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Showing posts with label Basic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Basic. Show all posts

Purpose of Blogging

The possibilities of blogging are pretty boundless as long as you have an imagination and some extra time. There literally is a way for everyone to utilize a blog in some capacity that benefits in life or business. Listed is some of the ways people are using blogs:

Calling all mums - Mothers and parents all over the world are embracing the beauty of blogs as a way to chronicle the lives of their children, from pregnancy to birth to teen. Remembering everything about their pregnancy, even down to the heartburn, may sound like a chore, but for most, it is an endearing way to keep track of their life during that time. You can wax nostalgic for years to come over the day you posted your first ultrasound photo or reread your birthing experience.

Getting hitched - Keep a wedding blog to post news about your upcoming nuptials. Post directions to the hotel, links to your online registry, and a list of local attractions for out-of-towners. Or update the family on time changes, transportation options, and hotel reservation tips. It's a one thing to mass email your guest and to have a spot where your friends and family can all come to get to know about your big day.

Enhancing business - Blogs have changed the way professionals handle their business websites. Not only have companies embraced blogging as a way to connect with customers and lure potential clientele, but blogs have morphed into the hippest and easiest way to manage your site's content. Blogging isn't just a hobby anymore; it's a tool. It makes the internet a more information-rich place that is constantly fresh. Even i its sole purpose is to showcase press releases, your business or company can only benefit from using a blog.

You are crafty - Those of you with creative flair can think of something for which a blog might be useful. Blogs are huge among crafty people. Start a knitting blog and chronicle your latest projects or write tutorials, post sewing patterns, or share instructions on making a tea cozy. Whatever you like to create, using a blog to showcase it can be a lot of fun. By connecting with other people who enjoy creating as much as you do, you could eventually start a group blog with other like-minded crafties.

Podcasting - Podcasting has become yet another explosive trend that stemmed from blogging, and if you haven't heard of it yet, you most certainly will soon. Podcasting is, essentially, blogging with a microphone. It's like being on the radio, only the coolest part is that anyone can do it. You don't have to be a radio deejay or even a professional speaker.

Picture this - Are you an amateur or professional photographer? Make blogging an art by showcasing your views of the world in a photoblog. You can make the internet your art gallery by cleverly displaying your amazing photography skills or just show us pictures of stuff on your cat, whatever makes your flash bulb flicker.

This is just a short list of basic ideas and samples. You can do or blog just about anything. If you are the type who would prefer to blog for the sake of blogging, by all means, get yourself a domain name and start cracking. The world needs to hear what you have to say after all. What is crucial to remember is that blogs in any form are hot. It's a whole lot of fun.

Where to Home your Blog

There are two main methods for blogging: hosted blog services and stand-alone blog platforms.

A hosted blog service is usually owned by a company and offers blogging solutions on its own server either for free or for a small fee. These services are great for new bloggers looking for instant gratification and are a way to try out blogging without making a financial commitment. Some of the best quick and easy hosted blogging services are Wordpress.com and Blogger.com, primarily for their fast and simple set-up. With both, you could be blogging in under five minutes.

A stand-alone blog platform requires that you install a downloaded blog software program and then install that program on your own server space, usually rented through a hosting provider. You will need an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program and a bit of your inner geek in order to accomplish this, but it is not that challenging if you are patient and pay attention to the details. Some examples of stand-alone blog platforms are Expression Engine Core, Movable Type, and WordPress.org.

Common Elements and Definitions

Header: This is sometimes called a banner. In a traditional blog structure, this is usually found across the top of the blog, displaying the blog name or graphic.

Blog name/title: A blog name or blog title is whatever you've named your blog. This is often represented with text or graphic.

Content: Content is sometimes called the body, is the most essential element to any blog. This is where your blog entries lives. There are many variations for how one may display the content of a blog, but traditionally, you find it on the left or right if you only have one sidebar, or in the middle if your sidebars flank both sides.

Sidebar: The sidebar is commonly to display author's profile, favourite links, links to your recent posts or archives.

Footer: Not all blogs have an obvious footer. This is the area at the most bottom of your blog where you may list design credits, additional navigational links, copyright information, links to privacy policies, or anything you like.

Navigation: This is how people get around on your blog. Some blogs have a graphic navigation along the top in lieu of a traditional header. Some choose to create simple text navigations in their sidebar or footer. The choice is yours. Navigation most commonly includes a link back to the main page of your blog, a link to some kind of archives, a link to the profile of the blog author, and sometimes a contact link. You are free to include whatever you like in your navigation.

Blogroll: A blogroll is a list of links to other blogs that often appears in the sidebar. Occasionally bloggers set up a seperate page for their links, so you may find it there.

Comment: This is the area where visitors to your blog leave comments for your post.