Blogging Basics for Beginners: Reaching an Online Audience
Blogging Basics for Beginners: Reaching an Online Audience
The internet has opened up the world of instant mass communication to everyone and blogging gives the private citizen a platform to communicate their views to the world.Some people use blogs as a business tool, others use them to write about their hobbies or travel adventures while others are content just to write and express their thoughts to the internet at large.
Many blogging platforms are free to use and are so simple to set up that you could start your own online blog within minutes. You don't need a domain name or hosting to get your own blog although you can do this if you want to.
Blogs, or weblogs to give them their full title which is almost never used, can be thought of as personal online journals for all to see. You don't need to be famous to share your points of view with the world but if your blog captures the imagination of a large enough internet audience then you may find fame as a blogger!
However it is as a business tool that blogs have really come into their own and many online marketers are using the power of blogs to their advantage. At their most basic blogs are nothing more than a chronological journal entry of a person's thoughts but many now incorporate stunning graphics, multiple pages, pictures, video, slideshows, free downloads, affiliate links, adverts and links to other websites. In fact many business blogs are so advanced that they are blurring the distinction between blog and traditional website altogether.
Business blogs serve the purpose of promoting or advertising products or services which the owner has for sale, these can be the blog owner's own products, affiliate products or a mixture of both. More money can be earned by allowing others to advertise on your blog although don't overdo the advertising as too much can turn people off.
If you are new to blogging and want to set up one for business or pleasure here are some basics to get you started:
No matter what your blog is about, remember that you are writing for an audience so make sure you make it interesting enough to keep them coming back for more. If you provide regular fresh and original content which people want to read then you will soon build up a loyal following.
Blogs do not have to just be about words so use pictures (and video too if you wish) to make them more interesting. As blogs are more personal than formal websites your readers will expect to see pictures you have taken yourself. You don't have to be an expert photographer but do take the trouble to select pictures which are clear, relevant to the blog post and preferably sharply focused.
Don't make the blog all me, me, me" but write about things which your readers would find beneficial and useful in their own lives. By all means write about yourself and your own thoughts but the blog does not need to be wholly self-indulgent.
Allow comments and feedback so your readers can have an input to your blog and feel part of an online community but consider a system where you can monitor comments for suitability and filter out offensive posts and irrelevant commercial spam.
If you are blogging for business then ensure you have a free giveaway for readers (if appropriate) which can serve to turn casual readers into future customers. By linking a free download to a lead capture form you can even build a list of customers to whom you can later market your products.
Remember you don't have to update your blog every day and may find that a couple of times a week is sufficient. However as blogging can be highly addictive your problem may be spending too much, not too little, time on your blog.
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