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Blogging for Newbies. 5 Things to Consider Before Setting Up Your Blog
By admin | October 28, 2008
What sort of things should a newbie consider before setting up a blog? Many blogs are doomed to fail from the start;there is a blogging cyber graveyard out there, made up of good intentions. As the saying goes, if you cant stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.
It is hard to start and maintain a blog, so what do you need to consider before you even begin?
CONTENT
Are you going to be able to write interesting informative content on a regular basis? You have to be clear about this and have a supply of research material that you can write about. Don’t fall into the trap of cutting and pasting others content, apart from the obvious copyright problems, Google is adept at picking up on duplicate copy and if you want to have any chance of getting readers and traffic, you need Google on your side! If you cant write articles on a consistent basis you could consider getting freelancers to do it for you. I have to say that you are better off trying to write things yourself for at least a month. This will help you to learn how the blog works, and get you into a routine. You will also develop your own voice which is important. I have to say that my experience of the freelance route is a little jaundiced due to a bad experience with a freelancer and the nonsense that he produced…not that I paid for it,but in my mind it wasn’t useable anyway. Try and write yourself at least initially.
KNOW YOUR SUBJECT
This goes hand in hand with content. If you don’t know much about your subject then research it. If you don’t have an interest in it then dont bother starting it-seriously. You need to be able to write about your subject for some time to come, so if you arent interested,it will be even more difficult for you.
DESIGN
I have written about design of your blog previously. My view as a non website designer is to keep it simple. You need to make a good first impression. Content is important, but if it gets lost in a lousy colour scheme with difficult to read fonts then you have lost before you have started. Keep it simple but appealing.
HTML
I have avoided this as long as I can but unfortunately it is unavoidable. You will need a basic grasp of html. I know this from my owm personal experience. I am learning it in a basic fashion and will pass on what I glean. Its not difficult but it does take;
TIME
In short supply for all of us these days,but especially for a newbie trying to learn all sorts of things at once. Make no mistake about it though, you will have to devote considerable time to this, particularly if you are thinking of trying to make money online. On a part time basis,you should be looking at at least an hour a day and preferably more to devote to blogging, thats maintenance and promotion.
til next time
jane
Topics: Newbies, blogs | No Comments »