Blogging is fairly easy if you like to write. If you don’t like to write, but MUST have a blog presence, don’t worry, there are ways around the writing part to help ease your workload.
5 Steps to Starting a Blog
Platform – Select a content management system that is right for you. There are free ones and ones you pay for. You can host your own site, which typically costs around $5.95 per month or you can have a harder-to-find URL (ex: NAMEyouCHOOSE.blogspot.com) that is hosted for you, free to use and setup (ex: blogger.com).
URL – Select a username that is in line with your personal brand and what you want to communicate. Ideally, you can blog under your vanity URL (your name). If you have a common name you can pick a URL that is a combo of your name and niche (ex: johnsmithcutlery or use your middle initial if it’s something that you do in written communications already). If you’re going to blog about a topic that ties into your expertise then choose that (ex: TheLiminalStage.com)
Topic – Decide what you are going to write about. Leave yourself some latitude when deciding your topic or topics. For example if you’re going to only write about various kinds of poison ivy it may be difficult for you to sit down and write a post after a while. Instead, you can write about plants and vegetation that agitate the human body. Still a niche topic but it can give you much more latitude when writing on your blog.
Design – Design your blogsite. Pick a color that communicates a little more about who you are and what you stand for (see www.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDohoPavchc). Add a professional photograph of yourself. Pick a font that is your style – there are serif and san serif fonts. If you’re really futuristic and cutting edge then pick a font for your header that represents that. (A header is the top of your web/blog site). If you’re willing to pay for design the services the options are nearly limitless.
Intro – Write an introductory post. I like to make them “sticky” – meaning they will stay at the top no matter how many posts you write. That way if a new reader joins your growing community they will no what you’re all about, what you’re writing about and what your intentions are right there at the top of your blog. The best way to describe the intro post is if your blog were a book what would you write in the introduction?
Find Your Writing Voice
Once you’ve conceived and build your home on the World Wide Web, then you’re ready to start writing posts. In order to continue to communicate your personal brand you need to identify your writing voice. Your writing voice is just like your speaking voice. In the same way you may speak to your friends a little differently then your clients, colleagues or boss your writing voice fluctuates too. But each voice – speaking or blogging – is you, the real you. So tap into your internal voice and unleash your speaking voice.
The next post will help you find yourwritingvoice.
