Get started blogging for fun and profit
(This is a modified version of post on Bob’s own blog at http://talkingtech.net. A blog is short for web log, a kind of online journal)
A few weeks ago, noted southern Humboldt blogger Erik V. Kirk spoke at the Eureka Rotary. He chronicled a surprising tale of stumbling into this world of social networking. What he thought was an obscure journal of life and ideas in a remote part of the world seems to have been found by thousands of people and become a hotbed for conversation on local and global issues. What his talk emphasized was how quickly and easily a well written blog can attract an audience in ways a static website cannot.
It seemed for a while that everyone on earth was starting their own blog. But in truth, blogging is still only just starting to reach the business world in a big way.
I’ve recently seen an increased interest in the use of blogs by small business. In response to a direct question from one client on how to get started, I offered the following advice …
Blogging can be fun, but it can also be time consuming. Blogging isn’t for everyone and not for every business. First, you have to like to write. To be successful, blogs need to be feed on a regular basis: 2-3 times per week at a minimum, but really successful bloggers post daily. Second, you should have something to say about your industry that people would want to read, or something special you want to express to your customers. Third, it can be tricky to get set up and keep the software up to date if you install it yourself.
Using a blogging tool as opposed to just posting content on a web site takes advantage of the way the data gets propagated on the web. Blog posts have a way of reaching far more people than static web pages and draw a wide audience to your site. How this works may be subject for another day.
Basically, there are two routes to go:
1) Using a hosted solution
2) Installing blogging software on your own domain
Each has its own advantages/disadvantages.
A Hosted Solution
The two biggest advantages of using a hosted solution is that you can get your blog up and running in 5-10 minutes. Software is all managed by the hosting company so when it’s updated you don’t have to do anything, and if you use blogger.com (a Google company) or Wordpress.com, it’s free!
The disadvantages of this solution are that you have limited control over features and how it looks. You are restricted by using the available templates and plug-ins (chunks of code that you can install to extend the functionality of your blog).
The other disadvantage of this approach is that it’s not on your domain. All you can do is link to it. So, a link to your blog takes your site visitors away from your main site.
Installing the Software
Solution #2 solves all the disadvantages of solution #1, but of course, introduces other issues. There are lots of free and commercial applications that can be installed on your own account. I don’t intend to review them all here. A good place to find options and reviews of free software is OpenSourceCMS.com. I’ve used the free Wordpress software for years and really like the wide range of tools and the easy of modifying the look and feel.
By installing your own software you can make it do a lot more because you have more control over how it looks and functions. You can even integrate it directly in to your site in a nice, dynamic way. For example, we built a site for Adventure’s Edge (http://adventuresedge.com) that uses Wordpress for its blogging software. The back end is exactly like a standard Wordpress installation. But the front end is completely integrated into their site. They intend to use the blog to keep their customers up to date on new products, sales, and events at the store.
The disadvantages are that this all has to be set up by a developer so there are costs involved. And if something goes wrong you or your developer needs to fix it. Upgrades have to be done as security patches and new versions are released. However, many of these functions have become easier for even a tech novice to manage.
While ultimately I believe installing blogging software on your own site is the way to go, if you are thinking about blogging and just want to try it out, using a hosted solution would be a good way to start.
Blogging is just one of many ways to communicate in the new networked world. If you would like to learn more about trends in technology, consider coming to a Redwood Technology Consortium meeting.
Bob Morse is a web developer, owner of Morse Media and on the Board of the Redwood Technology Consortium