BlogWritingCourse

If you are in the early months of your new blog, then you are likely still enjoying the writing process and getting your ideas “out there.” But unless you are growing your blog following, then your blog is still acting more like a private diary than a weblog. 

So, how can you build that all-important factor for your blog….a readership??

Become a Follower

The best and most effective way to build your own following at your blog is to follow others.  That means finding other people with similar blogs and common post subjects.  How do you accomplish this?  Make use of some terrific tools already available to you on the web…

• Technorati blog search
• Google blog search
• WordPress search

When you follow other people with similar interests, and make thoughtful comments on their blogs, they are very likely to return the favor.

Become a Socialite

Blogs aren’t the only place people hang out these days, you know?  When you see the percentages of people on Facebook and Twitter you realize that this “social media thing” might be here to stay for a while.  So, it is important not to overlook these destinations when seeking out new followers for your blog.

Search Facebook groups, pages, and public profiles for others who are interested in your blog subject.  Avail yourself of the advanced Twitter search features that can let you know instantly when someone is Tweeting something of interest to you. 

Then, get into the conversation!  This isn’t the time to be a lurker…make yourself heard on these groups and via Twitter.  And anytime someone mentions their personal blog in a status update or a tweet, be sure to check that out too!  And definitely don’t miss out on the opportunity to link to your blog from your updates.  There are even services that let you update your Facebook and Twitter accounts automatically each time you publish a new post.

Become a Self-Marketer

We’re sort of trained from birth to not “toot our own horns” but in the world of blogging, this truth does NOT apply.  You want to avail yourself of every possibility of growing your blog following, and you want to be creative about it.  That might mean marketing your blog by:

• linking to it in your email signature
• linking to it in the signature of every web forum you participate in
• joining and participating in Yahoo Groups that deal with your blog subject, and also adding it to your signature there
• adding your blog URL to your business cards
• adding it to your Facebook and Twitter profiles

You have things to say – - things that deserve to be heard.  It’s time to get serious about creating an audience for your blog!!  For more information on building traffic for your blog and other great helps in getting a blog from zero to successful in eight weeks, register today for our Blogging 101 course!

Sometimes, it’s just refreshing to hear why people blog.  Occasionally here at BWC.com, we’re going to peek into the motivations of bloggers far and wide because there is nothing that “refills the blogging tank” more than hearing what inspires others to blog!

The following post is reprinted with permission by TaderDoodles at Chaos Appreciation:

This is not my original blog. This isn’t even my second or third blog.  I’ve had Too Busy 2 Clean, I’m not crazy I’m homeschooling, Valley Walkers, Turtle Doodling, and a variety of bizarre random posts on mommy social sites.  I keep going off on tangents, posting certain topics for a week or so thinking that is what my readers want to read. It is like my blog has multiple personalities.

I finally decided last year to stop with all the posting here and there and consolidate everything here. The posts are still pretty random in topic but my wonderful readers have hung around to see what comes out of the chaos next. I became disenchanted with blogging shortly after the New Year because I realized I was “pumping” out posts rather than writing to my readers. I had lost my blogs main purpose!

I want to share ideas with my readers. I want to share reviews with my readers. I will always want to make things to give to my readers! The purpose, however, of my blog….deeeeep down…is to give me GROWN children (in the future ya’ll) a peek inside my head- in real time.

I talk to my family ‘elders’ now and listen to them retell stories of what it was like when they had little kids. It all seems filtered. If I’m having a bad day then they tell me a fluffy version of their bad day and quickly end with a “but it all turned out okay”. That’s all fine and dandy dearies but what I need as a mom is to know that there were days where Nana burnt the chicken because she was cleaning up a puking baby while my mom and aunt jumped on her sofa.

Ok, well THAT probably never happened but you know what I mean.

I have three girls. One day they may be moms. One day I want them to be able to read my blog (or a printed version of it) and see what mom used, what she liked, what worked , what didn’t. I want them to know that it was hard and I cried and it was good and I laughed.

Twenty years from now I will be past the urgency, the exhaustion, the drama, the fears, and the anxiety that accompanies being the mom of little ones. Twenty years from now I will retell the stories with the confidence of a mom who knows it gets easier and better. I want my girls to know how I felt BEFORE I knew it would all be okay.

I want my son to have a deeper understanding of where his wife is coming from. I want him to see that she is going to be so very very frustrated with him and yet love him with the deepest of loves.

And when I start getting all “this isn’t that hard just do it this way” on them….they can hand me my blog.

For my kids so they will see what it was really like inside my head. rather than the fluffy happen versions of my life i’ll be exaggerating when I’m old.

One of the major victories for a new blogger is when her/his posts begin to get comments on them!!  It is so exciting to see that what you are writing is getting read, and that people care enough about it to leave a response.  But even before you get to the feedback stage, it’s important to think about the types of comments that you might be receiving. 

Inviting comments from the world wide web is a bit like opening your home up to strangers.  The majority of people who trek through will be polite and respectful, but then there are the exceptions.  And you need to be prepared in advance for those folks!

For that purpose, it is a good idea to create a “Comments Policy” for your blog and have it displayed either as its own page or as a prominent link on your sidebar.  Unless you happen to enjoy reading spam, you don’t want to leave commenting up to chance.

So think about how you would like strangers to behave if they came to your house, and you will be well on your way to creating an effective comments policy for your blog!

Things you might want to include:

• Appreciation for your readers and commenters
• Explanation of your community-building hopes for your blog
• Listing of comment types that would not be appreciated
• Your intolerance for spamming

Not only will a well-defined comments policy help your readers understand the type of blog atmosphere you are trying to create, but it will also help you when it comes time to approve or reject those comments that come in.  When you are sitting there wondering whether to click “yea” or “nay”, all you have to do is refer back to your policy for a reminder of what it is you are trying to do here at your blog, and your clicking finger will have some moral support! 

For more in-depth guidance on building a community for your blog, check out our eight-week Blogging 101 course!!

One of the questions bloggers face when opening a new blog is whether to use a hosted service, such as Blogger, WordPress.com, or Typepad…or whether to host the blog themselves at their own domain.  I usually recommend that first-time bloggers get started with a hosting service.  This option requires much less technical know-how and you can have a blog up and going in ten minutes or less. But there are some instances when choosing a self-hosted blog is probably a better idea:

• for business blogging
• for a non-profit
• for people wanting to monetize their blog (with advertising, etc.)
• for anyone planning on selling their blog in the future

But even if you aren’t blogging for monetary reasons, you still might prefer the customization options that a non-hosted blog provides. Before you make your final choice, let’s do a little comparison between the two:

If you are looking for a simple, free, and no-hassle blogging solution, then a hosted blog is always a safe bet.  But if you have bigger plans for your blog, want more control over your blog contents, or are blogging for business reasons, then a self-hosted blog may be the best option for you. 

To learn more about hosted vs. self-hosted blogs and any other aspects of getting a new blog up and going, register today for our Blogging 101 course!!

One of the most common complaints I hear from wannabe bloggers is…”I want to start a blog, but I just don’t know what to write about.” 

Do you want to know what my response is?  “Then DON’T start a blog.” 

That may sound strange from a person involved in a blog writing course, but it is true.  If you don’t know what to blog about, you probably shouldn’t be blogging.  That’s because the best blogs stem out of people’s passions.  In some ways, blogs sort of start themselves when people have something to say, and they know they want to express it, so they kind of have to start a blog to get their words out.

If there is something that brings you constant enjoyment, something that your friends are sick of hearing you talk about, something that is constantly on your mind, or something that you have been through (or are going through) and you wish you could share the journey – - then you already have a blog theme!  All that’s left to do is to get the technicalities out of the way and start writing!!

Even business bloggers need to rekindle the passion they feel for their company or product to be effective in the blogosphere.  It doesn’t matter if you are a mom who happens to think her kids are the most fascinating human beings on the planet, or a man whose wife is in the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease – - if you live it, and you have strong feelings about it – - it’s probably good blog fodder!

If you still aren’t completely sure about your passions, and whether they would make a good blog or not, go ahead and sign up for our Blogging 101 course, where you can work through every step of deciding on a theme, setting up your blog, and writing quality posts.  Sign up today!!

A really fun and exciting way to kick off a new blog is by hosting a giveaway.  This can be as simple as asking people to comment on a specific post and then picking randomly from those chosen, or as complex as creating a skill-based contest that requires entrants to complete a task of some sort where you choose a winner based on your judgment. 

The process of creating a giveaway can be a little bit time consuming, but may be very well worth it if your goal is pulling new visitors to your blog.  Here are the steps you may want to follow to create a blog giveaway…

Decide on a prize 

if your blog has a specific theme, it is always nice to choose a prize that is related to that theme.  For instance, if your blog is dedicated to reviewing local theater then tickets to an upcoming production would be the perfect giveaway.  If you don’t have the advantage of a clear theme – - maybe you simply write a mom blog – - then you might want to give away something parenting related, or even settle on a prize that anyone can be happy with such as an Amazon gift card or Restaurant.com certificate.   The most important thing is to make sure that you have your prize IN HAND before beginning your giveaway…there is nothing worse than administering a giveaway and realizing the prize you counted on giving is backordered and you won’t be able to send it to the winner for another month.

Pin down your giveaway details 

Take a tour around the blogosphere before you begin your own giveaway and check out other bloggers’ approaches to the process.  How do they word their rules?  What kind of time limits do they use?  How do they get other people to share the news of their giveaway?  This type of info will be invaluable to you as you formulate a plan for your own.  Once you have decided what the goal of your giveaway is (do you want to create just traffic, or are you hoping people will comment more?  do you want people to add you to their blogrolls?) then you can decide on what the requirements to enter your giveaway will be.  And keep in mind that the more you ask people to do, the better the prize needs to be!  No one is going to take the time to mention your blog on their social networks for the chance to win a free coffee at Starbucks. 

Create your giveaway copy and graphics 

Now that you know how you want your giveaway to go, it’s time to set it up!  Graphics will be an important part of your giveaway post, because nice pictures of prizes are a huge factor in whether visitors will give your post a long enough look to find out what your blog is really about.  And speaking of which, make sure to include some teasers about your blog, or links to a previous post in your giveaway.  It’s important that your visitors do more than just enter your giveaway…give them a reason to stick around and check things out!!

Promote!! 

Finally, once your giveaway is live, it’s time to figure out how to let people know about it.  Posting about it on your social networks is a no-brainer, but you also want to let the blogosphere know as well.  You will want to submit your giveaway to online contest directories such as Online-Contest.com, make sure the word “giveaway” is in the title of your post (to make it easy for searchers), and promote it in any forums or email loops you belong to.  Then, as another more in-depth promotional tool, you can even use a simple picture creation software to draw up a simple badge that advertises your giveaway and offer an additional entry to anyone who is willing to post the badge on their website and link it back to your giveaway!  That’s the power of networking!!

Giveaways certainly aren’t the most effective way for building an audience for your blog (good writing and strong content are!), but they will definitely help build a short-term buzz around it, and may even bring you a long-term fan or two!!  For more ideas on building blog traffic and drawing new readers to your posts, sign up for our full Blogging 101 course.

One of the most crucial – - and perhaps most fun – - parts of setting up a new blog is the choosing of the theme or template.  Whether you use WordPress, Blogger, Typepad, or one of the thousands of smaller blog hosting services, you will ultimately have to choose the background that will define your blog’s design.

Many people think that when they are choosing a theme for their blog, they are simply choosing the “look” it will have.  But if you have a hosted blog, the truth is that the theme you choose also affects even the FUNCTIONALITY of your blog. 

I got a question this week from a blogger who was wondering how to add a navigational menu across the top of her blog page.   Had she had a self-hosted blog that she had downloaded, this might have been a matter of adding some basic code that would help her link to the main sections of her content.  But since she had a blog that was hosted at Blogspot, that meant her only real choice for including tabs at the top of her blog was choosing a theme that had that feature built into it.

When you are browsing the themes and templates from your blog hosting service, make sure to examine all aspects of each one during the preview.  You will want to look for things such as:

• number of columns
• whether it uses a right or left sidebar
• whether it includes a navigational menu (and what that menu connects to)
• whether the colors are customizable
• customization of header
• how photos appear on posts and sidebar
• built in widgets, such as RSS, calendars, and stats

Making note of these small details can go a long way toward ensuring that you are as happy USING a particular theme or template as you were picking it out.  And remember the other wonderful thing about blogging….changing your mind is your daily prerogative!  If you don’t like a template, don’t hesitate to change it!  Your readers adjust to change quickly, and if you aren’t happy with it, you won’t utilize it. 

Happy theme picking, everyone!!

For more information on choosing themes, and other aspects of beginning blog design, sign up today for our eight-week online Blogging 101 course!

EVERYONE has something to say….. That’s why a subscription to our Blogging 101 course makes the PERFECT gift idea for almost anyone on your list!! Think of all the people in your life who seem to always have something to say:

• parents
• spouses
• co-workers
• teens
• neighbors
• in-laws
• friends

They have all bent your ear plenty of times, right? Well, why not give them a new outlet for all their chatter?? They may not need a new tie, or another set of dishtowels, but your friends and family can all benefit from a new skill. Anyone can become a blogger – - no matter their age, background, or education. Blogging 101 is the perfect introduction to blogging, and is a gift that will keep on giving throughout 2011 and beyond!

If you would like to send someone on your list the "gift of blog", just head over to our Gift Page, and register your gift subscription.  We will send your recipient a personalized certificate via email with instructions on how to get started.  You don’t even have to fight the crowds at the mall!!! What other incentive could you possibly need???

I’d jump up and down and click my heels but I’m too exhausted.  That’s because I’ve been working long hours to get our revamped Blogging 101 course ready to go.  And now it’s finally ready, and you are in for quite a learning adventure!!

If you have been looking for a comprehensive, easy-to-use, and affordable introduction to blogging, you have found it.  Blogging 101 is a fully automated 8-week online course that covers everything you need to know to plan, start, write, and build an audience for a brand new blog.

The eight units of Blogging 101 (which can be completed in less than eight weeks, if you choose) include:

1. Introduction to Blogging (all the basics for the beginning blogger)
2. Laying Your Cards On The Table (blog titles, platforms, and start-up instructions)
3. It’s All About Me (blogging safety, “About Me” pages, and blog design)
4. Build That Content and Make It Snazzy (writing quality posts, commenting, and adding media)
5. It’s The Little Things That Count (sidebars, widgets, categories, and static pages)
6. Mi Blog es Su Blog – - Building Community (growing a readership, blog promotion, and blogrolls)
7. Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained (more blog promotion strategies and monetizing your blog)
8. Looking Back and Looking Forward (tips and strategies for continuing to grow your blog after the course)

For only $25, you receive access to the Blogging 101 course for eight full weeks  as well as downloadable links and resources for you to keep as long as you want.  This is an incredible bargain, and also makes a terrific holiday gift for the wanna-be bloggers in your life!!

If you’d like more info on the course, head over to our Blogging 101 page where you can even check out lesson samples,  or just go ahead and register and start blogging today!!

I’ve been receiving lots of questions about when our next session of Blogging 101 is going to take place.  I know that we have lots of newbie bloggers out there who want to make a big splash with their blogs, and I know that there is a LOT of information you need to know to do that.

But after a lot of thought and a lot of trial and error with our 8-week teacher-led course, we decided that it wasn’t necessarily the most efficient and timely way to get the information out to you.  Although we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know our students and watch them blossom into bona fide bloggers, the biggest issue was that those who wanted to take the course had to wait an unspecified period of time before they were able to get started.

So, we’ve brainstormed and worked out a better solution – - a completely automated Blogging 101 course delivered by the well-reputed and successful Moodle course management system!!   The new course will include every bit of the information from our previous course, and even more.  And because you aren’t dependent on a teacher, the cost will be much less than we’ve been able to previously offer.

Stay tuned to this blog for news about when the new Blogging 101 course will be available to register for.  In the meantime, don’t hesitate to sign up for our completely free pre-course Introduction to Blogging.