"Hello World!" - 5 Steps to Start a Blog

Hello World! Welcome to my blog. What better way to start a blog than to post something about how to start a blog. So, here is my first entry.

The term "blog" was coined by Peter Merholz in 1999. A "blog" or a "web log" is an online journal or a website that is frequently updated with articles containing texts, photos, or videos. Starting a blog is very easy. Just follow these 5 steps.

Step 1. Decide on what to blog
Think of something simple. Maybe something like a diary where you write about your work or your hobbies. Think of topics you want to discuss with others and share your opinion with like: politics, entertainment, current events, business, unicorns, flying spaghetti monsters, etc. You can blog about other blogs. You can even blog without writing anything, like a photo journal. If you still can't think of something to blog about you can always search the web for inspiration or check out these examples:
1000 Awesome Things
Catchy Colors
The Economist
Aspergiansarah
Bent Objects
1796 Foods


Step 2. Choose a blog service
These are just some of the blog services you can choose from: Tumblr, Blogger, Wordpress, Live Journal and Xanga. Choose which one fits your needs, and sign up.


Step 3. Customize your blog site
This is the fun part. Most blog platforms already have pre made themes that allows you to customize the look of your blog. You can change the image on the header or the background color of your home page. Blogger and Wordpress have features that allow you to modify some settings on your blog site. You can install widgets and plugins that will let your readers interact with your blog site like: polls, live chat, etc. Play around, compare, and test everything until you are satisfied with the look and functionality of your site.


Step 4. Hello World
Now it's time to write your first article. If you still don't know what to put on your first article, you can start by writing a little bit something about your blog and you as the author. Write what the blog is all about, and the reason why you created it. You should regularly update your blog site to keep your readers from coming back.


Step 5. Promote your blog
There are lots of ways to promote your blog. Visit other blogs and comment on their post. Be active in discussions. Creating a Twitter account or a Facebook fan page can also promote your blog site.

I hope this article helped you in creating your first blog, or at least gave you an idea on how to start. Good luck, and enjoy blogging.