How to Make a Great Blog

I recently became inspired by the art of blogging. I have had websites before-one that I designed for my wedding, another just for fun, but those have since been retired. Blogging, on the other hand, is something that will be a trend for many years to come. The easiest way to start your own blog is to use websites like Blogger.com, Weebly.com, Tumblr.com, or Webs.com. Some sites incorporate the ability to blog and launch a website at the same time (with photos, videos, etc.) and others just focus on the blog itself. So first you have to decide which kind would be best for you.

Next, choose a topic that interests you. It should be something you have a broad-based knowledge about; this will make it easier for you to think of articles to blog about. However, you can always do your own research and learn more about the topic you'd like to blog. For me, the economy was having a strong effect on my husband and me. I already had some experience making money on the Internet, from taking surveys for extra change during college, but because I wasn't able to find a job, and he had just started graduate school, I started looking for useful freebies online. Little did I know that there are so many things I can use the Internet for that I decided to start a blog to help others get free stuff and make some money, too.

Once you've chosen a layout and topic, now it's time to write some articles. Introductory articles should include an "About Me" section, which describes what your site will be about and how it is helpful to potential readers. It can also include tidbits about yourself and what you are currently doing. For me, I summarized my recently graduated standing and added my favorite cartoon character to show some personality: the sweet and adorable Snoopy.

Then, start brainstorming. Most of my articles are inspired from my days taking surveys back in college when my husband (then boyfriend) would tease me and say "There you go again, you survey monster," hence, inspiring the name of my blog. Others are from researching and finding the best freebies out there that I think my audience would be interested in. It's never easy and may a couple hours at first, but once you are used to blogging, it will come naturally to you. It can be fun to see how many comments people leave and if they like your blog. I love comments and feedback, so blogging is a way for people all over the world to interact with me.

Of course, driving traffic to your blog is essential. If no one reads your blog, you will not be motivated to update it. You can install Google Analytics to analyze your traffic and begin promoting your blog. The easiest referral system is through people you know. I literally wrote out an e-mail and mailed it to everyone in my address book, even people I don't really talk to, and then I did the same on Facebook. You just never know who your blog will touch or reach, so you should always take a chance and send your blog to everyone. This began my referral system. I personally actually ended up facebooking 100 people but only 5 looked at my blog, so don't be discouraged if you don't get traffic right away.

Another way to target traffic is key words. This is where Google Analytics comes into play. At the end of each day, it shows you the key words that were used to drive traffic to your blog. These are topics that people are interested in and you should take into account when writing your blog.

Now the best way to get traffic is through FREE referral sources like BlogFrog or LinkReferral. Some want you to apply to their site, but it is usually painless and simple. To put it simply, if you look at other people's blogs, they will most likely look at yours, especially if you leave a comment or note.

The bottom line is to just keep at it. Keep writing and updating your blog daily (this is crucial especially for beginners). Forward it to friends; you can even email it to me by leaving a comment after this post. Ask for feedback, have fun, and keep blogging!