I have heard people compare and contrast blogging and writing one time too many. Some say that they are basically the same thing – you write posts, therefore you blog. Others take a different stance and say that there is more to blogging than writing, and that just because you can write doesn’t mean you can blog. What is it really? Do you have to be a good writer to be a good blogger?

I suppose that both sides have a point. I have to say that I believe that to a certain degree, you HAVE TO be able to write decently in order to be an effective blogger. Let us examine a few points.

One, you need to be able to send your message across clearly. Whether you are writing an article for a magazine or you are writing a blog post, you need to get your message across. In order to do so, you have to be able to write coherently.

Two, you need to know the basics of proper spelling, punctuation, and the like. While you may be good with words, glaring mistakes with regard to spelling, punctuation, and grammar will turn people off. It is true that not everyone is a grammar Nazi, but being correct in this regard adds credibility to your blog.

Three, you need to be able to play with words in order to maintain a captive audience. You might have the most interesting ideas to share, but if you do not think of your audience and try to keep them interested, then you might very well fail.

As you can see, those aspects of “formal” writing apply very much to blogging. No matter how you look at it, writing and blogging have many things in common.

On the other hand, we also have to realize that one need not be a Pulitzer awardee to become a good blogger. As bloggers, we do not need to be so strict and formal with regard to styles and writing rules. Perhaps more important than these rules are the things that you can do to promote your blog and increase your readership. What are these things?

One, you have to pay attention to your wording. Key words have long been an important part of writing for the web. People search for information using these key words, and if you focus on a specific topic, then you ought to find out the key words that are most relevant to this topic.

Two, you have to interact with the rest of the blogosphere. More than offering your own content, do not hesitate to link out to other blogs and sites which may have relevant information for your readers as well.

Three, place high importance on comments. Word your posts so as to incite comments from your readers – good or bad it doesn’t matter. The idea is to start a discussion. More so, remember to reply to comments in your blog AND comment in other blogs as well.

Writing IS part of blogging, but do not make the mistake of thinking that all you need to do to maintain a successful blog is to churn out words.

If you’ve taken a look at other blogs – which I assume you have – you have probably noticed that many of them make use of pictures and photos within the posts. While this makes sense to me, I don’t want to assume that everyone else has the same idea, so let me ask you, why is it important to add pictures to your blog? I could go on and on about the reasons for adding pictures to blog posts, but let me just stick with the most important ones.

1. It adds to the whole visual experience. I am talking about color, texture, and the like. Many people are visual; that is, they have a better reading experience when they see illustrations and graphics. Using relevant pictures in your posts will make these people happier, and that is what you want.
2. Pictures help break up long chunks of text. Whether you like it or not, not everyone likes seeing long blocks of text without a break every now and then. This is where pictures come in. If you have 10 paragraphs of interesting text, use two or so pictures to provide breaks. As interesting as the topic may be, the pictures will make it even better!
3. Pictures add recall value. Again, a lot of people are visual, and they remember images better than text. If you want to make a greater impact on your readers, then adding eye catching pictures is the way to go.
4. Pictures say a thousand words. Cliché, I know, but true nonetheless. There are just some things that cannot be described by words in a single post. With a picture, you can achieve things that may not be easily done by merely using pure text.

So now that I have convinced you of the importance of pictures, what next? Let’s take a look at how you can find images for your blog. One thing to remember: make sure that you are not “stealing” photos off of someone. While everything can be had online, you have to be careful of copyright issues.

The good news is that there are many resources online which can help you find photos without worrying about ethical issues. Try iStockphoto, which provides excellent pictures for blogs. You would have to pay for their service, though. You can also take a look at PicApp, which allows you to link to photos for FREE. Other free sites include Stock.Xchng and Freepixels.

Another thing that I like to do is go to Flickr and search for relevant photos. The thing is, you have to click on the option that says Creative Commons License. This will give you results of images that you can use for your blog, as long as you give the proper credit to the owner.

The bottom line here is to find pictures that are related to the content of the post and that are “available” for use. Follow these two simple guidelines and you will have much better posts (visually) without the headache of copyright issues.

This is one of the most frequently asked questions by new bloggers. We all know that blogs are different from static web sites in many ways, and delivering fresh content is one of the main characteristics that set blogs apart. The question is, just how often should a blogger offer new content?

In many circles, the general consensus is that bloggers should post new content daily. Much like news web sites, the idea is to keep people coming back for more, more often. Hence, posting on a daily basis is considered the ideal.

Then again, we have to realize that not everyone has the time and/or resources to keep at it on a daily basis. And more than the time, we also have to consider the content itself. There are times when bloggers do not have enough material to come up with posts 30 or 31 days each month. If this is the case, and the blogger forces a post each day, the chances of burning out AND providing poor content skyrocket.

So what is the ideal posting frequency?

Let’s begin with the kind of blog that you want to create – again. If you are planning on a personal blog, then your posting frequency should not be that much of an issue. Naturally, the more often you post, the better. However, at the end of the day, if you are writing to please yourself, then it should not matter how often you post.

If you are planning on having a different kind of blog, or if your goal is to attract a regular audience, then you do have to pay attention to your posting frequency. Always bear in mind what your readers will want. Put yourself in their shoes. How often would you want to read new content from a blog like yours? Does it matter much if there isn’t a new post everyday? Answering these questions will help you decide on your posting frequency.

Again, I am not saying that you have to have a new post every single day. That is just too much for some people, especially those who have hectic schedules. Every other day maybe? Or even thrice or twice a week? I think that these figures are reasonable – not so taxing on the average blogger and yet not so infrequent that readers just give up on visiting the blog.

Whatever number you decide on, here is something that you should never forget: be consistent. Readers like consistency. They want to look forward to visiting a blog and getting fresh content. There is nothing more irritating than reading three or more new posts a day and then not getting anything fresh in the next 3 months! It is much better to spread out your posts rather than to bunch them up in a day and go AWOL for an extended period of time.

My suggestion is for you to set realistic goals and then do everything you can to stick to your posting schedule. Do that, and your readers will love you for it.

This argument is as old as time. Perhaps it has been phrased differently in various contexts, but the comparison of form and function has been around for as long as I can remember. And this is basically what this page is all about. Which is more important, blog design or blog content?

Let’s begin the discussion by clearly identifying what we mean by blog design and blog content. In the simplest possible way, when I say blog design, I am referring to the layout, the template, the colors, and all other visual aspects of the blog. When I say blog content, I am referring to the text and relevant images.

You’ve probably heard of the catch phrase “content is king.” A lot of people believe in this, simply because it makes sense. At the end of the day, what you want is to offer people content that they can make use of. It can be practical information on a topic. It can be insights for daily living. It can even be simple humor that will make the reader smile or chuckle. The bottom line is that when people go to your blog, they will find something in terms of information that will suit their needs and preferences.

On the other hand, design makes a HUGE difference in the experience of a reader. Think about the many times that you’ve visited a blog or any other web site. Think about how your perception was affected by the visual elements. More likely than not, a shabby looking blog turned you off even before you could read the contents in detail. When the layout is not user-friendly, it gets even worse. Even the most dedicated of readers might not stick around for more content if navigation is an arduous task.

At this point, you probably see where I am headed – both content and design have their purpose. One cannot be placed on a pedestal at the expense of the other. Indeed, many have come to the realization that your blog design will catch the attention of readers, while your blog content will keep them coming back for more. I hold the belief that a good blog design will attract people. In addition to that, a good blog design will work together with excellent content to keep readers coming back for more.

So how do you strike a balance between these two elements? Here are a few simple things to consider.

One, make sure that the visual elements come together to create a pleasing whole. Different elements – the header, images, widgets – may look good alone, but you have to see the overall effect and make your decision based on that.

Two, make sure that readers will find it easy to browse through your blog. Archives, tags, categories, and other relevant links – help your reader find these without exerting too much effort.

Three, always provide well-written posts about information relevant to your blog’s theme. Don’t fall for this trap: “poor content is better than no content.” Take the time to think out your posts before publishing them. When you look at your blog, you want to be proud of what you are offering!

You already know the basic idea behind a blog. You know why people prefer blogs. You know some of the most common terms that you’ll encounter in the blogosphere. You know about all the different kinds of blogs. You think you’re practically ready to start your own blog. Then you realize something – you have not answered the question “What should I blog about?”

On the one hand, this is a very easy question to answer. You can blog or write about anything you want to! That’s the beauty of blogging – you will not be shot down for saying what you think. On the other hand, this freedom might make it a bit difficult for you to decide as to what exactly you want to do with your blog.

That, I think, is the crux of the matter. Even before you decide on what you should blog about, I believe that you should pinpoint your reason for blogging. Why are you creating a blog? Once you have answered this question, then you will find the answer to the first question more easily. (ASIDE: If you need to refer to the page on different kinds of blogs, feel free to do so. It will help you in case some of the ideas in the next paragraphs seem strange.)

So let’s talk about what kind of blog you want to create – why you want to blog. If you’re looking at creating a personal blog, you have free reign over what you will be writing. More often than not, personal bloggers want to put their thoughts and feelings in writing – and that’s exactly what you will write about if you are thinking of putting up your personal blog. Everyday experiences, holidays, trips, shopping sprees, food – whatever you want, you can blog about.

If you’re looking at creating a blog focusing on a more specific subject, then there is one thing that I have to tell you: make sure that you will have enough to write about on that subject. If, at the very beginning, you are decided on writing about something specific, bear these things in mind:

1. Passion – you have to be passionate about the topic. Without passion, you can probably come up with posts. However, they will almost always come out dry and leave your readers looking for something else.
2. Knowledge – you do not have to be an expert in a field in order to blog about it. However, you will have to gain knowledge as you go along. Otherwise, how can you establish yourself as an authority on a topic if you’re making things up as you go along?
3. Creativity – even if you are passionate about a topic and you pick up a lot of information along the way, you will always come to a point wherein you feel that you do not have anything to write about. That is inevitable. That’s when your creativity will play a very important role. You have to find ways and means to add fresh content to your blog – read the news, read other blogs, talk to people, watch a movie; it doesn’t matter – you have to let your creative juices flow and provide that content.

Again, the bottom line here is that you write something that you WANT to write and that you KNOW well enough to write about. Whether you’re talking about personal blogs or not, if you are passionate and have the info, you will do just fine.

If you have taken a look at our page on the most common blogging terms (if you haven’t, NOW is a good time to do so!), you should at least recognize the term “blogroll.” Just to make it easier on you, though, let me reiterate what a blogroll is. This is simply a list containing other blogs which you (the blogger) visits or reads regularly. Sometimes, blogs are listed in the blogroll even if they are not visited by the blogger often. The main point is that the blogger is recommending or plugging these blogs. The blogroll is oftentimes found on the right column of the blog. This does not mean, however, that you cannot place the blogroll in other locations.

More than the name or title of the blog, readers are also treated to links. That is, the names of the blogs in the blogroll are often hyperlinked to the blogs themselves. This makes it easier for the reader as she or he merely has to click on the blog name to see the content for herself/himself.

Another element of a blogroll, which is fairly new, is the link to the most recent post. That is, more than the main URL of the blog, readers can also click on the link to the latest post. This is a great way for you to monitor if a blog that you like to visit has new content. This eliminates the need to visit the blog just to check if there is something new that you have not read before.

Based on the information given above, it is easy to see the importance of a blogroll. On your part, you get to provide additional information to your readers. This is especially true if the blogs that you include in your blogroll have content related to yours. More so, getting YOUR blog on other blogs’ blogrolls will increase your exposure, which is always good.

So how do you decide on what to put in your blogroll?

Obviously, you will place links to the blogs of your friends who have their own blogs as well. This is the most common start for those maintaining personal blogs. Alternatively, you might get to meet other bloggers. Sooner or later, you will get a request to exchange links – you put their blog in your blogroll and they’ll do the same for you. While this is a great way to gain more exposure, you have to take into consideration the content and the quality of the other blog. The bottom line is to make sure that you are not associating yourself with a shady blog that has nothing but ads and copied content. Your best route is to follow the blog for a while and then make your decision.

For those whose blogs are of a more focused nature, the content of the blogs in your blogroll are even more important. Remember that more than recommending these blogs because you like them, you have to provide quality AND relevant content to your readers. So if your blog is all about food, it would be great to put your favorite food blogs in your blogroll.

No, I am not talking about stuff that you can buy and ingest to fortify your body. If you have been reading the other pages that we’ve created for you, you’ll realize that I am talking about feeds that are one of the most important tools in blogging. Feeds are basically an alternative way of accessing the content of a blog (or any other web site for that matter) without having to actually visit the blog in your web browser.

Try visiting various blogs and web sites, and you will see some buttons saying “Atom,” “RSS,” or “XML.” These are all types of feeds which you can also use in your blog. Let us say that over the course of time, you stumble upon many blogs that you would like to follow, or read regularly. Now this should not be so difficult if the number is a mere 10 or so. What if your list of blogs grows to reach 50 or a hundred? It would be such a hassle to regularly open each blog.

This is where feeds come into the picture. Blog platforms have a built in feature which come up with code – automatically – that allows readers to subscribe to a blog. This means that they can subscribe to as many blogs as they want, and use a feed reader or aggregator to read the contents of each blog as it is updated. The need to actually open a tab or window to visit a blog is done away with.

Now how do you add feeds to your blog? This, again, depends on the blogging platform that you are using. Let’s just say that you are using WordPress – perhaps the most versatile and feature-rich blogging platform today, and the one which this blog uses as well. Most WordPress themes have built-in feeds, meaning that you do not have to add a feed! Try scrolling down to the bottom of this page, and you will see two links saying “Entries (RSS)” and “Comments (RSS).” The first one is the feed URL for the blog posts while the second one is for the comments. It is that easy!

If you want to use a third party service for feeds, you can do so as well. Perhaps the most popular is Feedburner. This service is chosen by many bloggers because it makes it easy for readers to subscribe to the feed. It also provides additional features such as the ability to track statistics, which is quite important for a lot of people. Feedburner is compatible with various blogging platforms, and you can get step by step instructions on how to use it in their web site.

One last thing, remember that you want your readers to immediately see the subscribe button. As such, if you’re customizing your blog’s look, make sure to place the feed button somewhere on top where it can be spotted without the reader having to look hard for it. In this manner, you don’t lose out on subscribers simply because of inappropriate location.