So you’ve heard about the whole “blogging” thing and you want to get in on the amazing amounts of money that everyone seems to be making. Slow down there partner, breaking into the blogging world is harder than it looks.

We bloggers lovingly term our world the “blogosphere” and each and every writer enjoys their job. Why? Because in order to create a successful blog, you must want to blog. This might sound like common sense, but it is one of the important things you need to know before you start to blogging. Here are some more:

• Find a topic. Blogs that are extremely focused and subject oriented tend to be the most successful. Blogs hosted on prestigious communities like b5media all have a defined niche… so you’ll probably want one too.
• Find a voice. Are you going to be witty? Funny? Sarcastic? Quirky? It helps if you can create a personality for your blog- it allows for one more aspect to make readers want to come back. The “split-personality-the-world-hates-me-voice” tends to only attract the “split-personality-the-world-hates-me-readers.” We’re not quite sure you want that.
• Draft a plan. Again, this might only be common sense for some. Do you want to start small, and then work your way up? Do you have a list of communities you’d like to break into? Are you going to spend a lot or a little on creating a brand for your blog? How much are you going to advertise (if at all). What demographic will you be writing for? How often are you going to blog? These are just a few of the important questions that must be answered in a plan before you start blogging. Generally, it’s a good idea to create a list of all the possible questions you can think of… and then answer them. In terms of a blogging schedule, if you keep your blogging to a preset pattern readers will know exactly when to come back and how often; follow this practice and you’re bound to generate some loyal visitors.
• Create a brand. It’s certainly fine to test out the blogging world by using some of the fantastic free templates out there, but to get the ball rolling going you’re going to want to create a brand for your blog. Nearly every successful blog on the internet today has a distinct look or feel about it. Lucky for you, we can help you with this. You’ll probably want to get yourself off Blogger and onto your own domain name if you really want to shoot yourself into blog-stardom. (We help with that too.)
• Hit the ground running. Just because you are a brand new blogger does not mean you have the right to turn out sub-par content. Your first post may define the type of blog you’re going to run for other bloggers within your niche. Make it perfect and create some respect!

We’ve written a guide to help you decide whether or not you are ready for bloggin. Remember, not everyone’s cut out to write excellent content every other day (or any other scheduled time for that matter) and that’s ok. It’s certainly alright to “adapt” these rules for your own needs as well. We all break the rules sometimes.

So to finish off, BWD hopes to see you blogging successfully soon!

The long-awaited and updated version of WordPress is finally here and is ready for download. Since it’s release a little more than a year ago, the new WP 2.0 has only undergone a series of minor security and bug fixes. However, 2.1 has a lot to offer in terms of new features.

Auto-Save: Finally, your blog posts won’t be lost by the accident click of a link. The auto-save feature runs on Ajax and does not require a page reload. However, be sure to type in a post title in order for your work to be saved.

Easier Image Uploading: Ever find that annoying little menu slightly confusing? Well you’re not alone. The new system uses simpler radio buttons and allows bloggers to edit the image attributes after it is uploaded.

New Post Editor: With 2.0’s release came the fancy post editor powered by TinyMCE. Although very useful for those unfamiliar with web languages, it was a real hassle for code-savy bloggers. The feature is now significantly improved, and offers two tabs: “Visual” and “Code.”

Privacy Features: If you’re looking to keep your blog away from the prying eyes of popular search engines or curious family members, WP 2.1 offers a feature to support many privacy options.

It is also important to note that there are many back end changes and modifications in WP 2.1. However, the only notice that readers of this blog should take is that many plugins which previously worked in WP 2.0 will not work correctly in WP 2.1 Although many have made the cut, clients should still take note of the approved 2.0/2.1 plugins before upgrading their blogs.

And, just on a side note: the new version was dubbed ”Ella" after the famous jazz vocalist, Ella Fitzgerald.

If you would like these awesome features with an upgrade to 2.1, drop us a line and we’ll add you to our work queue and take over from there!

Thank you to Technosailor’s ”10 Things You should Know About WordPress 2.1” for much of the information included in this post.

The tallented Darren Rowse at ProBlogger.net published a post for the New Year showcasing his ’Best of ProBlogger 2006.’ I thought many clients and visitors would find it useful - it offers nearly EVERYTHING you need to know about the basics of blogging. Darren runs many blogs series in which he publishes many posts on a certain area. Here are some highlights:

Blogging for Beginners (GREAT Read, About 40 Posts in Total) which includes:

• 23 Questions for Prospective Bloggers - Is a Blog Right for You?
• How to Choose a Niche Topic for Your Blog
• Choosing a Blog Platform
• Blog Tools
• Useful and Unique Content
• Using Titles Effectively on Blogs
• Should I blog for Money?
• 10 Techniques for Finding Blog Readers

Some other great stuff here:
How Often Should a Blogger Post?
Hitting Comment Spammers and Plagiarists where it Hurts
Why Having a Blog is Like Having a Baby
7 Reasons Why Personal Blogs Rock
8 Signs it Might Be Time to Take a Break from Blogging

So check out this great reading. Darren updates his blog daily… plus you always have the option to surf around the archives for some great stuff!

Although I am new to the blogging community, I hope that this blog will fit right in. I am very excited about this project because blogging is something that Lara has introduced me to, and I am quickly learning all about it and the whole culture. The purpose of my blog is to talk about things that surround us everyday, but we do not necessarily take time to appreciate. There will not be a set theme for this blog; it will be about anything and everything.

On another note, Lara and I are pleased to announce that we have been asked to develop a website for the WCC of Greater Rochester, a medical group located in Rochester, NY. Lara and I are very excited for this project, as it is a large medical practice.

And so the holiday season begins! I know it’s my favorite time of the year… the cooking (cookies, roast ham, fudge oh my!), the family (you know you like sitting by the Christmas tree reminiscing with them), and the overall cheer everyone shows during this time. What’s not to love?

We’re very cheery over here at Blog What Design too. Right now I’m working on Morgan’s company website: After Eleven Apparel. I’m very excited to get things going; the design is going to be very stylized… kind of “rocker chic.” We’re also finishing up one professional project, and just taking on a new one!

I found a very cool little gadget over at problogger.net today; it’s a digital picture frame that Google has sent out to their top Adsense publishers! Pretty nifty eh? Apparently, Google hands out quite a lot of gifts during the holiday season from laptops to bean bag chairs. I need a friend like Google!

Happy Holidays!