By 
Whether you are thinking about sharing your knowledge about your favorite hobby or topic, or you want to help your business connect with customers, blogging is an online avenue for just about anyone. You don’t need to be a technical guru or internet specialist, either. There are tools that can make setting up and maintaining your own blog super simple. Read on to find out how.
If you are interested in blogging, but you don’t particularly like to write, try starting a blog about one of your creative talents. You could try a photography blog and share your hobby with others. Or you may write poetry or music that you could post samples of. If people like what you have to offer, they will come back for more.
When running a blog, make sure that you ask open-ended questions. One of the most effective methods of getting people to respond to your posts is simply asking for it. Let your readers answer your questions by inviting them to respond with a comment. This makes them feel more engaged, which increases the odds that they’ll stick with you.
Make a posting routine. This requires lots of self-discipline, but it’s essential to your blog. If it’s not updated constantly, then there’s no blog. Try experimenting until you find one that fits your pace. There are some bloggers that post around 2-3 articles each day, while others post about one each week.
Providing an RSS-to-Email option is a great tip for those running a blog. This can be used so that readers have the ability to subscribe to all your latest posts without needing an RSS reader. Even today, lots of people do not use RSS, so using a RSS-to-Email service is crucial. An excellent choice for one is Feedburner.
Pay attention to your grammar. This is especially important if you are trying to be an International blogger. If your grammar is not up to par, a lot of people will get annoyed with reading your blog, and think that you are not creditable. There are many programs that you can use to run a grammar check, and you should do this with every entry.
There are many good blogging platforms available with Blogger and WordPress being the most commonly used services. Both are great free platforms that allow one to quickly set up a blog for free. Blogger has the advantage of allowing commercial content whereas with WordPress you must upgrade to a premium service to post commercial content. Let your purpose for blogging be your guide when choosing a blogging platform.
Always welcome comments and feedback from your readers. This will allow the readers to be actively involved in your blog and give you an opportunity to develop relationships with them. If your readers see that you reply to other people’s comments, they will come back to check your response to their own comments.
Do not get frustrated if your readership doesn’t explode overnight. It takes time for the word to spread about a blog. Additionally, you will have to build up your content so there will be a lot for the readers to view. The longer your blog is around, and the more posts you write, the more readers you’ll get.
Avoid the overuse of personal pronouns. When most of your blog is coming from an I, me or you standpoint, it can turn the reader off. You may be perceived as lecturing, pompous or just plain narcissistic. Make your writing a little less personal, but still remain approachable. It is a good balance to find.
Make your blog a primary source of information on the topic. With a simple read through your site, your viewer should feel like they have a thorough understanding of your niche. This will ensure that your readers will come back to your site when they have more questions on the topic.
Be prepared to have some successful days and some days that are failures. You will find that some blog entries that you post will bring in a lot of readers, and then some days you will have only a few people check out what you wrote. This does not mean that you are doing anything wrong, it is perfectly normal.
If you are writing an article, and it is under 500 words, it is best not to use it. People are reading your blog to gain knowledge or information, and you want to make sure that you are meeting this need properly. Articles that are too short will not give your readers everything they are looking for.
Humor is okay to use in a blog, as long as you are keeping it appropriate. You want to make sure that your articles are still informational, and will be giving the readers what they are looking for. If you only use humor, your articles will be filled with too much fluff.
Social networking is at the heart of every blog’s success. You should strive to be accessible to, and interactive with, your target audience. Talk to other bloggers who share information on a similar topic, or experts in your niche. If you do nothing, it is very unlikely that your blog will be successful. Be proactive to see and earn the most positive results.
As a blogger, you want your readers to feel a connection with you. Your blog should accept comments from readers, and you should take time to respond to some of them personally. You’ll need to decide if you want to publish all comments as they come in, or whether to hold them for approval before they appear on your site.
See, it’s simple! Sharing your words, pictures and videos through a blog has never been easier, and you’ll also find it fun and rewarding. Once you get started, you’ll enjoy the feedback from your readers and look forward to building your audience. The suggestions above will help you get started, but it’s up to you to take that first step. Blog on!