Helpful Resources for New Bloggers

Whether you publish a blog to build a following,  attract traffic to your website, earn money, or simply express yourself, blogging involves more than selecting a template and uploading a few posts. Success in blogging requires a commitment to the project and knowledge of tools and techniques that can help you be efficient and productive.

Here are some resources that can help you get started or refine your approach.  If you
have other resources that might be particularly helpful to authors, designers, artists, or photographers, please let us know.

101 Essential Blogging Resources

If you’re assembling a blog on your own, you might be surprised to see how many options are available. A post on Blogtrepreneur.com currently lists 122 resources, including 5 domain registrars, 6 different hosting services, 7 content management systems, 6 services for competitive analysis, 9 feedreaders for blog-post research, 11 sources for monetization and advertising , and 12 resources for customizing the look of blog. The list
also includes resources that can help you get statistics and promote your blog online. (The post started out as a list of  101 resources, but has been expanded to include resources suggested by readers.)

LINK: 101 Essential Blogging Resources

ProBlogger’s Guide to Your First Week of Blogging

Cover of book of First Week of BLoggingDarren Rowse, who publishes the most popular site about blogging (www.problogger.net), has published a new guide for anyone who is either starting their first blog or wants ideas on how their second or third blog can get off to a faster start than their first blog.

In seven practical chapters, he presents 32 achievable tasks that can get your blog moving forward.

Day 1: Set solid foundations.
Day 2: Publish and build presence.
Day 3: Concentrate on content.
Day 4: Understand your blog as a product.
Day 5: Put yourself out there.
Day 6: Define and demonstrate quality.
Day 7: Strategies for success.

The book assumes that you already understand the technicalities of setting up a new blog and focuses on what steps to take after the blog has been set up. He explains systems for planning content, building a social media presence, establishing a workflow, and maintaining quality.

The ebook is one of three that Rowse has written.

ProBlogger’s Guide to Your First Week of Blogging

31 Days to Build a Better Blog

Copywriting Scorecard for Bloggers

The Photography Blog Handbook

PhotoShelter Photography Blog Handbook CoverBlogs can be a terrific way for photographers to their websites, deepen relationships with customers, and build a bigger following. But some photographers wonder if a blog is really worth their time. PhotoShelter’s 35-page Photography Blog Handbook presents strategies and tactics that can make blogging worth your time.

The 35-page e-book demonstrates how to use a blog to attract new visitors to your website and connect with existing clients. It explains elements that can make or break a photography blog, and includes case studies and examples of smart blogging tactics used by photographers from different specialties.  The guide also shares content ideas that will attract more visitors, influence social sharing, and boost search engine optimization.

Also included are tips on choosing the best blogging platform, designing your blog, and outfitting a blog with features that will make photos look outstanding.

LINK

Photography Blog Handbook