A blog is a web log - in other words, it can be a repository for all the daily thoughts, feelings and activities of the blogger to whom it belongs or a place to publish articles of general interest. The blogger is the person who decides what will be published on his or her blog, he/she is the webmaster and in control of uploading posts or articles, moderating comments and checking for broken links.

Someone who is already familiar with the internet and maybe already has their own website, will not find these tips very useful but if you're a newbie to blogging this is for you.

Tip 1 - Choose Your Blogging Platform

There are plenty of blogging platforms out there, some free, some not, but I prefer Wordpress, which is free and is very easy to manage, with plenty of add-ons which are easy to install and use. However, it's up to you, but that must be your starting point.

Tip 2 - Decide What You Want to Blog About

Some people just use their blog like an online diary which is really intended to keep their friends and family updated with their day to day activities but others use their blog to publish interesting and informative articles on a subject which is of interest to them such as cookery or car maintenance.

Try not to mix the two types or your visitors will be very confused. After all, you can always have several blogs for different purposes and don't mix your subjects. Someone visiting to find a recipe for chicken casserole won't be very keen to sort through loads of articles on dismantling a gear box.

Tip 3 - Choose Your Media

There are basically four types of media you can publish on your blog; text, photographs, video and audio. Some bloggers use only video or audio but there's no reason why you can't use all types. Obviously, if yours is a diary type blog you can upload your own pictures and video but those with niche blogs might want to include uTube videos which illustrate something pertaining to their topic.

Indeed you can use nothing but podcasts where you actually record your blog content and your visitors can download it to their iPod or PC.

Tip 4 - Be Creative

If you use Wordpress, there are lots of "themes" available. Basically a theme is a page layout which usually includes a header graphic, columns and a colour scheme. Some Wordpress themes have ready built in sidebar widgets such as calendars, recent posts, categories and archives. Try to choose a theme which matches your subject matter if yours is a niche blog but if it's a diary blog then really anything goes.

Tip 5 - Be Organised

Even if you're just writing "Got up, ate toast, went to work.", use a heading for your blog posts. However, if you're blogging a niche a heading is essential as it will help your readers navigate around your blog. For niche blogging, using categories is also helpful. For example you might want to divide a cooking blog into Starters, Main Courses, Desserts, Freezer Recipes, etc.

Tip 6 - Be Aware

We are talking about the internet here, which is available to millions of people worldwide. Even if you have only told your best friend about your blog, it is accessible to anyone and everyone and for that reason, you should be careful what you say. Don't make libellous statements, don't post insulting comments and if you're posting on a controversial subject, think twice before you click that publish button.

Blogs are a great way of communicating and informing and making new friends on the internet.