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Well it has been a month since this blog got resuscitated and in the process I have learnt a few things I want to share - my blog tips! The initial start of the blog was about a year ago and I couldn’t solve a Feedburner issue which meant I had no idea if people were subscribing or not - so I left it on the back burner. Now, with a new plug in, I know the answer to the question of subscribers and I can watch it grow.

So, the relaunch taught me these things:

• Read, read and read some more on the topic of blogging. Most of the material is available free online [although I did borrow a book from my local library on the topic]. The two best courses that I came across are Kian Ann’s Blogopreneur and Better Business Blogging - go check them out.
• Bite the bullet and, whenever possible, download Wordpress onto your own server. All the experts say that the control is worth it. I am not an expert in these things but I can use an FTP program and that is all you need. Two Wordpress tips would be:
  • Be cautious with the plug ins. There are so many out there that they can be overwhelming. Just take it one step at a time and read, read and read until you find the ones you want to try.
  • Play with themes. There is no way I could write my own but again there are plenty out there for you to try - many of them free of charge. Plenty to get you started at least.
• Start! Write, write and write. It’s a bit like waiting until you can afford it before you start a family - you never will afford it on paper but it all works out. If you wait until you blog is totally ready before you start it may never happen - so just do it- write something.
• Focus! Stick with your topic (now I can hear some of you saying what has this post got to do with Understanding Teenagers - well one thing for sure is that the vast majority of my readers are familiar with blogs, so this one is for them!). Build a reputation as an expert in your field.
• Final tip: leave the rest and learn as you go along. On my learning list is SEO (any tips anyone?) - I am reading about it all, learning as I go along and have extended my vocabulary considerably (trackback, pingback) - but they aren’t essential at this stage.

If you were thinking of starting your own blog then give it a go, start today/this weekend.