I toyed with the idea of calling this "Blogging for Dummies," because it really is truly a simple thing. It's so easy, in fact, that although my Dad asked me how I do it, he beat me to the punch and started his own! I cannot WAIT to read more of what he writes.
The first step in starting to blog is picking a host. There are many to choose from, but the most popular are Blogger and Wordpress. This blog is hosted by Blogger. I checked out both. I understand that all the "big" bloggers use Wordpress, and that it offers much more flexibility and options. However, as a brand new beginner with absolutely NO knowledge of html code (the computer language that blogs are coded with) I found it confusing and difficult to figure out. Blogger made it simple and walked me step by step through each part of getting it set up.
After choosing a host, you'll need to choose a name and a web address. You can use one that includes your host's name for free or pay a small annual fee to have a unique name like http://www.miqueridafamilia.com/. You can also start using one and then switch later. One of my favorite things about blogging is that you can start simple and add more as you go without losing your readers or their ability to find you on the web. Even though my blog address is now http://www.miqueridafamilia.com/, you can still find me at http://www.queridafamiliablog.blogspot.com/ because you are automatically redirected.
Next is the task of picking a layout. This is an important decision, because although you can switch layouts later, it's a little harder. You can also pick a layout and tweak the html code to include or exclude features you want. For instance, I wanted to change the color of the side-bar titles. It took a little work and research on Google to figure out the html code for the color I was switching from and to, and then I Googled "how to change my blog title color." I found some answers and was able to change them. Sometimes figuring all that out can be painstaking and can take longer than expected, but I also found that every time I wanted to tweak something, I learned a lot in the process.
After the layout is picked, there's all kinds of things you can do!
I use Photobucket and Picasa a LOT for my blog. Photobucket is an online site which you can use to upload and/or create images. Those pictures are then assigned an html code which can be pasted right into a post or other component of your blog. Picasa is a software by Google that can be down-loaded for free and allows you to manipulate photos. I use it mostly to crop, fix the lighting, add special effects, and collage my photos. My blog header, for example, was created using a combination of these programs. I used Paint to create a page with a tan background and the words "Mi Querida Familia" and our names. Then I opened Picasa and cropped the pictures I wanted to use for my header. Then (still using Picasa) I created the collage using six pictures and that Paint document with my blog title. I changed the settings so that each image would have a border and a bit of a shadow. Then I saved it. Next I uploaded that collage to Photobucket and used photobucket to re-size the image so it would be the same width of my blog. This took a bit of trial and error. Last I went to the "Design" tab on my Blogger dashboard and uploaded the image onto my site.
It sounds like a lot of steps, but once you are familiar with a few simple programs, it's simple and very easy to figure out. I used the same process to create all of the images in the side bars of my blog.
Let's see... What else might a beginner blogger want to know? Well last week a friend of mine asked me how to change the commenting system so that she could reply to those who commented on her blog. My favorite of what's available for Blogger (and the key here is of what's available because there isn't much) is Disqus. It has its flaws, but it's the best I've found. If anyone knows of any better, do let me know.
Kingdom Mama did several great posts that have helped me a lot. She posted about how to create a web button like this one:
You know... how you have a pictures that is a link too. She also wrote a post on how to add buttons right underneath a blog header. Here's the link for that post.
If you like my signature underneath my post, you can make your own at MyLiveSignature.com. If you'd like people to be able to subscribe to your blog, try Google's Feedburner.
Oh, and if you think it's kinda' cool to know how many people are clicking on your blog each day, week or month, there are gadgets for that too. I use StatCounter. It's one of many, but it's kinda' fun to see that three whole people actually read what you are writing!! :)
Have I missed anything you are curious about? If so, let me know in the comments section and I'll do my best to respond. In the meantime, I'm going to go start the two-hour process to make arroz con leche, our dessert for tonight. Happy blogging, everybody!
