Blog 101

Colleagues have asked why I am into blogging, considering my stature and ehem age (am on my 30′s). It’s funny, some dudes assume that blogs and social networking platforms are only for the ragnarok generation, duh.I answered my fellow managers that my original intention is just to (b)log my learnings about work- life issues, and have my kids learn from it in the future. What made blogs different is this is done online, not the traditional paper bound journal.However, when they learn that blogs have the potential to generate extra bucks in US $, some would like to start a blog immediately. So I gave a crash course on Blogs 101, as follows:

1. Determine which area of interest or expertise you would like to talk about, before you start your first blog. This is important because this will sustain you and keep your blog alive.
2. Be clear with your objective and motivation. This will help you gauge your success.
3. You must find time to write, or podcast (audio blog), or vlog (video blog). If you are an executive or manager and have a family, this is easier said than done.
4. Be open to criticism and correction. Your first article, podcast or vlog may likely contain grammatical lapses, or poor audio or video output.
5. If feasible, get your own domain. Having your own domain provides added value to your credibility. If you’ll start a blog from free domains and have it transferred later on, it may be easy to import contents but you will lost some of your subscribers. Furthermore, you can not import your Technorati, Alexa rankings and Google Page Rank. So it’s like starting all over again.
6. Get a reliable web hosting. A non geek like me needs advise and support when starting up. Likewise, a reliable webhost will not only keep your site online 24/7, they will go the extra mile to keep you satisfied and help your blog earn.
7. If you can not have your own domain, go for either WordPress or Blogger.
8. Network with other bloggers, join forums and e-groups where you can advertise your blog. But please, don’t spam.
9. If you’ll consider monetizing your blog, learn what blog metrics and demographics is all about. Advertisers use these to get the value of a blog. Get acquainted with Google Analytics, Technorati, Alexa, Google Page Rank, Compete, among others.
10. To get extra traffic, optimize your site so search engines like Yahoo!, Live, MSN and Google can find your blog.