Define Target Before Creating a Blog

Define Your Target

Before you create a blog, it is important to decide on the theme or subject area you intend to cover.1 Two main factors should be considered when picking a blog theme: your audience and your interests.

Determine Your Audience

Who your audience is will determine which type of blog host you use, the content of your blog, whether or not you publicize your blog, and what you will define as "success."  To determine your audience, ask yourself several questions.

1. Are you creating a blog primarily to keep in touch with family and friends?
2. Do you want to create a blog for people in your profession or who share your interests?
3. Is your blog an extension of your business?

Decide on a Subject

1. If you want your blog to be more than an online diary or a means of staying connected with family and friends, you will need to decide what subject matter your blog will cover.
2. How focused your blog is on a particular subject is entirely up to you. Your blog can simply cover the ephemera that are interesting to you and need not be defined beyond that.
3. If, however, you would like to target your blog to a particular niche or audience, here are some things you might consider:
   1. What are you interested in?
   2. What are you an expert in?
   3. Would your occupation be an interesting subject?
   4. What do you think is currently missing online?
   5. Do you have a goal that you're trying to achieve that could be documented online?
   6. Will you be able to blog about the subject matter consistently over a long period of time?
   7. How many other blogs exist on the subject matter you've chosen? Do you have a fresh take to stand out from the rest?
4. If you need some inspiration, check out some of the most popular blogs on the internet, through Technorati's Popular Blogs page or the Webby Awards' list of blogging nominees.

• NOTE: Take heed if you choose to blog about your workplace. Unless your blog is password-protected, it is a public document. Most employers are web savvy enough to investigate their employees' internet footprint, and even the most well-intended comments could run afoul of your workplace's rules and regulations. You don't want to join the grand tradition of bloggers being disciplined and even fired for negative or improper comments about their job posted on their blogs.

Step 2: Name Your Blog

There's no limit to what you can name your blog. Some blogs have names that relate to their subject matter—Cute Overload, Treehugger, PassiveAggressiveNotes.com. Some blogs have completely nonsensical names that are just plain catchy like Boing Boing, Small Dead Animals, The Coming. The easiest way out may just be naming your blog after yourself.
Technically, you can name your blog whatever you'd like. However, there are limits to what your blog's URL or web address can be. Whatever you decide, keep in mind that a blog's name should ideally be memorable, short, easy to spell and free of hyphens.
Most people like their blog's name to match its URL address. For instance, the URL address for Boing Boing is www.boingboing.net. The URL address for Bookslut is www.bookslut.com.

Using a Hosted Blog

If you are using a hosted blog service such as WordPress, Typepad, Blogger or Vox, you have two options. When you create a blog through these services, you are assigned a web address, which will look like this:

• www.yourblogname.wordpress.com
• www.yourblogname.typepad.com
• www.yourblogname.blogspot.com
• www.yourblogname.vox.com

If you don't mind having your host service's name in your web address, than you can simply check your potential blog name's availability when you register for an account. This is the simplest solution, particularly if this is your first blogging experience.