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<p><em>This is an example post, originally published as part of </em><a href="https://dailypost.wordpress.com/blogging-university/"><em>Blogging University</em></a><em>. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.</em></p>
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<p>You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Postâ€ button, and tell us why you’re here.</p>
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<p>Why do this? </p>
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<ul><li>Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?</li><li>Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it. </li></ul>
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<p>The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.</p>
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<p>To help you get started, here are a few questions: </p>
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<ul><li>Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?</li><li>What topics do you think you’ll write about?</li><li>Who would you love to connect with via your blog?</li><li>If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished? </li></ul>
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<p>You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.</p>
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<p>Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draftâ€. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.</p>
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<p>When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,â€ so other new bloggers can find you, too.</p>
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