Do you need to be tech-savvy to start a blog? Not necessary. We will explain in this article. But the decisions you make at this stage will affect what you can do with your blog later, so you should still understand a bit of the technology in the beginning.
Most new bloggers choose one of the few popular blogging platforms (sometimes called blogware or blog software providers) because they are easy to use and free. We will focus on three of them in the next chapter. However, before making this decision, you should think about your plans for your blog. For example:
Are you blogging as a hobby or for business or professional reasons?
Will you be posting a lot of photos, videos, and other content on your blog?
Will you sell advertising space on your blog or will you make money from it?
How fast do you think your blog will grow and will it attract a lot of visitors? , Do you want to blog primarily on the go and from your phone or other mobile device?
Will there be multiple contributors or blog managers?
Some blogging platforms are better than others. Find out what type of blogs they host and read the fine print before doing anything.
Hosted Options: Free Or Almost Free
Many of today’s bloggers, even the most experienced and successful ones, start small with a free or low-cost hosted blog using pre-built templates and themes from providers like Blogger.com and WordPress. Blogspot.com offers space for your blog, tools to manage it through a web interface or mobile application, and several pre-built templates.
Typically, the platform you choose will determine where your blog will be hosted. For example, when you sign up for Blogger, your blog will be located on the Blogger server and named “yourname.blogspot.com”. If you don’t want to include the hostname part in your blog address, you can still give your blog your own domain name.
Some blog hosting providers are cheap but not free, such as: Typepad. Still, you’re talking about only a few dollars a month for basic service. All providers have several service tiers, usually depending on how much content you want to upload. Dottie Angel. http://dottieangel.blogspot.com Author and blogger Tiff Fussell is a British woman living outside Seattle. Dottie Angel demonstrates her unique style of homemade “granny chic”. Hosted on Blogger.com. Matte and the art of film.
http://mattandmotionpictures.wordpress.com Matt Stewart, 16, blogs about film and TV reviews. The blog is already a WordPress blog and has won several awards. Each month you can decide how much customization you want, whether you want to create multiple blogs or install special features.
Even if you have big ambitions for your blog, there’s a lot to be said for starting out this way. You can learn about blogging, make mistakes, and experiment without investing anything except your time. You may not be able to make progress with your chosen platform, but remember that every blogging platform has its own system that you will have to learn to use and get accustomed to. Switching to another platform will require a little rethinking.
Other Hosting Options
Hosted Microblogging
Microblogging has grown significantly in popularity in recent years, to the extent that many well-known bloggers also run microblogs at the same time. Microblogging platforms include Tumblr, TypePad Micro, and Posterous. These are designed to make posting and sharing as easy as possible, even when you’re on the go or away from your computer. These have built-in tools that allow you to share your blog posts with friends on social networks and within the microblogging community, which makes them ideal if you want to blog small, timely updates and share them across the social web. But want to share. These micro-platforms are especially popular among photo and video bloggers.
Self-Hosted
As an alternative to hosted blogs, there are providers that allow you to download and install blogging software on your domain space, either for free or for a license fee. For example, WordPress.com offers a free hosted blog, while WordPress.org allows you to download blogware and create your own blog.
This is called a self-hosted blog, and it gives you more freedom and flexibility in terms of features and design. If you already have a personal or business website and want to host your blog on the same domain, or if the themes and templates available on free blogging platforms no longer seem enough to you, this could be a good option. . Also, if you plan to make money from your blog or need unique designs and features, free blogging platforms are not necessary. If you go this route, you’ll need technical know-how (or know someone who does!).
If your blog has a lot of traffic or is very large, you may need to find a new home for your blog with dedicated hosting. However, your hosting costs will definitely increase. If you want your blog to work quickly and effectively, you’ll need to pay for additional storage and transfer speed.
Which Is Your Favorite Blogging Platform
Bloggers are very fond of their blogging software. Here are some of the comments I found in response to this question: I’ve been using Textpattern for 5 years and I really love it. I’ve tried Blogger, WordPress, and many other platforms, and it definitely took me about 2 months to understand how it all worked. I must say that their forums and nice, close-knit community are really helpful. All the people who answered my questions 6 years ago are still there and helping everyone today. I started using Blogger because it was very easy to set up and other platforms seemed a bit daunting at the time. Technically it’s not up-to-date by any means, but it feels like it finally offers all the features I wanted. I also appreciate the fact that it integrates very seamlessly with other Google services I already use. Of course, they have faced some technical problems over the years, but considering that I never had to pay a penny to use their services, it is not so easy to complain about them. In general, the platform is very easy to use, and I especially appreciate that it offers a large amount of free storage space for uploading and storing images.
I initially used Blogger to create my personal blog, but when I wanted to write a business blog, I considered WordPress because I was convinced it was a better platform. However, I found it easier to use Blogger, so I decided to use Blogger. I want to integrate my blog into my (business) WordPress website, but I’m a little hesitant because Google is so integrated into my work life.
Blog Layout and Terms
Many websites are created using blogging software, but that does not mean it is a blog. We have already defined in Chapter 1 what exactly a blog is. So how do you recognize it? Are there any set rules you need to follow? What elements of a blog are common to everyone, and what makes a blog unique?
Date And Time
The first and perhaps the most obvious feature that typifies a “blog” is the date stamp. Your latest blog post usually displays on your blog’s homepage along with the publication date and time. If this is a group blog or a blog with multiple contributors, you can also specify the name of the post’s author. Older posts will be displayed in reverse chronological order below. However, there are exceptions. For example, you can choose a static page as your home page. A page that welcomes visitors and encourages them to subscribe, or if you have a feature or promotion you want to highlight. But generally, the idea of a blog is to feature regular updates so that it looks different and vibrant every time you visit.
Inscription
Typically, there will be a legal notice at the top of the page with the blog’s name and a brief description. Most bloggers want people to not only read their blog but also subscribe to it. So the clearer it is for people to understand what it’s about, the more likely they are to decide whether to subscribe or not. Typically, somewhere in the legal notice, there will be a menu of static pages on the site, such as: “About Us” and “Contact Us”. Here you’ll often find a “Subscribe” button. It’s a convention in website design to put anything important at the top of the page. It’s easy to miss something underneath, especially if it’s hidden by a fold.
Body Text
A typical blog layout consists of one wide column and one or two narrow columns. The wide column displays the body of the blog post, while the narrow column (or called a sidebar) usually contains a variety of content, ranging from lists of related blogs (blogroll) and previous posts to advertisements, buttons, and other static. Contents included. Element. Microblogs are often narrow and may not have a traditional layout. They may not have a title, or the menu may be small or nonexistent. For example, check out the Tumblr blog at the following site. Microblogs are usually optimized for viewing on mobile devices, and too many or too wide menus, especially for photos and videos, can obscure the body of the post.
Comments, Plugins and Widgets
Comments
Blogs aren’t usually one-way conversations. One of the most exciting and unique features of a blog is the ability to leave comments. Active and established blogs are likely to receive a lot of comments, but don’t be discouraged if it takes a while for the comments to arrive. This is completely normal and does not mean that no one is reading your blog. Nurture your commenters – Thank people for their time and keep the conversation going. As you know when commenting on other blogs, there is nothing more frustrating than taking the time to comment and being ignored. There are many ways to attract comments, starting with the type of content you post. (See Chapter 5 for more on this.) On the other hand, comments aren’t always what you want for your blog, so you need to moderate them. You will almost certainly encounter “comment spam” – meaningless or irrelevant comments from anonymous contributors. A lot of this is done automatically by spam bots, but luckily, there are things you can do to prevent it: B. Install a plugin like Akismet and customize your blog settings.
Plugins
When you start to blog, it seems like you have everything you need, but surprisingly, you soon start thinking, “Wouldn’t it be cool if I could do this?” You probably can. All you need is the corresponding plugin (or plugins). Plugins are small pieces of software that allow you to extend the existing functionality of your blog. Some are platform-specific, but many work on all blogging platforms. New plugins and updates are constantly being developed, so always make sure your version is up to date. The most popular plugins (as opposed to widgets) are those that help improve your blog’s security, analytics, advertising, and comment handling. There are thousands of them. Just search for the problem you want to solve and you’ll probably find a plugin that addresses it. With a hosted blog, you can choose from a variety of plugins and widgets offered by the platform provider. Because your blog is hosted on a server, these little extras are usually pre-installed and often already enabled, so you don’t have to do anything. However, if you self-host your blog, it is your responsibility to obtain and install plugins, keep your software updated, and take the necessary security measures to protect your blog from hackers.
What You Need To Know: Plugins And Widgets
Plugins can run completely in the background or they can be displayed on your blog. These are commonly called widgets. Widgets have a nice graphical interface and are often displayed in the sidebar of your blog. Basically, what you see is a widget, but what it does is the plugin behind it.
About Widget
This is where you can really improve your blog. A widget (or “gadget” in Blogger) is a visual representation of a plugin, meaning a small piece of software that gives your blog additional functionality. You can usually customize the widget’s color scheme, size, font, and many other aspects. In a classic two or three column blog layout, widgets usually appear in the sidebar.
There are several standard sidebar widgets that are common on most blogging platforms. When setting up your blog, you can decide which elements you want to enable and display. These include, for example, blog post archive, blog reel (a list of blogs you want to link to) and “recent posts”.
Individual blogging platforms come with their own widgets, often pre-installed with their own names. For example, TypePad has the so-called typelist, which allows you to display anything you want: text, links, buttons, images, etc. WordPress is especially known for its large number and choice of widgets and plugins. While browsing your favorite blogs, look for interesting, unusual, or fun widgets or buttons that you can install on your blog. Also, think about your visitors. They may enjoy the “fun stuff” but may become frustrated if your page is too cluttered. Here are some examples of what you can add by installing the right widgets and customizing them: Share, Like, and Rating buttons Newsletter subscription forms Polls and games Slideshows and tag clouds Twitter feeds Site search ads (if your host allows it is)… and many more.
What Is Name
You’ve probably already wondered about this, but let’s take a closer look. What will you name your blog? Take your time. It is not easy to change your name after launching your blog. If you already have a business name or your name is known professionally, you may have decided to use it. But if you are an amateur blogger or starting from scratch, the name you choose matters a lot. First, ask yourself some questions.
It seems obvious, but has that name been used before? For example, for a similar blog or a topic you don’t want to associate with? Do a little research and find out. Do you want to leave a special impression? For example, professional, playful, indie/alternative, fun, elegant, etc.
Should it be descriptive or abstract? Calling your blog a “knitting blog” might not be very imaginative, but at least it tells people what it’s about, rather than forcing them to guess (and probably guess wrong).
Who is your audience? As always, think about who you want to address and what names they will remember or smile at.
At this stage, check to see if there is a domain name registered for the blog name you have chosen. Even if you don’t have high standards for your .Com address, you should check to see if it is competing with other sites. If a domain name is not yet registered and you have set up this name, consider purchasing it. It’s not expensive, and even if you don’t use it right away, you may decide to use it for your blog at some point.
Page Vs Post
There are all kinds of weird things on the internet, especially when it comes to names of things. We have already seen that blogger widgets are called gadgets. One of the first things a beginner blogger should understand is the difference between a page and a post.
Post
Posts are date and time stamped and are created whenever you add something to your blog. This is the heart and soul of your blog. • A post can contain any type of content: text, photos, video, audio, etc. • A post has its own unique web address or URL, so it can be referenced directly. On blogs, older posts are usually stored by month (current year) and previous year. , You can tag your blog posts with words or phrases to make them easier to find, and organize them into categories.
Page
Pages on a blog are static: they remain the same throughout the lifetime of the blog and do not appear in the post stream. A typical page is an “About” page. Here you can introduce yourself and other contributors, tell visitors what your blog is about, and explain your house rules. If you want your readers to contact you, don’t forget to add a “Contact Us” page.
Help People Find Good Content
Depending on how often and for how long you publish posts, your blog can become a very large website. Like any site, people need to find their way around quickly and easily. You want people to explore your site, enjoy it, and leave comments. Think of it like an inbox or a pile of emails. Every time the pile grows, things get buried and become difficult to find. It’s better to have some kind of filing system.
Blog software has many features that allow you to file your blog content so you can easily find blog content you posted years ago. On websites, pointers to help you find your way are often called “navigation”. For example, menus contain links to pages on your website and use helpful words as pointers. On a blog, like any other website, static pages (About, Contact, etc.) are displayed in a menu. Blogs can also include a search box that allows you to search for keywords within the blog. This is a very useful feature. However, the most important on most blogging platforms are “filing system” categories.
When you create a new post, you have the option to assign it to one or more categories. These are like drawers in a file cabinet, except that the same blog post can be visible multiple times at the same time. (Instead of categories, Blogger has a system called labels, which link tags and categories.) When readers look at the categories listed on your blog, they may find a topic that particularly interests them and follow that. Click on. They will be presented with a list of all related blog posts. When naming your categories, think carefully about the words that best describe your content from the visitor’s perspective. You can create as many categories as you want, but the fewer categories you have, the easier it will be for your visitors to navigate and the less clutter it will be.
How Often should I Post
This is probably the most asked question. Without regular posting, your blog will just be a static website. It’s even worse if it’s been a while since your last post. And with a blog, you can’t hide it anywhere. The date of your last post on your home page is visible to all users. A blog that hasn’t been updated in years looks abandoned, and the Internet is full of abandoned or semi-abandoned blogs. It is estimated that there are 35 million blogs in the United States alone, yet most have not been updated for more than six months.
If you’re serious about starting and maintaining a thriving blog with a community of readers and commenters, you need to publish posts as often as possible. A good rule of thumb is at least once a week. The most popular blogs, and most of the blogs featured in this book, update more frequently than this. Check other blogs on your topic to see how often they update. This may vary depending on the topic and style of the blogger. You may be wondering, “Where will I find the time?” But if you choose a topic you love and are proud of your blog and the content you share, you’re likely to find the time. However, here are some more practical ideas for maintaining your posting frequency:
Create multiple blog posts at once and schedule them for weeks or months in advance.
• Become friends with other bloggers in your field and invite them to write “guest posts” on your blog from time to time. This will take some pressure off, provide variety for your readers, and build great relationships with fellow bloggers. (And he’ll probably return the favor.)
• Share the load through group blogs. • Manage your readers’ expectations. If you’re going away for a while or are too busy to post, explain why in a blog post. Then, when you start blogging again, you can talk about what you were doing and why you took the break. Blogging is about transparency, and the more honest you are, the better. This helps create interaction and a sense of community on your blog.
Read Also:
- Getting Started A Blog
- Is Blogging Right For You
- Redefining Blogs And Blogging
- Bloggers & Blogs: Exploring The Definition of a Medium
- Blog And Blogger
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