The Basics of Blogging and Other Easy Tips to Get Started How To Blog

Set Your Goals Are you blogging for yourself? Are you blogging for a company? Are you blogging for a cause? Thoughts Your goals will help determine how often you want to blog. If you’re working for a company, you’ll want to blog frequently and write about something that fits your target audience.

Are you blogging for yourself?

Are you blogging for a company?

Are you blogging for a cause?

Your Topic, Your Passion Choose a topic that you can write about at least once a week. Choose a topic that will be interesting to your target audience.

Choose a topic that you can write about at least once a week.

Choose a topic that will be interesting to your target audience.

Blog Setup Sign up for free on Blogger or Wordpress. There are many other blog platforms available, and some social sites like MySpace offer a blog with the profile (great if you’re just doing personal blogging). Fill out the information as requested, although you don’t have to necessarily fill out everything all at once.

Sign up for free on Blogger or Wordpress.

There are many other blog platforms available, and some social sites like MySpace offer a blog with the profile (great if you’re just doing personal blogging).

Fill out the information as requested, although you don’t have to necessarily fill out everything all at once.

Blog Post Nitty Gritty 250 to 350-word long blog posts are comfortable in reading length. Break up the text with catchy subheads in bold. Keep paragraphs short—4 to 6 sentences

250 to 350-word long blog posts are comfortable in reading length.

Break up the text with catchy subheads in bold.

Keep paragraphs short—4 to 6 sentences

Blog Layout Blogroll: This is the list of Web sites you like to read. Profile: Let people know who you are with a short bio and possibly a picture. Social Links: Put in links to your other social accounts on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Blogroll: This is the list of Web sites you like to read.

Profile: Let people know who you are with a short bio and possibly a picture.

Social Links: Put in links to your other social accounts on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Blog Community Join up on MyBlogLog.com, Technorati.com, and other blog communities. Find people talking about similar topics to your own. Read other people’s blogs. (It can help inspire your writing.) Mention their blogs in your own and link to their blog posts when you do.

Join up on MyBlogLog.com, Technorati.com, and other blog communities.

Find people talking about similar topics to your own.

Read other people’s blogs. (It can help inspire your writing.)

Mention their blogs in your own and link to their blog posts when you do.

Blogging Landmines DON’T put personal information or company secrets on your blog. Your blog (even when it’s set to private) is essentially in a public space, and social media content is meant to be easy to share. Running out of steam Hosts of dead blogs infest the Internet. Be sure to brainstorm and come up with a list of ideas to help you get through less inspired times

DON’T put personal information or company secrets on your blog.

Your blog (even when it’s set to private) is essentially in a public space, and social media content is meant to be easy to share.

Running out of steam

Hosts of dead blogs infest the Internet. Be sure to brainstorm and come up with a list of ideas to help you get through less inspired times

About Me Jim Tolles is a blogger, freelance writer, and social media strategist. Connect: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestolles http://www.twitter.com/ivefoundit http://ivefoundit.stumbleupon.com/

Jim Tolles is a blogger, freelance writer, and social media strategist.

Connect:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestolles

http://www.twitter.com/ivefoundit

http://ivefoundit.stumbleupon.com/