2009 is the perfect year to get online! Sure, you’re banking online, logging into Facebook or browsing Flossie, but this week Tee shows you how to put away your fear of technology and start a blog!
What the heck is a blog?
The name blog comes from the term ‘web log’. They’ve been around for awhile, and in essence a blog is a form of website that arranges content in reverse chronological order with the most recent posts or entries displayed first. Blogs generally also encourage discussion, with readers of the blog able to comment on a post and communicate with other readers – it’s less monologue, more dialogue!
But here’s the beautiful thing. A blog can be whatever you want it to be. A personal diary or journal. A scrapbook of finds and your own creations. A collaborative space to share, inspire and collate ideas with others. A collection of links. A great personal or professional marketing tool. A resource.
Why would I want one?
Blogs aren’t for everyone. But chances are if you’re reading this, you know the internet is a great place to connect with content. You may even connect with a community like Facebook.
A blog is another form of communication. Basically, it allows you to express yourself – either just for your own records, to share memories with your family, to create an online community, develop and publish your knowledge in a particular niche area or to engage with clients and customers.
What do I need to think about?
- What is the purpose of my blog? Is it a personal thing, or does it have some professional aspects?
- What theme or topic will I focus my blog on? Often the best blogs are by people with a real passion for something and they use a blog to share this with others.
- What will I call it? Make it something snappy and easy to remember.
- How am I at interacting? Chances are you’re going to get others reading your blog – are you a people person? How do you feel about others reading and/or commenting?
- How often do I anticipate updating my blog? Have I got the time to do this?
- How will I get attention for my blog? Do I want attention?
- Do I want to make money from it? Can I?
How do I make a blog?
Once you’ve decided on your purpose, you’re ready to get started! Look around for a blogging site that meets your needs and sign up. Wordpress and Blogspot are two of the main ones that are free, easy to sign up, user friendly to use and well known. If you’re just making a personal blog and not looking for anything too fancy pants, then this is fine!
However, if you see this becoming something bigger or you want a professional blog, it may be worth looking into the other options – having to switch over to a different set up later on is possible, but is a lot harder than getting it right at the beginning!
Design wise, have a play with the layout templates on offer from the blog host, or look into a custom made design.
Then you’re ready to post and share your thoughts with the world.
How do I get other people to read my blog?
You can set your blog up so it’s private so no one, or only those you want to read it can. But if you want other people to come and read what you’ve created, you need to spread the word. Two three letter acronyms are important here – WOM and SEO.
WOM, or Word of Mouth is about talking up your blog. Tell your friends and family about it. Share the link with your colleagues and clients – if applicable. Link up with other blogs you like – get them to post a link to your blog on their blog and vice versa.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation is about making sure search engines such as google can find your blog and the content you write about – the higher you are in google’s eyes, the more likely someone is going to stumble across your blog.
Why blogs? Tee’s take on blogs…
I love the internet, although given I’m involved with two fantastic online magazines for women, this is hardly surprising. I love that you can shop online, bank online, pay the bills online, catch up on TV shows online, but mostly I love being able to find great content online.
Writing up this starter’s guide (more food for thought than an instruction book), got me thinking about my favourite blogs and why I like them.
Erica’s blog is a good example of taking a niche - women’s magazines and their associated spin offs - products in magazines, industry information, women in media profiles etc and creating a daily addiction. Regular reading for the Flossie team. Also love www.mamamia.com for the same reasons.
This site is has grown hugely in popularity and spawned many takeoffs - and proof that you don’t have to be a words person to have a successful blog. The man who runs this site, Scott Shuman, started the site as a way of capturing great outfits on the streets of New York and now it’s an international style inspiration.
We (for obvious reasons) love the guys at the Wire - NZ’s coolest community of bloggers! From Pebbles Hooper and Kathryn Wilson to Ben King and Taika Waititi. What I’m loving at the moment is The Wire’s founder Ben King’s weightloss journey. Addictive reading and an example of blog charting the personal life of someone - famous or not.
Another fashion website – but with a difference! ‘Fifi’ takes runway shots from high-end designers and creates sketches of said couture creations on a bunny. This idea has taken off – as well as her shop selling prints, Fifi has just partnered with Le Sport Sac on a collection!
Gala’s a kiwi girl who’s living it up in New York and sharing her unique take on life with thousands of readers. A little bit of fashion, a little bit of whimsy and a dash of Oprah ‘Live your best life”.
Julia is one of our Flossie columnists and has her own blog showcasing cool items in NZ and Australian design. This is a great example of building your profile (it’s how we found her!), and showcasing your knowledge on a topic.
- Are you blogging?
- What are your daily blog addictions?
- Do you comment on other blogs - go on, we dare you!
- How online savvy are you?
Let us know in the comments below…
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