Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Using Blogger as Your Blogging Platform

Blogspot) is a free blogging platform run by Google. My opinion is that it’s a great platform for beginning bloggers who may be unsure about whether they are going to embrace blogging for the long-term or who may be unable (or unwilling) to pay for blog hosting.

The Pros of Using Blogger as Your Blogging Platform

Blogger is owned by Google so it integrates easily with Google Analytics, PicasaWeb (which gives you 1GB of free storage), and Feedburner. In addition it offers
  • an easy-to-use set-up wizard. You can be up and running with your blog in under five minutes.
  • intuitive software. Tabs and buttons are easy to navigate.
  • the ability to easily incorporate RSS and advertising scripts if that interests you.
  • the option to use your own domain (.com name) instead of yourblogname.blogspot.com.
In addition, if you are comfortable with HTML and CSS you can tweak your template so it stands out from the rest. There are many free and customizable templates available for Blogger.

Cons of Using Blogger as Your Blogging Platform

There are cons to using Blogger as your platform, though. The biggest one is that Blogger blogs are sometimes considered less professional than those using WordPress.org as their platform. However, by tweaking your template and using your own domain name, it’s becoming ever harder to determine which platform someone is using. The key to having a polished look on Blogger is to use your own domain name, use a unique template, and ditch the Blogger NavBar.
  • Some people complain about the commenting feature and that it isn’t easy to use.
  • Many schools and public institutions block the Blogger platform which could significantly limit your audience.
  • I have found the Blogger Help files to be less than helpful. Even the forums are not as effective as the WordPress or TypePad help files. However, there are several blogs that explain the answers to common problems with Blogger. One of the most popular is Blogger Buster by Amanda Fazani.

Further Reading

Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2009/01/using-blogger-blogspot-as-your-blogging-platform/
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Choosing a Blogging Platform

When you decide to start your own blog, there are many choices to be made. The very first choice is which platform to use. The most popular blog platforms are Blogger, WordPress.com, and WordPress.org. This article will explain the basic differences of these platforms and the pros and cons of each.
When choosing your blog platform, you’ll need to determine whether you would prefer a hosted or non-hosted blog platform. A hosted platform is one that is housed on the platform’s server. In other words, if you have a Blogger blog, your blog is hosted on the Blogger server; if you have a WordPress.org blog, it’s housed on the WordPress.org server.
A non-hosted site is a blog that is housed on your own server (usually a third-party you pay to host your site; I use Hostgator.com and I like them a lot). For example, if you use WordPress.org as your blogging platform, they do not host your blog for you. You will have another company host it. Paying for a host isn’t very expensive — Hostgator starts at $3.96/month.
There are pros and cons to both hosted and non-hosted blogging solutions.

The pros of having a hosted site (like Blogger or WordPress.org):

  • A hosted site makes it extremely easy for you to start a blog and see if you like it without spending any money up front. Both Blogger and WordPress are free.
  • Hosted sites are generally extremely user-friendly and fairly intuitive (meaning it’s easy to figure out which link to click to do certain tasks like linking or italicizing text).
  • Hosted sites also offer WYSIWIG editors. (WYSIWYG stands for What You See Is What You Get.) Most platforms offer a way to type your blog post and see how it will appear when it’s published. They also offer a tab that allows you to see the HTML of your post if you need to see the code.

The cons of having a hosted site:

  • Blogger and WordPress.org don’t offer domain names by default. For example, if you create a Blogger blog, your URL (or domain) will be similar to http://BloggingBasics101.blogspot.com. Unfortunately, blogs without a customized domain (e.g., http://BloggingBasics101.com) can appear to be less professional. This is a bias in the blogging community. Having your own domain, such as http://BloggingBasics101.com instead of http://bloggingbasics101.blogspot.com, shows people you’re taking this blogging thing more seriously. The good news is that you can install a custom domain on both Blogger and WordPress.com!
  • You will generally have less control of your HTML or CSS. Blogger allows you to change various parts of your HTML, but not everything.
  • Theme customization is limited. Both Blogger and WordPress.com do come with over 100 theme options, but if you use a hosted platform (like WordPress.org), you’ll find literally THOUSANDS of theme options (some paid, some free).
  • WordPress.com does allows limited advertising on your blog, but you have to have a certain amount of traffic. You also can’t run sponsored posts or affiliate links. That could hinder your blogging for profit dreams.

The pros of having a non-hosted site (via WordPress.org):

  • You have control over how your archives are managed.
  • You have control over all of your HTML and CSS.
  • You have control over permalinks. This means that instead of the platform choosing the name of a post, you choose a name. This will help not only with managing permalinks, but with managing your SEO (or search engine optimization).
  • There are many plug-ins for the WordPress.org platform that allow you to do everything from managing advertising to managing and responding to comments more efficiently.
  • You own it all, you control it all, you do it all. The great news is that there thousands of websites that can answer all your questions
The cons of having a non-hosted site is that you are going to need to start getting comfortable with HTML and CSS so you can work with your templates and customize your blog. The good news is that plugins and widgets are abundant and are an easy way to add functionality to your blog (like a search bar or managing ads) easily — without needing to code anything!
It is widely regarded in the professional or semi-professional blogosphere that if you have a WordPress.org blog you are more serious about your blogging. Blogger or WordPress.com are low men on the totem pole. However, as I mentioned, many bloggers do very well on Blogger blogs. Blogger is also an excellent choice for beginning bloggers because it is free and easy to use. I recommend it for those of you just starting out who aren’t sure if you want to stick with it or not.

Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2009/01/choosing-a-blogging-platform/
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New Blogger Checklist

When I started blogging, I jumped, nay, DIVED, right in without looking. I didn’t have much of a choice at the time. I started blogging right at the tail end of the wave just before blogging really exploded, and at that time, there wasn’t much information on doing it well. You just did it.
Not that there is some manual on how to blog. When it comes down to it, all you need is a blog account on the platform of your choice and then type away.
But if you want to do it well? Now, that is different.
What does it take to do this blogging thing? This thing that everyone is addicted to?
Here is a basic run-down. It is by no means inclusive of every detail, but it is a good solid list to get you off on the right foot.
Decide what and whom you are blogging for.

{This is also referred to as finding your niche.} Are you blogging to share with family and friends (that is the way most of us got sucked into it)? To make money? To promote your business? Consider this first, because this will help establish the tone and voice of your blog. This can always change. But if it changes drastically (ie: switch from writing about family to mainly promoting your business) you may need to start a new blog altogether.
Think good and plenty about what you’ll name that blog and what you’ll go by (if you’ll use your real name or a nickname).

You’ll be glad you did. For every Bossy and ProBlogger, there are people who are stuck with names that were created at a frat party. It’s not always a simple change, if you decide to go by something else. Remember what happened to new Coke? Change confuses people and sometimes irritates.
And make sure it doesn’t just identify that specific time of your life. My First Year of Underwater Basket-Weaving School may be appropriate now. But some day, you may be an underwater-basketweaving school dropout. And then what?
Draft your posts in reader friendly formats.

If you want people to stick around and read your blog, please please please consider some visual basics. There is more to creating a reader friendly blog than just a nice design. One very simple suggestion is to break your text up into smaller paragraphs. Seriously.
When a post is written in one long paragraph, only your mom will stick through to the end. And she may have to bandage her eyes after doing so.
(For info on the design aspect of your blog, see my post on Basic Blog Design Principles.)
Provide a way for readers to contact you.

Comments only go so far. Sometimes, people may want to contact you and ask something behind the scenes; maybe just a sincere “thank you” for something you wrote. It’s just nice to have that available. Create an address dedicated solely to your blog if you are worried about spam.

How will you deal with comments?

Eventually, you will have more people reading your blog than just your mom or BFF. And when that happens, you’ll be glad you have some sort of commenting policy in place. Will you delete comments by trolls? What about people who disagree (vehemently) with a point you’ve made? Don’t wait until something happens to determine what to do.
Along with this, how will you respond to comments? In the comments? Or via email? Remember, blogging is a lot more fun when you can create a sense of community and be an active participant in it.
Once you get yourself set up and ready to go, enjoy the ride.
Blogging is fun; there is no doubt about it. If it’s not fun, consider your reasons for continuing. Or just scratch what you are doing and start all over. You may not be the next blogging rock star. But is that really the only benefit to blogging? It’s so much more than that. I’ve seen blogging open up all sorts of opportunities for people off of their blogs. (hello, HP? Disney?)

Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2008/07/here-is-the-new/
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Choosing a Blogging Niche

I tend to approach blogging from a “passion” angle and not so much the “money” angle. I don’t think I’m alone, either. I know there are women out there who want to have their voices heard and the income (if any) is secondary to that goal. (Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great perk, but it wasn’t what made me start blogging and it isn’t what keeps me going.)
My feeling is if you write about your passion, you’ve found your niche. Choosing your niche based on its potential profitability rather than your passion will lead to burn out and dissatisfaction. The key behind every successful blog I read (and the authors I’ve met) is this: they love their topic. These people didn’t choose their topic or niche because it was profitable; if it is, that was most likely a happy coincidence. Blogging is the closest I’ve come to the adage Do what you love and the money will come.

Finding Your Niche

What if you have many passions and no focus? What if you’re not sure how to find your niche? In Finding Your Niche Online and Succeeding In It Amandalyn advises making a list:
If you have a hard time finding your niche, then ask yourself a few questions and write down all of your answers to make a list.
  • What are your hobbies?
  • What things do you like and enjoy doing?
  • How do you spend your free time?
  • What are your favorite topics to talk about?
  • When you were young, what was fun for you?
  • What topics do you know more than most about?
  • Are there certain classes that you have taken extensively?
Finding your niche can be daunting at first because, truly, there are blogs in every niche. You are not going to be the first. However, if you look, you’ll see that there are holes to be filled. Find a need and fill that need. I started Blogging Basics 101 (at the urging of Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer) because there are many intermediate and advanced tech sites for bloggers, but there wasn’t a place for beginners. Blogging about blogging wasn’t my first niche, either; it evolved from my first blog (a personal blog where I certainly didn’t even consider a niche as part of my blogging plan) where I was receiving a lot of questions about how to do specific things with a blog (like crossing out words or adding things to a sidebar). Let that last part be a lesson too: You may start out with one thing and move to another. Sometimes the best-laid plans are just a stepping stone.

Dominating Your Niche

Now you have your niche, but you want to do even more. What’s the next step? In How to Dominate Your Niche, Brian Clark suggests
What you’re looking to do is intensify the niche by doing something more, or differently (or maybe even better) than the existing players. You do this by first evaluating and understanding where the niche is currently, and position your content in a way that pushes the envelope.
You can evaluate your niche simply by being part of the community of that niche. (Is it me, or do I always come back to community in my articles?) As you read and comment at other blogs in your niche you’ll have a sense of what is being covered and what is not. You can start to fill the holes in the niche or take a new approach to an old issue.
This, I believe, is where you’ll start to position yourself to make some money from your passion. As I wrote in my article Advice for Making Money with Your Blog, if you have a product (via your blog) or are representing a business niche, it’s easier to sell that product or specific niche to advertisers. Advertisers know who they want to reach and if your product or business is complementary, then they see the value of advertising with you more readily than they would if you were just a blogger without focus.

You Niche & Your Network

How does being in a particular niche translate to being part of a network (something many bloggers are doing these days)? Deb Ng cautions you to be careful. In Earning Money as a Blogger: Are You Too Nichey for Your Network? Deb writes
[S]ometimes being nichey in a network isn’t always the best career move. . .If you do want to touch upon a niche, my recommendation is that it will probably be just as profitable, if not more, to start your own niche blog. This way you can post on your own schedule and keep all the profits for yourself. Yes, it’s slower getting started, but if you rock the promotion and know what you’re doing, you’ll do well.

Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/2009/04/choosing-a-blogging-niche/
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How Do I Start a Blog

So you think you’d like to try blogging? Well, I think that’s an excellent idea! Blogs are a great way to express yourself, connect with others who share your passions, and share information. Before you start, though, I have some articles you might want to read. They cover everything from helping you choose which blogging platforms fits your needs to choosing a name for your blog to choosing the design of your blog. In fact, you may want to start with this article: How do I start a blog?

Skip the Newbie Blogging Mistakes

We were all blogging newbies at one point. True, bloggers come to the table with varying degrees of online and social media experience, but we’ve all made more than a few newbie mistakes. These articles may help you avoid some of the growing pains of your first blog.

Choose Your Blogging Platform

A blogging platform is just the software you’ll use to blog. The most popular platforms are Blogger, TypePad, and WordPress.org. These articles will help you decide which one is right for you.

Make Your Design User Friendly

Your blog’s design should reflect your niche and your personality, but should also be user friendly. In fact, your blog design is one of the most important decisions you’ll make besides choosing your platform and your blog’s name. Sure design is sort of subjective art, but you know good design when you see it and you can tell when someone’s taken the time to really consider how a blog is used and viewed. The face you show to the blogosphere can affect your credibility and authority.
Source - http://www.bloggingbasics101.com/how-do-i-start-a-blog/
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