I hear people saying that blogging has really caught on. I wouldn’t go that far – possibly the term ‘blogging’ surely has caught on!! A lot of people do start their blogs and then get lost somewhere down the lane. A lot of it could possibly because of the low hits their blogs are generating. I think it’s mostly because some of the essential aspects of a blog are missing!!

So, it wouldn’t be bad idea to explore this subject more. What we are going to do here is clean up the dust that has settled on the blog, enhance it with few tools and list out few essentials that are a must for each blog!!

1.    First things first. Your blog is your own identity!!

Blogs are a reflection of you as a person. Feel free to write in your own inimitable style. The same rule applies for corporate blogs too. Each brand enjoys a certain personality and character and blogs have to remain true to that brand value.

Don’t worry about being judged. As long as your blog post uses language that is simple and easily understood, there is no right or wrong here.

2. Update your blog regularly

Don’t ever forget that writing down your views was the first and foremost reason to start the blog. It takes a certain amount of discipline to run your own blog. Decide whether you are up for it before starting one. Do you think Times of India would have been able to retain its readers if it printed the paper just twice a month!!

3.   Have a neat layout

Most of the blog providers like WordPress and Blogger allow users to select their template at

the time of registration. Do take your time in selecting a right template. Templates come in various colours and styles but most of them are either two columns or three columns. Again here there is no right choice but keep certain points in consideration like selecting it.

Template should be reflective of the nature of content you are going to post online. It must allow the user to read your posts with ease. Have a standard font and font size while posting

4.    Provide the subscription option

This is by far the most important aspect of your blog. Feeds. Users who subscribed to your feeds get updated about your new blog post the moment you have posted this. It acts like intimation to the user to visit your blog again to read that post. There are standard sites like feedburner that allow you to incorporate feeds in your blog.

You should also provide the subscription facility through email. A lot of people are comfortable with that option too! It’s important to keep the Feeds and email subscription right at the top of your blog where it is easy to locate

This concludes our first part of the essentials of a blog series. The next and concluding part will highlight the other important aspects and features that must be there on a blog.