SEO expert according to ExpertRating.com the industry testing services. You can find more free blogging instructions at his newest blog How To Blog Site
