Proficient? Me? [[blushes]]
George asked us to share what we wrote to John Campanelli of the Plain Dealer. Happy to oblige.

Which online blog-hosting site do you recommend?

Blogger's Blogspot is probably the most newbie-friendly free service. It's easy to get started, and if you have your own domain already you can easily configure it to work within that. You can "grow into" its more advanced features and tweaks as you become more tech- and blog-savvy. Their help files are actually helpful.

What things should first-time bloggers make sure to do when setting up a blog?

Take a moment to think about your audience. Set up your blogging tools to reflect how you want to interact with them (or not) and to make viewing your site easy for them. Enabling comments can be a great way to create a conversation with your readers. If your style is to write long posts, don't use white type on a dark background.

What's your advice for creating interesting, readable posts?

Develop your own voice and share your point of view. My blog is very personal, having evolved over the years from an ISP-hosted personal page on which to share stories and pictures with faraway friends and family to what it is today. The posts I get the most positive feedback on are those in which I share stories from my life. And I spend a lot of time editing and rewriting.

How often should folks post?

That depends on the type of blog. If you are trying to drive traffic with snappy five-sentence posts, several times a day. The majority of the more personal blogs I enjoy tend to update anywhere from once to maybe four times a week. The beauty of blogs is their diversity and their individuality. There are no rules.

How personal should the posts be?

Again, that depends on the type of blog. My mother and some of my clients read my blog, and it's very easy to find by Googling my name, so there are some subjects I just don't write about. I don't share stories about dating or work, except in the very vaguest of terms. (The former I'm saving for my book.) I don't complain about family or friends; in fact, I try hard to keep complaining to a minimum. I don't write anything I wouldn't say to someone's face. Some people have a higher comfort level talking about the intimate details of their lives, and that's healthy and good for them, but my comfort level with that is lower.

That said, your blog has to have some personality, some spark of you in it, or why would anyone bother reading?

Biggest mistakes bloggers make?

Assuming that your friends, family, and coworkers will never find your blog; they will, eventually. Writing posts that simply give a link and say something like "this is interesting" -- at least give us a clue what the link leads to. Quoting an entire article or someone else's post on your blog, rather than quoting a small piece and linking to the full article or post at its source.

Most important piece of advice?

Read other people's blogs.

Hardest part of blogging?

Finding time to post regularly.

What's the best way to get people to visit your blog?

Get out in the blog community, both online and in person. Visit and comment on other people's blogs. Link to other people's blogs. Forge friendships with other bloggers. Go to blogger meetups. Put your blog URL in your e-mail signature line. I had some business cards made with my blog name and URL, and I hand them out if the subject comes up and someone expresses interest in reading my blog.

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In other news, I am home sick today. What I thought was a boring case of laryngitis is apparently more of a full-blown throat thing. I'm off to the doctor for some antibiotics. If I've breathed on you in the last 36 hours or so, I'm sorry.
- posted by Lori @ 9:08:00 AM | permanent link | |