How do I start my own blog?

[Wallace Woods]

We suggest you begin by exploring the most popular blogs in Yahoo!'s Weblogs category to determine your favorite "look and feel." What kind of blog do you want? Something issue-oriented, or more personal? How much media do you want to incorporate? Is this a group project?
Now, pay very close attention to this excellent introductory tutorial written by Nadine of the wonderful blog TokyoShoes. Described as a "blogging for dummies," it offers cogent, step-by-step instructions on how to set up a blog using a popular program called Movable Type. You'll find a handy glossary of relevant terms, as well as tips on the nuts and bolts of domain names and web hosts.

Movable Type isn't the only blogging tool around, but it's rapidly become something of an industry standard. Jason Kottke, who runs a popular blog devoted to tech issues, is a fan. Cory Doctorow's eclectic Boing Boing is fueled by something called Blogger. You'll find several other options in Yahoo!'s Weblog Software.

Once your blog is up and running, you'll need to promote it. John Hawkins offers eleven quick tips for new bloggers that includes the names of several popular blog directories. He also suggests you link profusely to other relevant sites. There's no such thing as a one-way link -- bloggers routinely investigate referrals.

What next? To keep customers returning, you should update your blog on a daily basis. You're taking part in an online coversation that has exploded in popularity over the last couple of years. As Andrew Sullivan proclaims in his Blogger's Manifesto: "It's a new medium finally finding a unique voice. Stay tuned as that voice gets louder and louder."