Many people email me and ask what kind of tips GreatDad can offer to dads wanting to create a daddy blog, or a new site dedicated to dads. Here are a few things I tell them.
Love to write
If it takes you a few hours to write a 250 word essay, blogging is probably not for you. Some people can write dozens in a day. If you find it hard to find time to write at least one per day, this might be a hard job.
Start with a blog
Depending on your experience, you might think you have to know HTML and Dreamweaver to create a real web experience. However, even blogs don’t have to look like blogs, and many “real” ecommerce ventures run on WordPress and Movable Type. You can start a blog for free on many services, but if you’re thinking big at all, move to your own URL as soon as you can. Google gives more weight to URLs that have some history and if you do all your work for a year at MySite/Blogger.com and then move it all to MyDaddySite.com, you’ll be starting from scratch.
Forget about making enough to put your kids through college
It’s no longer 1999 and very few people get rich in the blogging world, unless they are selling services to bloggers. Content is hard to generate and revenues harder still unless you are very focused and have a lot of time to devote to this new job.
Write what excites you, not what you think Google wants
Everyone will tell you about keywords density and search engine optimization (SEO). Unfortunately, none of that really matters if no one wants to read what you’ve written. Find a niche, be an expert, and the rest will follow. It will happen very slowly, but it will follow, if you have a big enough market to begin with.
Use blogging software to help input content faster
I use Ecto. It’s a powerful little program and only costs $17.95. Even if you graduate to other content management systems like Drupal, it still will serve as a super easy way to input content including photos. Best of all, it’s the easiest way to include affiliate links to Amazon, integrate iTunes, and import iPhoto or Flickr photos.
Good luck!