Blogging has become an extremely popular pastime, and for many enthusiastic bloggers, it is also a way to make a little extra money by way of things like pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, affiliate programs or even direct sales. Whether you want to run a small hobby blog or provide an online showcase for a traditional business, blogging is a great way to do so. Thanks to a number of popular content management systems, you can design your own blog without needing to have any knowledge of HTML or other programming languages. By far the most popular blogging software is the open-source WordPress platform which we will be using for the purpose of this guide. WordPress is used by numerous individuals and businesses, including some of the world’s major online news websites.
A popular alternative is Google’s Blogger software, although it does not provide nearly as much in the way of themes and features as WordPress does.
Finding a Suitable Host
With WordPress being as popular as it is, numerous Web hosting companies offer a special WordPress hosting package which allows you to install the platform and required database by way of the one-click installation method. This is far simpler and quicker than manually installing WordPress, since it allows you to get started with publishing your first post right away. Alternatively, you can sign up with wordpress.com to create a free blog.
However, using wordpress.com does not allow you to have your own domain, and its version of the platform is also much more limited with regards to plugins and themes.
Introducing the WordPress Administrator Dashboard
Once installed, you should be able to log into your WordPress administrator dashboard by navigating to yourwebsitename.com/wp-admin or yourwebsitename.com/wordpress/wp-admin. Create your administrator account and log in to the dashboard with your user name and password.
The administrator dashboard allows you to customize and work with just about every aspect of your website, including on-page elements, visual styles, themes, plugins and more.
Most of the options are fairly self-explanatory, and you will likely want to spend some time customizing your new blog before writing and publishing your first post.
Publishing Your First Blog Post
Before you being, it is important to understand the difference between a post and a page in WordPress. Pages are stationary webpages, similar as a Contacts or About runner which are generally accessible from the menus on the homepage, and away on your blog, whereas posts are organized in chronological order as is generally the case on news sites.
To get started with writing your first post, simply click “Posts” in the sidebar followed by “Add New”. WordPress provides a basic Web-based word processor where you can write your posts and save them as you go by clicking “Save Draft” to the right. However, most people will prefer to use Microsoft Word or another word processor thanks to the wider range of features offered by such programs.
If you choose to write your posts using a traditional word processor, you can simply copy and paste the contents into the Add New Post page in WordPress. You may need to check through the formatting before publishing.
Following are a few additional tips to help you get started with the WordPress editor:
To insert an image, video or audio clip, click “Add Media”. If you don’t currently have any media uploaded, click “Upload Files”. Be aware that there will be a maximum upload file size which will be specified here.
To add HTML code, including embedded HTML code from things like Google Maps or Flickr, you can do so by clicking on the “Text” tab above the word processor. This will display the HTML code for your post.
Before publishing your post, it is advisable to assign a category and some tags to it. You can select or add a new category from the Categories section in the column to the right.
Tags are also useful for associating your post with certain relevant search terms that will be helpful in digital marketing ranking, and you can enter as many as you like, separating each key word or phrase with a comma in the Tags box in the right-side column.
Finally, you can also set a featured image which will represent your post on your homepage and when people share it on social media websites or find it in the search engines.
Once you have completed writing your first post, simply click “Publish” and it will appear on your website immediately.
5 Tips to Overcome Writer’s Block
If you’re a motivating or even a published author or an independent writer, you will undoubtedly encounter the writer’s block to write once in a while. There are generally those events when writers become baffled by an absence of motivation.
Sometimes it is caused by burnout, and sometimes by boredom, and it inevitably leads to reduced quality in one’s work or a lower degree of productivity. Sometimes, there seems to be no way to overcome writer’s block, but the following tips may help you to get back on track whether you write for your career or just as a hobby.
Top 5 Tips:
1. Get into a Routine
Jennifer ‘ the senior academic writer & tutor at best essay writing service blog says, To turn into an effective author, especially on the off chance that you write mainly for cash, it is vital for approach it in a similar way as you would move toward some other work. Getting into a routine requires a level of discipline and the capacity to conquer the numerous impulses to delay.
If you are a freelance writer, you probably chose such a career path primarily because of the freedom that it brings, but it is also this freedom to choose your own working hours that leads to laziness. While it can still be flexible, it is important to get into some manner of routine. Allot a specific measure of time each week to reading, investigating and thinking of thoughts as well as really keeping in touch with itself.
2. Write Down Your Ideas
As a writer, no one can tell when thoughts will come to you. Immediacy is key with regards to getting enlivened and concocting thoughts. When something abruptly comes to you, record it so you will have something to allude to later on.
Any writer should make sure that they’re always armed with a tablet and pen, so that if they’ve an idea or inspires them, they can write it down and relate back to it at the coming seasonable time.
While multitudinous authors ought to save a specific measure of time to conceptualizing, it’s likewise critical to be unconstrained and keep a open outlook both outside and beyond your genuine working hours.
3. Read More
There aren’t many successful authors who aren’t additionally eager readers. Although, contrary to well liked thinking, you don’t be guaranteed to have to adhere basically to reading topic which is straightforwardly applicable to your specialty.
All things considered, it is astute to scour over the broadest scope of subjects, since no one can tell where the thoughts will really wind up coming from.
4. Get a Change of Scene
Writer’s block is most frequently a result of boredom, and we all undergo it when enduring from burnout. This boredom is a product of repetitiveness, but fortunately, it is also something which can usually be conquered quite easily and effectively. In many situations, a simple change of scene can work wonders.
If you are tired of sitting at the same desk all the time, try taking your work to a different office or even a public space. Whether the weather is best, try getting your work outside for a period. Being stuck in the home office day in day out is not at all going to be the finest way.
5. Take a Break
Sometimes, the burnout is such that nothing else seems to work, when it comes to trying to overcome the bane that is writer’s block. There are only so many ideas which can come to us, and sometimes it is better just to take a break.
To write while keeping a serious level of quality and authority, you should be in the right mood. Writing when you can’t get into the mind-set to do so will unavoidably prompt lower quality work and less of it.
Whether you have done all the other things to overcome a writer’s block, take a stab at getting a little while off to get a difference in scene and quit pondering work. Much of the time, enjoying some time off is the main useful and viable arrangement.
