BlogWritingCourse

When folks are just starting out in the big, unfamiliar world of blogging, the first thing on their list of concerns isn’t usually search engine optimization.  First time bloggers just want to be able to get a few blog posts under their belt, not worry about keywords and permalinks.

But a forward-thinking blogger will do well to learn some of the basic elements of SEO before creating their new blog.  Why?  Because every new blogger wants people to visit them, right?  And unless you’ve got friends and family coming out of the woodwork and knocking your door down to get a chance to read your blog, then you are going to depend heavily on search engine traffic to build your blog audience.

So what do you really need to know as you build your first blog?

1. What keywords are the most popular for your blog theme?  If you are writing a blog about your favorite television show, for instance, you want to find out what terms people use most when searching information about that show.  Programs such as Good Keywords or Google Adwords are immensely helpful with this.  Once you have determined the relevant keywords, be sure to use them often in your blog posts, and in your post titles.
2. Use images and tags that are appropriate to your theme.  Search engines favor images and captions that tie in well with your blog theme and keywords.  And photo sharing sites that allow for tagging, such as Flickr, are one of the best sources for your photos.  If you create links back to your blog on the photo sites, you are creating yet another inroad for your blog.
3. Knowing when to use bold and italic fonts when learning to blog.  Search engines give weight to words that are in bold and italic print.  So when you want to emphasize certain keywords or search terms, highlight them with these features. (But be careful not to go overboard with this technique – - readers can get overwhelmed by too much “emphasis.”)
4. Give thought to your blog design.  When you pick out a blog host or blog theme, one of the most important features as far as search engines are concerned is the presence of your navigation tools on every page.  Make sure that your sidebar content is accessible from all areas of your blog, especially your archives, and previous posts.

This is just a basic introduction to making your new blog search-engine friendly, but there is much more than SEO to creating a successful blog.  If you want a more thorough introduction to the world of blogging, why not sign up for our free “Get Ready to Blog” course?  This automated online course is packed full of information that will help you get started in your new blogging venture.  Sign up today!

BlogWritingCourse.com wants to help you get started in the big, wide open world of blogging.  We know it is daunting to chart new territory, so we would like to be your free guide.  The main things that keep people from blogging are:

Time Constraints – “I hardly have time to put on socks in the morning.  How can I possibly add blogging to my list of to-dos?”

Perfectionism – “What if I’m not good at blogging?”  “What if nobody reads my blog?”

Lack of Know-How – “Where in the world do I start?” 

As far as time goes, it is true that blogs don’t write themselves, but you might be surprised at the way blogging begins to blend in with your schedule.  I find that it takes the place of some of my aimless web surfing, and wasted channel surfing.  Instead, I am focusing my energies onto something I actually want to be doing – - sharing my thoughts. Blogging can be therapeutic, as well, and just might take the place of that useless “worry time” you have built into your daily schedule!

If you have read any blogs lately, you will also come to realize that no one is a perfect blogger.  Even the most successful bloggers with huge audiences have off days where almost no one visits their blog or leaves gushing comments.  And you can’t become a successful blogger without plenty of practice and plenty of mistakes.  So if fear of failure is keeping you from blogging, just go back and check the beginning posts of some your favorite blogs.  You will probably be surprised at how far they have come since their first blogging attempts.

With all the information on the world wide web about blogging, lack of know-how shouldn’t keep anyone from stepping into the ring.  There are blogs about blogging, articles galore, and step by step guides to getting started.  And thanks to BlogWritingCourse.com, there is even a free blog writing course that will guide you gently and easily into the blogosphere, and help you figure out exactly how to begin. 

Starting a blog is a worthwhile goal, and we’d like to help you achieve it, so why not sign up today?

So the thought has crossed your mind a few times, but now you are ready to take the plunge.  To start your very own blog!  This is such an exciting possibility, but where in the world do you begin?  Of course you can throw caution to the wind, and sign up with a blog host, and figure things out as you go along.  But then all those words are going to start hitting you at rapid speed.  “Carnival.”  “Feed.”  “Permalink.”  “Pingback.”   And on, and on. 

You can hit the panic button OR you can backtrack and start back at the beginning.  And we’d like to help!  At blogwritingcourse.com we are offering a free blog writing course for brand new bloggers.  This course, called Get Ready to Blog covers everything from blog lingo to blog safety to blog promotion.  This is a fast and easy sweep through the world of blogging, and when you finish the course, besides having your very own “Ready to Blog” certificate, you will have the foundational knowledge you need to become a real live blog writer. 

If you are ready to blog, then we are ready to help you get started.  Sign up today!

Darren Rowse, of Problogger, recently did a survey of bloggers who monetize their blogs.  He discovered the surprising fact that the majority of people who use ad revenue or other tools to earn money from their blog only make about $1 a day from blogging.  Now you will never see me snub my nose at $30, but for the time and effort spent on it, I would say that there are probably faster ways to earn three Alexander Hamiltons. There might not, however, be a more FUN way to do it.

If you are writing a blog about a subject you love, that you are passionate about, that makes you smile as you write, then you have found your niche.  If you are writing something that inspires you, helps you through a difficult time, or gets out your frustrations, then you know your blog is your antidote to despair.  If you are writing to make other people laugh, to make them take action, to make them stop and think, then blogging is your calling.

For those who have found blogging (or perhaps visa versa), putting their hearts and souls into their posts is more than just a hobby.  It is pure, unadulterated joy. 

What could possibly be more fun than telling, in full detail, how your so-called friend accidentally left a nasty message about you on your own answering machine, thinking she was talking to your other friend Alexis?  Or griping about how annoying the NBC commentators have been in this year’s Olympic games?  Or sharing with the whole world the first time your autistic child made a friend?

The blogiverse never tells you to shut up (especially if you turn off your comments tool!).  It welcomes your opinions, your stories, and your unique way of looking at life. Blogging lets you be exactly who you are.  What could possibly be more fun than that?

Maybe it is time to get in on the fun!  Why not sign up today for one of our blogging courses?  What have you got to lose…except maybe $30?

Until next time,

My 14 year old started a blog a couple of weeks ago.  He already has six posts up!  His blog is about describing and reviewing his online techie hobbies, in hopes of getting others hooked on some of his fun gaming discoveries.  I guess I could be sorry that he isn’t writing a blog about great poetry, or current events, or humanitarian efforts around the world…but I’m not.  I’m actually just thrilled that he is writing.  And at the risk of sounding biased, he is actually a darn good writer!

But his new foray into the blogosphere got me thinking about how unique it is to be a teenager in 2008.  Gone are the lock-and-key diaries, and in are live journals, where you spill your guts to the faceless masses.  Gone are teacher-assigned product reviews.  Who needs ‘em?  Teens are writing real reviews everyday on consumer sites such as Amazon, epinions, and my3cents.com.  And forget short stories!  Many teenagers have ongoing fan fiction sites, where they work alone or collaboratively to create entire novels.  Maybe even without realizing it, generation Y is writing more than ever before.

Almost every nook and cranny of a teenagers life has become hijacked by the medium of words.  Cell phone texting, instant messaging, commenting on social networking sites, Twittering – - its all about language, baby!  So it is natural, I suppose, that teens would be making a bigger and bigger dent in the blogosphere.  In fact, according to Intelliseek, almost eight million teenagers are blogging about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness.

That’s not such a surprising figure when you think about what it means to be a teenager.  You are asserting your independence. You are wanting to be taken seriously.  You have a lot of injustices and dramas occurring on a daily basis, and need somewhere to vent.  All of these are terrific reasons for starting a blog. 

If you are a teenager, or know of a teenager who has been wishing they could have their own blog, but didn’t know where to start, we’d like to help.  We offer two online courses in blogging.  One is a free course, called Get Ready to Blog, that will familiarize you with the language and safety issues involved in blogging (especially important in the case of teen bloggers).  Our other course, Blogging 101,  is a more in-depth look at blogging, and it will guide you every step of the way through setting up and designing your blog, learning to write interesting content, and building your readership.  This is an incredibly fun way to learn how to blog, because your fellow classmates are your first “blogging buddies,” who will be reading and commenting on your posts, giving you feedback, and expecting the same in return.

Whether you are a teenager, a thirty-something, or eighty years young, you have something to say.  You don’t have to be a member of Generation Y to realize the power of words….so get blogging!!

The most asked question by new bloggers is always…”How can I drive traffic to my blog?”  We’ve talked about many traffic-building ideas in this blog, but today we are going to explore one we haven’t yet covered.

One of the easiest, most painless, and free ways to increase traffic to your blog is by participating in a blog carnival.  For those of you unfamiliar with blog carnivals, the best way to explain them is to compare them to well…a carnival.  Just as a carnival travels from town to town, blog carnivals travel from blog to blog.  And just as a carnival draws a crowd…so does a blog carnival!

A blog carnival begins with a host – - a blogger who is willing to oversee the carnival, choose the topic and date of publication,take submissions, promote the upcoming carnival, and ultimately gather the submissions and publish them in a single post.  The host, though, is reliant on submitters – - bloggers who are willing to follow the guidelines of the carnival and submit a blog post from their blog that corresponds with the carnival theme.  Finally, you have the readers – - folks who are interested in the carnival subject and enjoy coming to a one-stop-shopping destination where they can read posts related to that subject.

You can see that the possibilities for blog promotion are tremendous with a blog carnival.  The host benefits by having submitters become familiar with his or her site, by networking with like-minded bloggers, and by receiving lots of hits on his blog following the carnival posting.  But even carnival participants can see spikes in traffic after their post has been featured in the carnival.  A carnival is a chance to showcase your work, and without much effort, readers will be flocking to your site to see more of what you have to offer.  A blog carnival directly links to one of your posts, so readers who have never heard of you before will click on your link to see what you have to say about the topic they are interested in.

Blog carnivals can be on almost any subject.  If you would like to find a blog carnival that matches your interests, go to Blogcarnival.com, which is a directory of all ongoing carnivals.  Not only is it a great way to increase traffic for your blog, but it is also a terrific outlet for meeting people with similar interests.

If you would like to learn more specific ways to grow your blog, sign up for our eight-week online blogging course, where you will cover all aspects of blogging from building a blog to writing quality content to promoting your blog.  This instructor-led course will guide you every step of the way toward creating a successful blog.  So….step right up!

Until next time,

If you have been thinking about starting your own blog, you might be wondering where to begin.  I recommend you first familiarize yourself with all the vocabulary and introductory issues surrounding the world of blogging.  One of the best ways to do this is by taking our free online Get Ready to Blog course.  This fun and easy introduction to blogging will help you overcome any intimidation you feel about starting your new adventure in blogging.

Your next step would be to come up with a theme for your blog.  Will this be a personal blog, where you share the ups and downs of your day to day life?  Will it be an informational blog, where you provide insight and commentary on a specific topic?  Or perhaps you want to start up a business blog, with the purpose of bringing attention or promotion to your product or store.  Then even within those major themes, you will probably get even more specific with your focus.

Once you have your theme in mind, you have to have a location to start writing.  This means choosing your blogging software.  There are many factors that should come into play when making this decision.  Each software, although essentially the same, has subtle differences that might need to factor in, depending on your needs.  If you are not technically savvy, for instance, you will want to go with a platform that does most of the “behind the scenes” work for you.  Your budget will also be something to keep in mind as you decide between free or subscription-based plans. This will also be the point that you will need to decide if you will use a host for your blog, or set up your own domain. 

Now comes the fun part.  It is time to sit down and set up your blog!  This will involve signing up with your chosen software, or host, and getting an account.  You will be picking out your graphics theme, setting up sidebars, and choosing from various display options.  There are many ways to customize your blog, and for some formats, you are limited only by your technical know-how and your creativity.

Finally, its time to start writing your blog. Hopefully, if you have been thinking about starting a blog, you already have some subject material in mind.  So it is likely that your first posts will be easy to crank out.  Continuing to write strong, readable content takes a little more effort and persistence, but will be crucial to your blog’s success.  Having a clear goal and theme in mind before you begin will be the key to writing quality posts.

You would think that the process of starting a blog would end there…but it doesn’t.  Blogs need readers.  And to get readers to stop by and check out your blog, you are going to have to promote your blog.  There are multiple ways to get the word out, including registering on blog directories, sending out emails to your friends and family, and adding your blog url to outgoing messages and in forum signatures.

This, of course, is only a very basic overview of what it takes to start a blog.   If you are considering taking the plunge, and beginning a blog of your own, why not let us help?  Our eight week, in-depth, instructor-led Blogging 101 course will guide you every step of the way from beginning to end.  Not only will our experienced blogger and teacher hold your hand throughout the blog setup process, but you and your classmates will form a circle of support for each other as you provide helpful feedback and comments along the way.  There is simply not a more thorough or fun way to learn to blog than with the Blogging 101 course.  So sign up today for either our free introductory course, or our full guided blogging course, and then…get blogging!!!

Until next time,

If you caught my last post, you will already be familiar with the blogging trials and tribulations of my buddy “Marge.” Understandably, Marge has forsaken her desire to become a blogger because of the many roadblocks she has hit along the way to setting up her first blog.  But I have good news for Marge, and for you….there is an easier way to learn to blog.  You don’t have to go it alone.  You don’t have to be a technical wizard.  In fact, you don’t even have to be familiar with blogging at all to get started.  You just have to have a desire to write, and a willingness to learn how to put that writing out into cyberspace, so that others can read and interact with it.

That’s where BlogWritingCourse.com comes in.  We have two blogging classes designed for beginning bloggers.  The first class, Get Ready to Blog, is a free automated guide through the basics of blogging.  You will learn the lingo of blogging, explore safety issues, compare blogging platforms, and examine different genres of blogging.  This course will prepare you for our complete eight-week blogging class, Blogging 101.  This course is led by an experienced, successful blogger and teacher, who will guide you every step of the way through creating a theme for your blog, designing and setting it up, writing quality posts, and building your audience. 

One of the biggest advantages of the course is that you will have a built-in following for your first blog posts, as your fellow students in the course will be reading and commenting on your initial efforts.  This peer group of beginning bloggers is one of the key components of the Blogging 101 course, and it is what makes it so effective…and fun!   As a Blog Writing Course alumni, I can vouch for the fact that by the time you have finished the class, you will not only have learned how to blog, but will also have built a community of fellow bloggers that you will continue to follow.  

So Marge, if you are reading this, I hope you see now that you don’t have to learn how to blog by trial and error.  By signing up for our blogging classes, you will have all the tools you need to create a blog you can be proud of.  Why stress out, when you can learn to blog the easy way! 

If you, too, want to learn how to blog the easy way, sign up for one of our blogging classes today.  It’s that easy!

Until next time,

A friend of mine – - we’ll call her “Marge” for the sake of this post – - has recently begun a blog.  Marge did a lot of research on blogging before she took the plunge.  She read articles on WordPress, and followed search engine links to multiple sites promising to dispense sage advice on blogging.  Unfortunately, most of this advice was aimed at someone pretty familiar with the blogosphere, and much of it went right over poor Marge’s barely-techie brain.

Marge got lots of instruction on making money with your blog, links and trackbacks, and even current trends in blogging.  What Marge didn’t get was good solid information on how to start a blog, and how to grow it.  So she decided to figure things out for herself.  After contrasting and comparing her blog platform options, she felt there wasn’t all that much difference between the big names.  She knew she didn’t want to have to pay for a host, so she decided to go with the Blogger platform.

After signing up for her new blog, Marge spent the better part of two days trying to navigate through the unfamiliar world of creating a heading, designing sidebars, and choosing a display theme.  Finally her blog template was ready, and Marge wrote her very first post.  She was incredibly proud of herself for her hard-earned efforts.  But as soon as the post was up, and Marge read over it, she got this funny feeling in her stomach that something wasn’t right.  The subject she had chosen for her blog just wasn’t cutting it.  She realized she hadn’t given her theme enough thought, and she hadn’t really worked out exactly how she wanted her posts to “sound”.  She decided to tweak everything…her blog title, her tagline, and of course her content.  And she did. For two more days, Marge thought, and tweaked, and thought, and tweaked.  And finally, she rested.

Then, when she had recuperated from her ordeal, Marge was ready to get back to blogging.  So imagine her surprise when she logged back into her Blogger account only to find everything gone. Her entire blog content seemed to have vanished into bits and bytes of ephemeral smoke.  She contacted Blogger, and thankfully their customer service department contacted her back – - TWO WEEKS LATER!  With an automated response email!!

Well, in that two weeks, Marge has understandably given up on her dream of becoming a blogger.  She figures that if it is that difficult, she will just take up bird watching.

Thankfully, I am Marge’s good friend.  I will not leave her jaded and defeated.  I will explain to her that there is an easier way….a sure-fire way to learn about blogging in a step-by-step fashion, and to be guided every step of the way through deciding on a theme, setting up a blog, and building her audience.  Stay tuned for our next post when I will share with you the advice I shared with Marge on learning to blog the easy way!

Until next time,

Change is difficult. Change is usually incremental. Change is sometimes necessary. But if you are a non-profit organization operating in the 21^st century, change is CRUCIAL. The way today’s non-profits communicate with their potential donors, their consistent supporters, and their volunteers is radically different than the way they communicated even ten years ago. Newsletters and mail-outs, while still in use, are not usually the preferred means of receiving information for most supporters under the age of forty…and that demographic must be reached in order to continue to grow a foundation of ongoing support and continued fundraising.

Today’s grass roots boosters aren’t satisfied to sit back and be spoon fed information about the causes and organizations they support – - they want to interact with their chosen movements. They want to feel like they are not only aware of the problems of the world, but are a part of the solution.

This is where blogging comes in. Almost 30% of internet subscribers read blogs on a daily basis. For many of these, blogs are their top source for news and information. This is partly because the blogging format, like no other medium, provides a dialogue beween the author and the reader. A blog is almost never one-sided. Non-profit agencies who incorporate a well-written blog into their communication strategy, are likely to achieve several worthy goals:

• Drawing interest from people formerly unfamiliar with the organization and its goals
• Keeping their supporters and potential supporters up-to-date on issues and news stories relevant to the mission of the organization
• Keeping constituents aware of upcoming events, immediate needs, or current fundraising drives
• Highlighting the selfless efforts of volunteers who give of themselves daily
• Providing a platform for supporters to interact with the organization and other supporters via blog comments and feedback
• Increasing a sense of overall connection and immediacy between the non-profit and its base of supporters through timely informational posts
• Putting a personal face on an impersonal fundraising entity, and makes supporters feel personally invested in the ups and downs of its daily operation

If you are interested in finding out how to quickly and easily integrate a blog into your communication efforts, click here to find out more about taking our Blogging 101 course.

Until next time,