by Beth Maisano

Created on: April 21, 2009

Centuries and even decades ago, if you wanted to share something with the world, your options were severely limited. You could mail a letter to specific individuals, or perhaps publish a book. Even then, your audience would probably be quite small.

With the arrival of the World Wide Web, all of that has changed. One click of the mouse, and your writings, photographs, and videos can be shared with the worldliterally! Blogging is one medium through which you can accomplish this. It's fast, easy, free, and extremely useful.

But for complete beginners, let's start with the basics: What exactly is a blog? The word "blog" is simply a contraction of two words: "web" and "log." Put it together, and you've got a "weblog," which is easily shortened to "blog." Simply put, a blog is a journal on the web. Maybe writing about your personal life online doesn't sound appealing, but naturally, most blogs aren't as introspective as a diary would be. Blogs tend to be more impersonal by nature, but are still a wonderful glimpse into the life of the author. What better way to express opinions, or simply keep in touch with friends and family?

When you're first starting out in the world of blogging, don't set your expectations too highyou probably won't have too many visitors at first. Help things along by sending your blog address to your email contacts, and share the news by word of mouth. You'll probably pick up a few regular readers that way, and maybe learn of some blogging friends you didn't even know participated. You'll be surprised to find that there's an entire community of bloggers online, all with different skills, knowledge, and things to share.

The first and most important step to a successful blog is simply consistency. If you keep the content coming, the readers will keep reading. Try not to be sporadic; it's much easier to follow a blog when you can count on the author to keep it updated. Secondly, contribute to the blogging community. You're likely to stumble across other blogs, and a sure way to attract more readers is to comment! Most bloggers are quick to return the favor. Keep in mind that in the blogosphere, you will always reap what you sow. Don't expect to receive visitor feedback if you have none to give yourself. When you've mastered this aspect of online journaling, you are well on your way to a fun-filled blogging journey. Be sure to enjoy the ride!

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