As you may know, I host a podcast for Thom Rainer twice a week over at his blog, thomrainer.com. We recently had Michael Hyatt as a guest on the pod, and he made a statement that surprised me somewhat. He stated that for a someone jumping into social media for the first time, he would recommend starting with a blog.
I guess it surprised me because I expected something lower in the difficulty meter. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized just how great an answer Michael gave.
Blogging is a commitment (as evidenced by the scarcity of posts here). Again it may not show at this site, but as I’ve managed at least one blog every day for more than seven years, I’ve seen a lot of blogs come and go. When it’s done the right way, blogs can take off like the author never imagined. When it’s done poorly, the blogger is burnt out and the blog becomes a hot mess or a wasteland.
So what sets apart the successful blogs and bloggers? Well over the next few posts, I’ll cover some best practices and provide some helpful resources that will hopefully set you in the right direction if you’re looking to start in blogging and social media or refocus your efforts if you have lost your way.
Today, we look at the top five things to consider when starting a blog:
1. Your domain name should be simple and easy to remember.
Your URL is so important. It’s hard to understate this. A bad URL will hurt your traffic, confuse readers, and ultimately frustrate you as a blogger. For a personal blog, YourName.com is the obvious choice, but often difficult if you have a common name (like Jonathan Howe). The next best option is a play on words using your name (like HoweOriginal.com).
2. Where you host your site matters.
Website hosting can be confusing and technically overwhelming to the uninitiated. Simply put, you have three main options as you set out on your blogging adventure.
First, you can choose to use a free host like WordPress or Blogger (Tip: Don’t use blogger). If you go this route, you are limited in what you can do on your site both technically and aesthetically. But it’s free.
- Your theme should match your needs.
- Fonts are important to readers.
- Graphics are a must.
- BONUS: Social sharing might be the most important component of your blog.