I've been blogging for just over four years now. I find it a great way to get my thoughts out and to organize them!
Whether you do it for personal purposes or to emphasize a specific topic, it's one of the best learning tools I've ever found.
Why should I blog?
1. Blog on a topic you are interested in. It establishes you as an expert on that topic, and encourages you to continue researching and learning about the topic.
2. Blog on a topic you want to learn about. A blog is a great way to keep track of what you have learned, and allows you to share your discoveries with others.
3. Blog to share photos, recipes, or instructions in a specific craft.
4. Blog to keep friends and family up to date on your life.
5. Blog to express your thoughts on trends that interest you.
2. Blog on a topic you want to learn about. A blog is a great way to keep track of what you have learned, and allows you to share your discoveries with others.
3. Blog to share photos, recipes, or instructions in a specific craft.
4. Blog to keep friends and family up to date on your life.
5. Blog to express your thoughts on trends that interest you.
Blogging Platforms
These are ones I have tried out
- LiveJournal
- This is where I started. I prefer to use it for personal blogging. I have, at various times, used it for niche journaling, but I would never call my LiveJournals blogs. This is a hosted service.
- Blogger
- When I made my first steps into "serious blogging", I started with Blogger because it's free and hosted. All things considered, it's not a bad little platform for someoe starting out, but my blogs moved away from there two weeks later.
- Typepad
- This hosted Movable Type platform was what I used for a couple of years. It filled the basic needs of my blog, and the pricing structure is fairly modest. A series of problems with the site finally led me away from Typepad this winter.
- WordPress
- I've been using WordPress on one of my blogs since September. The rest of my blogs were moved to WordPress this winter. The service requires you to host it, but you can tweak it through plug-ins to do all manner of interesting things!
Wordpress.com now offers hosted blogs. It's a great way to try out the WordPress interface and to see new features before they're pushed out to WordPress installs!
Help! I have blogger's block!
It happens. Trust me, after four years of blogging, I've definitely had my fair share of blogger's block.
How do you get around it? Consider this list when you want to blog, but can't figure out what to write about it.
1. Create a list
2. Write a product review
3. Link to a group of related posts from your blog (if you can weave a fresh narrative around them, all the better.)
4. Share relevant images.
5. Pose a question ot your readers.
6. Issue a challenge to yourself, your readers, or both.
How do you get around it? Consider this list when you want to blog, but can't figure out what to write about it.
1. Create a list
2. Write a product review
3. Link to a group of related posts from your blog (if you can weave a fresh narrative around them, all the better.)
4. Share relevant images.
5. Pose a question ot your readers.
6. Issue a challenge to yourself, your readers, or both.
del.icio.us Blogging Links
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byGreat Stuff on Amazon
ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
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The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging
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Blogging For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
Amazon Price: $14.29 (as of 07/05/2009)
Clear Blogging: How People Blogging Are Changing the World and How You Can Join Them
Amazon Price: $18.24 (as of 07/05/2009)
Publish and Prosper: Blogging for Your Business
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by corwin
Rebecca Thomas is a teacher and writer who enjoys all manner of artistic endeavors. In her free time, she blogs on topics that interest her in an atte... (more)
