Let's say that you have selected a blog platform to start with.
So where do we go from here? Well most likely you have a beautiful clean page winking at you and saying 'okay then what are you going to write on me?' This is where fear and self doubt can set it.
You may be thinking, 'well I don't have anything of value to write about.
What was I thinking - setting up my own blog? I'm no author.
' Banish those thoughts of lack and push through into production.
That is the winner's way.
Nobody knows how to do anything until they start and it's no different with learning to blog.
Obvious I know, but think about it.
If you have identified the need for you to have your own blog and it seems like a cool thing to do then let's get cracking.
30 minutes is a good time frame to work to for your articles and blogs.
Everyone can find even 31 minutes a couple of times a week if they want to right? So here we go into ACTION.
You can use this as your blueprint for all your future blogs and articles until you feel more confident and it just comes naturally: 1) Brainstorm topics for a couple of minutes.
If your blog is for your home business then write down any topics that come to mind even if they seem silly.
What really works for me is having an ongoing list of future blog topics.
Write them down as they come to mind.
(1 minute) When you have a long list it helps you to blog frequently because you know in advance that you have lots of subjects to choose from.
Choose something that you know something about and that is relevant for your blog target market.
(i.
e.
don't blog about how to be a good employee if your target market consists of business owners!) Top Tip If you can't think of enough good topics then your first 30 minute session needs to be just brainstorming.
Don't take calls; turn off all distractions (including Tweet Deck and Skype!) and THINK.
Write down everything and keep it for the future because you will be able to use some of it.
2) Okay you have your topic for your first blog.
Now choose an angle.
The easiest way for beginners is to work to a very structured format so you can do '7 ways to leverage your income...
' or 10 reasons to sack your boss...
' (Take 1 minute only for this) Top Tip Resist getting caught up in perfection here.
This is about getting something down on your first blog post.
You can always delete it or edit it later.
My first blog post was 'Top 10 Reasons to Work from Home.
' Now it was hardly profound but it got me started and you know what? It is still one of the most highly viewed and used articles on the article directories that I posted it to, and brings me traffic to my website.
3) Get your 10 reasons down on paper quickly.
If you can't get 10 then cut it to 7 or even 5! (Take 5 minutes only for this) Top Tip You may be like me and find that writing with a pen and notepad in the planning stage helps your creative flow.
Then I switch to my laptop when I'm ready to start.
4) Time to flesh out your key points.
Just write down everything that is relevant to each one.
You can edit and delete as needed later.
(Take 10 minutes for this) 5) Delete any points that don't seem to flow with the article.
(1 minute) Top Tip Keep your writing simple.
Generally if you write in your blog posts and business articles in the same kind of style that you speak in that will be well received.
Blogs particularly are usually in a relaxed writing style.
Don't get caught up in thinking you need to have a master's degree in English Language to do this.
6) Keep your sentences short and to the point.
Add in paragraphs where needed and avoid long paragraphs with no punctuation as this can send your readers to sleep! (3 minutes) 7) Now it's time to edit.
Read through it and make any changes needed to make it sound natural and flowing, almost like conversation.
(5 minutes) 8) Remember to run your spell check in your programme.
(This is usually found under tools.
Highlight the whole article and run through with the spell check and change anything glaringly incorrect.
) Top Tip There is no excuse for poor spelling in this age of easy technology.
Even if you're the worst speller in the history of the world, just use the tools and get your message out there.
(1 minute) 9) Review your title.
Is it relevant? Is it catchy? Can you improve it? (2 minutes) Top Tip Get some killer keywords in it.
Even if you don't know anything about keywords you can use your common sense here.
(!!) Choose a title that reflects the content and speaks to your target market.
(2 minutes) 10)Final check.
Run through it quickly once more and then you are ready to post it to your blog.
(2 minutes) Top Tip Procrastination is the silent killer that steals your dreams.
Post it now and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.
Remember it's all about 'baby steps.
' I've used the formula for over a year now and its enabled me to write tons of articles which I have posted to article directories and on my blogs.
This means that there is a whole web of content on the internet that points back to my website.
Master this and you have a completely free method of generating traffic to your business forever.