Setting up and launching a blog is relatively easy. However immediately before and after the launch certain steps should be taken and proper blogging habits should be established. These steps and habits will help maximize the amount of success you experience during the critical infancy stages of your blog.

Here's a checklist to help insure your blog is both properly prepared and maintained:

Step #1 - Focus on the Setup

In your rush or excitement to launch your blog don't forget to insure your setup is complete and working properly. You should have your RSS feed working correctly and be sure your site is optimized for the search engines. Also don't forget to check that you're able to ping the blog search engines with every new blog post.

No matter how good your design may look, if you are not correctly 'broadcasting' your blog or optimized nobody will know you exist.

Step #2 -Establish Your Blog Theme

At this point you should already have chosen a blog theme or topic which you will blog about. Remember this topic and stay with it CONSISTENTLY as you post. Wandering off onto other subjects will only confuse your readers and the search engines. People came to your blog and returned because they were interested in the topic. To change that now would only make them lose interest in your blog and leave permanently.

Step #3 - Post with Predictable Regularity

In the initial stages it is recommended that you post frequently to get noticed and build up the flow of traffic to your blog. However often you decide to post make an effort to maintain that schedule. This will help establish a regimen for both yourself and your readers.

Step # 4 - Encourage Comments

Encouraging the interaction of your readers will only make your blog more popular. By exchanging comments and responses a sense of community will develop. Not to be overlooked in this process is the important feedback a blog owner can receive and use to improve the blog.

Step # 5 - Say More with Less Words

People generally skim for news and information whether online or off. Make it easy for your readers by being concise and to the point with your post.

Step # 6 - Show some Personality

Take advantage of the 'forum' a blog gives you and let your writings reflect your attitude, humor, flair, or uniqueness. This will help your readers identify with you while also injecting some life into what could otherwise sometimes be a 'ho hum' blog post.

While setting up and launching a blog can take relatively little time don't expect to establish regular traffic just as quickly. Time must be given for word about your blog to circulate. It's during this time that you must continue to add good content and interact with your readers. Your consistency in doing so will be reflected in future traffic to your blog. To your blogging Success!