Issue Date: May 27, 2007

Starting a blog

Blog tips from experts

1 Know your motive. If you want to start a personal blog to update friends and family, you can simply jump into the blogosphere. However, "if you have more ambitious motivations, figure out what those are and what niche you're going to fill," says Steve Rubel, a senior vice president of Edelman's Me2Revolution Group. His blog, Micro Persuasion, discusses how technology affects public relations.

2 Pick a platform. Popular free sites include Blogger, Windows Live Spaces and WordPress. Each offers several templates, plus features ranging from mobile access to photo galleries. Be sure to make your blog easy to read; avoid small type, busy backgrounds and difficult-to-read colors.

3 Just do it. Some bloggers post entries several times a day; others post less often. "It will take a few dozen or even a few hundred times to develop your voice," says Garrett Graff, the first credentialed blogger to attend White House press briefings. "Experiment, and enjoy what you're doing."

4 Promote yourself. "Blogging is all about conversations," Graff says. "They carry across many blogs and many days." Build your blog by conversing with other bloggers, linking to blogs you like and commenting on other blogs.

5 Play nice. "The only law that exists in the blogosphere is common law," Rubel says. "You have to play by the community's rules, or you won't be accepted. ... Don't allow or engage in behavior you wouldn't tolerate in your home."
-- Kelly DiNardo