Blogging is a wonderful way to start a business. It can work as your single point of internet business. Or you can use a blog to help brand your business and compliment a website. Regardless, starting your own blog is an exciting adventure. Here’s how to get started.

Step One: Choose your platform

There are many different blogging platforms. For example, WordPress is perhaps the most popular blogging platform. It’s free, easy to use and quite easy to modify to fit any needs. Spend some time reviewing the various blogging platforms. Check out Blogger, WordPress and TypePad. They’re the three most popular. Also, if you already have a website, find out what your website host provides. Some provide WordPress or their own blogging platform.

Step Two: What are you blogging about?

This is the fun part. Well, actually it’s all fun. However, deciding what your blog is going to be about can be quite creative. When deciding what your blog is going to be about, try to be specific.

For example, if you’re blogging about pets, that is quite broad. However, if you’re blogging about breeding puppies, that’s more specific. Unless you’re blogging for self-gratification, you probably want visitors. Visitors tend to return to blogs that are on specific topics that appeal to their interests. This takes us to the next step…

Step Three: Why are you blogging?

In most cases people blog because they want to earn money. Perhaps you’re using your blog as the foundation for your internet business. Perhaps you’re using it to brand an existing business. Before you complete any of the other steps, decide why you’re blogging. What’s the purpose for your blog?

Step Four: Set up your blog

In this step you’ll choose your domain name. You’ll choose hosting. And you’ll choose a blog template for your platform. WordPress offers hundreds of thousands of templates. You can also hire a designer to create a custom template for you. Or you can hire a designer to customize a template.

Another option is to simply choose a template that fits your needs, purpose and personality. Then hire a designer to create a custom header and/or logo for your blog. A custom WordPress header and/or logo should cost less than £150.

You’ll also adjust your blog settings in this step. For example, you can decide how many posts are shown on your landing page. You can also decide what the blog links look like. You may also want to install plug-ins and activate widgets to fit your blog needs. Common plug-ins help optimize your blog for the search engines. They also reduce spam comments. Plug-ins actually can fit just about any need you might have for your blog.

Step Five: Start writing

You’re now ready to start blogging. First, decide if you’re going to have any pages on your blog. An example of a blog page might be an “About Me” page.

One of the great things about blogging is that you can add plug-ins, widgets and change the template design to fit your changing needs. They’re infinitely customisable. You can add shopping carts, membership sites, product catalogues, video and audio.

Congratulations on your new blog. To your success!