How to start a blog

1.) Pick a site to hold your blog. There are hundreds of blogging communities throughout the Internet and nearly all of them are free. Always read the fine print before joining with a blogging community, and take the time to peruse the site, reading the blogs of those who've been with the site for awhile.

2.) Decide what to write about. If you're completely new to blogging, try looking into communities such as 360.yahoo.com or any other such site. These make the best personal blogs, and it's easy for friends and family to keep in touch. The layout is easy to use, and you don't have to know a lot of fancy computer stuff to get yourself up and running.

3.) Who do you want reading your blog? Many new and unestablished writers begin blogs in order to post their work for the rest of the world to read. This makes it easy for them work on their skills while building a subscriber list. This is one of the best ways to increase your productivity and your abilities at the same time.

4.) Earn a few bucks. Most blogging communities are making it easier for their users to make a little money while blogging. With companies such as Google Adsense and Amazon.com, it's now possible to place targeted ads on your blogs that can lead to a steady income.

5.) Make your blog talk for you. Before you write your first blog, take a few minutes to make the blog your own. If your writing a blog about family recipes, you probably don't want pictures of puppies and kittens donning your pages. Make sure your readers know what your offering up front, and they'll be sure to come back again and again.

6.) Write your first post. This is always the hardest part for me. The best way to do it, is to just jump in with both feet. Post that first blog, no matter how aweful it sounds to you. This way, things can only get better.

7.) Let people know you're out there. If you have any favorite forums or chat rooms, let people know that you've got a blog. Somebody will stop by and check it out. The more people who know that you're online, the more will come and read what you've got to say. Make sure you don't spam them though, as this only upsets the masses and that can get ugly. Simply mention that you've got a blog, or add a link to your signature.

It's human nature to communticate with others, and blogging has made it easy for anyone to put their message across.