The document provides an introduction to blogging for beginners, detailing how to set up and promote a blog, select platforms, and enhance writing skills. It discusses the benefits of blogging, such as connecting with artists, building an audience, and showcasing work, while also offering practical tips for successful blogging. Key points include choosing a niche, engaging with readers, and utilizing various advertising methods to increase visibility and traffic.

1. Blogging For Beginners Ken McGuire www.kenmc.com www.eventmedia.ie www.artlinks.ie

2. Introduction Ken McGuire Blogging since 2004 Serial blogger Irish Blog Awards Podcasting since 2006

3. Agenda Blogging background What, why, how? Blogging platforms Setting up a blog Blog writing hints and tips Promoting your blog RSS, comments, emails etc.

4. Goals For Today Learn about blogs, what they are, how they work. Discover how to set up a blog for free. Find out how easy it is to make your first blog post. Discover free ways to promote your blog.

5. What Is A Blog? Short for ‘web log’ Collection of blog posts / news items / stories published in a dated order. Think of it as a diary. Blogs have posts, and pages. Versatile - can be about anything

6. Blog, Blogger, Blogging Blog: A web log Blogger: Someone who maintains a blog Blogging: The process of creating / maintaining a blog

7. Blogging Platforms Blogger (requires Google email) Wordpress (personal favourite) Leading the way for blogging platforms Typepad (fee-based) Blogosphere - The global blog community. Blog O’Sphere.

8. Blog Ingredients Blog Posts About Page Contact Page Other relevant details Sound clips, writing samples, gallery of works.

9. Blogs vs Web Sites Are they the same? Your blog is your website. Just like older websites, you can have A photo gallery A portfolio Videos, music… A blog is a social website (interaction)

10. Some Blog Statistics Technorati trackings 112.8 million blogs (Feb 2008). 72.82 million blogs in China 17.5m authors 2006, 40m 2007 Several thousand Irish bloggers 93,041 new blogs in day (May 19th 2008) Source: blogpulse.com 1.6 million posts a day (July 2006)

11. More Creative Types Blogging Not just technology bloggers. Food bloggers (icecreamireland.com) Photo bloggers (kenmcguirephotography.com) Patchwork (quiltingandpatchwork.com) Fashion (iamfashion.blogspot.com/) Beauty (beaut.ie)

12. What Can A Blog Do For You? Connect you with fellow artists. Showcase your recent works. Build you an audience for your work. Establish you as an authority figure. Land you a book deal… (all in good time!) TwentyMajor.net / Fiona McPhillips / IceCream Ireland / Darren Rowse…

13. What Can A Blog Do For You? “ I now realise how beneficial this blog is. It is almost like a creative diary. It allows me to reflect back on my practice as an artist, it helps me understand my way of approaching new ideas and my way of working creatively.” Liselott, May 19th 2008

14. Why Blogs Are Liked They’re web based Everything runs from the web, no installing of software. Access anywhere. You don’t need to learn a language HTML, PHP etc. Blog community constantly growing.

15. Why Do You Need A Blog? Build *your* personal brand. Showcase for your works. Become visible on the web. Keep others informed.

16. Deciding What To Blog Follow your craft Music (kilkennymusic.com) Theatre (devioustheatre.com) Blogging (profreelanceblogger.com) The more ‘niche’ the better… Felt, batik, music therapy, sculpture, sound design…

17. Deciding What To Blog As an artist… Residency at no.72 Recording an album (process) Building a studio Preparing for an exhibition Touring with a band Preparing to publish a book

18. Artist Blogs No72 John Street http://no72.wordpress.com Martha Marshall http://artistsjournal.blogspot.com/ Nancy Standlee http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com/

19. Writing Tips

20. Writing Tips Be yourself. It is ok to have an opinion. “ You can’t be an authority on a topic if you don’t have faith in your own opinion”, SD. Proper titles. Cheek you’re sspelling and grammar.

21. Writing Tips Pick a topic and stick to it. The more niche the better. Support your post with relevant links. Write Less, Write Often. Lists are good. Pick a style and stick to it.

22. Setting Up A Blog

23. Creating A Wordpress Blog Go to www.wordpress.com Click ‘Sign Up Now’ Enter a username, password, email. Choose name for blog. Confirm registration by email. Get writing!

24. Your First Blog Post Title Be descriptive, be precise Title will appear in search engine results Content Relevant links Tags Publish

25. Your First Blog Page Additional content to homepage. Title, content, links as before. Chance to sell yourself, do it well. Pages have an order of their own. Contact details, about you, links, profiles, exhibition dates etc.

26. Advertising Your Blog

27. Why Advertise Your Blog? To be found. To sell your work. To increase your readership. To network with other bloggers and artists.

28. Where To Advertise Blog Directories Blog Flux, IrishBlogs.info, BlogCatalog.com Social Networks MySpace / Facebook / Bebo Microblogging Twitter / Jaiku RSS Feeds / Email Feeds

29. Where To Advertise Flyers for your blog Add blog URL to business cards Email signatures Press releases

30. Promoting Individual Posts StumbleUpon Great for information-based blogs, tutorials, guides, “how-to” type posts. Digg.com Suitable for news-type blogs Del.icio.us Sharing bookmarks, public listing.

31. Measuring Blog Traffic Wordpress.com stats Google Analytics Statcounter Technorati

32. RSS Feeds / Email RSS = Really Simple Syndication. Web ‘feeds’ used to deliver content. Allows content to be aggregated. Works via mobile phone / email or and ‘feed reader’. Built into most common blog platforms. Visit once, subscribe for free.

33. Google Reader

34. Microblogging Twitter / Jaiku Blog via SMS Message is 140 characters or less Social network Immediate, Global.

35. Earning Blog Revenue You can make money blogging. Text ads, affiliate links. Top 50 blogs earn $500m p/a. University of Texas study Google AdSense easiest, most effective.

36. Blogging Is A Marathon Marthon, not a sprint If you build it, they will take their sweet time, but they will come. Be consistent, or appear consistent

37. Communication Is Key Communication builds communities Reply to your emails Reply to your comments Engage your blog readers Encourage subscriptions

38. Thank You Ken McGuire [email_address] www.kenmc.com www.eventmedia.ie