I am a great believer in the idea that anyone can start a blog, even you! More importantly, I believe you can write and maintain a successful blog, as long as you have a plan. You should feel positive and confident about the idea of creating your blog. No matter what your computer user experience, as long as you can write coherently, type some and can use a spellchecker, you have what it takes to succeed at blogging. It’s time to start formulating your plan for success!
This article introduces some basic blog concepts and will help you start thinking in an organized and logical fashion about how to tackle your first blog. Knowing where you are going and how you are getting there is an important concept in any journey. Taking a little time to assess these things will go a long way to ensuring that you are a successful blogger.
First of all why do you want to start a blog?
This question is key. Different people have different reasons as to why they want to blog, but the most common answer to this question is – “I want to make money blogging.” – its not the only reason, but it is probably the number one reason people want to start a blog.
Does that describe you? Do you want to make money blogging? Well you can, it will take a great deal of dedication, determination, persistence and patience . If you believe that you possess these characteristics, then you can write the kind of blog that will succeed. Blog success is not dependent on large cash investments, in fact much of what you need is free, your biggest investment will be that of time. No matter what your reason for blogging, the recipe for success is the same for everyone: dedication, determination, persistence, patience & time.
Other reasons for starting a new blog include but are not limited to:
* the desire to connect with other people
* to further a cause
* as a news supplement to an established site
* educate and share information with others
* promote your career
Remember the recipe: dedication, determination, persistence, patience & time, these thinigs will determine your success more than any other factors, no matter what your reason for blogging is.
What will you blog about?
Many potential new bloggers get caught on this one. They have no idea about what they will write about, or worse yet they have a topic in mind, but are afraid that too many others are already blogging on that particular subject. Getting past this hurdle is key for many new bloggers. So lets talk about what to write about.
You need to find your niche. You will come across the term “niche blogging” quite often when researching how to choose a blog topic. A niche originally referred to a shallow recess, especially in a wall and was used to display a particular statue or ornament. So basically, what you need to do is make yourself a hole in the wall of the blogging world to contain and show off your blog content, but you need to be very comfortable in that hole. Niche comes from the French word “nicher”, which means to make a nest, hence it should be a comfortable place for you, a place where you feel safe, capable and confident.
Ask yourself what you are passionate about, what topic is it, that when someone asks you a question about it, you go on and on and on. Is there some area that people tend to look to you for help with? A hobby, a job, a cause – something that gets your creative juices flowing, something that other people will be interested in? This will be your niche, your area of expertise, your blog topic.
You should not be put off by the idea that other people are already writing on the same topic. Think about the literary world, there are millions of books published on any given subject. Many of them very successful. Your topic may not be entirely unique, but you are and you will bring a fresh perspective to your blog topic of choice. If you feel confident and knowledgeable about your blog topic, you will feel comfortable in your niche and your blog will shine!
What tools will you use to blog with?
The number of blogging software solutions is formidable. There are sites online that will host your blog for free and provide you with all the online software and tools you will need to start blogging. There are other choices as well, such as free or commercial blogging software solutions that you can install on your own web server for hosting a blog on your own domain. Once you have started blogging you can even find free and commercial blogging software programs that you can install on your own computer and write your blog posts without having to open a browser and access your online blogging tools.
If you find this confusing or overwhelming, take a deep breath and don’t panic. Free online blog hosting solutions such as Blogger and WordPress are good places to start. Many a successful blog uses these services and even if you ultimately want a blog on your own domain, these services will stand you in good stead until you are ready to try more technically demanding solutions. You will learn as you go along, your skills and your knowledge will grow, but only by doing.
So, this is the plan in a nutshell:
* Know why you want to blog.
* Find your niche, pick a blog topic.
* Choose a blogging platform.
* Start blogging.
You really shouldn’t put it of any longer. There is no need to research blogging to death, just do it already. Always remember the recipe for success: large amounts of dedication, determination, persistence, patience & time, season these liberally with the willingness to learn as you go. You can start a successful blog right now! Nothing you do is written in stone, if it doesn’t work out you can change what you are doing, adapt your style, pick a new blogging platform, whatever it takes; but it won’t happen by reading about it. Its time to start pounding those keys!
