I have gotten the question over and over again from people, organizations and brands: “How do we start a blog the right way” – I’ve decided to put my advice into writing.
Some of you might think this post is unnecessary. Other people have written about this already. I thought so too until I started searching for good posts on how to set up a kick ass blog and learned most things written on the subject either covered the tool or the actual writing but not actually leading you to do it the right way I think there’s room for another post on the subject.
The purpose of this post is sort of a combination of two things that I hope will lead to the following:
Make sure agencies cannot charge big money for setting up your blog. Setting up your personal or branded blog is to me a democratic right and should be free and accessible for anyone who has something to share.
I think more people should start a blog. It’s good for you. It’s good for the democracy. It’s good for the world.
Here is the essential guide on how to start and configure a blog that will rock the world:
1. Buy a unique domain name for your blog and preferably do it at the same place where you intend to host the blog
Personally I’ve followed WordPress own recommendations and used Bluehost.com to buy my domain name and then installed a WordPress blog with their simple script functionality. It’s a 3 minute process from registering that domain [click to continue…]
psst. You haven't missed the new app for kids aged 1-9 years old? It's created by my other company JAJDO. Check it out in the App store
This post starts with a Thank you! Last year my blog had 48180 unique visitors (and over 130000 visits). I’m honored!
I’ve always been amazed with stadiums. You line up in a que and then you walk up a flight of stairs. A couple of steps later you’re with 50000 people. How did they all get there. What drives them all to visit the same place at the same time. Passion?
Judging from my statistics, about 37% found the wrong stadium. But the other 63% seem to have found my very own stadium due to my passion for innovative communication and advertising.
My promise to you all – in 2009:
I’ll write better posts
I’ll learn better english
I’ll network with more people online
I’ll write a book and give it away for free to my blog readers
I attended a thing called the Blogger Meetup at SIME today where we all had informal session with Kris Hoet, Joi Ito, Tom Crampton, Dave Sifry, Nico Luma and Bob Stumpel. The talk was mostly why people were blogging, how blogging would evolve in the future and how to make money off it. Absolutely one of the better takeouts from this years SIME (so far) even though I think it could have been more of a meetup rather than a ‘listenup’.
It triggered a though. Why am I blogging?
I started blogging already back in 2002. But I only managed to publish a few post before I grew tired of it. I basically felt as I had nothing to say. It then took a couple of years before I started again. This time I wasn’t really sure what to write about either. But, after a couple of posts I found it that my blog was the perfect place to share my inspirations and thoughts. The actual time it takes to write a post and value if it’s important enough to share made it the perfect filter in terms of remembering things that I must save for a rainy day.
Back in 1997 I had a specific software that made it possible for me to save links and data I found important. The thing was that the database was soon filled with shit. It simply was to easy to just post things into that black hole of mine. Since then I’ve created folders on my computer, fantastic bookmark categorization systems and used tools like Del.icio.us. Every tool has sooner or later become impossible to find things in. The blog however has never failed me. If I think it’s important I’ll blog it.
Not making money ON my blog has always been a golden rule I don’t wanna break. I quite often get approached by companies that want me to blog about something or place links in specific posts or banners on the site. No. Always my answer – NO. Accepting money would question my integrity.
Do I make money OFF my blog? I certainly hope so! Obviously I do think that my blog helps position me as a modern communicator, an innovator and someone with quite an eye for what’s up in terms of communication and advertising. My blog is the perfect CV and company platform combined so to say.
So, to sum it up: My blog is my filter, it’s my competence and it’s the professional me.
What is your blog to you?
ps. See, I saved some great links, share some knowledge and had a nice time in the SIME bar.
I visited Twingly today to see the rating of my Whiskyblog when I noticed this little screensaver. Unfortunately it’s only available for PC users. But it seems like a pretty cool thing.
The Twingly screensaver is visualizing the global blog activity in real time. With Twingly screensaver you get a 24/7 stream of all (viewer discretion advised) blog activity, straight to your screen.
For you guys and girls who haven’t heard about Twingly
Twingly is a spam-free, next-generation blog search engine, currently closed beta but soon to be available for everyone. And it’s made in Sweden. What I personally enjoy with Twingly is the fact that you can set up queries and then get that query and then subscribe to it in your favorite RSS reader. (Netvibes in my case). What I don’t enjoy is that the blog search indexes blogs way to slow, but that will hopefully get better.
This blog is written by Johan Ronnestam. He's widely regarded as one of Sweden’s leading speakers and authorities in the field of modern creative and conceptual thinking and skill of innovating brands and their communication. In 2010 the readers of Microsoft Indikat named Johan Swedens most influential authority within digital communication
