Introduction: How to Set Up and Create a Blog for Beginners

A blog is a regularly updated website or webpage usually run by an individual, that is written in an informal style. Blogs have become a huge part of our digital age. They are used as resources to gain knowledge or as an online journal of some sort. Bloggers can write about anything they want, whether it be giving advice or sharing personal experiences and interests. Blogs are a great way to spread ideas, gain information and to reach out to new people on the internet who share common interests. In a more professional stance, blogs are used by major companies as an advertising tool, to reach out to potential customers. With just ten easy steps, you'll will be able to create and set up your very own blog!

Materials:

  • A computer
  • A gmail account

Step 1: Blog Focus

Before you do anything, think about what you want your blog to be about. Feel free to open your creative mind and explore all the possibilities! Usually, bloggers write about what they are interested in. A few examples of common blogs would be ones about food recipes, beauty, fashion, lifestyle and fitness. Do not limit yourself to the given topics.

Step 2: Choosing a Platform

Once you have an idea in mind for your blog, it is time to choose a platform. A platform is a website where your blog will be located. There are many platforms you can choose from such as Tumblr, Wordpress and Blogger. Since you are a beginner, blogger.com is highly recommended. Blogger.com is free sign up platform that is easy to use and provides templates need for your blog. This is where you will need your gmail account to sign up.

Step 3: Select a Blog Title

Now, click on create blog. This next step is pretty self-explanitory. You have to select a blog title. The name of your blog must be associated with the blog's content. You can be as creative as you want with it. We want to draw the audience in!

Step 4: Create a Domain Name

Choose a domain name for your blog. This is how internet users will be able to find your blog online. Your domain name will be attached to blogspot.com. You could also attach your domain name to any social media accounts, such as Twitter or Facebook, so your friends and follows could access your blog quickly. This step may take a few tries because your first choose could already be taken.

Step 5: Choose a Template

It is now time to choose a template for your blog. A template is the blogs layout or design. Blogger.com will provide you with many different templates to choose from. Making sure your blog looks clean is extremely important. It should also be easy to locate all articles and pages within your site. Now click on the create blog button. Congratulations! You have successfully set up your blog!

Step 6: About the Author Page

Before you start blogging, your side must contain certain pages. You will first start off with your About Me page. The About Me page should obviously be all about you! Give your audience a sense of how you are, why you have created and blog and what your interests include. This enables you to connect with your audience more personal level.

Step 7: Contact Information Page

The next page your blog should have is a Contact Information page. You want to make sure that your audience has the ability to contact you directly. Making your audience feel welcomed and appreciated is important for the success in your blog. You should include your email address, a thank you to your audience for taking interest in your blog and other social media accounts if you'd like.

Step 8: Disclosure/ Privacy Policy

One more thing that your blog should contain before you start blogging is a disclosure/ privacy policy. A disclosure policy covers your rights as a blogger and a privacy policy covers the amount of cookies and files being used to store information from your users. There are many different templates and generators you can use in creating these policies for your site. idisclose.org is an example of one you can use.

Step 9: You Are Ready to Start Blogging!

Your blog is officially up and running, with all crucial pages in place. You are now ready to start blogging! Type in the title of your article next to the post bar. After that start writing, have fun with it!

Step 10: Add Labels to Your First Article

You have completed your first article! Now all thats left before you publish your article is adding labels. Labels are one word tags, that sort out and organize the content on your site. They help the visitors of your site pick the topics that interest them with ease. For example, if you article title was "How to make homemade pizza", your labels could be pizza, homemade, or DIY.

I hope that these instructions were of good use to you! You are now an official blogger! This could open new doors for you so have fun blogging!