Thursday, September 6, 2012

I Have a Blog...Now What?



If you followed our post on how to start a blog right now, you should have a working blog up and running. Now, if you followed our steps in the previous post, you will have a topic (or topics) you're interested in writing about. If you don't, take some time to think of something you're interested in and then start writing about it.

Many people looking for answers to their questions (online) typically come across blogs and personal websites from real people, like you and me. After reading stories and experiences from these website and blog owners, they find the answer they're looking for and continue on their way. Would you like to help others answer questions they might have? If you don't have a blog already, check out this post on how to get a blog today.

So what "should" you write about?? That question has been on my mind a lot lately. "What do I know that would help others?" If you're thinking the same thing...stop thinking. A blog is a personal space on the internet that is filled with whatever you want. Yes, whatever. You could write about fishing, softball, or aerodynamics. Whatever you write about should be what you like writing about.

Remember the movie, Julie and Julia? The one where Amy Adams' character starts a blog about cooking? Where she cooked all 700+ Julia Child's recipes in 1 year? That could be you. Start today.

Find a topic that interests you and write about it. Your blog posts do not need to be a certain length or have certain descriptions. What what comes to your mind and be happy with it. There is no need for stress. A blog should be a place where you can express yourself. If you enjoy making arts and crafts with your kids, take pictures and post them on your blog. Your blog will be as creative or dull as you want it to be. Have fun with it.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Start a Blog Right Now

Each and every day, thousands and thousands of people sign up with a free blogging service so they can express themselves and feelings on the internet. I'm here to teach you the simplest ways to get your own blog up and running within just 15 minutes. You'll be able to use your new blog to post any type of content you like; whether that be sharing recipes with friends, posting how you felt that day, adding pictures of your pet, or anything else. If it's important to you...you can blog about it! And the best part of blogging is that it's FREE. Yes, you can sign up for a free blogging account today and start adding your content too.

Here are the steps for starting a blog right now:
1) Have an Idea for a Blogging Topic in Mind
2) Choose a Blog Network
3) Sign up
4) Confirm Your Email Address
5) Start Blogging

Have an Idea for a Blogging Topic in Mind
This is probably the most important thing to focus on. Many people (myself included) have signed up for blogs without thinking about what we were going to write about. This is a sure-fire way to get unmotivated and stop writing often. Have something in mind that you love talking about and you'll be proactive in blog daily or weekly.

Choose a Blog Network
If you're new to blogging, some of the following names might not be familiar: Blog, Wordpress, Blogger, Tumblr. Any of those ring a bell? If not, that's ok! Below are a few images that will help you recognize these blog networks:




All of the blogging companies above offer a free blogging service. As you may have noticed, I chose to go with Blogger.com to use for my blogging. I like using Blogger.com because I can sign up for a new blog account and within minutes I'm up and running a full-fledged blog!

So if you're ready to move onto signing up for a blogging account, follow the next set of steps below.

Sign Up
Below are the sign up pages for each of the blogging networks listed above:
1) Blog.com Sign Up - http://www.blog.com
Watch a video on signing up for Blog.com - http://screencast.com/t/vPIuQPC7MRry

2) Wordpress.com Sign Up - http://www.wordpress.com
Watch a video on signing up for Wordpress.com - http://screencast.com/t/Qzyjx4m7oY

3) Blogger.com Sign Up (you will need a Google Account) - http://www.blogger.com
Watch a video on signing up for Blogger.com - http://screencast.com/t/nhyKMay2qvFx

4) Tumblr.com Sign Up - http://www.tumblr.com
Watch a video on signing up for Tumblr.com - http://screencast.com/t/0OFRW75Tv0K

For each of the sites above, you need to click one of the links and sign up for that website. Most of the blogging websites are the same; you go to the website, choose a username and password, add your email address, and then you're done. If you have any problems signing up, feel free to leave a comment below OR contact the blogging company you're signing up with.

Confirm Your Email Address
After you've signed up with a blogging company above, you should have received an instant email telling you to confirm your email address. This is to prevent spammers from signing up to thousands of blogs at a time and filling the webspace with junk. If you're the "real deal" then you should have received an email in your email account. All you need to do is follow the instructions in the email and you'll be 1 step away from starting your own blog!

Start Blogging
Once you've confirmed your email address, you will be ready and able to start blogging. You can write about anything you want. Good luck and have fun blogging!

Let me know (below) if you have any questions or comments.