Tips on Starting Your Own Blog

I attended a blogger conference earlier this month called Blissdom in Nashville, TN. Throughout the weekend, 250 bloggers networked, shared and learned ways to build their blogs and businesses. As Blissdom’s official tech support, three fellow Geek Squad Agents and I helped the attendees solve their tech problems. We even learned a thing or two in the process.

One of the major topics discussed was how to get your blog started. If you’re interested in starting or improving your blog, check out http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/. The site contains basic tips and tricks including this must-read if you’re new to the blogsphere.

Here are some of my own tips for blogging beginners:

• Choose a blogging platform and pick a name that will be able to grow with you. The shorter the better. It can even just be your name, if it’s easy to remember and distinct enough. For instance, one of Robert Scoble’s first blog iterations, before he launched Scobelizer.com, was http://scoble.weblogs.com. 
• Make the content interesting. This seems simple, but it’s true. How many times have you read a blog that is boring? 
• Write often to keep your followers and subscribers coming back. Check out this BloggingBasics 101 article for writing tips.
• Make sure you have an RSS feed, or e-mail subscription option for your blog. This makes it easier for your readers to follow you.  
• Link generously. Share the blog love and make sure you give shout-outs to all your blogging friends. Did someone have a well written article? Is there a blog giveaway that you want to share? Is someone else just as passionate about something as you are? If so, link to them in your blog! Be sure to use permalinks. 
• Network. Do you have a Facebook profile or Twitter account? Link your blog to all of your social networking sites. It’s a great way for your readers to find out more about you, and become more interested in what you have to say.

The other Blissdom sessions focused on how to improve and grow your blog. Six Revisions.com can help sharpen your blog’s design aesthetic and contains useful tips on Photoshop, Illustrator and other design software programs. Check out the site’s 35 basic tutorials that walk you through Photoshop. This is a great learning tool if you’re considering using Photoshop to design your blog.

Bloggers who are starting to build a following should read up on how they can turn their passion into a business. BloggingBasics101.com contains tips on how bloggers can start making money with their site. BloggingBasics also has some great advice on how bloggers can build relationships with the people who represent name brands.

And finally, besides keeping out of town relatives up-to-date on your family, expanding your social network and possibly even making money, blogging has been shown to have benefits for your health. According to an article by Scientific American, “Scientists (and writers) have long known about the therapeutic benefits of writing about personal experiences, thoughts and feelings. But besides serving as a stress-coping mechanism, expressive writing produces many physiological benefits.” I concur.