How To Set Up a Blog (using blogger)

     On request, I am making a post about how to set up a blog. I will be instructing in how to use Blogger, the blogging platform that I use, but note that Blogger is not the only way. To make a successful blog, there are a few steps:

1. Create a Google Account

This is the part where you fill out the information.

      If you already have a use Gmail, Google Drive, or any other google product that requires an account, feel free to skip this step. If not, the first thing to do is to go to Google. in the top-right corner, you should see a "Sign In" button. Even if you don't already have an account, click it. In the upper-right corner of the page you were just brought to, you should see a "Sign Up" button. Click it. You should go to a page titled "Create a Google Account". Fill in the info, and if you're under 13 tell the the computer you're actually not. You can, if you want, use your current email address, in which case you should click the "I prefer to use my current email address" link below the "Choose your username slot". Once you've filled it all in, click "Next Step" at the bottom, then click the next "Next Step" button. Then hit "Get Started". You should be back at Google. You now have a google account.

2. Create a Blog

The pop-up window for used to create your blog

    

      Once you have a google account, go to http://www.blogger.com. On the far left hand side of this page, you should see a "New Blog" button. You should get a pop-up where you fill in the name, address and theme of your blog (it should look like the one on the left). Fill in the info, select your theme, and press "Create Blog!". Great. Now on your blogger home page, you should see a little rectangle with the name of your blog, an orange button with a pencil, a button with a piece of paper, and a "view blog" button. To start typing your first post, hit the orange pencil. To see your blog, hit "view blog". To see your blogs info (comments, views, and other things, hit the piece of paper. You now have a blog.

3. Add the Email Subscription Gadget (and Other Gadgets You Like)

     In order to build an audience, you need people to be able to subscribe, so your posts go straight to their inbox. To do this, you need to add the email subscription gadget. I have a few others, but the email subscription is the most important one. To install it, first click the pieces of paper on the blogger home screen. There should be a list of things on the left side. Click "layout". Here you will see how your blog is laid out, as well as where you can add gadgets (it should look like the picture on the left). I suggest you put your subscription link on the right  side of your blog, but click any of the "Add a Gadget" links. This should open up a smaller window with a list of all the gadgets you can chose from. Find "Follow by Email", and click the plus sign next to it. This should instal the gadget wherever you chose.

4. Subscribe Family & Friends

     For anyone to get your posts in their email, they have to be subscribed. There are two ways that this could happen. One of them is that you could keep asking them to do it until they finally get around to it. The other option is to do it yourself, then just notify them. I suggest doing the second one. To subscribe someone, first you must view your blog. You can search for it on the internet, or you can go to your blogger home page and press "View Blog". Either way, You are looking at your blog. Find where the email subscription box is (it's wherever you put it in step 3), and enter the person you want to get your post's email address. This will send them a conformation email. At this point, you should probably call them up and tell them it's not junk mail, and that all they have to do is click the link in the "Feedburner" email they have just received. When they do this, they are registered, and will get your posts every time you write them.

Feel free to comment if you have an issue.

Ready for more limericks,
Max