Eclectia

Creating A Blog

Creating a blog always seemed like a fun idea but I just had too many questions. What exactly is it? What would I write about? How would I get one? Does it cost anything? How do I get people to read it? Does it take a lot of time to maintain? Finally, when my Facebook friends virtually insisted, I did the research. Here are the answers I found:

1. What Exactly Is a Blog?

A blog is short for Weblog, or an online diary. The author posts something, then users may post comments. All comments are visible to all users allowing users to also direct comments to one another.

2. What Would I Write About?

Anything you want. Common blog topics include people’s days, opinions, politics, life, significant others, cats, complaining about jobs/bosses. Be careful what you say, however, as blogs are usually visible to anyone searches the right keyword. For example, in 2004, a staffer in the US Senate lost her political career when her blog describing her sex life in the Senate received national attention.

Blogs may also promote businesses and offer advice. For organizations, causes, events, movements, and charities, a blog may be a gathering place to keep supporters informed and active. For bands or other people who have supporters and friends in many places, a blog can not only keep people informed and shrink distance, but also link strangers together.

3. How Do I Get A Blog?

In my research, many sites offer free blog hosting, the most popular being WordPress, and Blogger. With both places, within minutes, the blog is up, and ready for writing. The sites are user friendly, and no HTML is required. MySpace also offers free blogging as part of a MySpace profile. However, to access and use it requires entry into the MySpace community.

4. Does Blogging Cost Anything?

No. Most blogsites offer free web hosting.

5. How Do I Get People to Read My Blog?

When create a blog account, you will be given a URL. Send emails to your friends and ask them to visit and link to the URL on their own Websites. Link your blog URL in your Facebook account. Facebook users may set up their news feeds to automatically link their blog entries. This means, everytime you blog, the first few paragraphs and a link show up on Facebook. If you are using it for business, put the URL in your regular business advertising. If you visit internet discussion boards, put your link in your signature so that it appears on every post. Unlike Twitter, blogs do not usually have specific "followers." Your followers must bookmark the link.

6. Does it Take a Lot of Time to Maintain a Blog?

The time is up to you. Blog sites have a variety of options. Users can just do simple text entries or can upload photos, videos, and music. However, a basic blog takes literally minutes to set up, and your entries take as long or short as you want them to take. If you have nothing to write, don’t write anything. If you have a novel to write…well, be kind, break it into segments.

Here are a few blogging services to check out


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