How to: Create a Blog with Blogger

Creating a blog with Google Blogger in only five minutes! Who knew? Before you start, you should know what your plan is...

• There are three main types of blogs:
  1. personal/journal
  2. collaborative- more than one author
  3. topical-based on a particular subject
• Choose what type of blog you want to create and make sure it reflects your goals while providing value to your target audience.
• Decide how often you are going to post, how often you post is based on the reader audience you have.
• Get some things together before hand, know the first 5 things your are going to post. There's nothing sadder than an empty blog.
• Have a logo and an idea of your main colors.

Start building your blog

1. If you already have a Google account, just type in your user name and password in the top right fields and click Sign In.
2. If you don’t already have a Google account, click on Create Your Blog Now and fill in the required fields. You can use ANY email to sign up for a Google blogger account.
3. Choose a title and address for your blog that describes your organization.
4. Next choose a template from their library to figure out what you want your blog to look like (preferably choose a template that goes with your logo. This can be changed any time.
5. Begin posting information on your blog by clicking Start Posting! Write as much text in the box as you want, insert an image from the tool bar, add YouTube clips, and even maps!
6. Go to the account settings if you want to be able to email posts to the blog, change the user comment settings, update with mobile, or change the side blocks.
7. Make it more professional by buying a domain and directing it your blog. Go to the 'settings' tab and click on 'publishing'. A domain costs $10 per year.
8. Questions, visit Blogger’s helpful site for tips and more information.

Helpful 'How to' video to create a blog




Writing for a blog

You have a blog, now what?

• The power of titles- the title can make or break your blog. It impacts what comes up in search engines and bookmarking sites.
• The Viral Nature of Lists- lists will probably get more attention then essays.
• The importance of being original- other are drawn to people who speak their mind and who are different and unique to other bloggers.
• The value of well formatted content- online, people usually scan content rather than fully read through it.
• Add visual content that will keep them interested. Remember, images attract more readers, and videos keep people on the page longer. (a fun video blog from our CTO's trip to Mozambique.