1. Read read read. If you want to be a good writer, you need to be a prolific reader. Nicholas Sparks, author of the Notebook, states it best on his web site's writer's corner, "you must read, and read a lot. Did I say A LOT?" Read blogs, magazines, and books. It will fuel ideas for content and best practice.
2. Be yourself. I could describe my first days of blogging as vulnerable. When you write, you are literally putting yourself out there. Pen and paper are more than just words; they are flesh and blood. You cannot write without revealing who you are. Some people will not like you, but a lot will. And don't spend too much time criticizing your own writing. It will get better the more you write.
3. Set goals. I know some who blog a couple times a year. And when they do, it's good. Others write daily. What are you currently doing? Do you read blogs once a week, once a month? There you go. How often you have time to read others blogs is how often others will read yours.
4. Track stats. At first, you won't have any readers. Then you will be surprised how many people are actually visiting your blog. After a while, you will want to know that people are reading to keep you motivated. I use Google analytics. It's fun to see where the traffic comes from, which blog posts are most popular, and how Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook affect your stats. But don't worry about that, yet. Blogging site, Posterous, makes it super easy to track stats. No set up needed. You see number of views right there on your blog post.
7. Start now. The easiest way to start is with Posterous.com. Simply write your first blog post and email it to posterous@posterous.com. You'll get an immediately reply with your new blog.
