Blogging... with WordPress
What is a blog?
A reverse diary (most recent entry first)
“Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog 
Exercise 3
Define your audience.:
Male/Female?
Age?
Nationality?
Beliefs?
Attitudes/Behaviour?
Create 2 "personas" for your blog audience 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona_%28marketing%29 
Who are writing a blog for?
"Have you stopped to consider the cultural colloquiums and references you make in your blog writing which are country, region, or age specific? "
"If you are writing for a very specific audience, then use terms and phrases they will recognize and identify with. Identifiable cultural colloquialisms connect people. When they understand the reference, you hold their attention and can move forward with the subject matter. There is no confusion."
"Still, watch for colloquial phrases and asides that don’t add to your blog writing. We often throw in metaphors and similes that don’t add to the content but stylize it. "
http://www.blogherald.com/2007/05/04/are-you-really-writing-for-your-blog-audience/ 
Exercise 1
Go to 
http://www.google.co.uk
http://www.technorati.com
http://www.globeofblogs.com/?x=topic 
http://www.christianblog.com/
http://www.christianblogawards.com/winners09.html

and search for inspirational blogs

Exercise 2
What do you want to blog about?
"About"
http://digital-fingerprint.co.uk/about/
What is your "key message/purpose"?
http://www.gospel.com/topics/
Come up with a brief description of the 
PURPOSE  of your site
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/02/15/how-to-choose-a-niche-topic-for-your-blog/
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/08/11/how-to-find-your-passion-what-you-should-be-blogging-about
Exercise 4
How often do you want to blog?
How much time do you have?
How often is there new information?
http://digital-fingerprint.co.uk/2010/06/the-25-basic-styles-of-blogging/
BE CONSISTENT, minimum 1 x week
Be prepared to pre-set blogs to publish whilst you're on holiday
Look for content that will PROVOKE
your audience to ENGAGE with you
What content works on a blog?
Thoughts & Reflections
Reviews
Challenging Ideas
Text Interviews (including via email)
Video & audio content, including emails
"Best of" links
"How-to" posts
Lists, e.g. "10 things you can..." "7 best..."
Encourage guest posts
What does a blog post look like?
500-800 words
Internal Headings
At least 1 graphic
1 idea per post, around KEYWORDS
Headline needs to assume reader won't read article
Careful 'twists' on words, but don't mislead
Clarify if it's a personal opinion
Spelling/Grammar!
How do you get people to read your blog?
Pull vs. Push content
Interesting content
Regular schedule
Take comments seriously
Social Media - especially Twitter
Comment on other's blogs
Offer thought leadership
Content Categories
Categories: "The Tree"
Tags: "The Leaves"
Feed "Google Juice"
Exercise 5
Devise 8 keywords which form your central categories
Devise 20 'tags' which form your key interest areas
This will organically develop, but the clearer you can be before you start...
EXERCISE 6:
Set up a WordPress Blog
http://wordpress.com/
http://digital-fingerprint.co.uk/2010/02/a-briefish-introduction-to-wordpress-com/ 
Username can't be changed
What makes sense?
Check your email for login
Exercise 7 
Write:
"About" page
Use previous exercises
Who is this site by?
What is it about?
Who is it for?
When is it updated?
Daft Hints
Keep the tab on 'Visual'
Only use HTML if confident!
Don't forget to SAVE!
Exercise 8
Add an email link
Exercise 9
Link to another webpage
Exercise 10
Add an image
Some (Legal) Image Sources
http://www.sxc.hu/
http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/
http://digital-fingerprint.co.uk/2009/10/images/
Editing Images
Click on the image
Options to
Edit
Delete
Resize
Align left/right/centre
Add image title
Exercise 12
Add a YouTube video
The Fancy Stuff...
Just play/experiment
Write about the video
Exercise 11
Add a blog post
Assign a category
Assign a few tags