Social Media Hot Tub

Have you started your own blog? Congratulations!

Now what?

You probably would like some visitors, comments – activity in general. Your blog doesn’t live in a vacuum, right? Or, at least, it won’t for very long unless you just like to hear yourself type. One important step is to register with blog directories, such as the one hosted by Technorati. Simply sign up for an account there, create a profile just like you would at any social networking site then file a “blog claim.” You’ll see this option as you set up your account. You will be able to furnish a description of your blog along with keywords and categories that will help readers find you.

Technorati will tell you it will take some time to investigate your blog claim – don’t worry, they won’t send a claims adjuster to your office or anything like that. You will, however, receive an email with your Secret Squirrel instructions. You’ll be given a “token code,” which you will put into a blog post. Then hit “publish.” When you tell it to go ahead, Technorati will crawl your site, find the code, and verify you are a human blogger who actually owns that blog. That’s it.

Yes, you will have a weird bit of code in your post. Mine is: 7E3NX6A3VE53  You can get rid of it when you get confirmation. Or just write about your experience and help other people with this handy household tip.

Don’t you love learning together?

What is your blog, and what is it all about? When did you start it and why? Tell us in the comments for this post.

UPDATE: Technorati will tell you it will take “some time” to complete your claim, and they’re not kidding. I posted the above the same day I initiated my own claim and only received notification that it was complete on Feb. 22 – almost a month later. Was it worth it? We’ll see.