In last week’s review of 31 Days to Build A Better Blog, I mentioned that I spent a lot of time over the past two years educating myself on to create a successful blog. I’ve read books, participated in online courses and subscribed to helpful blogs.
Starting a blog is no easy task, so for those of you mom entrepreneurs embarking on a blog for the first time, I want to share with you three awesome resources for new bloggers.
1. ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income by Darren Rowse & Chris Garrett–this is a perfect book for new bloggers who are starting a blog with the hopes of earning an income from it, not bloggers who are just doing it for fun. Written by Darren Rowse, the creator of the world’s #1 resource for making money with blogs, ProBlogger takes the reader from absolute beginner to earning money from blogging. Through step by step practical lessons the reader will choose a blog topic, analyze the market, set up a blog, promote it and earn revenue.
ProBlogger provides results based on Chris & Darren’s own experience (see www.problogger.net) of what really works through practical, tried and tested advice. Readers will learn:
- How Bloggers Make Money
- Direct Income Earning vs. Indirect Income Earning methods
- Why Niches are Important
- 20 Ingredients for a successful blog post
- Optimizing advertising
- Which advertising platforms work best
- Expert analysis of Technorati’s Top Blogs – why they work
I read ProBlogger last winter and it made me realize that I had to narrow down my niche (mom entrepreneurs vs. moms AND mom entrepreneurs) if I wanted to stand out in the blogosphere. I also learned a great deal about how important your blog stats are if you hope to attract advertisers. And hopefully, I learned how to provide great content for y’all. 
2. Starting a Blog: Resources for New Bloggers–I just discovered Starting a Blog in, of all places, Better Homes & Gardens magazine, July issue, page 10. Now I can justify my many magazine subscriptions to my husband–I found Starting a Blog in BHG, the Eileen Fisher grant in Vogue and the One Page Business Plan in Oprah. Hee.
Starting a Blog is the perfect place for the newest of newbie bloggers. It is loaded with resources that cover every aspect of starting a new blog. A section of the Starting a Blog is devoted to articles that cover blogging topics in depth. The articles include images & screenshots that show the reader exactly what they’re doing as they’re doing it–especially helpful for the technical aspects of creating a blog. Here is just a handful of great articles you’ll find:
- How to start a blog-tips & clips
- Creating a blog feed
- Blog software basics
- Blog startup planning
- Wordpress blog templates quick install
Starting a Blog also has a forum where beginner bloggers can help each other and share resources and a blog that hosts all kinds of blogging news.
If you’re starting a blog, Starting a Blog should be the first stop along your blogging journey.
3. GTD for Bloggers: The Art of Stress-free Blogging by Zen Habits blogger, Leo Babauta–”GTD” is short for “getting things done” and comes from David Allen’s book with the same title.
Leo’s post talks about how bloggers can apply David’s GTD techniques to make blogging more productive and less stressful. Leo breaks it down to these 5 steps: collect, process, organize, do and review.
In this must-read post for bloggers, you’ll learn how get organized, get more work done and stop letting stuff slip through the cracks–all customized to fit the needs of bloggers.
The best part about this post? You can apply Leo’s GTD tips to every aspect of your life.
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I hope these resources help you as you blast off into the blogosphere. And please know that I’m always here if you have a question about starting a blog.
Do you have a favorite book, website or article about starting a blog? Share it in the comments section.
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Great resources!! Thanks so much!!
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I tell my husband that my magazines are all for research purposes, that I’ll be writing for those magazines some day! Actually, they do help spark ideas for my blogging as well. Thanks for the tips, I forgot about Leo – love him!
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Can’t wait to delve into this in more detail…thanks for the info
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Love the list, thanks so much!
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great post, i especially appreciated the line about the need to narrow down your niche. gets me thinking about my own mom site and ways i could narrow down even further.
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Thanks for listing the resources! Couldn’t be better timing for me. Just ordered ProBlogger from Amazon. Thanks!
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Very timely for me also! Must confess, I am entering the blogosphere kicking and screaming, so these three will help ease me in. Thanks.
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Stopping by from the link a thon to say hello. I just finished this book and it has been very helpful on my new journey.
I will be forwarding your blog to my friend who started her own company and is struggling with juggling 2 small children at the same time. Her invention was a success too sparesoles.com. Now its just getting her to take a break from the madness to read your site. I think it will help her a lot.
Lucy
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Heather Allard Reply:
June 20th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Hi Lucy,
Thanks so much for stopping by. I’ll definitely take a look at your website–thanks for sharing! And…thanks for passing my site on to your friend. I hope it helps!!
Heather
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Great resources.
For implementing GTD you can use this web-based application:
http://www.Gtdagenda.com
You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, schedules and a calendar.
A mobile version is available too.
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