ResellRightsBlowout.com

Now that you know what a blog is, and how it can benefit your business, let’s look at some of the most commonly used ways to get your blog up and running.
WordPress

WordPress is the most popular blogging software used online today. This is because it is not only free to use, but has a huge support community that helps new and veteran users alike.

The biggest advantage to using WordPress, is that it is constantly being updated and improved upon. In fact, because it is open source software, there are hundreds, if not thousands of programmers constantly creating WordPress plugins.

These plugins are basically like bonus features you can use with the software, to upgrade its functionality (Making your life much, much easier).

You can view a list of these plugins at:

http://wiki.wordpress.org/?pagename=Plugin

One major feature of the software, is that it automatically creates a RSS feed for your blog (The benefits of RSS will be discussed later on).

Each time you post to your blog, the software automatically updates your feed. This is a dynamic feature that will help expose your blog to a wider audience, and best of all, requires no extra work on your part.

Installing WordPress

The first step you will need to take, is to download WordPress here:
http://wordpress.org/download/

You can then follow the detailed installation instructions. Should you run into any problems, don’t hesitate to use the support forum at:
http://wordpress.org/support/

After you have installed the software, you will want to change your theme. The theme is simply the layout/design of your blog. You can make it look as simple, or as creative as you wish.

To choose a theme for your WordPress blog, visit:
http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/

Once you have chosen your preferred theme, simply download the file to your hard drive. The zip file should contain easy installation instructions for changing your theme in a few simple steps.

These are just the basics you need to get started using WordPress to power your blog. As you become more familiar with the software, you can slowly begin to use more of the advanced features and plugins.

As we discussed earlier, there are a vast amount of helpful plugins you can use for WordPress. Here are five of the most popular plugins available:

Spam Karma 2.0 – One of the most frustrating obstacles to running your own blog, is automatic comment spam. This is an underhanded tactic that unscrupulous marketers use to get free advertising on your blog.

Spam Karma 2.0 is the best anti-spam plugin available. Without getting too technical, this plugin will run all comments through a series of spam tests before posting them to your blog.

Click Here To Download

WP-Contact Form – This plugin allows you to add a contact form to your blog in two easy steps.

Click Here To Download

One Click Backup v. 1.3 – Quickly and easily backup your blog using this plugin.

Click Here To Download

Google Sitemap Generator – One of the hottest ways to get your Website/blog pages listed on Google is by using a Google Sitemap.

Use this plugin to instantly generate your own Google Sitemap, and you should see a dramatic increase in the pages Google indexes from your blog.

Click Here To Download

WP Subscribe To Comments – This plugin will give your readers instant email notifications when there are new comments to your posts.

This is a great way to keep your visitors coming back to read your blog!

You can download it here:

If you are searching for the easiest way to start a blog, then perhaps Blogger is the solution for you.

You can setup a Blogger account and add your first post, literally within minutes.

The drawback is that you only have so much control over the design/layout of your blog, and a limited amount of features.

If you can live with these shortcomings, then a Blogger account is your best option.

Setting Up Your Blogger Account

Step 1 – Getting Started

Follow the link below and click on the “Create Your Blog Now” arrow.

http://www.blogger.com/

Step 2 – Create Your Account

Once you have clicked the arrow, you will be taken to the “Create An Account” page.

Here you will create your account username/password (Be sure to write down this information and put it somewhere safe).

Don’t forget to read over the Terms of Service agreement, and check the acceptance box.

Click on the “continue” arrow and move on to step 3.

Step 3 – Name Your Blog

The next step is to name your blog.

It is a good idea to name your blog after the theme for which you intend to use it (I.e. Water Gardening, Ice Hockey, etc). Simply naming your blog, “My blog” or “Jane’s Big Blog” is unprofessional and generally won’t catch people’s interests.

Putting some extra thought into your blog name can pay huge dividends down the road.

Once you have decided on an appropriate name, you can fill out the forms.

Hint: To keeps things simple, keep the blog title and blog address the same.

Ignore the advanced settings option, and click on the orange “continue” arrow.

Step 4 - Choose Your Blog Template

You are almost there, just one more step to go!

This is where you get to have a little fun and let out your creative side, by choosing your blog template.

Keep in mind that this template can be changed at anytime. Some people like to try out all of the templates, until they find one that is just right for them.

Or if you prefer, you can create a custom template for your blog. However, this can all be done at a later date.

For now, simply click the tab by the design that catches your eye and continue on to the next page.

Step 5 – Generate Your Blog

Now comes the easy part. Just sit back and relax while Blogger creates your blog.

After your blog has been created, you will see the following page:

Click the “Start Posting” button to make your first official post.

Congratulations! You are now a blogger! How easy was that?