Originally posted on Sept. 13, 2005. Updated: Feb. 18, 2009

People are still asking where to go for a "blogging 101." That question momentarily stumps me. There's so much information out there it's hard to know where to begin. To simplify, I decided to be literal and look for resources labelled Blogging 101. I've also included several links to microblogging -- and specifically, to Twitter.

A key point about blogging is that it's only one piece

A visitor to my site recently asked for some advice on how to start blogging. "I have never blogged, so this is completely new to me," he wrote. I have to say that it's wonderfully refreshing to get this kind of question in late 2008. It's easy to think that everybody is steeped in the use of social media, whether it's Facebook, Twitter or blogging. They're not. Here's the 30-second stripped-down answer. You might also find useful this updated

One of the most animated discussions about social media I’ve seen is going on over at Alan Weiss’s Contrarian Consulting blog.

His blog post titled Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and Chance has sparked, as of this writing, 60 comments, many of them refuting Weiss’s contention that social media (including blogs and Twitter) are a waste of time for consultants promoting professional services to corporate clients.

He also contends that "Blogs are

One of the mantras in social media circles these days is: "This is not just about blogging."

So true. I couldn't agree more. Whether it's microblogging with Twitter (see marriottpr) or idea generation with evangelistic customers' input (see MyStarbucksIdea), there are many ways that companies can deploy social media to listen and to learn.

Yet the fact remains that many (most? it's most if more than 50%, right?) companies are just waking up

One of the mantras in social media circles these days is: "This is not just about blogging."

So true. I couldn't agree more. Whether it's microblogging with Twitter (see marriottpr) or idea generation with evangelistic customers' input (see MyStarbucksIdea), there are many ways that companies can deploy social media to listen and to learn.

Yet the fact remains that many (most? it's most if more than 50%, right?) companies are just waking up to what they could do with a blog -- internally or externally.

An article by Rich Karpinski this week in BtoB Magazine reminds us that only about 12% of Fortune 500 companies are blogging (11.6% according to the Fortune 500 Business Blogging Wiki).

But that companies like Dell, IBM, Kodak,…

Take a look below if you haven't heard about the re-launch of Southwest Airlines' corporate blog, Nuts About Southwest, two years after its April 2006 debut. More here.

This is state of the art use of social media by a big company: a blog, Flickr pics, video, polls, news and more. Note the icons for YouTube, FlickR, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter at the bottom of the page. This multi social media platform approach echoes what Dell is doing on its

Take a look below if you haven't heard about the re-launch of Southwest Airlines' corporate blog, Nuts About Southwest, two years after its April 2006 debut. More here.

This is state of the art use of social media by a big company: a blog, Flickr pics, video, polls, news and more. Note the icons for YouTube, FlickR, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter at the bottom of the page. This multi social media platform approach echoes what Dell is doing on its Community page.

This is exciting. And a refreshing change after the Southwest blog was caught flat-footed in March 2008 following the aircraft inspection crisis and threat of a record fine by the FAA. Kudos to the Southwest blogging team!

Seth Godin nails it in a recent post. Short answer: because good blog writing is more engaging and more persuasive than any press release or home page ridden with corporate-speak. I especially like these two tips: use headlines and don't say it all at once. Get the rest on his blog...

1. Use headlines. I use them all the time now. Not just boring ones that announce your purpose (like the one on this post) but interesting or puzzling or

Seth Godin nails it in a recent post. Short answer: because good blog writing is more engaging and more persuasive than any press release or home page ridden with corporate-speak. I especially like these two tips: use headlines and don't say it all at once. Get the rest on his blog...

1. Use headlines. I use them all the time now. Not just boring ones that announce your purpose (like the one on this post) but interesting or puzzling or engaging headlines. Headlines are perfect for engaging busy readers.

2. Realize that people have choices. With 80 million other blogs to choose from, I know you could leave at any moment (see, there goes someone now). So that makes blog writing shorter and faster and more exciting.

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