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The first part of this series was pretty extensive and informative for those exploring blogging for the first time.

Today Part II, will delve further into the specifics of a post, and possibly toss some technical terms at you. It’s a good thing you stopped by here; you’ll have completed this series feeling more confident about the specifics of a blog, and the importance and diversity of creating one.

What is a permalink?

Permalink is a mash up of the words “permanent link,” which every blog post will have. You will also have your standard site link, that is the parent link where all of your posts are held, but the specific link for a particular post will be the permalink. It makes it easy for a reader to find a post directly, as opposed to exploring your entire site just to find what they want.

What is trackback?

Trackback is a useful way to inform other authors, readers, and sites of your post. By mentioning specific topics in your post, a trackback will highlight keywords and alert the original blogger of your site. It’s basically adding the functionality of telling the blogger that you’ve linked to their post.

Where can I find inspiration to write?

There are blogs all over the internet. Pick a topic and explore. There are plenty of people out there, and chances are some of them write about what you are interested in. Do not take that as a sign to walk away, everyone is welcome to the blogosphere because there is room for everyone. No one will have your insight, your ideas, or your words, so once you’ve red enough blogs from other authors, use that as an idea generator to get your blog off the ground.

How do I know who’s coming to my blog?

There are plenty of ways to track the number of times your site is visited. Utilizing tools that integrate with your blog such as counters are excellent ways to keep a running tally of how many people are coming to your site.

I’m looking for more in-depth information on visitors, what do I use?

Google Analytics would be a must have for your site. Simply include the site’s address and Google Analytics will handle the rest. This very detailed tool will give you more information then you know what to do with, but it’s a great start to planning where you think your blog can best be marketed. Feedburner is another similar tool that offers in-depth information. It does not hurt to have both.

How often should I post?

Posting frequency is entirely up to you. If you can only do once a week, then once a week it is. If you can do more, then do so. Quantity is good, it does help your ranking when the site is tracked, but for increased readership, it’s the quality of the post that really matters. Make sure that when you start, you do your best to stay with that model because your readers will come to expect it.

What if no one reads my blog?

Don’t worry, in the beginning it might be a little slow, perhaps very slow, but think, are you marketing yourself? If you’re not, it does not hurt to make sure you inform people you exist. Using social media tools, common email and messaging tools, and even real world networking are great ways to expose your site to a new audience.

What makes someone want to read my blog?

Interesting titles and interesting imagery. These two factors are key to having readers remain on your site and keep coming back. Title that engage the reader to pique their interest and the images you choose must also tell a story that coincides with your blog.

I work for a company, can I write about my job?

That depends. If you’re writing a business blog, there are sure to be limitations to what you can write about. Most companies don’t want trade secrets or company internal procedures being shared with the world. If you’re just an employee, be careful if you’re disgruntled, blogging can still get you in trouble. If you’re going to praise your place of employment, that’s fine, just don’t expect a raise.

I have a great idea, but how do I start?

Start by just being yourself. A blog should never be impersonal; the idea is for you to share and bond with the community of readers that will come to your site. Take your idea and be as much of yourself as you can and consider your post a conversation with another person. Your readers will appreciate it, and you’ll benefit by building a strong and active network.

What do I do with my blog if I’m away from a computer for a long period of time?

No worries, which is why I’ve always been a big supporter of diversifying. If you’ve attached audio or video to your site, chances are your mobile phone is all you need to keep content fresh on your site. If you are unable to do that, plan for a guest writer to take over the site for a little bit while you’re away, the site still gets content, and you’re giving another blogger an opportunity to write.

Can I get paid for this?

Money is good, right? You can definitely make money blogging, and there are multiple ways to do that. You can ask for payment for your contributions to a site. Don’t undersell yourself, make sure you’re respected for what you do and as you gain popularity, readers will become fans. Another way to generate revenue is to write for blog networks that pay a certain amount per click per post on their site. A more business method of getting paid is turning to advertising revenue to generate income for your site as users click on the ads placed on your site.

How do I collect payment for my efforts?

PayPal! This useful online payment method makes it easy for anyone to transfer funds from one account to another. Simply set up your account and profile and connect an email to the account. With a few clicks and some information money is instantly transferred to your account via the online site.

Why should I add keywords to my posts? Does it matter?

Keywords are vital if you plan for your site to be picked up and viewed by others looking for what you are writing about. Keywords are typically added at the end of your post and notify the crawlers on the internet of what your post is about. It is also important in providing users a way to find your post quickly and efficiently.

What happens if I use photos or video from another site, can I place that into my site?

Adding media to your site is definitely encouraged. Not only does it make your post more interesting, it offers something more in terms of SEO. The key thing to remember is to always provide attribution and credit to where you are pulling your material. Even if you are using images and video under Creative Commons, it’s always nice to at least provide a link back to the person’s site where you took the image or video. Not doing so is frowned upon, and can land you in a lot of trouble depending on who you upset.

I’m done with my blog, how do I “close” it down?

WAIT! So you’re done with your blog and have done all you can for it? Well for starters, if you’ve got decent traffic and highly valued information on there, consider selling your site. It may sound crazy, but bloggers have made substantial amounts of money selling their blog to those interested. If you don’t want to sell, or don’t feel like your site has any monetary value, you can always choose to delete your account through the blogging application you are using, most have the option and afterwards you just walk away.

Photo Credit Stephen Poff, Knilram, JJay, visual think map

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