Writers need a platform if they hope to hook up with a publisher, and sometimes, even just to sell an article to a magazine. A writer needs a platform to sell her writing. Becoming an expert in something is the way to build a platform, and blogging is a great foundation. I’ve been blogging since the word was invented – since about 2002, I think. My first is http://www.womendaybyday.com then I added http://www.ontext.com and http://www.digitalgrandparent.com
Blogging basics
I use WordPress, having tried several other content management systems and sites. WordPress has a learning curve (I use the self-hosted side at WordPress.org). Having your own url is essential if you want the blog to grow, propagate and be sustainable in the long run. I think Blogger and WordPress.com also allow you to use your own url.
While there were once all kinds of SEO tricks to get a blog or site noticed fast, Google and other engines are moving away from that model because all that happened was entities with big budgets floated to the top of the rankings and quality wasn’t an issue. Now, quality content, relevant to your topic will make your blog stand out.
Promoting your blog
As far as promoting it, social networks really work. Spend 15 minutes a day commenting on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, SheWrites, Redroom, and forums that match your topic. I also have great success with Yahoo Answers and whatever Amazon’s equivalent community is. It’s more effective to make conversational comments, be a gentle expert voice, rather than out rightly promote your blog.
Put your blog’s url on your business cards, letterhead, and anywhere else you put your name – if you post to any groups or forums, include your url in your signature. That creates links back to your blog – a good thing. Tell everyone you know how to find your blog. Encourage comments on every post and put links at the bottom of every post to other posts within your blog. Always.
Building your blog
My strongest advice is to post every day, multiple times a day if you can, until you have 100 articles up. They can be short. But they need to be excellent, fascinating, and readable. On your front page, include a place for readers to subscribe easily – both RSS and email. Visit Feedburner.com to read about how easy it is to add those elements.
Then, I’d say make sure your theme or design is appealing but not overwhelming. Use a readable font, not anything out of the ordinary. Add images and fill out the identification data on the images, including the alt or alternate text since those play in search engines. Make sure your images are copyright safe or you credit the image maker. Use unusual and clever pictures to draw attention.
When you write a particularly valuable post, put a review up on Stumbleupon (I get a ton of traffic from that group) or any of the other social bookmarking sites. Once you get your first hundred entries up, drop to a level that works for you, or, as has been said, you won’t continue the blog if it feels too much like work.
Blogging is fun, especially when you’re writing about your passions, but there is a work side to it if you want your blog to endure, and especially if you want to use it as a platform.
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