Tip #1 – Choose the CMS Platform that is Right for You and Your Readers

Before you begin about anything else, you need to determine what content management system (CMS) you are going to use for your blog.

In the interests of full disclosure, I will openly admit that I am partial to the WordPress platform, and would recommend it both for new bloggers as well as veterans. WordPress is free, versatile, and has a great integrated SPAM control that does not require one of those annoying captchas.

However, the package you select for your blog should be chosen to meet your individual requirements. emoms.com has an awesome chart that shows all of the different major blogging platforms, their features, and options.

The primary reason I chose WordPress was because it was very easy to set up and deploy, it offers a greater degree of customization than many other CMS platforms, and there are TONS of great plug-ins available that allow you to modify the way the blog functions without slaving away over a ton of code.

Before you decide which CMS system is right for you, spend some time looking into the different platforms and reading what others have to say about them.

Next tip – Where to Host Your New Blog