Personal blogs have become a popular medium of self-expression in Bangladesh. Blog owners use it to showcase their skills and help others, to talk about specific issues, or to simply jot down their own thoughts. But how do you open a personal blog?

DEFINE A PURPOSE. 
As mentioned earlier, blogs have a lot of uses. Why do you need a blog? Do you wish to share your views on the world, or do you want to write about a particular category, such as football? Having a set purpose for your blog makes it easier to write on a regular basis. Otherwise, you wouldn't even know what to write about and the blog would eventually become dormant due to inactivity.

CHOOSE A PLATFORM. 
A platform, simply put, is a website that gives you the virtual space on which to open your blog. There are lots of options, but the most common ones are: WordPress, Blogger and Tumblr. While the first two are traditional types of blogs, Tumblr is more of an amalgamation of social network and blog. Of these three, WordPress is the most popular due to its ease of use and plethora of themes that you can use to decorate your blog. On the other hand, if you are aiming for a Bangla blog, it is a good idea to use a local platform as that would give you more freedom and exposure. There are a handful of platforms at your disposal, of which 'Somewhere in Blog' is quite famous. 

DECIDE BETWEEN HOSTED AND SELF-HOSTED BLOGS.
Hosted blogs are free, but there are some limitations and you do not own the blog completely. The URL for hosted blogs will contain the name of the platform you are using, myblog.wordpress.com for example. Self-hosted blogs give you more freedom and you completely own the blog. Moreover, the domain will not contain the platform's name. If you are just starting off and testing the waters, it's better to just go for the free hosted blogs, despite the limitations. 

DECORATE AND PERSONALISE YOUR BLOG. 
Not all platforms allow you to decorate your blog the way you want. But the major ones provide enough free designs and themes that you can use so that your blog doesn't look dull. While embellishing your blog with themes, remember that the theme should match the purpose of your blog. Don't have a music related theme for a footballing blog. Also make sure that there are some contrast in the text colour and the background colour, so that the words are readable. Now, personalise the blog a bit by adding a title or header for the blog and writing a nifty little blurb about yourself or about the purpose of your blog. 

START WRITING! 
With everything else in place, start writing blog posts with the purpose of the blog in mind. Don't make your posts unnecessarily long, and don't post false information. Your blog will gain popularity based on the strength and authenticity of its contents. Lastly, share your blog posts on social media. 

Over the last few years, we have been exposed to the term 'blog' almost on a daily basis in Bangladesh. Unfortunately, the word has mostly been portrayed in a negative light. Being a blogger doesn't automatically make you an enemy of the people. Now that you know what you need to open a blog, get started. Blog hard, and blog smart. 

Arman R. Khan is a caffeine addict, a dreamer and a culture enthusiast who takes life one day at a time. Correspond with him at arman.rahman.khan@gmail.com or tweet @ArmanRK