How to make a blog?

1. What blogging platform should I use?

The first thing that you need to know is how to make a blog. If you want to get started making money online, making a blog is the easiest route. The first thing you want to do when you make a blog is choose a service provider. Here is a list of some of the most popular blogging sites, and best of all, all of these sites are free!

Blogger.com - The site I am using. It's fast, user-friendly, and really nice to work with.

Wordpress.com - Wordpress is nice because it offers all kinds of free plugins and overall just looks and feels really good to use.

Tumblr.com - Tumblr is really nice as well. There are a lot of different themes to choose from and you can customize just about everything. However most of what you'll see on tumblr are blogs with more pictures than words. Sometimes only pictures.

2. Should I get a Domain name and hosting?

So now that you've got a blogging service just follow the direction to get it set up.. give it a name, a web address, etc. When you are making your blog you can also set up a custom top level domain name. What is a domain name? It would be the name of your website and then a .com or a .net, etc. If you go this route I suggest avoiding GoDaddy as their customer support is notoriously bad and go with NameCheap.com. Does my blog really need a domain name? Well this all depends on you. There are some advantages to having a domain name. For example, it lets people know that you are serious about your blog. It looks more professional. It has certain advantages for Googe page ranking. It can help with SEO. These are just a few reason why you might want to get a domain name for your blog. Does my blog really need hosting? The answer to this is no, not unless you bought a domain name. If you got yourself a domain name you are going to need hosting. Based on personal experience, I would recommend A Small Orange, at asmallorange.com. They are a really good company with excellent pricing plans and excellent customer service. If you want to go the free route, check out freehostia.com. As for how to set up your blog domain name and your blog hosting service, please check back with me, I will be covering these topics in depth in a future post.

What should I blog about?

Something that people often wonder when pondering how to make a blog is just what to write about. There really is no right answer to this. I would say write about what you know. That means write about something you are knowledgeable and/or passionate about. This will go a long way because people who are reading your blog will be able to pick up on it. They will know that you care about what you are writing about. It is also important to make sure you are posting quality content. This is especially important if you want to grow your reader base and develop a following.

How can I promote my blog?

"If you build it, they will come." This is the mindset most people start out with when making their first blog. Sometimes it does work, sometimes things line up just right and people really have success their first time, just by producing good content. While this should be how it always works, unfortunately, that is not the case. Most of us have to advertise our blog. There are various ways this can be done:

Google Adwords - This is a fast way to get exposure for your website, but unfortunately it is not free. I will cover how to utilize this method in a later post.

Forums - Post about your website in a related forum. Alternatively you could add a link to your blog in your forum signature.

Email - Add a link to your blog in you email signature.

Start another blog or two and use them to reference each other.

Backlinks - Sometimes backlinks come on their own but usually your best bet is finding another blog or related website and contacting them about linking your blog in exchange for linking theirs. Or maybe you could offer that you will link their blog in your next three articles if they will do the same for you.

What next?

A lot of times, if people aren't successful in the beginning stages, they will decide it isn't worth their time and quit. This is yet another reason why it is important to write about something you love and/or at least interested in. At least this way you will enjoying creating new content. Creating new content is a great way to keep readers interested and also to attract a new audience.

Conclusion

So if you find yourself wondering how to make a blog, by following this list, you'll be well on your way to creating something great. Once you get your blog up and running, be sure to check back here often, I will be showing you some different secrets about how to make your blog better. Good luck with making your first blog!