WHAT IS A BLOG?

Introduction

So you’ve heard the term “blog” and you want to know what blogs are all about. Well you’ve come to the right place. In this series of articles we will take you from asking what a blog is to having all the knowledge you need to start a blog of your own.

Over the months and years you will be able to share your thoughts with hundreds or thousands of readers, promote yourself, your business or your cause and you may even earn a full time living from your blog.

Recommended reading:

So What Is a Blog?

Let’s begin with some definitions. A bit dry, we realize, but this is a necessary evil. First we’ll define the word this whole site is based around – blog.

A blog is a frequently updated online personal journal or diary. It is a place to express yourself to the world. A place to share your thoughts and your passions. Really, it’s anything you want it to be. For our purposes we’ll say that a blog is your own website that you are going to update on an ongoing basis. Blog is a short form for the word weblog and the two words are used interchangeably.

Here are a couple of other definitions:

“…the first journalistic model that actually harnesses rather than merely exploits the true democratic nature of the web. It’s a new medium finally finding a unique voice.”–Andrew Sullivan

“[a] collection of posts…short, informal, sometimes controversial, and sometimes deeply personal…with the freshest information at the top.”–Meg Hourihan

Terminology

As so often happens in the English language, many derivatives of the word blog have been created. One who participates in the activities of maintaining a blog is known as a blogger and the activity of keeping a blog is known as blogging. So we could say that the blogger blogs in his blog, but that might cause your English teacher to weep. We are going to use these terms with alarming frequency, so make sure you understand what they mean before you go on.

Blog (noun) – a journal or diary that is on the Internet.

Blogger (noun) – a person who keeps a blog – Bloggers are revolutionizing the way news is shared.

Blog (verb) – to write a blog – I am going to blog before breakfast this morning.

Blogging (verb) – the action of writing a blog – Blogging is my way of sharing my passions with the world.

Originally blogs were known primarily as places for people to write about their day-to-day activities. Their mundane, everyday tasks became fodder for journal entries. Somehow these writers gained a following and the hobby of blogging was born. Today people write about far more interesting topics, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

Who Blogs?

So who are these fearless people who would be willing to post about their lives in as public a forum as the Internet? They are people just like you. Once the haven of technical know-it-alls, blogging has suddenly caught-on as a legitimate hobby and has entered the mainstream. Every day millions of people, some of whom have no technical ability whatsoever, write on their blogs.

To meet this demand some amazing tools have been created that will allow anyone, even people with very little knowledge of computers, to have their own blog. If you can find your way onto the Internet and follow some basic instructions you can have your own blog. It’s just that easy.

Why Do People Blog?

So you may be asking why anyone would want to have their own blog. We believe the answer lies in the fact that every human has a voice and wishes their voice to be heard. The Internet is a medium that is unparalleled in its reach. Never before have average people like you or me been able to reach a global audience with so little trouble. Bloggers have the opportunity of reaching hundreds or even thousands of people each and every day.

There are still many people who like to share the details of their days. They may post twenty or thirty times a day, detailing when they ate lunch and when they headed home from work. On the other hand there are bloggers who give almost no detail about their lives, but write instead about a hobby or interest of theirs. They may dedicate their blog to something they are passionate about.

In fact, today’s blogs can provide hair tips, up-to-date news, technical information, celebrity scandal, political rumor, gets people involved in volunteering, advice on investments as well as there being blogs about niche topics like cooking, health, gardening, sport, blogging blogs (this blog) and of course many personal blogs and quite a few strange blogs.

Additional Blog Topics

• How to Start a Successful Blog
• How to Pick a Domain Name for Your Blog
• Characteristics of a Blog
• Your World Wide Audience
• Components of a Blog
• Free blogging platforms

HOW TO START A BLOG IN LESS THAN 1 MINUTES....

you want to start a blog? If so, you are in the right place!

Hi, my name is Zac Johnson and through the use of blogging, I continually generate thousands of dollars per month from the comfort of my own home. In this guide, I will show you exactly what it takes to start a blog of your own today, while also walking you through the process of how to create content for your blog and even make some money in the process. If you follow along with everything I’ve broken down for you below, you should have a blog of your own up and running in less than 15 minutes.

Let’s get started!

HOW TO START A BLOG IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES…

So, you want to start a blog? If so, you are in the right place!

Hi, my name is Zac Johnson and through the use of blogging, I continually generate thousands of dollars per month from the comfort of my own home. In this guide, I will show you exactly what it takes to start a blog of your own today, while also walking you through the process of how to create content for your blog and even make some money in the process. If you follow along with everything I’ve broken down for you below, you should have a blog of your own up and running in less than 15 minutes.

Let’s get started!

HOW TO START A BLOG IN 3 SIMPLE STEPS

I wanted to make this process as simple and fast for you as possible, so I’ve broken it all down in three simple steps. Here’s what you will need to know before getting started.

1. Select the Right Blogging Platform – This is how you will create a blog and new content for your site.
2. Set up Your Domain Name and Hosting – These are required to make your site content accessible around the world.
3. Creating a Blog with Purpose – Once your blog is live, I’ll show you how to make it look amazing and professional.

If some of these don’t make sense to you right now, don’t worry about it. I’m going to show you how simple it is to go live with a blog in just minutes, while also requiring no technical or programming skills.

STEP 1 – CHOOSING THE RIGHT BLOGGING PLATFORM

Starting a blog or a website today is much easier, faster and cheaper today than it was in previous years. This is mainly due to free software solutions becoming available that allow site owners to create content and go live with a site without the need to know any programming or have any design skills. In short, if you know how to type or send an email, you are more than well-equipped to start a blog of your own.

However, before going live with your blog, you need to know which blogging platform is best for you and your site. In the chart below you will see a breakdown of the most popular blogging content management systems being used today.

WORDPRESS IS THE BEST SOLUTION FOR STARTING A NEW BLOG.

As you can see from the visual above, WordPress is the clear winner. In comparison to the thousands of different site design editors, platforms and content management solutions on the internet today, more than 26% of all sites on the internet use WordPress (just like this website is also using WordPress).

So what does this mean for you? In short… WordPress is going to make your life and blogging a whole lot easier.

Here are a few reasons why you will love using WordPress:

• It’s 100% Free – Amazingly enough, one of the most powerful software solutions in the world today is 100% free! No gimmicks, no up-sells… just free.
• Extremely Easy for Beginners – WordPress has become one of the most popular platforms in the world today not only because it’s free, but also because it’s so easy to use. Instead of requiring site owners to use custom designs or programming, there are thousands of free WordPress Themes and Plugins that you can use to customize all aspects of your blog.
• Free Resources, Guides and Community Support – With WordPress being used by so many websites, you can pretty much find any resources, guides, tutorials or support that you need. In addition to the free sources found on the main WordPress site, you will also find endless resources on other blogging resources sites.
• WordPress Looks Great on Mobile – With more people using their mobile devices to access the internet than ever before, it’s important to make sure your blog looks great on all devices as well. This is another area that WordPress has you taken care of. Create a blog in minutes and your site and content will look great on desktops, tablets, mobile devices and more.
• WordPress is Huge! – WordPress has been downloaded over 100 million times and is the software of choice by millions of bloggers and many of the top blogs in the world today, such as TED, NBA Sports, CNN, and TechCrunch. Best of all… it’s free to use!
• Now that you’ve seen why and how WordPress is being used to make blogging and site creation so easy, let’s move along in the process and get you started with a site of your own. The next step in the process is to select a hosting provider and pick a great domain name for your site. This is one of my favorite parts when launching a new site or blog!

  STEP 2 –  SELECTING YOUR DOMAIN NAME AND BLOG HOSTING

  With WordPress being selected as our blogging platform, it’s now time to set up the other two most important factors to getting your blog live:
  • A Domain Name – This is the address you type in whenever you want to visit a site. (www.name.com)
  • A Hosting Provider – This is the service that places your site content on the internet for others to see.
  Again, even if you never created a website or blog before, don’t worry! The process of setting these up is extremely simple and once it’s done, you won’t need to mess around with any of these settings again.
  

  HOW TO GET A FREE DOMAIN NAME

  Anyone can register a domain name. The toughest part is simply coming up with an original name that isn’t already registered yet. On average, domain names will cost around $15 per year to register. However, I was able to get an amazing promotion from my recommended web host, Bluehost.com, where they will give you a free domain name if you set up a web hosting plan today. Not only do I recommend Bluehost, WordPress recommends them as well!
  In addition to a free domain name, when you setup your hosting with Bluehost, you will also receive premium hosting for just pennies per day. This will also allow you to setup a unique email account for your site as well (such as name@yourblogname.com), which is a lot more professional than a free Yahoo, Hotmail or Gmail account. It’s all very easy to setup once setup with Bluehost.
  How to Pick a Great Domain Name
  With all of that in mind, here are a few tips on how to pick a great domain name for your blog.
  • Keep it short and simple
  • Stay away from numbers and dashes
  • Pick a name that is easy to spell and memorable
  • Don’t use any copyright or trademarked names
  • Use keywords that are relevant to your topic
  • Stick with a .com, .net or .org domain extension
  • If it’s available, always try to register YourName.com
  Thousands of domain names are registered every day, so if you keep finding that your requested domain name is already taken, don’t get discouraged. If you can’t think of anything unique, I always recommend seeing if your personal name is available as a domain. This is always good to try and register, as it likely won’t be available forever!
  Which extension should you pick for your domain name?
  Also, when choosing a domain name, you will have a few different options as for the type of domain extension you want to use. The ‘.com’ is always going to be the most popular, followed by ‘.net’ and then ‘.org’. However, there are many other extensions to choose from — though I recommend you stick with any of the three mentioned here. They are the most professional and well-known around the world.
  Very exciting! We decided on using WordPress as our blogging platform and also know how to setup hosting and selecting a domain name for your site. Now it’s time to bring it all together and put it in motion.

MY STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO GOING LIVE WITH YOUR BLOG

As mentioned at the beginning of this guide, I want to make this is as easy for you to set up as possible, so I went through the process myself and did a few screen captures along the way. Now you can follow along here as a reference when you are setting up your Bluehost account and blog.

After clicking the link, you should see the Bluehost site (like the screenshot above).

On this page, you will also notice the special offer for a free domain name, free SSL certificate, 1-Click WordPress Installs and also 24/7 support.

Next, click on the big green button that says “Get Started Now“.

You will then be sent to a page where you can choose your hosting plan. (shown below)

There are three different hosting plans you can choose from. The ‘basic’ plan is more than enough for most site owners and bloggers to get started with, and the monthly cost is as low as $2.95 per month. If you’d like to create more than one website or blog in the future, the “Prime” plan is a better option.

After selecting your hosting package, you can then grab your free domain name. Simply type in a domain name you’d like to use and if it’s available, then click the “next” button. If your domain name in unavailable, keep coming up with new names until you find a good one that available.

If you already have a domain name with another provider like GoDaddy or Namecheap, you can use the “i have a domain name’ option instead.

A Brief History of Blogging

Initially, blogging involved a personal web log, in which a person would journal about their day. From "web log" came the term "blog."

Like most new innovations on the Internet, many entrepreneurs saw a marketing potential in having a blog, and blogging took off from there. Not only can a blog be used for marketing, but also, a blog can be a home business in and of itself.

Blog Versus Website

Many people are still confused over what constitutes a blog over a website. Part of the problem is that many businesses use both, integrating them into a single web presence. But there are two features of a blog that set it apart from a traditional website.

1. Blogs are updated frequently. Whether it's a mommy blog in which a woman shares adventures in parenting, a food blog sharing new recipes, or a business providing updates to its services, blogs have new content added several times a week.
2. Blogs allow for reader engagement. Blogs are often included in social media because of the ability for readers to comment and have a discussion with the blogger and others who read the blog makes it social.

Why Is Blogging Is So Popular?

There are several reasons why entrepreneurs have turned to blogging.

1. Search engines love new content, and as a result, blogging is a great search engine optimization (SEO) tool.

1. Blogging provides an easy way to keep your customers and clients up-to-date on what's going on, let them know about new deals, and provide tips. The more a customer comes to your blog, the more likely they are to spend money.
2. A blog allows you to build trust and rapport with your prospects. Not only can you show off what you know, building your expertise and credibility, but because people can post comments and interact with you, they can get to know you, and hopefully, will trust you enough to buy from you.

1. Blogs can make money. Along with your product or service, blogs can generate income from other options, such as advertising and affiliate products.

Is there a Downside to Blogging?

Blogging is popular because it works as a marketing tool and makes money. But blogging isn't all rainbows and unicorns in the world of online income. Before starting a blog as a means to make money or to promote your existing business, you should consider these potential downsides:

1. Blogging requires a great deal of time. For blogs to be effective at SEO and engaging readers, it needs to be updated regularly. The Internet is littered with abandoned blogs that haven't been updated in months or even years. The success of blogging comes from having people return, and they only return when there's new stuff to read. That means generating content at least several times a week, which takes time.
2. You need ideas to write about. To keep the content coming, you have to have ideas to write about. The good news is that you don't have to write it all. You can have guest writers or hire freelancers. Another option is to curate content from others or do an alternative post, such as using video.
3. The payoff isn't immediate. One of the biggest frustrations with blogging is that it's time-consuming with little payoff in the beginning. It takes time to build up a readership and momentum.

How to Start a Blog

The good news is that starting a blog or adding a blog to your existing site is relativity easy and affordable. There are free blog options such as WordPress.com and Blogger, but to retain control and professional image, consider investing in a domain name and hosting, and installing WordPress or other content management system on your host. Most webhosts offer this.

Once your blog is up and running, you need keep it active with new content to grow your business. While your blog can compliment an existing business, it's also a great way to add additional income. You can promote other companies' products and services in affiliate marketing. You can offer advertising or feed ad networks on to your blog. If you have a service business you're promoting with your blog, you can create your own information products to compliment it.

Or, if you have your own product, you can offer a service.

Finally, like all other business ideas, your success comes from marketing, and letting your target market know about your blog. Great ways to reach your market are through social media, email list, and reaching out to other bloggers, podcasters, and media outlets for publicity.