WELCOME

We are so excited for you to begin this new chapter in your life of blogging. Whether you havehad a blog for years or this is your first step, The Blog Class has something great to offer you.

This guide is meant to be used as supplimentary material to the videos in the course. It willhelp you walk through each step, keep you organized, and give you places to fill in details

that you don’t want to forget (user names, passwords, helpful tips).

Before you begin watching the videos, take a few minutes to print out the guide. Now grab your favorite pen and a cup of tea (or coffee or lemonade) and let’s get started!

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SECTION 1: SETUP

In this first section of videos, you will start the process of creating your own space online.

There are some technical aspects to these lessons but please don’t be afraid!

Making sure you have set up your blog correctly is like priming a piece of furniture before you

paint it ... not typically the most exciting process and you can’t always see the results, but it is

essential to the durability and final results of the project. So just take this one step at a time,

setting up each part as you go and you’ll be on to the next section in no time.

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SETUP CHECKLIST

select a hosting company

(page.ly, dreamhost or other) (user name) (password)

give your blog a name

(blog name)

register a domain name (when setting up hosting)

(web address)

install, activate and setup recommended plugins (see plugin video for list)

set up wordpress (non-page.ly users only)

set up rss feed with Feedburner

activate Akismet (to reduce spam comments)

activate Secure WP plugin (to secure your blog)

add a contact form

set up email subscription with Feedburner (optional)

create blog header

SECTION 2: DESIGN

Now that the foundation has been set for your blog, you can move on to the creative part: design.

Spend some time looking through your favorite blogs for ideas, then begin thinking about what you’d

like your blog to look like. You do not need to be a professional web or graphic designer to get a great

looking blog ... just follow along with the videos to learn how to use the graphics pack to create your

graphics and play around with your theme’s options until you get your blog looking just right.

And remember: you can always come back and make changes. That is the beauty of blog design!

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DESIGN CHECKLIST

create sidebar graphics

create blog button

create sidebar graphics

GRAPHICS

choose a blog theme

install theme

BLOGTHEME

select blog layout

add background

CUSTOMIZATION

change fonts + colors

upload blog header

add favicon

customize menu items

add desired widgets

add desired images

SIDEBAR

add desired text links

add desired image links

add social media icons (optional)

add grab a button

create a page

SECTION 3: USE

As with any new thing, you will need to acquaint yourself with your new Wordpress blog.

Spend some time in the administrative panel exploring the options, learn the difference between

a post and a page and become familiar with uploading images into the media library.

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USE CHECKLIST

create a post

upload media into media library

edit an image using image editor

add a hyperlink

SECTION 4: CONTENT

It’s the time you’ve been waiting for ... time to put your thoughts, your ideas, your images, your life

on your piece of the web for the world to see. Do you have a plan for what you want to write about?

Now is a great time to brainstorm, write lists and then START POSTING!

As you watch the videos, fill in these blanks, then come back and refer to this often to keep you on track.

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FIVE TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE BLOG POSTS

1. Use a catchy

2. Be

3. Make your

4.

scannable

images

5. Create a

BLOG ETIQUETTE

Be

Give

Leave

Use correct

where

Respect the

is due

and punctuation,

of your family and friends

RULE #1: Always keep your in mind

The four ways to provide value in your posts

1. 2. 3. 4.

(video one)

(video three) (video five)

SECTION 5: GROW

It may not be the number one goal with blogging, but we all secretly hope to have readers.

If you have something you want to share, you probably want an audience to share it with.

Don’t be embarrassed about this - especially since there are some really great ways to grow your

readership without being obnoxious, pushy, obvious or unnatural. Give these tips a try, see if they

fit your style and most importantly, do what feels comfortable to you.

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GROW CHECKLIST

visit other blogs and leave comments (don’t forget to leave your blog address)

join link parties

host a link party

submit your projects/posts to a larger website

trade blog buttons with similar blogs

host a giveaway

set up a facebook fan page

join pinterest, twitter or other social media

install the Add to Any plugin (share, send, save link at bottom of posts)

install and activate SEO for Wordpress plugin

SECTION 6: EARN

Wouldn’t it be great if your blog could turn into a way to earn extra income? It may take a little

time and a bit of effort, but by using available tools and techniques, you will be well on your way.

Keep in mind that you can either make money by selling other people’s stuff or your own stuff.

Both ways can work well - this is just a matter of your preference and circumstances.

Below are a few of the many ways to monetize your blog. Select the option(s) that work best for you.

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EARN CHECKLIST

add Viglink to your blog (do this right away!)

offer sponsorship spots (ads) on your sidebar

become an affiliate

place affiliate ads on sidebar

join an ad network (best to wait 8-12 months to grow readership first)

offer sponsored post + giveaway opportunities to other businesses

sell your own products using a Paypal button

install a shop on your blog (Wazala)

link to an outside shop from your blog (etsy, big cartel, etc.)

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USER NAME + PASSWORDS

COMPANY/ACCOUNT USER NAME PASSWORD