The Mommy Bloggers Setup Guide: How to Blog
Sunday, October 25, 2009
This is a general guide to help you learn how to blog and it will cover some of the things I think you need to do to have a successful blog. What you consider a successful blog might be something completely different and that is okay. We all do things differently. I needed to come up with a reference point to teach from so this is what I came up with. In my mind a successful blog is one that:
Of course, you might only want to make money and don't want all of the social aspect of having a blog. A search engine blog is one that brings in traffic and doesn't build a readership. That is one way to have a successful blog.
Social Blogs
But, you might be someone who thrives on socializing and community. Maybe you stay at home and need that socialization as your way to reconnect with society. So you will want to know how to search out venues to find readers.
Somewhere in the Middle
I tend to be somewhere in the middle. I have many blogs and some are almost purely social in nature while others just draw in search engine traffic and I never interact with readers. I love interacting with people, answering comments, and teaching people whatever I have learned but other times I want to just make money. I feel like I have something to give to society and I want to share it with others. I also think there is more to life than just making money. Therein lies the dilemma. You will find your place in the blogging world once you know what is available. Maybe you will find yourself in the middle with me.
Where to Begin
I think too many people start a blog without every considering anything before they begin. This is mainly due to the fact that no one has taught them or given them any guidance as to where to start. I know that when I started blogging I was completely and totally clueless. It took many months of trying this and that to come up with a successful plan. I decided that I wanted to share what I have learned to help as many people as I can who might feel just as frustrated as I was when I started. This is what the Mommy Bloggers Guide is all about.
Since this is just a summary of how to start a blog each step will not be covered in detailed. Over time I will write a detailed post for each step and as those articles are written I will update this post with links to those articles. I will also give you examples as to what to do with each step.
Steps 1 through 4 need to be done first.
These are the crucial steps in setting up your blog the right way from the very beginning. Whatever you do later on can be changed or fixed. These steps are not easily changed and can hurt your chances of being found on search engines so it is best to spend the most time on them to get these steps done right the first time. From there the rest of the steps can be done as you have time.
DISCLAIMER: When you read this list below please note that this is how I start a blog. There are probably a hundred and one ways of doing just about anything in life but this is what I have found that works for me when it comes to blogging. Of course, it all depends on what kind of blogger you want to be but you will learn that overtime. And, some of the higher numbered steps are really optional. Once again, they are just things I like to see added to my blogs that have helped me out as a blogger. You can always skip, ignore, or modify any step you like. However, I do suggest you think carefully about steps 1 through 4 as I believe they are very critical to the success of your blog.
STEP 1: Pick your blog's topic
This very first step is where you figure out what you are going to write about on your blog and what is your blog going to be about. Will you have enough material to sustain it long term? Will it be a topic you get bored with. It is better to have one general topic than a bunch of topics. You will make more money that way and you will attract visitors and readers who are looking for what you have to say on that topic. Having one topic allows you to become an expert on that topic and be seen with authority by Google.
Read more about picking your blog's topic
STEP 2: Pick keywords around your topic
This is where SEO (or search engine optimization) comes into play. If you are going to blog properly then you need to do a little research and figure out what your blog is about and then you need to use the proper keywords that people will type into search engines to find your blog. Your general topic (or niche as it is often called) will usually have a group of keywords (or sub topics) that people use to find it.
STEP 3: Pick the name of your blog
Another very important step is picking the name or title of your blog. The title should have your primary topic or keyword in it. While it is fun and cute to name your blog something that makes you smile when you read it, you just aren't going to make money or draw traffic in with a title that isn't centered around your primary keyword or topic. Of course, there are always exceptions to that rule and it can be done but it will take much longer if you don't center the title around your main topic.
STEP 4: Pick the URL for your blog
The URL is another very important step and should be carefully considered. Think about your blog's main topic. The topic or main keyword should be in your URL. If you are using Blogger or WordPress you will be given a URL that either ends in .blogspot.com or .wordpress.com. You get to decide what goes in front of that. What goes in front should realistically be the name of your blog. Once you setup a free blog you can upgrade to a paid domain and with Wordpress paid hosting. You do not have to pay anything to get started. I have always chosen to start all of my blogs with a free version. Sometimes I upgrade and get a domain and sometimes I do not. There is much discussion as to whether it matters if you have a real domain and can you get ranked on search engines with a free domain. I have never had a problem ranking with a free domain. If you don't have money then go with free. Free is always my first choice :-)
Pick your blog platform
Next you will need to decide whether you want to use Blogger, WordPress, Typepad or some other blog platform. I will only be covering Blogger and WordPress on this site as I do not have experience with other blog platforms.
Read Blogger VS WordPress
Pick your template and layout
I have learned what your blog looks like doesn't always decide whether you make the most money or not. As a web designer I have always been picky about how my sites look. As a web designer that was how I would make money. If the site was ugly the client wasn't going to like it. With blogging sometimes the most "butt ugly" blogs make the most money. I will explain this in detail later. We will also cover why you would pick one template layout over another.
Setting up your blog's feed
What is a blog feed or RSS as it is often referred to? When you write on your blog all of your posts get added to a file. It is like when you write a Word document and then you save it. Everything you wrote in that document is saved into one file. With a blog they call it a feed. It is actually just a file that ends in .xml. You need to setup your blog's feed so that others can have that information sent to them by email or they can read it in a program called an RSS reader that can decipher that .xml and turn it into something readable. You also want to use your blog's feed to hook it into Twitter and Facebook. But, first you have to set it up.
Coming up with a privacy and disclosure policies
I put this step high on the list because it is something that is often overlooked. Set up this information first and you won't have to deal with it again. It is something necessary in today's world of blogging. If you want to know what a Privacy policy and disclosure policy looks like check out mine. I will explain later to tell you what it is all used for. And, you can copy my policies and change just the name of the blog and email address. It is perfectly legal and okay to copy my privacy policy but only that.
Writing your first post
If you follow this outline your Privacy and Disclosure policy will be your first post. This first post is the one that you will be using to launch your blog into the Blogosphere. The very first time you write a post you need to know exactly what you are doing. There are things to consider like how to write the title, how to include your blog's keyword in the post, how to use Labels and tags, and how to format links.
Adding pictures and using alt and title tags
If you are adding a picture into your blog post you will want to learn some things you should be doing to help your blog and that image to come up in search engines. Learn how to use alt tags (alternative text), what it is for, and also how to format links for that images.
Setting up a statistical counter and live traffic counter
This is an optional feature but I love using both of them. We all like to see if we have people visiting our site and also finding out where they come from. Both of these features are nice to have on your blog.
Learn some HTML
Yes mom, you DO need to learn a little HTML if you are going to be a blogger. You can successfully create and run a blog without it but it sure will make your blogging experience much easier if you know some of the very basics. I will give you a list you can print out so you don't even have to memorize anything. Just by learning 5-10 HTML tags you will be far ahead of other mommy bloggers.
Setting up Adsense and using Channels
One of the main reasons we want to blog is to make money. If you are a mom and your life is already overextended then blogging is just another one of the things on your very long list. If you don't have some sort of compensation you may not stick it out as a blogger. Using Adsense can be the number one way you make money but there are ways to set it up on your site that works better than others. And, with Channels you can track to see what area of your site makes the most money.
Scheduling Posts and Drafts
Scheduling posts is a great way to write posts as you have time and let them post live on your blog at the time you specify. You can also save posts into draft mode so you can work on them when you have time and come back and add to them when you are ready for them to be posted.
Setting up Twitter and Facebook accounts
Using Twitter and Facebook are social ways of drawing traffic, visitors and ultimately readers to your mommy blog. You will learn how to setup accounts on both social networks.
Blog Automation with Twitter and Facebook
Once you have a Twitter or Facebook account you won't want to spend you life writing on them because now not only are you writing on your blog you are adding 2 more places you need to write. I will show you how to setup automated features to make your blogging life easier.
Other Miscellaneous Blog Extras
And, feel free to drop me an email if you have a question about your existing blog and if I can help I will try. I don't always have time to answer every email and sometimes I will just write a post to answer the blogging question you have so other mommy bloggers can benefit from the answers.
- generates search engine traffic
- generates social traffic
- builds readership
- makes money
Of course, you might only want to make money and don't want all of the social aspect of having a blog. A search engine blog is one that brings in traffic and doesn't build a readership. That is one way to have a successful blog.
Social Blogs
But, you might be someone who thrives on socializing and community. Maybe you stay at home and need that socialization as your way to reconnect with society. So you will want to know how to search out venues to find readers.
Somewhere in the Middle
I tend to be somewhere in the middle. I have many blogs and some are almost purely social in nature while others just draw in search engine traffic and I never interact with readers. I love interacting with people, answering comments, and teaching people whatever I have learned but other times I want to just make money. I feel like I have something to give to society and I want to share it with others. I also think there is more to life than just making money. Therein lies the dilemma. You will find your place in the blogging world once you know what is available. Maybe you will find yourself in the middle with me.
Where to Begin
I think too many people start a blog without every considering anything before they begin. This is mainly due to the fact that no one has taught them or given them any guidance as to where to start. I know that when I started blogging I was completely and totally clueless. It took many months of trying this and that to come up with a successful plan. I decided that I wanted to share what I have learned to help as many people as I can who might feel just as frustrated as I was when I started. This is what the Mommy Bloggers Guide is all about.Since this is just a summary of how to start a blog each step will not be covered in detailed. Over time I will write a detailed post for each step and as those articles are written I will update this post with links to those articles. I will also give you examples as to what to do with each step.
Steps 1 through 4 need to be done first.
These are the crucial steps in setting up your blog the right way from the very beginning. Whatever you do later on can be changed or fixed. These steps are not easily changed and can hurt your chances of being found on search engines so it is best to spend the most time on them to get these steps done right the first time. From there the rest of the steps can be done as you have time.
DISCLAIMER: When you read this list below please note that this is how I start a blog. There are probably a hundred and one ways of doing just about anything in life but this is what I have found that works for me when it comes to blogging. Of course, it all depends on what kind of blogger you want to be but you will learn that overtime. And, some of the higher numbered steps are really optional. Once again, they are just things I like to see added to my blogs that have helped me out as a blogger. You can always skip, ignore, or modify any step you like. However, I do suggest you think carefully about steps 1 through 4 as I believe they are very critical to the success of your blog.
STEP 1: Pick your blog's topic
This very first step is where you figure out what you are going to write about on your blog and what is your blog going to be about. Will you have enough material to sustain it long term? Will it be a topic you get bored with. It is better to have one general topic than a bunch of topics. You will make more money that way and you will attract visitors and readers who are looking for what you have to say on that topic. Having one topic allows you to become an expert on that topic and be seen with authority by Google.
Read more about picking your blog's topic
STEP 2: Pick keywords around your topic
This is where SEO (or search engine optimization) comes into play. If you are going to blog properly then you need to do a little research and figure out what your blog is about and then you need to use the proper keywords that people will type into search engines to find your blog. Your general topic (or niche as it is often called) will usually have a group of keywords (or sub topics) that people use to find it.
STEP 3: Pick the name of your blog
Another very important step is picking the name or title of your blog. The title should have your primary topic or keyword in it. While it is fun and cute to name your blog something that makes you smile when you read it, you just aren't going to make money or draw traffic in with a title that isn't centered around your primary keyword or topic. Of course, there are always exceptions to that rule and it can be done but it will take much longer if you don't center the title around your main topic.
STEP 4: Pick the URL for your blog
The URL is another very important step and should be carefully considered. Think about your blog's main topic. The topic or main keyword should be in your URL. If you are using Blogger or WordPress you will be given a URL that either ends in .blogspot.com or .wordpress.com. You get to decide what goes in front of that. What goes in front should realistically be the name of your blog. Once you setup a free blog you can upgrade to a paid domain and with Wordpress paid hosting. You do not have to pay anything to get started. I have always chosen to start all of my blogs with a free version. Sometimes I upgrade and get a domain and sometimes I do not. There is much discussion as to whether it matters if you have a real domain and can you get ranked on search engines with a free domain. I have never had a problem ranking with a free domain. If you don't have money then go with free. Free is always my first choice :-)
Pick your blog platform
Next you will need to decide whether you want to use Blogger, WordPress, Typepad or some other blog platform. I will only be covering Blogger and WordPress on this site as I do not have experience with other blog platforms.
Read Blogger VS WordPress
Pick your template and layout
I have learned what your blog looks like doesn't always decide whether you make the most money or not. As a web designer I have always been picky about how my sites look. As a web designer that was how I would make money. If the site was ugly the client wasn't going to like it. With blogging sometimes the most "butt ugly" blogs make the most money. I will explain this in detail later. We will also cover why you would pick one template layout over another.
Setting up your blog's feed
What is a blog feed or RSS as it is often referred to? When you write on your blog all of your posts get added to a file. It is like when you write a Word document and then you save it. Everything you wrote in that document is saved into one file. With a blog they call it a feed. It is actually just a file that ends in .xml. You need to setup your blog's feed so that others can have that information sent to them by email or they can read it in a program called an RSS reader that can decipher that .xml and turn it into something readable. You also want to use your blog's feed to hook it into Twitter and Facebook. But, first you have to set it up.
Coming up with a privacy and disclosure policies
I put this step high on the list because it is something that is often overlooked. Set up this information first and you won't have to deal with it again. It is something necessary in today's world of blogging. If you want to know what a Privacy policy and disclosure policy looks like check out mine. I will explain later to tell you what it is all used for. And, you can copy my policies and change just the name of the blog and email address. It is perfectly legal and okay to copy my privacy policy but only that.
Writing your first post
If you follow this outline your Privacy and Disclosure policy will be your first post. This first post is the one that you will be using to launch your blog into the Blogosphere. The very first time you write a post you need to know exactly what you are doing. There are things to consider like how to write the title, how to include your blog's keyword in the post, how to use Labels and tags, and how to format links.
Adding pictures and using alt and title tags
If you are adding a picture into your blog post you will want to learn some things you should be doing to help your blog and that image to come up in search engines. Learn how to use alt tags (alternative text), what it is for, and also how to format links for that images.
Setting up a statistical counter and live traffic counter
This is an optional feature but I love using both of them. We all like to see if we have people visiting our site and also finding out where they come from. Both of these features are nice to have on your blog.
Learn some HTML
Yes mom, you DO need to learn a little HTML if you are going to be a blogger. You can successfully create and run a blog without it but it sure will make your blogging experience much easier if you know some of the very basics. I will give you a list you can print out so you don't even have to memorize anything. Just by learning 5-10 HTML tags you will be far ahead of other mommy bloggers.
Setting up Adsense and using Channels
One of the main reasons we want to blog is to make money. If you are a mom and your life is already overextended then blogging is just another one of the things on your very long list. If you don't have some sort of compensation you may not stick it out as a blogger. Using Adsense can be the number one way you make money but there are ways to set it up on your site that works better than others. And, with Channels you can track to see what area of your site makes the most money.
Scheduling Posts and Drafts
Scheduling posts is a great way to write posts as you have time and let them post live on your blog at the time you specify. You can also save posts into draft mode so you can work on them when you have time and come back and add to them when you are ready for them to be posted.
Setting up Twitter and Facebook accounts
Using Twitter and Facebook are social ways of drawing traffic, visitors and ultimately readers to your mommy blog. You will learn how to setup accounts on both social networks.
Blog Automation with Twitter and Facebook
Once you have a Twitter or Facebook account you won't want to spend you life writing on them because now not only are you writing on your blog you are adding 2 more places you need to write. I will show you how to setup automated features to make your blogging life easier.
Other Miscellaneous Blog Extras
- Buying a Domain Name
- How to install a Blogger template
- Getting a free Google voice account
- Setting up a separate email account
- How to hook multiple email addresses together in Gmail
- What are Affiliate programs and how to use them to make money
- How to setup a giveaway
- How to setup a Google docs entry form
- How to create screenshots
- How to setup canned email responses
And, feel free to drop me an email if you have a question about your existing blog and if I can help I will try. I don't always have time to answer every email and sometimes I will just write a post to answer the blogging question you have so other mommy bloggers can benefit from the answers.
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December 16, 2009 at 7:39 AM
great post!
November 8, 2010 at 7:38 PM
Very informative and straight-forward.
December 15, 2011 at 10:45 AM
Very clear straight to the point Great post I will surely try your points.
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