How To Start Blogging
I had a young professional ask me how to get started blogging, and he gave me a list of his priorities. This is not an exhaustive list of blog starting ideas - but it answered most of his questions, perhaps it will answer some of yours.
I would pick up a regular website to start.
Get it through a domain seller and add a page or two. It will only cost a few dollars a year, and site age does mean something if you decide to develop it later.
For ease of use try the free blogger, it was bought by Google and is steadily improving. You can connect it to your web site if you start your site first. Google offers several templates (the facade or look), there will be more on the net for free if you search; there are folks that will create custom looks for very little money. You will own your material, although it might not be easy to transfer to another platform.
It is also easier to get approved by Google adsense if you have blogger - put up your first 10 or fifteen posts and then apply from the blogger dashboard.
About the time you apply to adsense, use AddMe to send your url to the search engines. You only need to do it once, and you only need their free service. Each time you post use Pinggoat to distribute your content.
It is best if at first you post a lot - even several times a day. Frequency builds your archives for the search engines, and rewards readers that return. Be sure to use categories so it is easy for readers to find prior posts. Posts do not need to be long, a few hundred words is sufficient. Plan to post a minimum of several times a week for the first five or six months.
Use 1000 Bees or HitTail to track your visitors. The key words (search terms) your blog visitors used to find you may be a good title for your next post, or your next blog. They will also help you measure and compare the effectiveness of your changes - the secret of marketing success.
Don't expect to earn a lot of money blogging. It does happen occasionally, but many bloggers earn nothing. It does improve writing skills and can be fun, but the pay per hour spent can be dismal. If earning money is your goal, invest a few hundred dollars in a bundled site building program; Sitesell is the best I've found. Start your investigation with Sitesell's free courses. They will sell and service the domain as part of their fees (their tools will help you pick the most profitable name also).
Amazon pays around 5% of sales, you need a lot of traffic to sell enough to make money. In fact traffic is the key, targeted traffic is the goal - people that want what you offer and will linger and return to enjoy it.
Consider building a Squidoo lens - they are easy to build and simple to maintain. best of all they will provide quality links to your blog that will please search engines. Squidoo also has some new lens styles, like Squidflix, which might also fit your style. They share revenue, but don't expect large amounts. Most of my Squidoo lenses average less than a dollar a month, although a couple do better. They do generate targeted business traffic if well written.
While Google's blogger is a good place to start, you will quickly learn of other products and may decide to switch. After a bit you may decide to quit, or take what you have learned and start over.
It is fun and educational, if rarely high return.
I would pick up a regular website to start.
Get it through a domain seller and add a page or two. It will only cost a few dollars a year, and site age does mean something if you decide to develop it later.
For ease of use try the free blogger, it was bought by Google and is steadily improving. You can connect it to your web site if you start your site first. Google offers several templates (the facade or look), there will be more on the net for free if you search; there are folks that will create custom looks for very little money. You will own your material, although it might not be easy to transfer to another platform.
It is also easier to get approved by Google adsense if you have blogger - put up your first 10 or fifteen posts and then apply from the blogger dashboard.
About the time you apply to adsense, use AddMe to send your url to the search engines. You only need to do it once, and you only need their free service. Each time you post use Pinggoat to distribute your content.
It is best if at first you post a lot - even several times a day. Frequency builds your archives for the search engines, and rewards readers that return. Be sure to use categories so it is easy for readers to find prior posts. Posts do not need to be long, a few hundred words is sufficient. Plan to post a minimum of several times a week for the first five or six months.
Use 1000 Bees or HitTail to track your visitors. The key words (search terms) your blog visitors used to find you may be a good title for your next post, or your next blog. They will also help you measure and compare the effectiveness of your changes - the secret of marketing success.
Don't expect to earn a lot of money blogging. It does happen occasionally, but many bloggers earn nothing. It does improve writing skills and can be fun, but the pay per hour spent can be dismal. If earning money is your goal, invest a few hundred dollars in a bundled site building program; Sitesell is the best I've found. Start your investigation with Sitesell's free courses. They will sell and service the domain as part of their fees (their tools will help you pick the most profitable name also).
Amazon pays around 5% of sales, you need a lot of traffic to sell enough to make money. In fact traffic is the key, targeted traffic is the goal - people that want what you offer and will linger and return to enjoy it.
Consider building a Squidoo lens - they are easy to build and simple to maintain. best of all they will provide quality links to your blog that will please search engines. Squidoo also has some new lens styles, like Squidflix, which might also fit your style. They share revenue, but don't expect large amounts. Most of my Squidoo lenses average less than a dollar a month, although a couple do better. They do generate targeted business traffic if well written.
While Google's blogger is a good place to start, you will quickly learn of other products and may decide to switch. After a bit you may decide to quit, or take what you have learned and start over.
It is fun and educational, if rarely high return.
Labels: how to blog, making money blogging, search engine tools, start blogging, why squidoo
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2 Comments:
One thing always good for bloggers to engage in Pay per post programs. We have a paid blogging product called linkpost here at LinkWorth. Let me know if you have any questions.
Scarlett T.
LinkWorth Staff
Thanks Scarlett,
I'll let them follow up with you if they wish.
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