Getting Started in Blogging
One of the ways the internet has revolutionized life is the concept of blogging. Short for web log, a blog is an easy way to put just about any information you want up on the web without having to learn any html or other web programming language. If you are new to the concept of blogging, check out these articles to learn more about what blogging is and what it takes to be a successful blogger.
A collection of articles and resources about blogging. Can also submit your articles about blogging.
This is actually a paid course, not an article, but it gives good advice about starting your own network of blogs by the founder of the Sparkplugging blog network for work at home resources.
A nice beginning tutorial by a woman blogger, for women bloggers.
A great general article about blogging and how to get started.
A blog can be set up on your own website, or you could utilize one of the many services that offer blog space along with the tools to personalize your blog and even monetize it.
If you are serious about making a living at blogging, and want to monetize your blog, sign up for one of the services that provides your own domain name and easy tools to add advertisements, etc. to your blog. Be prepared to work very hard to establish your blog and keep it up-to-date. It’s like starting your own small newspaper business. It’s a job! And the days of “build it and they will come” are over.
If you are thinking of starting a blog as a support to your existing business, to promote your products or services and establish yourself as an expert in the field, then you might find that one of the free blog services will do just fine. Establish your blog and link to it heavily from your own website, forum posts, on-line articles, etc.
WordpressDirect.com is an independent service that offers a customized Wordpress installation on either your host or their servers as well as auto-content generation. They offer a free basic plan and a $1 trial for a paid plan.
If you want to monetize your blog by including ads and affiliate links, typepad may be a good bet. For as little as $4.95 a month, you get easy to use templates, customizable formats, SPAM protection and more. Upgrade for more storage and customization options.
Run by Google, Blogger is free and easy to set up using premade templates. Access controls and drag-and-drop page elements make blogger one of the easiest blogging sites to customize. However, you cannot add your own ads at this time.
WordPress is one of the most popular free blogging sites, but also has software you can install on your own website if you want to host your own blog. Create a blog in minutes using premade templates. Blogs can be public, public but not listed, or completely private. Webpages are also available for bio information or other info you would like linked to your blog. However, putting your own ads on the blog to earn money is not available at this time. Back up and redundancy, as well as stat info and spam protection make WordPress a good choice to host your blog. Your own domain, the ability to modify the look and feel of your blog, and extra storage are available for a premium.
There are several sites on the web that offer the opportunity to write a blog post that reviews a product, service, or website for a small fee (even if the review is negative). If you have established your blog and have a loyal readership, these sites will pay you to write or comment on their products or services, helping them spread the word.
Get paid to blog about products and services. Or host paid advertising on your blog.
Smorty has two programs that can help you make money with your blog. First, you can get paid to write product or website reviews. Also, Smorty provides pay-per-click advertising that you can place on your blog.
If you have a blog, you can sign up here for free. They have a list of "opportunities" which are requests from companies for a review of their product, service, or website. If you qualify, you can write a review, post it to your blog, and PayPerPost will pay you. Negative reviews still count as long as they are legitimate.
Write a review of a product or service on your blog and receive a commission. Create a profile of your blog and advertisers will contact you for a review, or bid on reviews and negotiate your fee. Every submission is reviewed for quality content. Payment is made through PayPal.
First, product vendors contact Blogitive and let them know of a new product or service that they would like bloggers to review or mention. Then, you accept their offer and write about or mention their product on your blog. Go back and paste a link to your blog post in the appropriate form at Blogitive. Blogitive will review your post, then you get paid through Paypal. Most offers are for $5 a post. You can accept as many offers as you want.
Next Steps
Need your own website to host your blog? Go to Getting a Website.
Promote your blog using ideas on our Promotion Hub.
