1. Niche vs Personal
You can blog about anything at all, but it helps if you spend some moments to think about what type of blog you want. Is it like an online family photo album, are you sharing your journey, or are you sharing resources and information.
2. Decide how much you will reveal
I use my real name and a photo of myself on the blog, but don’t use the kids’ names and only very rarely do I show their faces. Think about your level of comfort with having personal information online – once it’s out there, it is hard to take back.
3. No cost easy set up
You can have self hosted options where you buy your own domain, but there are great free blogging platforms out there.
Blogger is the biggest of these.
You set up your Google account where the only requirement is an email address – so if you already have a Gmail account it is even less work
You then choose the title and web address (url) for your blog. It will always have .blogspot.com at the end. e.g. planningwithkids.blogspot.com
Choose a template.
Start blogging
Can then tweak theme, add all sort of images and text in the side bars to pretty it up if you wish.
4. Posting frequency
Blogging can be addictive. The reaction you get from readers, friends, the immediacy of the response is instant recognition – unlike motherhood.
Make sure you choose to post at a rate that fits in with your family. You will hear probloggers talking about posting daily – you don’t have to. Post quality content at a time that’s right for you.
5. Find a community
There are now so many parents online blogging. Forums are a great place to meet other bloggers to help learn tricks of the trade and to find like minded people. Aussie Mum Bloggers would be one of the biggest.
Many groups meet then in real life, I have met with Melbourne Mum Bloggers last year and couldn’t attend another catch up they had in February. http://planningwithkids.com/2010/05/28/melbourne-mum-bloggers-meet-up-birdie-num-nums/
And have fun. Blogging is a great way to dip your toe into the world of social media and increase your computer skills.
