WordPress

I know there are probably thousands of blogs out there which talked about blogging and how it should be done. Well, I was contacted by a person interested in blogging and asked me how much I charge for tutorial.

What a great opportunity to earn extra cash! But then on second thoughts, blogging is so easy and you don’t need to pay to learn blogging. I provided that person some pointers but if he still needs my services, I’d be very willing to provide it. It’s another raket in the making.

For would be bloggers, here are some unsolicited advice from a not so new, but not yet veteran blogger.

You have to be passionate about blogging

Why do you want to blog? This should be the first question to ask yourself. If it’s for a reason, you must be passionate about it. Blogging is fun only if your heart is into it.

Choose the platform that’s right for your needs

The platform to use and the topics on your blog will depend largely on why you want to blog in the first place. If it’s just for personal interest then there are several blogging platforms out there which are free like WordPress.com or Blogger.com.

However, if you want to earn from your blog, then it is advisable to get your own domain. Most paid post sites only accept those with their own domain names.  So if you’re planning to do some paid reviews, better have your own self-hosted blog.

Having your own self-hosted blog will cost you a little since you’ll have to pay for your domain name and web hosting. Some web hosting companies offer domain name for free if your blog will be hosted by them. Check out web hosting sites for comparison of services. The ratings from bloggers are also very useful in order for you to determine which one has a better offer.

I started with free hosted site WordPress and since my needs and wants changed over time, I migrated to self hosted blog. It’s important to get all the information you can n web hosts especially the after sales service. You don’t want your blog to go offline most of the time, do?

Be prepared for criticisms

You can not please everybody so be prepared for those who don’t agree with you. If you don’t want to be criticized then you should have made a diary intead. At the other end of it, there are those which have teh same interests are you. These people will provide you inspiration and by intearcting with them, you can learn from them as well.

I’m still a neophyte by most blogger’s standards but I’d like tothink that in blogging, there’s no neophyte nor veteran. As long as you love blogging and continue to give value to other people then you are an asset to the blogging community.

photo credit: Foxtongue