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The idea of starting a blog can be at once both tantalizing and intimidating. Cyberspace is chock-full of interesting, smart, funny and quirky blogs that make it look so easy. They might even inspire you to try your hand at it. Many dream of reaching Internet stardom with a blog that rocks the cyberworld. But compared to the many successful blogs out there in the crowded blogosphere, you may question whether you have what it takes to stand out. It's also disheartening to survey the vast graveyard of abandoned and forgotten blogs on the Internet. You may know several people who have started one or even multiple blogs, only to lose interest or find that they don't have the time to keep them up. First, let's be clear about what a blog is. The name comes from the term "web log," and like a written log, a blog consists of a series of entries. These entries are traditionally short -- usually a few paragraphs long -- and the blogger ideally will update the blog with new entries frequently, such as once a day or more.
Blog topics can range anywhere from politics to dating, from technology to knitting. And some blogs don't have a particular focus at all. These programs offer simple design templates and walk you through the process, so they're perfect for users who aren't particularly Web- or design-savvy. The free platforms will keep your blog under their domain name, whereas self-hosting will allow you to have your own domain. Self-hosting gives you more control over your site, and so is best for those who aim to make money from their blog. This brings us to the all-important question of what your goals are in creating a blog. On the next page, read about what to aim for when starting a blog. Before you make the leap and start a blog, to maximize your chance of success, experts recommend that you should first examine your motivations and goals. For instance, are you starting a blog for the primary purpose of making money or improving a business?
Or are you passionate about a subject and want to provide a forum for others who share your passion? Perhaps you have expertise in your passion and want to help educate others about it. It could be a mix of money and passion that drives you. No matter what your goals are, they will help define the best strategy for your blog. We've already discussed a little about choosing between a free blogging platform and self-hosting your blog. This decision will largely depend on your goals. Next, it's important to think about the topic of your blog. Experts usually recommend settling on a narrow topic, something they like to refer to as a niche. A niche can give you an edge in the crowded blogosphere. For instance, if you're interested in writing a blog about movies, consider that there are hundreds of blogs about movies and Hollywood already. Unless you're Roger Ebert, you'll need to find a way to stand apart from them.
Examples of niche blogs would be ones specifically about independent films, horror flicks or morality in movies. However, it's also dangerous to choose a topic that's too narrow, because there might not be enough of an audience, or you might not feel confident that you'd be able to produce enough content for the blog. So, instead of writing a a blog specifically about Spider-Man movies, for example, consider widening it to comic book movies. Even if you're starting a blog as a hobby primarily for personal fulfillment -- much like a personal journal that you welcome others to read -- this still represents a goal that will take some work to achieve. For instance, you should fashion your blog's focus to maximize your self-discipline and keep yourself interested. Unlike corporate memos, academic papers or news articles, blogs are warmer and more personable. But that doesn't mean blog writing isn't a craft. Like all publications, you'll want to strive for clear writing and avoid obscurity.
Indeed, this is arguably more important for blogs when compared to other publications, because your readers seek short, efficient posts rather than lengthy articles. Once you've decided on a topic, it'll be much easier to find a voice for your blog. Your blog's voice is basically the style of your writing. You'll want to develop a personalized voice for your blog that reflects a unique personality. This is important, because what often keeps blog visitors coming back is that they appreciate an author's writing voice. So, for a comic book movie blog, for example, readers will initially check it out because they love comic book movies, but they'll continue visiting it on a daily basis because they love how the author expresses a loving respect for the subject. For instance, it would make sense for a medical blog to strike a more serious tone, whereas a blog about video games might be more upbeat. To avoid offending your readership, you may want to avoid inappropriate language.
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