Your Hosts:

Sprittibee (Heather): Sprittibee, Homeschool Blog Awards, Gathering Manna, Heart of the Matter

Dawn: My Home Sweet Home, Barefoot Blog Designs, Homeschool Blog Awards, photoblog

Blogging experience of audience

What is a blog? Why blog? share homeschooling information, online journal, keep in touch with friends and family, photography, crafts, cooking, political commentary, "mommy blog," product reviews

History of blogging

What's in a name?

• Branding: logos, colors, fonts, graphics, image
• Consistency: URL, blog title, name you use for comments, etc.
• Branding Your Blog for Success

Blogging platforms

• WordPress.com
• Blogger
• TypePad
• Moveable Type
• Homeschool Blogger
• Homeschool Journal
• Expression Engine

Free or private hosting?

Domain Names

Privacy:

• Do you want traffic?
• How much of your personal information are you comfortable with sharing?

Building Traffic:

• Comment, comment, comment
• Content is king
• Sprittibee's post on traffic
• Carnivals and memes (Wordless Wednesday, Works-for-Me Wednesday, Tackle It Tuesday, Thursday Thirteen, Menu Plan Monday, Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt, etc.)
• Join Blogrolls (Family-Friendly Network)
• StumbleUpon, Kirtsy, delicious

Homeschool Blog Awards

• About Us
• 2007 Winners
• 2007 Prize Awarders

Tracking Stats:

• Google Analytics
• Statcounter
• Sitemeter

RSS Feeds:

• Feedburner
• Subscriptions by email

Tips:

• Carry a notebook to jot down ideas
• Save posts as drafts to use when you don't have time to write
• Block out quiet time for blogging, multiple posts if possible

Ways to search blogs:

• Technorati
• Google Blog Search
• Alltop Homeschooling Search

Revenue

Resources:

• Blogging Basics 101
• HSBA Better Blogging category
• HSBA Better Blogging review post

(Notes to our other conference talk, Blogging for Dummies)