Getting Started in Blogging

Blogging can be fun, educational, and possibly an income supplement. There are a few things that one should consider before starting a blog. Before starting a blog, you should know why you are blogging and what you want to blog about. People blog for many different reasons including social interaction, personal amusement, and profit. Starting a blog for profit is generally advised against as most people like to read blogs that the blogger/ author is passionate about. That being said, it is also important to select a subject you are passionate about. If you are interested in writing about the latest trends in Internet service providers, it would be best to look up an industry leader such as Xfinity for high-speed Internet service to learn more on the subject.

Once you select your motivation and topic, you will need to come up with a catchy domain name that has not already been taken. Given how easy it is to purchase a domain, and the vast competition from others shopping for domains, this can be quiet challenging. Much time can be saved by making a list of domain names you are interested in and then using a whois site to see if the domain is available. Once you find a domain name that is available, you will need to get it registered and hosted. Most companies that host websites also have domain name registration services. When selecting a hosting company, make sure it has the ability to automatically set up a WordPress account.

Why is a Word Press account so important? WordPress is the preferred platform for blogging because it requires very little technical knowhow, it is free, and there are hundreds of different styles (called themes) to choose from. Most bloggers use one of the responsive themes. Responsive themes are themes that resize and reformat based on what type of screen size your blog’s visitor is using. For example, someone using a desktop computer would have a screen size of over a thousand pixels wide, someone using a tablet would have a considerably smaller width, and someone using a smart phone would have an even smaller width. A responsive theme detects the width of your visitor’s screen, then reformats and resizes your blog to fit their screen.

Now that you have your theme selected and live, you will need to customize it. For this, you will need graphics. Unless you are fortunate enough to have your own supply of royalty free graphics, you will need to either purchase some or get some for free. If you are going the free graphics route, creative commons graphics is a safe source of graphics. Please keep in mind that if you take graphics, or any other content from a website without the content creator’s permission, you are stealing. Don’t be a content thief.

With your customized, responsive WordPress them up and running, you are now ready to write some content and post it to your blog. Select your topic, do your research, and then start putting your thoughts on your screen. Perhaps one of the best things to keep in mind while writing is as follows. Write one declarative sentence after another until you finish your thought, then stop writing. If you subscribe to that, not only will you keep your articles at a reasonable length, your readers will appreciate that your articles are focused. Happy Blogging!