If you've long wanted to start a blog but were intimidated by the process, be aware that you are not alone. The best way to get your foot in the door is to publish your first blog with one of the free services that exist precisely for people like you—newbies to the blogosphere. Google's free Blogger blog-publishing website is one such service.
Before you sign up for a new blog at Blogger.com, give some thought to what types of topics you plan to cover on your blog. One of the first things you are asked for is the name of the blog. The name is important because it can attract readers to your blog. It should be unique—Blogger will let you know if it isn't—easy to remember, and related to your primary topic.
Get Started
In a computer browser, go to the Blogger.com home page and click the Create New Blog button to begin the process of starting your new Blogger.com blog.
Create or Sign In With a Google Account
If you are not already logged in to your Google account, you'll be asked to enter your Google login information. If you don't already have a Google account, follow the prompts to create one.
Enter Your Blog Name in the Create a New Blog Screen
Enter the name you've chosen for your blog and enter the address that will precede .blogspot.com in the URL of your new blog in the fields provided.
For example: Enter My New Blog in the Title field and mynewblog.blogspot.com in the Address field. If the address you enter is unavailable, the form will prompt you for a different, similar address.
You can add a custom domain later. A custom domain replaces .blogspot.com in the URL of your new blog.
Choose a Theme
In the same screen, select a theme for your new blog. The themes are illustrated onscreen. Scroll through the list and pick one for now just to create the blog. You'll be able to browse many additional themes and customize the blog later.
Click on your preferred theme and click the Create blog! button.
An Offer for an Optional Personalized Domain
You may be prompted to find a personalized domain name for your new blog immediately. If you want to do this, scroll through the list of suggested domains, view the price per year, and make your choice. Otherwise, skip this option.
You don't need to buy a personalized domain name for your new blog. You can use the free .blogspot.com indefinitely.
Write Your First Post
You're now ready to write your first blog post on your new Blogger.com blog. Don't be intimidated by the empty screen.
Click the Create a New Post button to get started. Type a brief message in the field and click the Preview button at the top of the screen to see what your post will look like in the theme you selected. The Preview loads in a new tab, but this action does not publish the post.
Your preview may look exactly like you want, or you may wish you could make something bigger or bolder to get attention. That's where formatting comes in. Close the Preview tab and return to the tab where you are composing your post.
About Formatting
You don't have to do any fancy formatting but look at the icons in a row at the top of the screen. They represent formatting possibilities you can use in your blog post. Hover your cursor over each one for an explanation of what it does. As you might expect you have the standard formats for text that include bold, italic, and underlined type, font face and size choices, and alignment options. Just highlight a word or section of text and click the button you want.
You can also add links, images, videos, and emojis, or change the background color. Use these—just not all at once!—to personalize your post. Experiment with them for a while and click Preview to see how things appear.
Nothing is saved until you click the Publish button at the top of the screen (or underneath the preview on the Preview screen).
Click Publish. You've launched your new blog. Congratulations!
