Tutorial: How to Start a Blog & Get Posts Written

Recently, I was asked by a friend about my blogging habits and how I get my posts written. I’ve been meaning to write about this anyway, so I figured now was a good time. This post will cover how I got started, how I get ideas, and how I actually write my posts. Not all of these tips will work for everyone, but hopefully this post helps somebody out there.

How to Get Started

Step 1: Define the topic and scope. I chose to write about user experience and web design while throwing in a few random posts about cute stuff or freebies. I defined this in advance and try to stay within these bounds. I dont want to start posting rants about my day or about politics or something like that. I guess the idea is to pick something that will appeal to certain people, and then don’t betray those people by posting something they’ll hate. That’s probably why the “niche market” blogs have a more loyal readership.

Step 2: Decide on the frequency of posts. I started at 3 per week. It got to be too much, and now im down to 1 per week. Sorry, but im trying to have a life too.

Step 3: Schedule sub-topics or themes. When I started at 3 posts per week, I set mondays aside to be the more serious, UX-related posts. Wednesdays were for cool and useful webapps I’d discovered. Fridays were for filler type stuff like monthly freebies, kawaii creations, etc. Now that I’m down to 1 per week, I just post about whatever the best topic is on my list.

Step 4: Create a buffer. I wrote two weeks worth of posts before I started Locus of Control. That’s 6 posts total. It was nowhere near enough. The buffer was rapidly consumed and I was soon left scrambling to keep up. I recommend creating a much bigger buffer if you can.

Step 5: Hype it up. If you’re part of any communities or social networks where the people would be interested in your blog’s topic, let them know you’re starting up. I did, and that’s the vast majority of my readership right there.

How to Generate and Store Ideas

Step 1: Pay attention. Keep an eye on what people are sharing on social networks and communities you’re involved with. A lot of times your friends will share articles that you’ll have your own unique reaction or opinion about. Other times you might find two different topics that you can somehow relate to one another in an original way. That’s the kind of stuff you can really build a blog post around.

Step 2: Make lists. Like I mentioned before, I use gubb.net to keep lists of a variety of things, including topics for Locus of Control. There are lots of good applications out there that let you keep track of notes and links: Delicious, Evernote, Remember the Milk, Google Tasks, and many more. As you form a list of topic ideas, you may find that you can combine or expand them. For instance, a list of webapps may result in a “Top 10″ type of post. You might also get more detailed ideas about an item you put in your list previously. Write it all down under that list item. The more you scribble down on your lists, the less of an outline you have to write later.

Step 3: Consult others. When you’re about to pull an item from your list and write about it, run it by someone else and see what they think. You can gain valuable feedback about your topic idea and maybe even see it from a new perspective. Being able to talk about a subject from more than just the perspective of your own opinion can really add a lot of value to a post.

How to Write Posts

Step 1: Create a draft post. I use WordPress, but I’m assuming most blogging platforms let you create a draft. Pick a working title (you can always change things later), choose a category and tags, and save it as a draft.

Step 2: Outline the post. Go around to all the sites you are planning on talking about and linking to in your post. Also go around and take screenshots or get your images together if you’re using any. Paste your links into your draft post and upload any images. Then write out the basic subject headings or a series of one-sentence blurbs that cover each basic point you want to make. You can use formal outline format or just stream of consciousness. Whatever works for you.

Step 3: Fill in the outline. This can be done in an iterative fashion or all at once. For each basic point in your outline, write it out into real sentences and paragraphs. You may want to write it sloppily first and then go back and fix it up, just to get things out of your head. Some people may want to just write it and perfect it as they go. Either way is fine. Then go and insert all your previously collected hyperlinks and your imagery.

Step 4: Proofread. It isn’t easy to proofread your own writing. It might be good to ignore your post and then come back to it a day or two later before you proofread. Looking at it with a fresh perspective could reveal oversights or inspire additional good ideas. Also have a friend proofread for you if you can.

Step 5: Publish your post. Set up automatic notifications on any of your social networks that you can. But don’t be a spammer. Just do one notification per blog post so people don’t stop following you out of annoyance.

Well, that’s my process. I’m sure other people do it differently, but this is what’s working for me. The key is to be open and willing to adjust. If your blog is destroying your life by consuming all your spare time, don’t do it so much. In all probability, none of your blog readers are so dependent on your posts that they would be emotionally destabilized by a reduction in your posting frequency or a few skipped posts here and there. The key is to just try it out. See how it works and if you hate it or you can’t keep up with it, just relax and find a different hobby.

If you have a blog, how did you get started? What methods do you use to keep up with your posts and get them written? Feel free to share your tips and tricks in a comment below.