Having your own blog can be an exciting and rewarding journey. But for many people, the technical aspects of setting it all up and maintaining the blog becomes an obstacle, so they never start. For other bloggers, it's writer's block that kicks in and makes updating the blog a chore.
If you want to create a blog or want to kick start an existing blog, this course is for you.
We'll cover:
Having your own blog can be an exciting and rewarding journey. But for many people, the technical aspects of setting it all up and maintaining the blog becomes an obstacle, so they never start. For other bloggers, it's writer's block that kicks in and makes updating the blog a chore.
If you want to create a blog or want to kick start an existing blog, this course is for you.
We'll cover:
Why you need to be using a particular type of WordPress.
What to look for when choosing a domain name.
How to buy web hosting and get your domain set up with your host.
How to set WordPress up so that it is ready to start accepting your blog post. We'll configure WordPress so that it takes care of the technical stuff, while you can focus on the creative side of writing your blog.
The two types of homepage you can have on your blog, and how to set these up.
The essential web pages your site needs, and how to create them easily.
Why and how to keep "blog-related" notes as you go about your daily lives.
The power of social media in getting your blog noticed.
WordPress themes and plugins.
My own techniques for coming up with an unlimited number of blog post ideas. This includes my own methods for using two types of keyword research to come up with blog post ideas and the actual titles.
How to create and publish a blog post in WordPress.
Using categories and tags effectively, to improve your reader's experience.
30 days of content ideas.
The options for making money from your blog.
How to promote your blog with the resources you have available to you.
By the end of this course, you can have a blog you are proud of, in as little as 30 days. The good news is that after 30 days, blogging will be a habit and your blog can go from strength to strength.
Introduction to the instructor and the course.
When you are writing a blog, it's a great idea to take notes anytime and anywhere you have an idea. This lecture shows how you can easily do that.
There are two types of WordPress, but this lecture tells you why you need to be using the one from the .ORG site.
Your domain will be the address of your blog on the internet. In this lecture, we look at what kind of domain you should get.
This lecture will point you in the right direction to buying your domain and getting web hosting.
Twitter is a great social media platform to use as a promotional tool for your blog. This lecture will get you started.
This video will discuss website structure, and get you set up for your blog.
You have a couple of different options for your homepage. This video shows you those options.
This video will show you how to use a static page for your homepage. Typically used for non-blog sites, a static page is actually a great option for a blog too.
There are tens of thousands of themes to choose from. This video will discuss your options, and give you a simple recommendation.
WordPress has a feature called Widgets. These can be used to add features to your site design and this lecture will get you started in the wonderful world of widgets.
This video will introduce the idea of great content and how to avoid writer's block.
This lecture looks at 9 websites that can be used to give you an unlimited number of blog post ideas.
For those with more personal style blogs, here are 80 blog post ideas that your readers will love.
This video looks at my two-step process for keyword research that will result in great blog post ideas and titles.
This video shows a demo keyword research session to show you how to find those blog post ideas.
This video walks you through the process of creating a new blog post.
This video discusses how categories and tags can be used to classify your blog posts, and more importantly, how to use them correctly.
This video looks at how Gutenberg is different from the traditional "Classic " editor.
This video takes you through the Gutenberg Interface.
This video shows you the format of a block, and where to edit the blocks properties.
This video takes you through the process of building a post by adding blocks.
Inserting images and word-wrap around those images causes a lot of problems for beginners. This video looks at how you can effectively wrap text around an image.
The cover blocks is a really versatile Gutenberg block. It is explored in this video.
Columns can be used for horizontal (and vertical) formatting of content in a blog post. This video shows you how.
The group block is a container that can hold blocks of your choosing. Groups of blocks can then be manipulated as a single entity.
This video shows how to insert tables of data into your posts.
This video shows you how to add and customize buttons on your page.
Patterns can speed up the development of content. This video shows how to access them and how to add them to your post.
One of the powerful features of Gutenberg is the ability to create re-useable blocks. This video explains.
Want more blocks? This video shows you how to find some.
This video takes you through adding your first blog post.
When you add a blog post, Tweet it!
Your inner circle is an important group of people that can share your blog post to bring more visitors to your site.
This video discusses the idea of 30 days of content. 30 days is long enough to form a habit, and at the end, you'll have the makings of a blog to be proud of.
Your site does need some important pages which we haven't covered yet. This video will tell you more about them.
The About Us page is one fo the most important ones on a site. This video will tell you what you should include on the About Us page.
This video walks you through adding a contact form to your site so your readers can contact you.
The Legal Pages are a special group of pages that all sites need. This video will get you started.
Do you want to make money from your blog? Sure it's possible. This video will introduce you to the main ways.
One of the easiest ways of earning money from your blog is using Google Adsense. This video introduces you to how it works.
I've been using affiliate programs to make money online for over 20 years. This video will introduce you to the idea of an affiliate program.
This is another document you might need on your site if you promote any affiliate programs.
This video introduces the idea of blog promotion to increase traffic and readership.
It seems everybody uses social media these days. This video discusses social media channels I think you should be integrating into your site.
Social sharing plugins give your readers an easy way to share your blog post with THEIR social media contacts. This video shows how to integrate this sharing into your blog.
This video shows how you can add links to your social media channels so people can follow you on those channels.
A Gravatar is an image you connect to an email address. That image can be used on social platforms when you post using your email address. Confused? This video explains how it all works.
A great way for more exposure is to post comments on related blogs. This video discusses this in more detail.
Collaboration is a two-way deal. Contact other blogs and see what you can do for each other.
If readers spend time leaving comments on your blog post, reply to them. Let them know you read their comment and engage that visitor in a short conversation. It'll make them feel a special connection to you and your blog, and that will bring them and their friends back.
This video covers a few ideas you might want to think about for the future of your blog.
Autoresponder services give you some great options. This video explains more.
This lecture includes resources mentioned in the course.
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