30.1.08

The Top 5 Hints For The Beginner Blogger

I have been blogging for years now. It started as a hobby and has grown from there. I teach blogging classes now for Mastermind Pros. Blogging is a great hobby and it can also be used as a way to start your identity on the World Wide Web. Blogging is much easier to start than a web page, and it is a lot easier to maintain then a web site. There are quality Free Blog Hosts available, so there is really no reason not to get started today. Here are my top 5 hints if you are just beginning as a blogger.

Always Start With a Free Blog

I recommend Word Press or Blogger for the best places to get started in blogging. They both are easy to set up and use. Blogger might have better and easier to get help. However Word Press keeps adding more advanced features and does have a pay feature for more upgrades. With each Word Press account you can have more than one blog, and Blogger does offer the same feature, too. For this article I am just going to focus on Word Press. The reason for this is because most of the blogging information I have found out there for free chooses to focus on Word Press, and as you grow in your blogging experience you will most likely end up with a Word Press blog.

Think of a GREAT Name for Your Blog

If you are starting with Word Press, you will want to register an account, but for each blog you want to have a creative name that you choose for you blog. For example if you were writing a blog about being a teacher you might want to see if you can get a name for your blog that has teacher "style" keywords for the title. Another example might be My Life In Room 5 for your main title. You can change the title of your blog at any time that you want so if next year you were moved to room 22, you can just edit your title, but to choose your URL it would be different.

Picking the URL

The URL is simply defined as the Universal Resource Locator. An Internet World Wide Web Address. When you choose a URL for your free Word Press Blog it is shown as: name.wordpress.com. You would substitute your name for your blog where "name" is. Your "name" can be one word or a combination of words with no spaces between them. Several of the good names are already taken but with imagination and patience you can find a suitable name. Maybe choose your own name, for example. mastermindpros.wordpress.com I was able to get this blog just now. Remember that the URL title you pick is permanent unless you choose to delete it. You can delete free blogs at any time.

Make a Commitment to Post Often

Most people start blogging because they have something to say! Some people start them for other reasons but having been a Blogger for several years now and a visitor to several blogs, I still feel the majority of blogs out there are started by people who enjoy writing and have something to say, even if it is just commenting on news articles or sharing their poetry. Some people enjoy ranting. Have you visited other people's blogs before? Go to any search engine and type in the name of something you are interested in like: Johnny Depp Blogs and see what shows up. I got over 276,000 results for that search on Google. So you can find people with the same interests as yours. You can read what they have to say then go comment on their blog and write about it on your blog. You can ask people with similar interests to share on your blog, too.

Do Not Delete Your Blog

Maybe you have started your blog and you hate it. Well think once, twice, three times and more about whether or not you want to keep or delete your blog. Why do I suggest keeping your blog? The main reason I suggest this is because you are starting your presence on the internet. That might not mean much to you if you are new, but it might mean more in months or years to come. Your blog is real estate in the World Wide Web Land. Real Estate here can become valuable, too. You can become valuable as you grow your property (your blog). Blogging is a fun hobby, but you never know what the future is going to hold for you or where you hobby might lead you. Especially if you are building your blog over time, and you are following some of the steps I mentioned in #4 above. People on the internet and bloggers are usually a friendly group. We love to have comments on our blogs. We usually respond to them. It is a special present to us when someone takes the time to make a comment. We love suggestions and people sharing what they are doing, too. The only thing that most bloggers hate is SPAM! That is where people post only to sell something or lead people to websites that they might not want to go to. Don't fear that though since Word Press has powerful filters now and you get to approve what people can say on their comments.

You will find that Blogging is a lot of fun! If you can send emails you can blog. It is very easy to start up a blog using Word Press or Blogger. If you have been thinking about starting a blog and have not done so yet, my advice is to get started. It is a great free hobby and you never know where it might lead you. Share your interests with the world. There are thousands of readers out there searching for information. Perhaps they will find you. I hope you will enjoy your blogging experience as much as I enjoy blogging and reading blogs, too.



Rocque Bowen is a professional coach for Mastermind Pros (http://www.mastermindpros.com). If you are interested in learning to make an online income and are tired of all the hype, stop by Mastermind Pros and find out what it really takes to make an income online.


No comments: