What the heck are bloggers? They are an author of a weblog, web log or simply a blog. A blog is a web application that contains the ramblings and musings of another through the periodic posting of opinions on a common webpage. Most blogs are accessible to any Internet user.
Okay with that said, do you want to be a blogger too? Some basic requirements you will need in order to start a blog are: you love to write and you love to read. To really be a part of the blog community you not only need to write and post your own thoughts but also read and respond to others' blogs. You can visit their sites, post a response, and include a link back to your blog. It is suggested that you subscribe to some sort of newsreader so you can keep current on the many sites you visit, news sources and what have you. Awasu is one worth checking out.
The joy of blogs is they can be tailored to fit each individual with the addition of music, audio, pictures and video. You can write prose, poetry, post chapters to a novel, write a personal diary or get all serious about the world around you; anything goes. Try out some of the following tips to see if you have it in you to blog:
- Have a theme. Be a journal that is ever evolving or stick with one primary theme.
- Select a service to host your blog. Try these for free: Blogger.com, LiveJournal.com, and Xanga.com. and these for a nominal fee: Squarespace.com, BlogIdentity.com and TypePad.com.
- Get your blog set up. Your blogging service should be able to help you out with simple steps.
- Get writing. Start somewhere, anywhere. The more you write the better you'll get.
- Add the extras. You can add any of the ones listed in the paragraph above and even incorporate third-party services like Bloglet to send update emails to your fans.
- Get the word out on your blog. On our best blog we list a reference to many weblog tracking sites that handle the everyday updates and 'PR' that a site needs to get noticed.
- Keep writing. There is nothing like a stale blog to turn away your readers. If they like you and your writing they are going to keep coming back. Give them a reason to with fresh writing.