"How do I start blogging" 12.8.07

This is something EVERY blogger has thought of at least ONCE. ;o)

For the obvious reason we all had to start...somewhere.

I still get asked this question and it is something you are going to HAVE to deal with if you want to blog, so ultimately the easiest way is to just start! ;o)

Ok...then the other questions start...

All natural to each of us, we all ask them and all the answers are there to find and easily enough it is too. ;o)

Spending a few hours getting these answers will do 2 things...

  1. Tell you if it is worth doing
  2. If so it will inspire you to DO.
If it is not 1, you will need to ask what else you could ask answers for, ie what else can I blog about that will be 1. ;o)

Ok, how?

There is a great thing on the web called Google...and it's ALL you need for everything really and yes I am serious.

Google is more than "Google"... an oxymoron but it's not JUST a search engine. ;o)

Ok, so you want to at least get some answers to..."how do I start blogging?"

An 8 step plan of ACTION, for now... ;o)

Have a Google account?

If not...Grab one here and choose a user name which remember you can use on everything else I tell you, choose wisely, you will have a Gmail account...this is the email centre of your Google account.

Now you are back...you have a web centre to utilise and it's a huge free asset online to have but more on that another post. ;o)


This is simple yet will be a big benefit to your time and efforts as well as the learning curve.
Most links are at the top of your Google Gmail inbox, one is IGoogle... ;o)
On this IGoogle homepage you can add stuff...alot of this will be stuff you USE, more on that soon. ;o)

This will be your blog dashboard and using the Gmail account as a log in so you only ever need log into all Googles services with your Gmail account once. This will simplify everything.
You can create many blogs in this ONE account, that's why I say don't worry about the first dummy blog.

Now you have the perfect blog search engine to research for the answers to 1. above.
Lets say your "blog topic" will be around your favourite pastime of baking cakes...


Go search for "baking cakes" with " " and without ... baking cakes and see what comes up.
Note how many blogs, how many searches made or anything you see that you can take data from.
Bookmark the blogs, when you look at them really take note of what captures your eye and compels you to read more. Save everything, notes and blogs etc.

Take note of the top right hand side where it say how many sites there are, so it IS something people read. ;o) Look at a few of the websites that come up and see what captures your eye again and bookmark ones you like.


Now you can see that module you just added on your IGoogle homepage... this will be your online web centre bookmarks once you are rolling. ;o)
Add to that THIS blog you are reading.. ;o)

Now you have that reader, see that orange button at the top left of this blog...click that and add to your Google. ;o) If not sure, go to the bottom of this blog and click the add to Google button.
Add to the reader and this to your IGoogle homepage.


Simple and fast, effective. Go look at your IGoogle page now. See it all on there and yet you also have the option of creating new tabs... Even create a cake baking tab. ;o) Save things to it.

Now you have a nice Google center you can access anywhere.

I'll stop there for now because now I am sure you are going to have some play around etc.
Go ahead have a look at the set up and see how simple and streamlined it is.

After you have had a look around, have a good think about what you could blog about and read other blogs on whatever topic you have thought about. ;o)

Any questions or comments feel free to do so below.

Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

posted by Rob Sellen @ 4:07 PM, , links to this post