Attackr.com

I’ve been blogging for a few months now, so I still consider myself a novice at this. People like Liz & SeanRox are those that have years upon years of blogging & writing experience, they know how it works and do it well.

Being new at it means I’ve had a lot to learn, plenty to experience along the way and loads of expert help from friends like Viper. Even with my short time in the world of blogging, I can say I’ve learned enough to compile a small list of things every new blogger should be aware of:

• Get your own domain & hosting: Regardless of whether you’re in it for the long run, of just don’t think it’s necessary, it is. It’s cheap, there are numerous hosts out there with a variety of hosting plans just waiting to be used. Having your own domain allows for freedom+control that you will just not get anywhere. Think of it like owning a car versus renting, the pleasure in owning is all it’s own. Utilizing a good theme, aimed at your target audience like katiebird has done, makes a world of difference in keeping readers coming back.
• Blog frequently: I don’t mean 10 posts a day, no, a post a day will suffice. Don’t make it a one-liner either, blog if you have something to talk about, after all, that is the purpose of a blog.
• Get readers involved: Readers love to take part in your blog, by way of comments & thus adding their perspective to what you have written, make it interesting for them so that they see the need to come back and read some more.
• Build a community: Bloggers often keep a small list of regularly visited blogs where they comment, they cannot (as no one can) visit every single readers blog, it’s just too much. So keep that tight nit community involved, by being a regular on their blog as well.
• Commenting: Commenting on blogs is essential, it gets you noticed and it’s basically free publicity for you. High ranking blogs such as Donncha’s blog and largely visited ones like Photo Matt can be a boon for a new blogger.
• Join blog directories: You might not see them as a valuable source of traffic, but they are. Some you can join like technorati, some you are given a chance to become a part of, as in the case with SOB. By far SOB is one of the best places to comment & join in the discussions, there are just so many bloggers and potential readers you can get from there.
• Give credit to bloggers: If you’re mentioning a blogger or a post of theirs, be fair and give due credit by linking them, trackbacks/pingbacks are a respect to other bloggers for the work they put in.
• Contribute to blogs: Some blogs look for either pay-per-post or freelance writers, one such place I’ve recently joined is Attackr.com, I think it’s a great way to get your name out.
• Other things you might want to look into: Gravatar’s are great, they personalize your comments in other blogs and do the same for others. Sitemap creation to submit to services like Google are important. Tagging your posts with services like technorati help you as well. Have a look at my plugin page to see other useful plugins that can aid you in getting your blog customized the way you want it.

So that’s my short lesson, if you could call it that, into Blogging For Beginners 101. Please feel free to add any more info you have, to make this a better resource.

Originally posted at my site.

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