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Apr 15, 2014

Blogging 101, Day One: Introduce Yourself

Today’s assignment: write and publish a “who I am and why I’m here” post.

Welcome to Blogging U! This course isn't currently active, but you can learn more about what we offer and register for upcoming courses on the BU home page.

(Looking for Blogging 201? Click here!)

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Today’s assignment: write and publish a “who I am and why I’m here” post.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “shitty first draft” (her language). Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.

Here’s the nitty-gritty on publishing a basic post, and here are instructions for adding tags to a post. Welcome to blogging!

Want to chat one-on-one with fellow bloggers? Head to The Commons.

Notes from the Editors:

The two-factor authentication requirement for The Commons has been removed, so no smartphone or additional security is necessary to access the site once you’ve been added to it.

Using The Commons is completely optional. It is intended simply to be a private place where challenge participants can connect. You can use it to ask questions you’d prefer to ask privately — or you can not use it at all, and still have a great challenge experience.

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  4. Definitely a little strange to write an intro post, but it was something I needed to do anyway (for my About page).. so thanks for this prompt – writing an introduction is always hard! Like, what do you say in such a short time that sums up everything about you??

    That’s the trick! Only say what is relevant to what you’re writing about! So the premise of my blog is my faith walk and my work with Mercy Ships.

    Anyway, here’s a link: http://cassiezemer.wordpress.com/2014/04/15/i-jumped-the-gun-an-introduction/

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  6. So new to this and unsure of myself as I’m about to publish my first comments, anyone else ever feel that way.
    I wrote my first blog yesterday actually and today completed the challenge, check it out, let me know if you like it or if you don’t…good things always come from feedback. http://wordpress.com/read/blog/id/67111348/

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  8. Reviewing the challenge, made me realize I needed to update my ‘about’ page.
    A hybrid result was the outcome. Not only did it force me to finally update my page, but it made me clarify my goals to a wider audience, thus creating accountability & responsibility.
    Feedback is welcome, check it out on….
    http://livingbodaciously.wordpress.com

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  10. I feel like I have covered this, seeing as though I started my blog a couple of weeks ago. Although, I may go back and have another look to my first intro post. Maybe I can make some improvements…

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  14. Thank you for the advice. It really helps. I am only starting and posting my writings. If you have time or would like to, look at my blogs, you may enjoy the writing. I think ‘ECHO’ or ‘STIGMA CHAPTER ONE’ might be enjoyable reads for you. I thank you again for your post. Have a wonderful day. —–Joel Sundquist

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  16. Through out the next year my goal is to have more of a disciplined posting schedule, but I find normally a majority of the posts that I write don’t actually make it to my blog for two reasons. One I don’t feel that they are quality or two, I am worried how someone close to me will react since my blog is personal (please note: I never use peoples actual names in posts. Instead I use initials or pseudo/nicknames.) Those two reasons have prevented me from allowing myself to have a thriving blog with regular posts. Any Suggestions on how to balance this??

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  26. Hey!
    When I signed up for this edition of zero-to-hero, I put up the address of a blog I had titled in portuguese, but now I want to change it to another one in english so as to go for the world. Is it a valid entry if I tag the posts in my new blog despite having signed up with the old one?

    txs!

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  28. I’ve posted, # 19 or 20. http://frncnseal585.wordpress.com/
    I’ve been posting for a short while so this may seem a little redundant with my About Me. But, if so, it’s only a little redundant. Looking forward to diving in deeper and deeper into the murky depths of blogging. Humph! Where did that come from? Anyway, take a look. I promise not to bite. Not hard, anyway.

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