Simple Blogging Tips
Starting a blog is simple. There are several free options you can choose from. I’ll outline the free services first, then dive into instructions for hosting your own standalone website.
FREE Blogging Services
WordPress
WordPress is the site I used to create my first blog (here).
You can have a live blog in 5 minutes or less with WordPress, it’s very simple to use. Create a username and password, choose a title for your blog, pick a background template, and it’s live. The site takes you through the process step by step.
Writing new blog posts is a lot like typing a Microsoft Word document. All you need to do is log-in to WordPress with your username and password and you will be prompted by an easy to read menu. Choose ‘Post’ under the ‘Write’ category and begin sharing your thoughts.
One of the nice design features that WordPress provides is the ‘theme’ function. By clicking on ‘Design’ you can choose from hundreds of different layouts to make your blog look different from other WordPress users. I recommend picking a theme from Chris Pearson such as Cutline or PressRow.
Here is an example of what the input screen looks like when typing a post for your WordPress blog:
You can add pictures and video to your posts too, which is a good way to keep readers attention. WordPress lets you click a button to add pictures from your computer (you can also add pics from different websites by entering the URL into the proper line of the WordPress picture form).
It’s simple to include YouTube videos as well. Click ‘Add Video’ and enter the web address of the video you want to share. That’s all you need to do. Now you’re in business with a blog of your own.
Keep in mind, since your blog is hosted free by WordPress, its address will have ‘.wordpress.com’ at the end of it.
Blogger
Blogger and WordPress are both WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors, which means they each guide you through the blog creation and posting process step by step.
This also means whatever you enter into your ‘Write Post’ page will appear on your blog once you click the ‘Publish’ button (hint: make sure your page is set to ‘visual’ instead of ‘html’; it should default to the ‘visual’ setting.
Here’s a major difference between Blogger and WordPress: Blogger is owned by Google and lets you place advertisements on your site.
All you need to do is visit the AdSense website, sign up for a free account, and Blogger will show you how to insert the ads on your blog.
Don’t overwhelm your blog with advertising, especially in the beginning. Too many advertisements create a lot of distracting noise that can drive away readers.
Hosting Your Own Blog
I’ve just showed you how to create a free blog, so why would you ever want to pay to host your own? The short answer is more control. You can customize your self-hosted blog more than is possible with free WordPress and Blogger websites.
When or if you’re ready to start a self-hosted blog you’ll need to start by purchasing a website domain name, called a URL. I use GoDaddy.com. Visit GoDaddy.com and enter the name of your website into the search bar. GoDaddy will tell you if the name is available for purchase.
Get your credit card ready to buy your web address.
Hint: before you pay $10.99 for a one year subscription to use your website name, perform a search on Google for ‘GoDaddy Promo’ to find a discount code that can save you a few bucks.
Almost done. Keep your credit card out. Now you have to pay for a hosting service that delivers your website to the Internet. I use BlueHost because it is inexpensive and easy to use. Sign up for a year or more worth of hosting, follow the steps to create an account, and add your website to the hosting account.
More Easy Blogging Steps
Remember that GoDaddy account you set up? Log-in to it right now. Go to the ‘Account Management’ tab and find the ‘Nameservers’ listing. Change the default nameserver to those used by BlueHost, which are:
ns1.bluehost.com
ns2.bluehost.com
Still with me? Go back to your BlueHost account and find the ‘SimpleScripts’ icon, then click on it. Now choose the WordPress icon. Yep, you can still use WordPress to enter blog info, which makes it easier to manage.
You will get an email with a simple web address and password to log into your administration panel for your blog. You can still post with pictures and video.
Finally, You Need to Download an ‘FTP’
The final step is using something called an ftp account (‘file transfer protocol’). Download a free ftp called FileZilla here.
Don’t get discouraged by these steps, it took over a month for me to learn how to host my own blog because I was afraid I’d screw something up. Be willing to undergo some trial and error, it’s always paid off for me.
The ftp is like a waiter. It brings information (pictures, blog themes, plugins that allow you to add more functions to your site) from the ‘kitchen’ (your desktop or a website) to your ‘table’ (your blog). Take the quick tutorial and you’re in business.
Now you have the necessary steps to create your own blog!
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Cool tips. Wish I’d found your site when I first started! Here’s a list of working Godaddy coupons to help your readers get that discount without having to filter thru the ones that no longer work!
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Happy savings and keep on writing your killer blog.
This is perfect and exactly what I need to use as a guide when I’m starting my blog! Thank you SO much for posting this easy-to-follow how-to on blogging!
Lauren Murley
@laurenmurley
You can also use blogspot.com its’ free but not as customizable but at least you don’t have to get hosting. Good tutorial I’ll send it to a few people i know wanting to get their hands wet but not knowing how to.
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-Charlette from Glenwood, AL.