Blogging is the online version of a newspaper basically. You may already be reading blogs and you were unaware of the term. Many people asking this question are probably in their 50′s and older.
These individuals read articles on the homepages of MSN, Yahoo, and other sites on a pretty regular basis. Yahoo is a search engine, but the home page has a blog functionality to it.
Many writers, or bloggers, are contributing to those articles on those homepages. The internet is filled with millions and millions of blogs and bloggers. You can find a blog on pretty much any topic out there. Some bloggers blog daily, while others blog multiple times a day, and others update whenever they feel like it.
2. How does blogging work?
Blogging is based off the same principle that newspapers, magazines, and even TV shows work. Each of those are filled with content that they think people will like.
To start a blog, you’ll need a platform. There are a variety of platforms out there. Some are free, while others have a cost associated with using it. If you’re just starting out, I would recommend the following blogging platforms to you:
- Blogger
- WordPress.com
if you want to take your blog more seriously and be in it for the long haul, then there’s some better options available to you. First, let me educate you on the process of making your own blog.
Most bloggers who take this route use the platform, WordPress.org. (Not to be confused with the free WordPress.com) They need to purchase a domain name and host that domain. A popular domain registrar is GoDaddy.com.
A domain name is the web address you type to visit the website. For example: Facebook.com and Twitter.com are both domains. Hosting is like electricity and this is what keeps the site up and live on the Internet.
(Note: both domains and hosting expire. If they expire and you don’t renew, then you lose your website.)
Marsha Collier's Social Media Commerce Toolkit
For each arm of your social media commerce strategy, you use a different marketing tool. Here's a shortlist of platforms to build your online conversation, which should ultimately lead to new customers through your engagement. Check them out and see which best fits your social persona. Soon you'll have a clear social media plan for your company.
Basic content outreach
- Facebook: Reach all ages with the largest social network
- Twitter:Converse on this widely adopted messaging service via 140-character tweets
- LinkedIn: Connect with like-minded professionals on this top business social networking site.
- Google+: Reach newer adopters and techies on Google's social network
Free blogging platforms
- Blogger: Google-owned blogging suite with free hosting and theme personalization
- Posterous: Twitter-owned free blogging platform with themes
- Wordpress: Free blog hosting managed by the developers of WordPress software
Linking
- Bitly: Shorten URLs for posts; offers analytics and supports customization
- Visibli: Attach a social engagement bar to all your shared links, with analytics
- Pinterest: Share images on your own virtual pinboard on this popular scrapbook site
Images and videos
- Flickr: Find royalty-free images to use on your blog; store and share your own
- YouTube: Post videos for linking on your blog, Facebook page, and other social platforms
Podcasting
- blogtalkradio: Podcast live and record using your telephone line
- Spreaker: Create live or prerecorded podcasts with a microphone from an online or a mobile console
- wsRadio: Conduct professional, radio-station-style podcasts
F-commerce
- Fanpage Toolkit: Build your Facebook marketing with their five core application modules (Page Builder, Promotions, F-commerce, Messaging, and Analytics)
- eBay Items: Port eBay listings to a Facebook business page; when item is clicked from Facebook Store App, customer is directed to the eBay listing
- Ecwid: Install a full-featured shopping cart on your website or Facebook page with this app
Reviews
- Yelp: Stay on top of customer reviews and offer discounts on your page
- Angie's List: Claim your listing on this important review site for any service or Main Street business
- Foursquare: Promote customer mobile check-ins with loyalty bonuses
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