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Podcast: Joel Williams on Blogging Basics for Writers

November 25, 2009 by Joanna Penn 10 Comments

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OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn

https://media.blubrry.com/thecreativepenn/p/www.thecreativepenn.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/PodcastJoelWilliams.mp3

Podcast: Download (Duration: 29:50 — 6.8MB)

Subscribe: Android | RSS

I get a lot of questions about blogs and RSS feeds, websites and getting traffic, so I decided to interview Joel, who is my BlogTechGuy! If you want to start a blog, but are unsure how to get started, this podcast is for you. There are also tips for people who have just started with blogging.

Joel Williams is known as the Blog Tech Guy and is an expert on implementing and improving WordPress blogs.

(Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post for services I use and recommend myself).

In this podcast, you will learn:

  • How Joel's business works, helping people with setup and improvement of their blogs after 10 years of being in the blogging game
  • Back to basics – what is a blog anyway? It is just a website that is easy to update and allows a conversation. The software means you don't need a webmaster or expensive setup
  • Why should authors have one? Authors have an advantage because they already write, they may already have an audience. Allows interaction with the audience, for example, authors posting chapters for feedback. It will allow you to stand out in the market. Here's an article on 3 ways to start building your author platform that includes blogging.
  • Why static websites are not great anymore, the old fashioned sites with no regular updates. They have a higher cost of setup and maintenance because you may need a webmaster as well as lesser search engine love. Google loves regular and new content.
  • Ease and low cost of entry for blogging. Zero cost for WordPress software, simple to get started and use, no need for knowledge of HTML coding or programming. You can do most things yourself and maybe get more help if you need to change the whole theme.
  • Search Engines are moving to real-time and video search. It changes every day but static websites are harder to update with real time information. WordPress has these features built in for Search Engine Optimisation.
  • You can get a free blog from WordPress.com or Blogger.com. It is hosted by that service and has everything done for you. You can get started in 2 minutes and it is a great way to get started! (I had 2 free blogs before I moved to self-hosting)
  • You can get the software from WordPress.org and have a self-hosted blog which is entirely in your control. You can get hosting at Hostgator and this allows you to completely customise your site and use Plugins as well as the commercial aspects of sales.

If you don't want to do it yourself, Joel can set you up a site for under US$300 – contact him here

  • Themes are preconfigured designs for your blog. They sit on top of the posts so you can change them without impacting your content. There are thousands of free ones to pick from. You can have a surf at WordPress.org/Extend.
  • Blogging is basically free plus services. You pay for what you want to improve. It's still cheaper than old school web design.
  • What is RSS? It's like a “What's New” feed on your site. Your new posts are put into this file and people can Subscribe to it. As a reader, you just need to go to one site to read multiple blogs. Joel and I both use Google Reader which is great! You can subscribe to this blog with the button on the top right or click here to Subscribe. Then you get updates whenever something new is posted instead of having to remember to go to that site regularly. As a blog owner, you can see how many people are subscribed to your site.
  • Top Tips for Blogging from Joel. There are hundreds online but here are some basics.
  • Great headlines are necessary so people will actually read the article in this world of competing information.
  • Use pictures on your post. This makes the site look better and you can get free pictures at Flickr.com (Advanced Search Creative Commons) or Stock Exchange . Remember to check the Licensing.
  • Make it easy for people to promote you e.g. Retweet buttons, Share on Facebook, or post to Digg/Delicious etc. Also, remember to add your social networking links as well.

You can find Joel at BlogTechGuy.com or on Twitter @blogtechguy . Just give him a shout if you need a hand!

Here is the transcript in PDF format => Transcript Joel Williams

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Filed Under: Marketing and Promotion Tagged With: blogging, podcast

Comments

  1. Joel Friedlander says

    November 26, 2009 at 12:50 pm

    Terrific stuff, Joanna.

    Joel is my “blog tech guy” also, and he has a tremendous amount of detailed technical info that can be beneficial to bloggers who are trying to figure it all out. He is definitely recommended!

    Reply
  2. Joanna says

    November 27, 2009 at 1:08 am

    Thanks Joel – it’s good to find someone to trust when there are so many “experts” online. Word of mouth rocks!

    Reply
  3. Bill Sterling says

    July 27, 2013 at 4:23 pm

    So, I have just retired. I was an English teacher. I have always wanted to write. It seems like a match. This was a great podcast. I think I’m about ready to spend tomorrow setting up my free blog and then launching it on Monday . . . THANK YOU!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 22 Posts That Would Help You How To Blog Better | Internethow Blog says:
    November 28, 2009 at 7:36 am

    […] Podcast: Joel Williams on Blogging Basics for Writers @ thecreativepenn.com Here Is How To Easily Build an Email List on WordPress @ dailyblogtips.com […]

    Reply
  2. Sunday Wash Up, 29th November « Shack's Comings and Goings says:
    November 28, 2009 at 5:02 pm

    […] Joel Williams on Blogging Basics for Writers Joanna Penn interviews her own tech expert about setting up a writers blog. […]

    Reply
  3. Interviewed By Joanna Penn from Blog Tech Guy says:
    December 9, 2009 at 12:04 pm

    […] for around half an hour on a lot of topics, but mainly about blogs for authors. You can listen to the interview here, and while my accent may put you off me, Joanna’s will endear herself to you! In her log post […]

    Reply
  4. The Week In Review | The Online Business Blog says:
    December 11, 2009 at 11:08 am

    […] Podcast: Joel Williams on Blogging Basic for Writers By Joanna Penn […]

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  5. Interviewed By Joanna Penn | Blog Tech Guy says:
    March 4, 2010 at 8:02 am

    […] for around half an hour on a lot of topics, but mainly about blogs for authors. You can listen to the interview here, and while my accent may put you off me, Joanna’s will endear herself to you! In her log post […]

    Reply
  6. Podcast: Advanced Blogging Tips For Authors With Blogging Teacher, Paul Cunningham | The Creative Penn says:
    May 14, 2010 at 12:40 am

    […] you are new to blogging, try this Blogging Basics podcast with Joel Williams. If you are ready for some more advanced blogging tips, then this is the audio […]

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  7. Publisher Simon & Schuster Says Authors Should Blog and Social Network — Authors Marketing Circle says:
    February 24, 2011 at 7:05 am

    […] Podcast: Joel Williams on Blogging Basics […]

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