SETTING YOUR BLOG

Blogs are as individual as bloggers. Here are some different ways to set up your blog for your own posts.

1. Introduce yourself and your blog – Choose a catchy title making sure it's relevant to your blog theme. It's a good idea to do an internet search to make sure the title isn't trademarked. Write a brief, general overview of yourself while being careful not to give away any personal or identifiable details. Keep in mind that you're publishing on the internet. In fact, many bloggers write under a pseudonym. You can also add a photo of yourself if you feel comfortable doing that. Then introduce your blog by writing a couple of paragraphs telling what the blog is about and your aim in writing it.

2. Show your best material – Blogs generally only display a few recent posts at a
time. As your blog content grows, you may want to have a table of contents that divides your blog posts into categories of interest. It is a good idea to highlight your favorite posts; your most viewed posts; your most commented upon posts; or whatever you choose to highlight. There are also widgets available that show your most popular items.

3. Make your blog interactive – There are several ways to do that: Encourage readers to comment, and when they do, reply to them in a friendly and respectful way. Create an email list for updates and invite people to join. Add some widgets and plug-ins such as a Facebook "like" button. Find and connect with other bloggers in your niche, add links to their blogs, and ask them to link to yours. Mix media into your blog, like images and videos -- just be aware of copyright laws. And be careful not to use too many buttons or to clutter your blog with ads.

4. Try "micro-blogging" – If you're not ready to commit to creating and maintaining a blog right away, you can try a short-form blogging platform like Tumblr or Twitter. These services let you get started right away with posting short text entries and even photos and videos. Many people find "micro-blogging" to be a quick and simple way to share their thoughts.