Wondering How to Start a Blog? - Choose the Best Blogging Platforms First!

Learning how to start a blog is a great way to get your opinion out there, promote your small business, or gain a dedicated readership. Your blog is only as good as the platform it's based on, however. That's why it's so important to compare the available platforms before you get started. If you're ready to find out how to create a blog, you should know this information first:

Blogger

This Google-owned service integrates neatly with any pre-existing Google products you use, such as Gmail. That lets you go from registration to your first post in just about 15 minutes. Template editing and tagging are also very easy and you'll have the ability to post from Word and Google Docs.

The downside is that Blogger is a little more limited than other options, and its market share has been dropping in recent years. While Blogger may not be on top anymore, it's still a viable free service that makes setting up easy, even for the inexperienced.

WordPress

As of 2012, WordPress is the giant of free blogging platforms. Most people wondering how to create a blog start here, due to the platform's high expandability. If your blog ever grows beyond the capacity of a free WordPress subdomain, you can download the main WordPress installation and set it up on your own independent website. WordPress also offers a wide range of themes, many plug-ins, and extensive customizability.

All this is great if you have a little bit of experience under your belt, but while WordPress is fairly easy to set up, it can be intimidating for people who've never had a blog before. You may need to look up a few tutorials or get a little outside help to put together the perfect WordPress blog for your situation.

Tumblr

This platform is a little different from Blogger or WordPress, in that it's a hybrid of a blogging platform and social media options like Facebook or Twitter. Like many social media sites, Tumblr is best suited to relatively short thoughts and is very image heavy. It makes connecting with and following other users very simple, and is a great choice for anyone who wants to make short, sweet posts on a regular basis.

Setup is extremely easy, though navigating the system itself may take a little bit of practice. Customization can also be a problem. Tumblr is great for sharing thoughts, but not the best choice if you want to integrate ads or put a shopping cart link in place. You may need a main website as an auxiliary to your Tumblr blog.

No matter which option you choose, a little planning is all you'll need to put together the perfect blog. Take a few minutes to think it through, and you might be delighted by the results.

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Is It Time To Learn How To Start A Blog?

It seems that just about everyone is starting a blog these days, and if you haven't joined the throng, maybe you should learn how to start a blog for yourself.

Most people nowadays know how to use a computer and browse the Internet, and if that is so for you, you're ready to get started. Your blog can be about something you are interested in, a way to stay in touch with family and friends in a more private way than using social media, or for purposes of earning money.

The first step in setting up a blog is to open an account with one of the many free services online. WordPress, Livejournal, and Blogspot are three that come to mind. Check out several of them to make sure that the style and format suit you, and view some of the sample blogs that are there. Learn from some of the other blogs that already exist on the site and get ready for your adventure.

While you are viewing other blogs you will be learning how to create a blog, but you will have to choose a topic of your own. Many blogs today use niche topics. Some are dedicated to cars, hot rods, monster trucks and anything to do with driving. Other topics are fashion and makeup. Still others are all about the outdoors whether that is gardening or hiking or hunting.

Choose a topic that interests you or that you are passionate about. While there is no hard and fast rule that you must stick with a specific topic, if you want people who share the same interest to find and read your blog, it will increase your chances if you do.

The final step in how to start a blog is to encourage people to read it. This is the time to begin writing and posting entries on your blog. Now go locate other blogs that you find interesting and leave comments on what they have to say. So that they can check out your blog, and find out what you are all about, leave a link to it.

As you're making friends with other bloggers, you're also gathering interest for your own blog. You do want to bring visitors to your site don't you? Well, the best place to start is within yourself. Find out what you love and write about it. In time, your circle of friends will increase right along with your influence.

If you are ready to start learning how to create a blog, the time to get started is right now. Go on, go out there, and tell them what you think.

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