Many of our readers mentioned that they hope to start or keep a blog this year so they can share their projects such as Photo 365. Having a blog is a wonderful way to document the ongoing events and memories in daily life, and it comes in very handy later on when you are ready to recap those experiences on a scrapbook page. Last week in the first episode of the Paperclipping Roundtable podcast guest Stacy Julian talked about how there are many forms of scrapbooking these days (including blogging), and that every one of them “counts” (love that!) Blogging is simply another way to record your life experiences, and that certainly is an important form of memory keeping.
I (Katie) have been blogging nearly every single day since October of 2005, and now I’m a regular blogger here at The Daily Digi as well. 
I have discovered a lot of useful tips along the way to help me become a better blogger. Whether you are a long time veteran of the blog world, or you are hoping to start one in the future, I’m sure you will find something helpful in this post.
Getting Started:
- Find a site to host your blog. I would suggest you start with a free site like blogger to get the hang of it, unless you know you are opening a business related blog. Then you might want to hire some help getting a blog set up through wordpress or typepad that will integrate directly in with your own website. I have used all 3 of those services and feel comfortable recommending any of them. There are a lot of other options out there as well so you may want to do search on “blog hosts” if you are looking for something different.
- Decide on a purpose and a name for your blog. Of course you can change this later one if you want (it’s your blog) but it’s helpful to have an audience and a general direction in mind from the start. If the blog is for family and select friends then you are fine to keep your posts centered around the daily thoughts and doings of your life. If you are hoping for a larger audience, you will find more success in having a broader topic as well such as; reading, crafting, scrapbooking, baking, history, traveling, etc. Are you hoping to make money on your blog? (it’s not easy to do that!) Or do you just want a forum for sharing ideas and connecting with others. These are things to consider.
- Have a privacy plan. These tips also apply to posting photos and/or scrapbook pages on any online site. Don’t post information that would allow others to invade your privacy. Even on a family blog, you should never post your address (even in a picture of your house or mailbox). Be cautious about posting where your family works as well. Also, realize that everything that is put on the internet can stay there forever (even if you delete it) so be careful about bad-mouthing someone at work or sharing something really embarrassing. Of course a lot of these decisions are personal choices, but if you are blogging, chances are you would like at least one other person to enjoy what you are posting, so it helps to play nice and keep those you love comfortable and protected. If you are posting pictures and information about children, be especially careful since there are a few unsavory characters out there. Some sites do offer password protection for blogs. I have a password protected blog for my own immediate family, but I still follow the above guidelines. If something ever happened to the security of that blog, I won’t have to worry that I’ve given away to much specific information.
Creating and Keeping a Great Blog:
If you are going to take the time to post to a blog, you might as well make it something to be proud of. While you can customize your blog any way you want, there are a few tips that will increase readability and make it more enjoyable for you and your readers.
- Busy backgrounds make it hard to read text and/or see the photos and content you are sharing. Another thing to avoid is light text on a dark background – it is very hard to read! Think of your blog as a giant scrapbook layout (or poster) that you are placing in front of someone and expecting them to read. Would you fill that page with a ton of blinking ads? Would you put all of your text on a wildly flowered background? Always keep the reader in mind (even if you are the only reader).
- Blog regularly. It doesn’t have to be every day, but if you blog twice and then don’t post anything for 2 months, don’t expect anyone to be interested in your blog. Unless you are a huge celebrity, people generally aren’t going to take the time to visit over and over in hopes that you might have blogged.
- Enable an RSS feed (your blogging program will have information on this). Be sure to make it a full feed so people can read posts in their readers. (See Steph’s post on subscribing to feeds) Some people think that by posting a partial feed it will force people to visit their website and click on ads. It just forces me to delete the feed because I don’t have time for that. Based on a recent poll on the epic edits photography blog, I have proof that I’m not alone in that opinion.
- Don’t steal. Don’t take someone else’s content and claim it as your own (or repost in your own words). It’s common blog etiquette to link back to where you found the original idea. Feel free to borrow inspiration from other bloggers though, it’s a compliment, just like scraplfiting is in our community. Just be sure to credit the source.
Make it Fun and Interesting:
- Share stories and experiences. One of the greatest things about reading blogs is finding out that others out there have the same joys and struggles.
- Post photos or images when possible. Make your blog visually interesting as well. You don’t have to be a professional photographer, but take a little time to learn about your camera and put some effort into capturing good photos. Explore the photography section here on The Daily Digi for tips and ideas. You may want to consider editing your photos a bit as well (here’s where those digital scrapbooking skills really pay off!) If you have ever seen a really spectacular photo on a blog, chances are it’s been tweaked a little in photoshop. That’s what great photographers do – they use the tools available to them to make their photographs shine. (Read about a simple trick Janet uses to make her photos and layouts really look great on the web using the Scott Kelby approach.)
- Be yourself. Don’t try to be something your not. Remember that a blog is another way to express yourself and document your life. Keep it real and you will be happier in the long run. So will your readers.
Finally, I just wanted to say how fun it is when you include links to your own Daily Digi inspired projects on your own blogs (or in forums). It’s so fun to see what YOU are creating with the amazing kits available each month in The Digi Files! Thanks for all your support and inspiration!
Katie and I will be presenting a beginning digital scrapbooking workshop at The Casual Blogger Conference this spring. If you are a blogger or would like to start a blog, you would enjoy this conference. Here’s what the site says about the conference:
“The Casual Blogger Conference was born late one night, when we were lamenting the fact that we couldn’t go to those big conferences. We’re “just the mommy blogger” we thought, and we will never fit in with all those famous people, and we don’t have much to offer.
We realized that there were probably a lot of other people just like us who wanted to learn more about their favorite hobby, but just couldn’t justify the expense–the ticket, the babysitters, the hotels– and were a little intimidated by the whole idea.
We understand the power of the casual blogger. They stay home with their kids. They juggle a full time job and soccer practice. Sometimes they’re married, sometimes they’re not.
But they ALL find time to fit blogging into their lives.”
You can read more about the purpose, the services they will be offering, and the really cool facilities on their site.
The Casual Blogger Conference is giving away one pass to a lucky Daily Digi reader. Leave them a comment in this post telling them why you want to go to the conference by Monday at midnight EST. A random winner will be chosen from the comments and posted on Tuesday!
P.S. Congratulations to Candice W. who is our random GIFTaway winner she was chosen from those that have purchase THE DIGI FILES so far this month!! Candice won a $10 gift certificate to Digital Design Essentials, check your email Candice!
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I so would love to win. I have many reasons to go to the conference, but I am most looking forward the photography tips.
well, I hope the contest is still running, you didn’t say which Monday it would end!
so…I would love to win, because I have been blogging for a few years, but have just this winter become more serious about it. I still have much I need to learn, and those big blogging conferences are just to expensive, too far away, too big-time..this one sounds just right, just my niche and kind of close. If I’m going to justify a plane ticket, it would help if I won tickets to the conference itself!
pick me…pick me…
I’m dying to go!
I am definitely a casual blogger. Often, I fear too casual. I’d love the chance to meet with some other small scale bloggers and learn some tricks to posting more regularly. Thank you for the contest.
I need to win this ticket! I really, really want to go to CBC so I can actually meet some of these fabulous bloggers so I feel a little less like a stalker…
Starting a blog has been something that I’ve been thinking of doing for some time. Several personal events have brought me to the conclusion that now is the time to start. Sounds like this conference would be fantastic inspiration/information – winning a pass would be even better. Thanks for the chance!
Oooh, oooh, pick me! I have been working super hard over the past several weeks to re-do my blog and I’m super excited about it, but I’d love more tips. At the beginning of the year I challenged myself to a 365 project–in order to save money and try to get out of debt I am cooking with beans and rice (because they are cheap!) EVERY DAY this year, and blogging about it! So far it’s going really well but I’d love to attend a conference to give me some inspiration on getting the word out about my blog
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I’ve been blogging for about two years. It’s my way to connect with long distance family and to journal. I would love to attend the conference to be able to learn new tips and tricks to make it more attractive and user friendly for all who visit!
I would love to attend the CBC! Though I’ve been writing for a couple years I can always use more tips and tricks!
Thanks for the great tips!
I want to go to the conference for more of the same. That, and I would love to be able to meet some of the blog friends that I have made over the past year!
I think the admin may be a little sick of my begging in comments; I think they’ve got it. I want to go. So I will just leave a comment and trust my fate to the merciless random number generator.
There are so many incredible bloggers out there and I think the conference is the perfect place to pick up on some tips and meet some amazing gals. I’m so there!
I would love to go to this conference to connect with other local bloggers and learn new skills that will help me improve my blog! Thanks
Alls I have to do is leave a comment?
Cool. I’d LOVE to won a ticket to CBC2010.
Guess I’m going to enter EVERYTHING in hope random.org picks me.
YEAH! Maybe. I’ll get lucky.
I’d really like to go to pick up some more tips on how to be a better blogger. Cause that’s what is all about anyway, isn’t it?
connecting with others?
That’s basically why I blog anyway. And if I could meet these people..SUPER!
I want to learn more and meet more and do more. And I want an excuse to go to Park City.
I really wanna go!
Would love to attend the conference (and get to see my college kids at the same time!) I’ve been blogging for 2 1/2 years but know I have lots more to learn and would love the opportunity!!
I want to go to CBC because I totally feel l’m not a “real” blogger, but I’d love to get to a point where I did feel that I was and I bet going to CBC would help me get there!
Thanks for the tips! I need to make time to blog more often.
Just from reading your post I realize a few things I need to tweek on my blog! I would LOVE to learn more at the Casual Blogging Conference! Thanks for a chance to win!
This would be great. I started a blog but it is really lame.
OH! I would love to win this because my blog is soooooo boring! I have tried, to no avail, to find a better way to blog, but haven’t quite found THE right source just yet. Hopefully, this is a sign!!!
I also blog for a few other designers out there and boy would I love to knock their socks off w/ some mad-blogging-skills that I’d get from experts like this!
Hugs to you,
Candi in Colorado
Thanks for the chance to win. Going to the CBC will be so awesome and a great opportunity to take my blog and my soon to be business blog to the next level. To make it more of what Id ream of it to be, and more of what my readers will love. I can’t wait to also make new blogging friends!!
just wanted to say thanks for mentioning the full feed vs partial ones. I hate those partial feeds too, I click away or unsubscribe too.
I’ve been blogging regularly for over 4 years, but really want to take it up a notch and make my blog better. I’d love to attend the conference!
I love to blog and I’m always looking for ways to improve it. I would LOVE to attend the conference!!!
I have a Web site where I sell a product, but I have been considering adding a blog for some time and would love to go to the conference to learn the best ways to go about it.
I would love to go to this- I’m a little mommy blogger and love it! I really don’t post very often and when I do, it’s way after the event has happened. And sometimes I change the blog design more often than I post
So I’d like to learn from others to see what works for them. Thanks for the tips so far!
I would love to go to the conference and learn more about how to define my blog and also to learn more about digital scrapbooking. Thanks so much for the opportunity!
I have a family blog and would like to start up a more public blog. There are so many things I would like to learn about blogging, so I would REALLY, REALLY like to go the Blogger Conference. PLEASE!!!
I love to go to the Blogger Conference and learn how to be a better blogger. It sounds like so much fun.
I’m a blogger & a digital scrapbooker, but I could stand to be a little better at both! SO excited about the conference!
I really, really want to go to the this. I would love to go to the big conferences, but I can’t afford those. I love that they are putting together a smaller one!
I have a family blog already- but I will openly admit that it is NOT so good. I have read about the conference and already read the blogs of most all the guest speakers! I would love to see them in person! I also live near where they are having it, so BONUS!!
Great ideas for the start ups and newbies. Good post!
I’d love to go to the conference.
I’d love to go to the conference.
I would love to go to the conference!
I would love to attend this conference also. I’ve blogged for a couple years, but am in the process of redefining my blog focus.
I’d love to attend… I’m a blogger, and want to take my blog to the next level. I have goals, and a vision. It would just be nice to attend a conference to make sure I’m on the right track… See what others are doing and better myself.
Your tips are great, all of which I have heard before. The fact that I don’t do some of those things is a good reason why my blog hasn’t really been growing lately, but I’m stubborn and I want it to be mine…so I do whatever I feel like. Don’t I sound like a brat? I promise I’m not one! This post: http://themomnerd.blogspot.com/2010/01/from-bloggers-anonymous-to-facebookers.html explains it better if you’re like totally bored. LOL Anyway, I’d also love to win the pass because the CBC is going to ROCK. THE. HOUSE!
I love all the tips – thanks so much! I have a couple blogs – one for scrapbooking and one for family. I would love to learn how to be better at it though!
I have yet to start a blog. I want to because I enjoy writing. I used to be a prolific journal writer…my mom would joke with me that my future husband would have to build a special room for all my journals. I still have all the ideas and desire to write, but haven’t been able to get going since children arrived on the scene 14 years ago. I’d love to attend the conference. Thanks for the opportunity.
I have wanted to start a blog for ages. I could really use some tips and tricks to get me up and running. I would love to attend.
Love these tips & will definitely be checking out the links to learn more. Thank you! The conference sounds like a great idea, too! Blessings!
I’d love to attend this conference…thanks for the chance to win.
I’d want to go to see what the “bigger” bloggers have to say.
Great tips, and I’d never heard of that conference before but it sounds super interesting!
Thank you!
Great tips. Besides the dark backgrounds, bright colors are also hard to read.
I feel like this is a sign!! I have been kicking around the idea of starting a blog and just last week started reading about it. Still not really sure where to start…this would be so helpful. Thanks.
Great tips! I have wanted a REAL blog for years. I tried to start one at one time and never got it up and running. This conference sounds truly helpful – just what I need! Thanks for the chance to win.
Thanks for the great tips!
I blog my 365 and would love to go to the conference to learn how to be a better blogger!Great tips today!