2.
Click on Get Started
3.
Fill out the information requested
4.
Click continue
5.
Name your Blog
6.
Type in a memorable name in the web address that would
help fans remember your blog and easily find it
a.
Click on Check Availability and make adjustments as
needed
b.
Click Continue
7.
Explore the different templates and find one that
matches your ideas for the color, content areas, and tone of your blog
8.
Click continue
9.
Choose if you want to start posting now or refine the
look of your blogspot
a.
Refine the Appearance
i. Templates
-- Explore the sub-templates by clicking on them – the page shown will display
the way it might look.
ii. Backgrounds
-- Click the arrow next to your background to see other themes. Keep notes on which ones you really like and
go back to them to make a final decision/ click Done
iii. Main
Color Theme – Click the choices and notice how the font and banner are
changed. Compare/Contrast with your
chosen background
iv. Adjust
Widths – click on the box on the slide bar and decide how wide you want your
writing space and your informational column
v. Layout
– The different kinds of columns and their placement depend on what you are
going to do with your blog – large splotches of writing, tiny splats of
sentences, pictures, songs, comics/art, links.
Choose a basic layout for now, and then adjust the particular spaces as
you see fit by clicking and moving the boxes around. Choose a layout that puts you somewhere
between constrained and overwhelmed. The
more boxes, the more info you are going to need. The less boxes, the less you will be able to
vary your amounts of info.
vi. When
you are happy with your Blog’s appearance, click on View Blog on the top right
of your screen. This opens into a new window. Go back to the first page and click the
various buttons to make readjustments as needed.
vii. When
you are completely satisfied with your Blog’s appearance, click the orange
Apply to Blog button on the top right of your screen.
b.
New Post
i. In
the Title box at the top of the page, give this particular post an eye-catching
title
ii. Using
your Word Processing skills (just like in emails or in Word documents) type in
the information you want. The tools are
in the white bar across the top of your text box.
iii. Post
Settings
1.
Labels – Think about the subjects you want your readers
to find inside this box. Organize this
particular box by a few topics. For example,
if you are going to write a blog on dogs, and this particular box talks about clipping
the nails of Dalmatians, your labels might be Dalmatians (and write other posts
about Dalmatians) and Grooming (and write other posts about grooming other
breeds of dogs).
2.
Schedule – set the date/time you wish this particular
post to go live. This way, you can pace
yourself and post your articles on a specific time frame. Your readers will want to get into the habit
of reading you on a regular basis; sporadic postings tend to make for
disgruntled readers. I write a month’s
worth at a time, since my spare time is so limited. This also allows you to write out of
sequence. If you have a great
Thanksgiving article but it’s only March, go ahead and write it and schedule it
accordingly.
3.
Location – Blogger keeps track of who reads what from
where. However, you can lie. So it actually only keep track of who reads what
from where they SAY they are from. Fill
in the information as you see fit. Click
Done.
4.
Options – choose what you want from the options listed.
iv. Click
Preview at the top of the page. Click
Edit if you need to make any changes.
v. Click
Save
vi. Click
the Orange button Publish
10. Click
on Layout again (on the left side of your page). Click Edit in each box and write the
information in each section as you want it to appear on your blog. Most
importantly, edit these two boxes:
a.
About Me – tell as much or as little about yourself as
you want to share with your readers. Click Save
b.
Attributions – type in © Your Name, this year. Click Save
