Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Choose your blog
• Method 2 of 3: Start
• Method 3 of 3: Maintain your blog
• Tips

Blogging has become a popular pastime on the internet. Some people blog for money, others want to describe current events, and still others create humorous blogs. Bloggers are increasingly using their weblog as a personal diary, preferring to keep it out of the spotlight. Wanting to start a personal blog is really not difficult. Here's how to get started.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Choose your blog

1. Choose a host. A host is a website on which you can post your blog. With the rise of the Internet, blogging platforms have sprung up like mushrooms, most of them are very easy to use for people who know next to nothing about computers. There are plenty of free hosting sites in addition to hosts that you have to pay for. Here is a list with a few examples:
   • Wordpress
   • Blogger
   • Tumblr
2. Decide how much control you want to have over your URL. If you're using a free blogging platform, your URL will look something like this:
   
   www.myblog.wordpress.com/
   
   If you want your blog to be exclusively personal, and you don't plan on creating your own brand or reaching out to other bloggers, a free host is fine for you. However, if you want to show your blog to others and expand your online presence in the future, a paid hosting service gives you the opportunity to create a blog with a distinctive and personalized URL. In that case, your URL might look like this:
   
   www.alittlebitofblog.com
3. Know the other differences between free hosting services and paid. In general, paid hosts offer more control over how your blog looks, and provide more tools to personalize your blog (plugins, widgets, buttons, etc.). While as an amateur blogger you probably don't need paid hosting, it's helpful to know what you can and can't do with a free platform:
   • In general, free hosting services offer a few simple examples to choose from in terms of website design. Paid hosting services usually offer a larger selection of templates to choose from, or they give the blogger the choice to build the design from scratch.
   • Certain plugins are only available to paid bloggers. A plugin is a tool that bloggers can use to customize their blog (a rotating tab, for example, is a nice plugin that allows you to see more of your content in tabs). There are numerous other plugins for paid hosting services.
   • It boils down to this: If you just need a platform for your own fantasies, all those bells and whistles are probably unnecessary. However, if the design of your website is important to you, and if you like the idea of ​​offering your potential readers tools to comment on and the like, it might be a good plan to have more control over how you manage your weblog.
4. Familiarize yourself with how the hosting service you choose works. How do you make a title in italics? How do you link to another website? These are things to ask yourself when you start blogging. Although you will of course learn more and more about the platform you use, it is important to explore the different options before you start. You often don't know what is possible until you've tried it.
   • Some blog hosts provide an interactive video or slideshow for new users. If your blog has that, make sure you check this out. These guides are full of useful tips and hints, and will help you create blogs faster and better.

Method 2 of 3: Start

1. Design your blog. Every time you log in to your blog, the design should motivate you to start writing. For some people, a white, blank page can be a source of inspiration. For others, an intriguing check pattern works great. What do you want your blog to look like?
   • Many people recommend a simple background, instead of a screaming screen that comes at you. But do what you want. Here are some background ideas to consider:
     
     • A photo of you and your family on vacation
     • A simple, unassuming pattern that gives some texture, but doesn't distract from the words
     • A map
     • A writer's object, such as a fountain pen, typewriter, or stationery
     • A simple background in your favorite color
2. Find the box where you can check that you want to keep your blog "private". If you want to keep your blog personal and not findable with search engines, you should check this option. With many blogs there is also a choice where you keep your blog completely private, and where a password is required to open it. Look for this option if you really want to make your blog a secret.
3. Design your blog so that you can navigate easily. If you create categories in which to post your blogs, try to organize these categories by popularity. Why put the categories you use the least at the top and the ones you need most at the bottom? Design it in such a way that you can use it easily.
   • Limit the clutter. Just because you happen to have the ability to create dozens of plugins and widgets doesn't mean you have to use them all. If your blog is indeed about you and your thoughts, make sure of that That jump out instead of all that unnecessary junk.
4. Create your first blog post. In many public blogs, the first post is an explanation of who you are and why you want to create a blog. It is a kind of online introduction to yourself. But since you're writing a personal blog, you don't have to be that formal in your first post.
   • Write about your motivation to start a blog. It can help you put things into words. This can also be a cathartic act, where you can let go of a certain tension and stress. Try it and see how it feels.
   • Write about what you wanted to write about. Jump into the deep. Your blog can become a kind of journal, or it can be a place where you collect interesting articles from the internet and which you respond to. Of course it could be anything in between. Write about anything that makes you happy.

Method 3 of 3: Maintain your blog

1. Try to blog every day. Even if nothing exciting happened, it's important to set aside some time to write a message. It can be difficult to get into the rhythm of blogging, but it soon goes without saying: Just like when you first went to school, it can be a bit uncomfortable at first, but you soon make new friends and more at ease in your new environment.
   • Think of special theme days when you post messages. For example, you could have "Maniac Monday," where every Monday you write about a person whose ideas have changed the world. This will give your blog some structure and ensure that you keep writing, even if you don't know exactly what you should be writing about.
2. If you find it difficult to write, keep the messages short. A blog is different from a diary or news article. It has to be digested quickly, with catchy bits of evidence that you concisely tie together. Keep these three guidelines in mind when you start blogging:
   • A blog can be a place to read. Rather put things down quickly than write an extensive essay about it. A short "Hey, look at this!" seems to be a lot more effective in a blog than "And those are all the reasons I'm better than you".
   • Use links. Link to other interesting pieces on the internet. First, you can better remember those interesting sites. Second, it saves you the time to describe what matters - unless you want to!
   • Use your blog to review old themes. Repeat. If you've written about something before, it doesn't mean you should put it somewhere dusty. For example, review your feelings about that article in a new article.
3. Use the first letter of a name when writing about others to ensure anonymity. For example, write: E made me very angry today; I'm completely fed up with her selfish behavior. ”This way you make sure you don't hurt anyone if they accidentally bump into your blog.
4. Be honest. Feelings are not always reasonable. Fortunately, you don't have to. All important is that your feelings end in your blog instead of an ulcer. Remember that your blog is just for you, as an outlet. You don't have to worry about what others think if you don't want to.
   • Often you will find that writing about it helps you to understand things better. So even if you don't quite understand it yet, it can be helpful to be honest. Writing is an act of self-discovery. If you are honest when you write, you will discover things about yourself that you did not know.
5. Learn from your messages. Once you've blogged for a while, take a look back. Do you now know better what stress factors are in your life? Can you discover certain themes? Is a particular person bad for your emotional health?
6. If you have a community of readers and followers, stay connected with them. Even though you are anonymous, your blog may still have a group of regular readers and commenters. They often leave comments after an article to express their praise, opinion or questions. Successful bloggers understand that responding to these fans is an important act of retaining a group of readers.
   • Respond to most, not all, comments. A reader often leaves a message to encourage you to keep writing. A simple "Thank you, I appreciate" is a good way to respond. It also happens that people start on a completely different topic, or have a controversial opinion. You don't have to respond to all of these if you don't want to.
   • Consider writing something at the end of your piece to elicit responses. Of course, if you don't let your blog read to anyone but yourself. But if you like getting the opinion of your readers, you can ask something like "What was your favorite Christmas present?" or "What do you think of the new cabinet?", if that is relevant to the theme of your message.
7. Think about sharing your pieces with close friends and family. The people closest to you care about your thoughts and feelings. Even if you started your blog to list your own thoughts and emotions, it can be very good to share these experiences with others. You actually start a conversation, and that can be very enlightening and empowering.
   • For example, if you have just been told that you are seriously ill, you can keep a blog to record everything about it. It may have been meant to be just for yourself. But sharing your greatest fears and desires may bring you even closer to those around you; it makes you even more human.

Tips

• If you decide you want to make your blog public, make sure to check all posts and remove any names or events that could hurt others.
• Write about the things you like and don't worry about what others think ... Remember it's your blog, you can do whatever you want, so enjoy it!
• Put on some music, have a glass of wine and create an environment in which to write freely.