How To Create A Blog

by Jennifer Clark

There are many ways of learning how to create a blog.

I was only about 15 when I first decided to create a blog. I did it for the reason most teenagers do it: as a way to show off for  my friends and keep in touch even when school was out or when I had to do homework. Creating a blog was pretty easy for me because I used some pretty easy tools from the web. I got my start on MySpace, which is about the easiest way to do it and its free. Everything is already set up for you. All you have to do is enter information and then link to whatever video, music or pictures you want to put up, and its done.

Unlike with most of my friends, however, it wasn't enough for me to simply create a blog. I wanted to go further once I got the basics down. It was pretty exciting to be able to put my own writing and stuff up on the Internet. Anybody who wanted to could see what was said. I thought that if I could think of a good subject to blog about, I could really get some readership. I mean, what better way to find out what people think about my blog anyway.

Although I originally decided to create a blog to stay in touch with people, I gave that up pretty much right away. I decided to focus on writing fiction and poetry instead. I wrote dozens of stories and poems back then. It was easy to be able to share them with people whenever I have the chance to do that. At first, of course, it was only my friends and my family reading the stories and things I wrote on my web page. Soon though, other people were adding to it. I won't say I had anything like a worldwide web type following, but I was getting dozens of visits a month on my page in a very short time. As a kid at that age, it was nice to be able to really feel like I was contributing something. I knew that I had some talent, and I felt like my decision to create a blog was really giving me the audience that talent required.

It may seem strange, but I did not decide to create a professional blog until I was well into my career as a writer. Although I worked as a writer for some time, I felt I was getting enough jobs pretty easily without putting up a website. I actually didn't create a blog until the economy started to turn sour and needed some extra money. I was having a hard time really getting enough jobs and I figured that putting up a professional website would help solve that problem.

As it turned out, I was right! It took a little while, but pretty soon the work and money started to come in again. Sharing my thoughts on the web as a writer, showing samples of my work, and just getting myself out there on a blog really did help me make a few connections I wouldn't have had otherwise.

So, whether you decide to create blog, write short stories, or just email friends, its important to try something new. I just found that to create a blog is the easiest way to get your ideas out there on the web. It gets others involved too!

How do you ramp up your blog traffic and exponentially increase your readership?

Now you've created your blog and you've got plenty to say. Ok! Now, the trick is to bring in some sizable traffic! After all, unless you're independently wealthy, you probably need to make some income. Competing with tens of thousands of other bloggers and writing in a similar way or about the same topic, makes this a real challenge. How to create a blog is just the first step to increasing your blog traffic and spreading the word.

Make judicious use of the social networking sites. This is fast becoming a hot trend with bloggers. You've got to be careful to choose social networking sites that fit with your objectives. There are online comparison charts which allow you to see the main features and ratings of these social networking sites. Click through and browse around. Also check out some of the more obscure social sites. While their audience may be smaller, if their members fit the profiles you're seeking, your ROI will naturally be greater.

If your blog traffic consists mostly of friends, family members and a few people who have wandered on to your site, you want to change this as quickly as possible! The more content you have, the better your page rankings become. So you definitely want to post every day, the more the merrier. New visitors are more likely to return when they see that your blog is active and has fresh content on a daily basis.

When you write a post, keep in mind that you want to create an interactive format, where your readers feel invited to put in their remarks. For example, let's say you've written an opinion piece on politics. You might end the post with a leading question, such as “This is where I'm coming from ....., but what do you think?” You'll soon have readers telling their friends about your thoughtful and though provoking posts. More blog traffic for you!

There are special types of posts that can really work wonders for your blog traffic statistics. You're the expert in your topic, right? Write longer posts of a how-to nature. For example, if your blog deals with gardening and horticultural topics in general, write a post that shares with your readers how to recognize different species of tropical plants. Readers love to learn about how to gain some specialized skill they can practice for themselves. These tutorial style pieces are standalone – they are as valuable a year from now as they are today, to current and future visitors. Make it a habit to write at least one of these every week. Again, with this type of post, word of mouth helps grow your blog traffic more quickly.

Another good strategy to increasing your blog traffic is to find other quality blogs in your niche and write comments on posts by another blogger. If you comment frequently, those readers get to know you and are likely to start clicking through to see what kind of content you have. New readers!

Seek out websites with related content, an e-newsletter and a large subscriber list. Offer one of your best posts to that website's owner, to run with the feature articles in an upcoming newsletter. You'd be surprised at how many click-throughs you'll get as a result.

Building your blog traffic after you create a blog can take some time. It's up to you to implement strategic publishing skills. 

How do you write great blog articles that drive traffic to your site?

Blogging is a global phenomena. People from all walks of life are now able to set up their personal soapbox, putting their thoughts and passions out for all the world to see. The cost of setting up a blog and publishing is one of the lowest cost investments you might find in starting a small business. In fact, you can create a blog at www.blogspot.com for free!

Competition is stiff, because there are tens of millions of people who are equally passionate in their desire to express themselves. Blog articles that attract the attention of the search engines and your potential audience must be well written, well researched and rhetorically powerful. In addition, it's important to have the right mix of blog articles, as different types of postings allow you to attract different segments of the demographic audience you seek. This means a greater variety of readers and more of them. When you write blog articles, there are certain techniques you can use which will improve your rankings with the search engines, while other methods will have the opposite effect.

Here's a brief overview of how to make the most of your blog articles.

Before you launch your blog, write a substantial number of blog articles. If you go live with just a few entries, the search engine spiders may conclude that your site isn't worth another look for a while. The type of article to concentrate on initially are those which offer the reader substance and demonstrate your expertise in your subject matter.

Let's say your blog focuses on web design in general, certain elements of page function, such as RSS feeds and the use and placement of ads, as well as techy information on potential effects of using Flash. Each one of these topics is a great candidate for a tutorial style of blog article, which will empower your reader with new skills. Before you launch, this category should be populated with perhaps a dozen such pieces.

Another primary objective of all other postings is to intrique the curiosity of your reader. Perhaps you've chosen to write a piece examining the pros and cons of using a two column versus three column page design. An open ended question at the end might be, “While each design has it's advantages, you need to consider the factors that are best for your overall needs. Let me know what you think. Your comments will be helpful to other readers.” This will invite participation and a lively and active blog audience. Controversial topics and unusual slants also promote interactive discussions with your readers.

Be sure you post a new blog article every day. If a visitor sees that you post daily, you are communicating your commitment, which is contagious to your visitors. Your site traffic will grow far more quickly if your content is always fresh and of good quality. Conversely, if you post infrequently or erratically, readers lose interest. If you're not interested or active, why should they be?

Another technique to integrate into your blog postings is to seek out other quality bloggers in your topic area and write occasional comments on a particularly relevant subject to your own readers, that you have seen in another posting. Once that blogger starts to see your regular, intelligent comments, they may come and take a look at your site, thus spreading the word to their readers. You can also develop a blog article of your own, using an excerpt from that other bloggers entry, essentially writing a review. You can include a back link from your site to theirs, which ups your ranking with the search engines.

One distinct advantage of learning to create a blog of your own, you have the distinct luxery of discussing controversial topics and have a free hand in expressing yourself, within good judgement. So you are free to demonstrate your passion for your subject. This will gather a wider range of opinions, making yours a lively and popular blog.

There you have the basics of how to create a blog and add articles that will help you quickly gain a loyal following of visitors!