So you’re thinking of starting your very own blog… good for you! Whether it’s for personal use or business purposes, a well-organized blog can be a great place to be heard. If you’ve made it past the point of setting up your domain and choosing your theme but you’re stuck getting the blog off the ground, here are eight great sites to check out. After all, what better place to learn about blogging than on someone else’s blog?
Copyblogger
Copyblogger was founded in 2006 with the mission of using effective content marketing to build a business. The site is a fantastic place to pick up tips on writing effective content and also how to tie your blog brand to your other online efforts like social media and SEO. And if you don’t even know what SEO means? Don’t worry, Copyblogger will explain it to you.
DailyBlogTips
The site itself is a little cluttered but there are tons of great articles on DailyBlogTips regarding everything “blog.” From layout techniques to tips on how to monetize your blog, if you need to know something about blogging you’re likely to find multiple articles just by searching on DailyBlogTips.
Dooce
Dooce is the ultimate blogger-cum-celebrity site. Founded by Heather Armstrong in 2001, Dooce was a hobby blog that has morphed into an empire. Learn lessons about blogging about your job (don’t) to exactly how much personal life should be included in your blog (just enough.) Also, tips from the very well off Armstrong on turning blogging into a career, if you want.
Blogging Wizard
Owned by Adam Connell, Blogging Wizard is a great site to get some actionable tips on blogging well. If you’re interesting in the science and numbers behind a good blog, Connell offers case studies that follow the full process of successful and not-so-successful blogs to read.
Kevin Muldoon
Muldoon is a professional blogger and he’s also really, really great at web development. This site is a great place to get some tech tips as well as interesting tidbits on subjects like “how to hold your laptop.” Muldoon’s writing style is easy to follow and he updates often.
Problogger
If you want to eventually make money off of your blogging efforts, Problogger is the place to be. Whether you’re launching a food blog or a life coaching space, Problogger is a great resource. You’ll find insights on paid ads, good traffic sources, and also helpful videos if you’re not so much the ‘reading’ type.
The Bad Blogger
Beware: The Bag Blogger uses foul language and questionable images, but that’s the point! The blog is run from the perspective of what not to do on your blog, so it’s a bit tongue in cheek. Nonetheless, there’s a lot of great info on here about what people just don’t need to see on your blog to consider before launching.
Slate
Slate is a huge conglomerate, but it’s a really good place to go and learn about content. A simple visit to the homepage will teach you a lot about effective titling and you should also note the placement of ads, the promotion of posts, and even how photos are worked into the blog posts themselves.
Which blogs you’ll learn from greatly depends on what your own blogging goal is. Whether it’s making money, building a loyal audience, or simply having a place to post all your great photos, every blogger’s intentions are personal and the first step in figuring out how to blog is learning why you’re blogging.
Author Bio: Ryan Currie is a product manager at BizShark.com, with 5 years experience in online marketing and product development. In addition to web related businesses, he also enjoys the latest news and information on emerging technologies and open source projects.