How to Set up a Blog on Blogger.com

Nearly everyone knows someone with a blog. In the last 5 years, the number of bloggers has gone from a select few to millions. While some bloggers choose to blog using their own domain name, others turn to Blogger for hosting. Owned by Google, Blogger is the most popular blog-hosting site available.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Great a Google account by visiting Blogger. (Follow the link in Resources.) On the Blogger webpage, there is a button that will allow you to create a new Google account in minutes. If you have an existing Google account, you can skip this step and move on to the next. When creating your Google account, you will be asked to provide some basic information, including your current email address. You will also be asked to create a password that will afford you access to your Blogger account.

2. 

   Return to Blogger, where you will be asked to sign in using your newly created Google account and password. For convenience, you can set the site to remember your password so you will not be required to enter the information on each visit to the site.

3. Choose the "Create a blog" option on the Blogger dashboard. You will be taken to the dashboard each time you log into the account. You can create and manage as many blogs as you like from the dashboard.

4. 

   Name your blog. Choose something that is easy to remember so you can direct your friends and family to your page. Make your title something catchy, yet not extremely long. The name you choose will be the first part of the URL for your site. The URL for your site will be http://[e-mail].

5. 

   Choose your template. Blogger provides many templates you can use to set up your initial blog on the site. If you don't like the template you choose,, you can go back later and change it to another of the premade layouts or design your own after you learn more about the template-formatting options.

6. Write your first post and submit it using the template provided. You can add pictures or links to your posts if you like. After you have submitted your post, you can view your new blog or edit your posts.

7. 

   Make the blog unique to you. Thousands of bloggers use Blogger to host their content, and you want to separate yourself from the masses. You can add things to your blog to make it more fun and interesting for others to read. By clicking on the "Layout" tab, you can move elements like your profile or any widgets you add. Experiment with different layouts and options until you find one you like.

Tips & Warnings

• There are thousands of widgets to choose from in Blogger, but you don't have to limit yourself to these. You can add anything with an HTML code or a script code to your Blogger blog.

• When choosing a name for your blog, avoid strange spellings of words or names that include dashes.

Resources

• Blogger