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Why do you want to start a blog? FYI, according to <a href="http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2007/04/06/blog_usage_statistics_and_trends.htm" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2007/04/06/blog_usage_statistics_and_trends.htm">Technorati</a>, as of April 2007, there were 70 million blogs worldwide, with 120,000 new weblogs being created each day and 1.4 new blogs every second. But let's leave the stats alone for a second. Let's focus on the need for a blog, as opposed to a website, or a discussion forum. A website is meant to talk at a visitor. A forum is meant for people to be able to talk and discuss a specific subject. Only a blog is a place on the net were 'you'  can say whatever you want, including the fact that your cat ignores you except when it's time for lunch. All right, so you want a blog. Here's a list of things to keep in mind before you start airing the dirty laundry.... 4153

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Funny, but true. The average viewership of these 70 million blogs today is between 4 to 5 visitors a day. To make your blog viewership rise spectacularly from 5 per day to 20 per day ( all right, all right - 200 per day ), your blog needs a personality. If you visit popular blogs, the two things you find in common are a distinctive identity and humor. A blogger without a sense of humor is like coffee without sugar. You can drink it, and it'll keep you awake, but it's not satisfying. So, let's get down to the checklist:<ul><li>Subject - Before you start, decide on a subject. It's a well known fact that subject oriented blogs tend to do better than blogs of a more general nature.</li><li>Blog Host - Decide on a platform. You can choose <a href="http://www.blogger.com/" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.blogger.com/">Blogger.com</a> or <a href="http://www.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.wordpress.com/">Wordpress</a> or any number of free blog hosts.  Or you can host the blog yourself, and install a blog script. What's the difference? Depends. Are you broke? This might also be a good time to decide if you want to buy a domain, or use a free blog host sub-domain.  Your own domain would be johndoe.com while a sub-domain would be johndoe.blogspot.com ( BTW, johndoe.blogspot.com is run by a guy named Phill. What? Just thought you might want to know that... ) </li><li>Template - The problem with blog hosts is that most don't allow you to choose a seperate template for the home page and another one for individual post pages. The result is that all the pages look the same and if you choose a wrong template, you might just become the owner of a truly ugly blog. If you think you're an undiscovered and underappreciated artist, you can design your own template. One suggestion - Don't keep changing templates after you start. It causes search engines to pause and sometimes chuck your pages out of their search results.</li><li>Sign up with sponsors -I'm not really telling you that your blog is going to make money ( Ok, It's not ). But what's the harm in adding a couple of ad banners? First thing you do is sign up with <a href="https://www.google.com/adsense/" target="_blank" mce_href="https://www.google.com/adsense/">Google Adsense</a>, <a href="http://www.cj.com/" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.cj.com/">Commission Junction</a>,  <a href="http://www.clickbank.com/" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.clickbank.com/">Clickbank</a> and other ad networks which supply you with ads from multiple sponsors. Next, you get a <a href="http://www.paypal.com/" target="_blank" mce_href="http://www.paypal.com/">paypal</a> account, if you already don't have one. Once we're done with all the signups, insert the ads in strategic and unobtrusive locations on the template. Meaning that the ads don't block the content, but are placed in a way that visitors are enticed to click on the ads. Better read the rules and regulations from each sponsor first.</li><li>Time to Blog - Right. Now it's time to show off your formidable literary genius. Put a lid on the saga of your cat, and focus on the subject of your blog. While we expect you to be a leading expert on the subject, it's ok to quote the New York Times, then say that they're totally wrong and move on to the next post without saying why the New York Times is wrong ( FYI, they're always wrong - Both liberal and conservative bloggers love nothing more than to rip the New York Times )</li><li>Use Pictures & Videos - A post without a picture is a waste of your and the vistors' time. Post a picture. Post a video. Post some more pictures. Make them as big as possible. Use liberally, without worrying too much about copyrights ( blogs are not considered to be worth suing, mostly because bloggers are broke ). Quote from big magazines. Don't write opinion pieces. Write short summaries. Always attribute quotes.</li><li>Marketing - There is a very simple way to market a blog. Get into mud wrestling matches with other bloggers and your own visitors. Nothing works like controversy and a pie in the face, as far as the blogosphere is concerned. It thrives on arguments, back-and-forth, senseless accusations and keyboard warriors. If no one wants to get into a fight with you on your blog, bad mouth others on your blog, then head over to their blog and post a link to aforementioned hit job. Raising cain is not everyone's cup of tea, but that's what blogging is all about. Are you up to it? Uh...Maybe that was a bit too much advice, so I'll backtrack a bit. Don't get personal, and try to avoid the use of foul language. Criticise opinions and policies. Don't criticise someone's choice of clothing or their buckteeth. </li><li>Blogroll - Add other like minded blogs which you find interesting to your blogroll ( that's kind of like favorite links ). That induces others to add your blog to their blogroll. That's how the internet works. You could also beg a big shot blogger to link to you, or worse still, pay him to add your link. End of the day, it's all about how many people visit your blog daily. Get people to comment and make at least 3-4 posts everyday. One post a day is not enough to build a community, and one post a week means you just let your blog die....</li></ul> For the record, in the time it took me to write this blog checklist, 1080 new blogs just joined the party. What are you waiting for? 4155

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