Do It Right
There are ways to start a blog for free, but this course will help you do it right, and you can get started in 60 minutes for less than $25 in start-up expenses.
But why? Two reasons.
The Filter Bubble
Algorithms are making social media a weird place. If you blog, and people subscribe to it, they get every one of your posts, every time. They can choose whether to read it or not, to think it's good or not, but there won't be some algorithm deciding for them (or for you).
As social media gets more chaotic, having a place for your thoughts to live forever is a great thing, and you can (and should) share your posts on social media.
Daily Blogging
I believe that everyone should blog every single day. Journaling is similar and can be great, but can tend lead to laziness of thought. By publishing out loud on a blog, it forces you to clarify what you're thinking and really make it sharp.
This Course
We'll cover a lot in a short period of time, but you can re-watch any section as many times as you'd like.
Some of these words might be new to you, like "widgets" and "permalinks", but we'll explain what they mean, why they matter, and how to make them work for you.
What You'll Learn
The Technical Pieces
Setting up your blog the right way involves a few technical pieces, but we'll walk you through those and make it easy so that you'll be set up for success.
Themes
Choosing the right theme is crucial, and not just for looks. You want a solid foundation for your site, so we'll help you get that in place.
Plugins
There are thousand of plugins you could choose to install, but we'll walk you through the few crucial (free!) ones that you need.
Google Analytics
Tracking activity on your blog is important, so we'll help you set up an account with Google Analytics and then get it connected to your site.
Building Content
At the end of the day, your blog is all about the content you produce. We'll help you understand the editor and get cranking on that content in no time.
Promotion
Once you've written some posts, you'll want to share them with the world. We'll help with some tips on sharing via social media as well as building an email list.