Creating Your Blog
Building Your Space
The look and feel of your blog are important elements to consider-- think of your blog's appearance as the "first impression" that you have on your audience. A professional-looking site will let your audience know that you're serious about writing. Below are many resources to help you choose a platform, learn advanced skills to change the appearance of your blog, and share your writing with the world.
Choosing a PlatformA platform is a website or application that will host your blog. There are many platforms available for creating blogs, and a few of the popular ones are listed below. Explore blogs created on each platform to help you decide which one feels right for you.
WordPress The most widely-used platform available, WordPress has many options for beginning and experienced bloggers alike. Weebly Drag and drop elements (like title and paragraph boxes) onto the page to create a professional look with minimal effort. Blogger Start blogging in just minutes with Google's platform. Other platforms, like Blogetery and Blog.com, are powered using WordPress. See sixrevision.com's list of Top 10 Free Online Blogging Platforms for more suggestions and features to look for. Choose WiselySome platforms, like TypePad, offer a professional look-- for a price. Even the "free" platforms often have a tiered pricing schedule depending on what users need or want for their blogs. Often the more you spend per month, the more and better themes, graphics, designs, fonts, and widgets you can access. Most platforms also charge if you want to use your own domain name (for example, "myblog.com" instead of "myblog.wordpress.com"). For many of these platforms, you can start with the free version and bump up a level later on if you decide you need more features.
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HTM-what?Many bloggers decide after a time that they want to be able to customize their sites. This may involve learning HTML and CSS, programming languages that seem complex at first, but are actually are pretty easy and fun to use with a little guidance. The resources below can guide first-time programmers through the process.
w3schools.com One-stop shop for learning, practicing, and debugging HTML and CSS. validator.w3.org Test your code to make sure it works correctly. developer.mozilla.org Quick access to links for HTML attributes and support forums. Look for these books at your local bookstore or public library: Getting Started with WordPress by Todd Kelsey Start here with this beginner's guide to the most widely-used blogging platform. Smashing Wordpress: Beyond the Blog by Thord Daniel Hedengren Once you know the basics, tweak your site to suit your own tastes. HTML Manual of Style by Larry Aronson HTML is a language, and works best when you can speak it fluently. Maker spaces often ofter workshops and drop-in times for programming. All Hands Active and Maker Works are both located in Ann Arbor. |
Gaining and Keeping an Audience
- Once your blog is up and running, it's time to share! Link your site to Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media you use, and start tweeting each new post. You'll gain followers, slowly but surely.
- Create an RSS link so that readers can easily subscribe to your blog.
- Create an "About Me" profile page on your blog and keep it up to date. Sixrevisions.com offers some excellent suggestions here.
- Post daily. When readers see that you post consistently, they're more likely to stick with you.
- Initiate online connections by commenting on other writers' blogs and author websites. (Just don't go overboard and spam everyone with your URL!)
- Enable comments on your posts, especially if you're serious about receiving feedback.
- The look and usability of your blog is important and designing a custom site is a lot of fun, but it can eat up a lot of time. Don't forget about what really matters-- your writing! Check out Writing for the Web: Creating Compelling Web Content Using Words, Pictures and Sound by Lynda Felder for advice on balancing content with design.