Making a Blog

Making a Blog

A blog is an online log of say, your daily activities, a hobby, any particular issue, or information on a specific subject. For example, you can blog about your daily travel route, or photography, or cricket, or even about life in a city. Think of it as your personal diary, the only difference being that millions of people around the world will be able to access it.

Let's see how you can get your own blog up and running.

Why You Should Have a Blog

A blog is a great way to express yourself and blogging on the Internet has picked up a lot of steam in recent years. A lot of people have blogs to share opinions with other people on the internet. Heavy interaction takes place via blogs, with people expressing their own opinions on the subject, and listing the reasons for the same.

A blog is a great way of trying out new ideas and finding people with different viewpoints on subjects. Debates and arguments can be a very intellectually enriching experience if conducted properly. Blogs are also a great way to meet new people, as blog visitors who return to your blog usually do so because they find your viewpoints and thoughts interesting! Much like social networking, blogscan be a great interactive tool on the Internet.

Choose a Topic for your Blog

Choosing a topic for your blog may be the easiest part about creating a blog! After all, people create blogs to talk about a topic they are knowledgeable about. So you can pick an issue that you feel strongly about or a subject that you wish to express your opinions on and then blog about it. There are blogs on the Internetwhere the blogger does nothing but post one picture of himself every single day!

But when you choose a topic, make sure it is one that will keep your blog visitors interested. Also make sure that you know enough about the topic of your choice. That way, more people will take your opinions seriously. Nobody enjoys reading a blog that is not based on solid facts.

Blog Ethics and Etiquette

As a blogger, there is an unspoken code of conduct that you must follow. It is important that you research your topic thoroughly before you make a statement about it. Just because it is your blog, you should not go ahead and make an irresponsible statement. Say for example, if you have a blog on health, you should not make a post about certain diets unless you have facts to back up its positive effects.

Also, you must make it a point to interact with your visitors regularly on the comments page. You should not make a post and leave it at that. You should follow up on it and answer the questions or arguments posed to you in the comments section and respond appropriately. You must make it a point to be polite to all visitors and reply to them in the proper language. Deleting valid questions or using inappropriate language will only give you and your blog a bad reputation.

Attracting Visitors and Retaining Them

Getting blog visitors to keep coming back may be a bit tougher than getting people to check out your blog. When people visit your blog, it is to read about the topic that you write about. So what they expect is a new point of view and a valid one at that. You must make posts regularly, because bloggers dislike returning to a blog that is not updated regularly.

You must also be creative with your content. You need to know the reader base well and come up with ideas to keep them hooked on to your blog. For example, if you have a blog on entertainment, people will be more interested if you have inside news on happenings. Similarly, if you have a blog on photography, you should hold photo contests and photo editing tips on a regular basis.

With these tips, you can now start a blog and find your voice on the internet. So go ahead and start one today, it can be a lot of fun!