How to Start a Successful Blog in 50 Steps
Are you interested in jumping on the blogging bandwagon? All the cool kids are doing it. 
Follow these 50 steps and you too can make your very own blog become successful.
- Forget about getting a free blog from somewhere like blogger or wordpress.com. You want a successful blog and it is much easier to do that with your own domain name. Get your Quick Blog from GoDaddy.com
(aff)
- Corresponding to number 1, make sure you pick a domain name that is either a) generic enough to cover any niche, or b) focused enough to fully explain your blogs niche.
Arrange for your site to be hosted.
CLICK HERE TO SIGNUP FOR HostMonster.COM NOW. (aff)- Pick your blogging software and install it. I have chosen WordPress, but feel free to pick the best option for you.
- Pick a template from the vast supply of blog templates available.
- Forget about using a standard template that has been used by countless other bloggers and have a custom site created just for you.
- Delete the first default post provided by WordPress.
- Make the realization that you are far from being ready to make your first blog post yourself.
- Modify your permalink structure to anything other than the default or numeric structure. I use the “date and name based” format, but if I had to do it all over again, I would simply use the “name”.
- Download, install, and configure the Google sitemap generator plugin for your WordPress Blog.
- Submit your site to the Google Webmaster Tools.
- Start stressing out about your first post and how you’re going to promote your new site.
- Realize that you’ve already begun promoting it by generating the sitemap and submitting it to the Webmaster Tools.
- Brainstorm on exactly what this blog will be about (stress out about it since you should have done this already).
- Write an “About” page that describes who you are and what this blog is all about.
- Configure some sort of site counter because you are about to become addicted to your traffic. Here’s a short list of possible options: Sitemeter, WordPress.com Stats, Google Analytics, FireStats.
- Browse to your site to test it in IE and Firefox.
- Check your stats page to see the 2 visits from yourself and get a slight rush. I’ve warned you, you WILL get addicted to these stats.
- Change the signature on all your email sites to include a link to your blog.
- Click on your “Write Post” link to begin writing your first post.
- Re-read your post to make sure it is just right.
- Begin wondering where this blog will take you over the next months and years.
- Publish that first post.
- Consider adding some advertising like Google AdSense to your new site.
- Stop considering the addition of ads to your site, it’s only 10 minutes old.
- Mark on your calendar to ad some ads to your site exactly 6 months from todays date.
- Tell all your friends and family about your new blog.
- Threaten them with whatever dirt you have on them to visit your site regularly.
- Reload your site to check for your first comment.
- Get depressed when there is none.
- Go to FeedBurner to burn your feed using their system. (easier feed stat tracking)
- Download the FeedSmith plugin to redirect all feeds to FeedBurner.
- Create post number 2
- Check your stats to see how many site visits you have.
- Get depressed when there are only 3 and they are all you.
- Start a list of topics you want to write about in the future.
- Visit blogs with the same topic as yours and comment on their site.
- Decide that’s enough for today and go to bed.
- Wake up in the morning and check those stats before you even go to the bathroom.
- Refresh your page to look for any comments.
- Get excited when you have 3 comments.
- Get depressed when all 3 comments are spam for either viagra, cialis, or valium.
- Write your next post.
- Wonder what you can do to make your site successful.
- Realize that you are doing it. Your excited about it, your passionate about your blog topic, your writing content, and your promoting it by visiting (and contributing to) other blogs.
- Keep all this up for 6 months.
- Ad those ads to your site to start generating an income from your popular blog.
- Find other avenues of blog monetization such as PayPerPost, ReviewMe, AuctionAds, Text Link Ads.
- Write post number 400.
- Welcome to the realm of a successful blogger!
Posted on July 9, 2007
By Jason Spence
Filed Under blogging |
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Only three pieces of comment spam? Lucky you!
[...] a month ago, I gave you 50 steps to a successful blog. Some of those steps were realistic and some were meant to give a touch of humor. Of those steps, [...]
Nice try in writing 50… Not easy
[...] was a great time reading Jason’s 50 steps to a successful blog tinted with bit and pieces of humour, I think you should [...]
[...] was a great time reading Jason’s 50 steps to a successful blog tinted with bit and pieces of humour, I think you should [...]
I can totally relate to the comments deal. I checked for comments every hour when my blog started out. Now days, I get about 1 comment for every 250 spam comments.