Starting a Blog - Reviews, Tutorials and More
By Susan Gunelius, About.com Guide to Web Logs
Starting a blog just got easier! Learn the basics of blogging from what to do before you begin to creating your blog, developing your blog and the rules of the blogosphere.
- Before You Start a Blog
- Selecting a Blogging Software and Host
- Creating a Blog
- Designing a Blog
- Parts of a Blog
- Blogging Tools, Add-ons and Plug-ins
- Wordpress Tips and Tutorials
- Developing a Successful Blog
- Blogging Rules and Ethics
- Reading and Finding Blogs
- Popular Blogs and Bloggers
- Blogging Reference Guide
Before You Start a Blog
Before you join the blogosphere, take a look at these articles to make sure you're ready.
- What is a Blog?
- Before You Start a Blog Determine if Blogging is Right for You
- Quiz - Should You Start a Blog?
- Top 10 Reasons to Start a Blog
- 5 Elements to Start a Blog Successfully
- 5 Tips to Choosing a Blog Topic
- 5 Steps to Start a Niche Blog
- Choose a Domain Name for Your Blog
- Top 10 Blogging Books
Selecting a Blogging Software and Host
Learn about the various blogging software programs and hosts to help you choose the best one for you.
- 6 Questions to Ask to Find the Best Blogging Software for You
- Blogging Software Comparison
- Wordpress.com vs. Wordpress.org
- Blogging with Wordpress
- 4 Steps to Upgrade to Wordpress 2.7
- Review of Blogger.com
- Review of Typepad.com
- Types of Blog Hosts
- 5 Tips to Choose a Blog Host
- 5 Popular Blog Hosts
- Choosing a Blog Host: BlueHost Overview
- Tutorial: How to Sign up for Blog Hosting with BlueHost
Creating a Blog
These tutorials and lessons will help you start your blog.
- How to Create a Blog for Free in 4 Easy Steps
- Tutorial: How to Start a Free Blog at Blogger.com
- How to Start a Free Blog in Wordpress
- How to Create a Podcast in 10 Easy Steps
- How to Create a Vlog in 10 Easy Steps
Designing a Blog
The articles below will help you improve the overall look of your blog.
- 10 Essential Blog Design Elements
- How to Choose a Blog Theme or Template
- 5 Sites for Free Wordpress Themes
- 5 Sites for Free Blogger Templates
- Sites for Premium Wordpress Themes
- Wordpress Themes for Business Blogs and Websites
- Find Free Blog Templates with eBlogTemplates.com
- Review - Revolution Two Wordpress Themes
- Review - Flexx Wordpress Theme
- Free Wordpress Templates from LogoWorks by HP
- Wordpress Themes Optimized for Google AdSense
- Sites to Find Moveable Type and TypePad Templates
Parts of a Blog
Blogs are made up of many parts and pieces. Get the information you need to understand the basics of blog terminology.
- Create Your Blog's Home Page
- Making Your "About Me" Page Shine
- Overview of a Blog Post
- Top 5 Sites to Find Free Photos to Use on Your Blog
- Finding Free Photos from Flickr to Use on Your Blog
- Review of PicApp as a Source for Blog Images and Photos
- 4 Free Photo Editing Sites
- What Are Blog Comments?
- 5 Ways to Identify Blog Comment Spam
- Overview of Blog Categories
- What is a Blogroll?
- 15 Popular Sidebar Items
- What is a Blog Footer?
Blogging Tools, Add-ons and Plug-ins
Just when you thought you understood how to blog, you realized there are a wealth of tools, add-ons and plug-ins available to you to help you enhance and extend your blog. Learn about these tools and what they can do for you and your blog.
- Overview of Blogging Tools
- 11 Essential Wordpress Plug-ins
- 7 Wordpress Plugin-ins to Boost Blog Traffic
- 5 Wordpress Plugins to Boost Page Views
- 5 Wordpress Plugins to Help Bloggers Make Money
- 6 Wordpress Plugins to Increase Blog Comments
- 10 Wordpress Plugins That Save Bloggers Time
- 5 Wordpress Plugins for Blog Maintenance and Enhanced Functionality
- 5 Wordpress Plugins to Analyze Blog Visitors
- Top 5 Blog Statistic Trackers
- Making Sense of Blog Statistic Trackers
- Top 5 Reasons to Use an Offline Blog Editor
- 10 Essential Features to Look for in an Offline Blog Editor
- Top 5 Offline Blog Editors
- Review of Windows Live Writer as an Offline Blog Editor
- Tutorial: How to Start with Windows Live Writer as Your Offline Blog Editor
- Free Windows Live Writer Plug-ins
- Review of BlogDesk as an Offline Blog Editor
- Tutorial: How to Get Started with BlogDesk as Your Offline Blog Editor
- Review of PollDaddy to Create Free Blog Polls
Wordpress Tips and Tutorials
If you use Wordpress, these tips and tutorials will help you use the functions and features available to you.
- Your Turn - What is Your Top Wordpress Tip?
- How to Copy and Paste from Word to Wordpress
- Tutorial - Embed a YouTube Video in a Wordpress Post
- Tutorial - Insert Google AdSense Ads Between Posts in Wordpress
Developing a Successful Blog
You've joined the blogosphere and published your blog. Now, learn how to make your blog successful.
- Essential Requirements to Starting a Successful Blog
- Blog Posting Frequency Overview
- Blogging Tips
- Top 10 Tips for Beginner Bloggers
- 3 Steps to Write Great Blog Post Titles
- 5 Tips to Write Great Blog Posts
- 7 Tips to Write Scannable Blog Posts
- 20 Blog Post Ideas
- 5 Blog Post Idea Generators
- The 3Cs of Blogging Success - Comments, Conversation and Community
- Add Related Posts to Your Blog Entries
- 5 Indirect Effects of Publishing a Blog Post
- 5 Things that Happen Behind the Scenes When You Publish a Blog Post
Blogging Rules and Ethics
Understand the do's and don'ts of blogging with these articles.
- Top 3 Blogging Rules
- Copyright and Fair Use Considerations
- Understanding Creative Commons Licenses
- Avoid Blog Comment Spam
- Creating a Blog Comment Policy
Reading and Finding Blogs
Who else is blogging? Learn how to find them here.
- Directory of Blog Search Engines
- Tutorial: How to Search Technorati to Find Blogs
- Tutorial: How to Claim Blogs on Technorati
Popular Blogs and Bloggers
Learn from the best-of-the-best in the blogosphere.
- Top 10 Blogs of 2008
- Popular Blogs About Business
- Popular Blogs for and by Business Women
- Popular Blogs About Celebrities
- Popular Green Blogs
- Popular Blogs About Politics
- Popular Blogs About Writing
- Profile of Successful Blogger Heather Armstrong
- Profile of Successful Blogger Perez Hilton
Blogging Reference Guide
Breaking down blogging into easy-to-understand snippets through frequently asked questions and a layman's glossary.
