Here is a sample article, originally published in the Blogging University. Sign up for one of our ten programs and start your blog.
You are going to publish an article today. Don't worry about how your blog will look. Don't worry if you haven't named it yet or if you're feeling overwhelmed. Just click the "New Article" button and tell us why you're here.
What is your objective?
- Your new readers need context. What will you talk about? Why should they read your blog?
- This will help you focus on your ideas about your blog and how you want to develop it.
The article can be short or long, contain a personal introduction about your life, describe the mission of your blog, present a manifesto for the future or simply state your publication topics.
To help you get started, here are some questions:
- Why are you creating a public blog instead of keeping a personal journal?
- What themes will you be addressing?
- What is the target audience of your blog?
- If your blog makes it through the first year successfully, what do you hope to have accomplished?
Answering these questions doesn't lock you into a definitive path. The beautiful thing about blogging is that it is constantly evolving as you learn, grow and interact with others. However, it's appropriate to know where and why you're going. Articulating your goals may just help bring in new ideas for articles.
Not sure how to start? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of an excellent book on the writing process, says it's necessary to allow yourself a "messy first draft. This is an essential lesson: write first, then worry about editing later.
Once you are ready to publish, assign your article three to five tags that describe its subject matter: literature, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, etc. These tags will help people interested in these topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of these tags is "zerotohero" so that new bloggers can find you as well.