There are as many ways to blog as there are bloggers, but I recently had someone ask me how you start from scratch, so here goes. This is my 3 - 2 - 1, super-simplistic blog launching pad.
3. Choose your subject area. Be sure that it’s a subject you know backwards, forwards, in your sleep, and could talk/write about for a long time without running out of ideas. Think about your subject as a potential mate; you don’t want to reach the awkward silence phase of the relationship for a long time.
2. Create an editorial calendar. I use Google calendar, which is nifty because it means I can share it with everyone else. I simply write the proposed blog titles on the dates they should go live. if for some reason the blog doesn’t work for the original date, I can simply drag it over to a new date and rearrange. This makes it easy if breaking news or a new software release takes priority over a planned post. I generally plan out a month in advance. This allows you to also commit to a schedule, which definitely helps when you're trying to build an audience.
1. Pump out content. Sit down in a comfortable place, turn off your email, music app, social alerts, pull down the shades, and write. Write for the trash can at first, and then go back and edit until your nuggets are shiny gold. Be sure to include internal links to previous posts, where it makes sense, and pop in some graphics for good measure. I like to use my own photography when I can, but there are also good photos available for free from Flickr’s Creative Commons area (just be sure to follow the attribution guidelines).
So that’s it. Of course you can make yourself crazy worrying about posting frequency, widget placement, SEO, and a million other things, but then you’d give yourself “analysis paralysis.”
Now go forth and contribute your voice to the conversation.
Notice I didn’t include a step for “choose your blogging platform” because you’re already using Hoop.la, right?
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