Stepping into Blogger's World: Understanding the Basics
Just like that day in college when I finally understood how to solve that calculus equation, stepping into the world of Blogger can be quite exciting and even a bit nerve-wracking. After all, it is like acquiring a new language or discovering an entirely new world. It becomes an extension of one's thoughts and creativity; a platform to express oneself. Blogger platform owned by Google gives newbies like we once were, a chance to create, customize their blogs, and finally upload those thoughts masked as words out for the world to read.
Before any learning curve, understanding the basics always helps in the longer run, making the actual creation process a piece of cake, or maybe a delicious pie for all the pie lovers out there! The layout of the Blogger platform interface is what we would predominantly focus on. There's a lot like posts, stats, earnings, but the one most relevant to us today is the pages' section. A platform that can be called home, pages come equipped with unique URLs, making it easier for the reader to navigate or even the blogger to direct readers to specific information. Now, isn't that remarkable?!
Sailing through the Page Creation Process
Laid down in a simple step-by-step approach, creating a whole new page for yourself and your audience has been made as easy as it gets. If I had a dollar for every time a newbie felt overwhelmed when they started, well, we all know how wealth would no longer be a concern.
As a debut, maneuver your way to the Blogger Dashboard. Clicking the down arrow gives you an option to create a “New blog”. Filling this up with the title and the selected address, give it a desired look from the beautiful options listed under the “Theme” section, and voila! Your own little corner on the internet is ready. Clicking on "View blog" leads you straight away to your newly created blog. As simply put as my grandmother's recipe of cranberry pie, isn't it?
Next up, click on “Pages” from the left-hand side menu. Then comes the precise part. You get an option to choose either blank pages or ones that display the blog post. Opt for the "New Page" button, leading you straight to a template where you concoct your magic. Pen down your thoughts, ideas, and radiate that aura out into the world. Remember how we all wrote those essays in school, with an introduction, body, and conclusion? Compose your posts in a similar manner to give your readers a coherent reading experience.
The Power of Posting: Getting Under the Hood
Remember that awe-inspiring feeling when you wrote your first letter to Santa, hoping he'd definitely get you that toy car? Posting your first blog feels just like that! As you finish your soul-filling write-up, the big orange button saying “Publish” awaits your click. You can add a location if that adds value to your post. It's just like trying to tell Santa where your sock is so he doesn't wander around the house!
Under the “Options” tab, you can choose to allow, disallow comments, add your own HTML codes to your article, give it a meta-description, and so much more. Once you hit the "Publish" button, your page becomes live and can be viewed by one and all! Hello world, is that you reading?
Should you feel the need to retouch your creation, worry not! Blogger offers the option to "Edit" your page even post-publication. You can ebb and flow with your thoughts, making changes as you desire. Never forget it's your piece of art; it gets to have all your colours!
The Slick and Sleek Side: Customization
How many of us as kids loved to decorate and personalize our stuff, be it books, rooms, or even pencil boxes? I'm quite sure it's a unanimous yes. With Blogger, it doesn't stop just at writing and posting. A blog reflects the blogger's persona, doesn't it? Blogger allows you to personalize your blog with exciting themes, adjust the layout the way you desire, and even add widgets for that extra flair.
No horror story here, customizing is not as daunting as it sounds. Traverse to the “Theme” section and select the one that stands out to you. More customization options appear under the “Layout” and “Customize” sections. You can arrange your posts, decide what kind of header and footer to have, even choose the color of your hyperlinks! Decided the layout but want to tweak the design a bit? Head to the “Customize” section and let your creativity run riot.
Setting Sail: The Finishing Touches
Remember the joy when that 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle finally became a complete picture? Getting your blog out there to the audience feels exactly that way. Whether it's polishing your layout or making your bio box attractive, every little detail creates an impact. A point to note, Google's selection criteria for blogs on its search engine isn't emotion-driven. Indexing your blog posts, using the right keywords, a meta-description, writing guest posts on other blogs, all enhance your reach. The SEO( Search Engine Optimisation) boat is worth boarding as well.
Through my journey as a Blogger, one thing I've realized is how it never really ends. It's an ongoing process of learning, crafting, and refining. Every blog post is a masterpiece that mirrors a bit of you. So get out there and let the world get a sneak peek into that brilliant mind of yours!