How to Begin Blogging - A Complete Tutorial Made Easy for Blogspot Blogger

Where do you hear the term blog and blogger? What comes in your mind when you heard the word blogging?

At this far, I assume that you have already made some initial searches about the terms blog, blogger and blogging. Before I would state a quick review of these 3 important words, I am happy that our team finally came to a point of identifying our readers; this is a fresh start for us to actually change our whole subject and gave you the best we can offer to our selected readers, you, blog beginners. From now, topics will be carefully chosen to help and guide you on how to begin blogging using Blogger, the best free blogging platform available for you. Our tutorials will revolve around the subjects Blogging with Blogspot. So get ready guys.

Quick Review:

What is a blog?

Well, let’s make it really simple for you. It’s from the term web log - shorten – now we can easily read it as blog. It’s a personal journal, meaning, you have written something and you published it on the web. It’s called post, and once you have published several posts about a subject you love writing about, it will be arranged in a reverse chronological order, so the most recent post will come first. All these, it’s called blogging.

You can always use several networking sites in sharing your ideas, but if you want something special, if you want something you can call your own, if you want to take control of all your ideas, then you will going to step up and do your first blog. You know, there’s a lot more in blogging and you will know it soon!

Who is the blogger and what is Blogger?

Blogger as a person: The blogger is you. Once you started your journal and pick up the platform in publishing your ideas on the web, then you became the blogger. A blog won’t exist without the blogger.

Blogger as a platform: You have written your journal and you need an easy and useful platform in publishing it. You need Blogger. When you look for the best free blogging platform to publish your journal, then it’s always be Blogger. Blogger will host your content and it’s always free.

In other words, Blogger is called the medium of sharing your valuable ideas.

Let’s get started:

Does it sound biased for me to only tell you that Blogger.com is the best blogging platform? No, it’s not. I am a blogger for more than a year now, and if you are looking for a 100% how to blog free platform in the web, then it is Blogger and Blogspot.

As beginners, you don’t have to get confused; you will love doing this thing if everything comes handy. First thing first, select which platform you will use… now, it’s blogger.

Why blogger?

It’s easy, the blogger interface is friendly. When you bought your phone? What’s the most important thing you considered aside in its durability, its friendliness right? When you use blogger, I am sure you won’t get lost.

It’s free. Perhaps it is not the only thing that is free, but it’s free forever. Along the way you will understand exactly what I mean about it.

Are you ready to set up a blog in blogger?

I am excited. It’s too easy, promise. Here is the step by step process to create your very own blog at blogger.com! Please be guided by screen shots below:

Go to www.blogger.com



You have 2 options, if you have your existing Google Account already, sign-in to access Blogger or create your first Google Account.


OR


Sign-up for Blogger. Simply fill up the name you want to appear in your blog posts, e.g. The Pet Lover or your name. Choose Gender and Check ‘I accept the Terms of Service.’



Name your Blog. You have 2 important things to do: Brainstorm yourself about a good and appealing title for your blog; and your Blog address (URL).


• Blog Title
– It should be carefully chosen, at first look, it will give your readers the idea of what is your blog all about. First impression last, so give them a good one.
• Blog Address (Your Blog URL)
– It can be your blog title. Your Blog Address should give your readers the idea about your blog just like your blog title. If your title is not too long then you can use it, or you can use the most important words within your blog title.
• Example of a Blog Title:
My Favorite Pet
• Example of a Blog Address:
myfavpet123.blogspot.com Remember, you can only use your desired blog address once it’s available. And most importantly, you cannot change your blog address once you are done with the set up of your Blogspot blog. Later on you will discover that you have the option to change your blog address, but it’s really not recommended (We will talk more about this on the next tutorial).

So, the best thing to do, give yourself enough time thinking about the best blog address your blog should have.

• It should best describe your blog
• It should be readable and easy to remember
• It should not be too long

What is blogspot.com?

It’s the domain name provided by Blogger. It will be part of your blog address, e.g. myfavpet123.blogspot.com and it will be always free, and your blog address will be a subdomain of blogspot.com (We will talk more about this on the next tutorial).

Choose a Starter Template – “You can change your template later, and even customize it with the template designer” – Blogger.

Note: Blogger Team recently made changes and updates to blogger, they provide bloggers the Dynamic Views, but I recommend you to choose the simple template first. We will do some experiment later like customizing your blog design the way you like it.


Your Blog Has Been Created! Now you are ready to share your first journal.

Have you written it already or do you want to directly write it on Blogger? Your first post will be so special, isn’t it? I will give you the simplest tips to do while writing your post. Read 5 Steps on How to Begin Writing Quality Post for Blogspot Blog!

The screenshot below highlights the important parts of writing your post.


1. Post Title – If you have an interesting idea in mind, give title to it first. It will become your overall guide in writing your paragraphs. Your title should be appealing, readable and specific.
2. Post Body – Use your own style in writing. Be you. Share your most interesting idea, go deep down. Share your expertise and convinced your first few readers.
   Note: Always check your grammar and spelling, as much as you can, publish your post free of typos.
   
   In addition, it’s not all texts alone, as you can include photos, links and videos in your post… (Experiment..! you can do more in the portion highlighted in blue, see screenshot.)
3. Labels. Labels are important part of your blog. Labels are like folders you have at work. You classify each of your documents, you grouped together similar and related ones. Always separate labels with commas.
   While your blog title is specific, your labels are general ideas.
   
   How many labels each post should have? You can provide one or two; you can see the function of labels once you have published several posts already.
4. Preview. Remember the word best! Do your best every time you write your post, always preview your work before publishing it; use it until everything looks good.
5. Publish Post. Are you satisfied the way it is presented? You can publish it right away and tell your friends you got one!

Who are your first readers?

Your first few readers can be your family members, friends, and colleagues, but aside from them we will identify who will be your loyal readers in the long run.

In marketing, your products must be targeted to a specific market and so as blogging. You blog because you have expertise worth sharing, the question is, who will be interested in your ideas? Provided millions or even billions of people are online everyday and searching for information, how can you identify your readers?

Don’t worry, I will help you.

You are marketing your ideas now. What are your ideas shared on your blog? In our example, your blog is about your favorite pet so you can share valuable ideas and tips about the subject to people who love pets, but this target is still broader. What is your favorite pet? It might be dogs! So your specific readers are dog lovers.

What can you do? Share valuable tips. Give them the answers to their queries.

Personal experienced:

Honestly I failed to target our readers here at SB. It is true that experience is our best teacher. I shared this because this stage of blogging is really important for you. I failed to stay on focus, that’s the thing I want to change. If I did better last time, this time it’s my best! And you, blog beginners are my target, I want to help you.

Conclusion:

Blog is a published journal of your expertise and it is shared to your targeted readers to help them find the answer to their queries. In order to start your blog, you need to decide what blogging platform you need, and Blogger.com is the best free blogging platform available for you, it would be your medium in sharing your skills.

Update!!!

• The Upgraded Blogger Interface: The Uses and Importance of the Blogger Upgraded Interface Every Blogger Must Know!

Resources:
• problogger.net
Blogger Screenshots are properties of Google, Inc.

Posted by Editorial Team on 3/24/2012 05:24:00 PM in Blogging at Blogger.com, Tutorials Made Easy for Blogspot Blogs

How to Reduce Stress - 3 Stress Relief Quotes for You

Before talking about the way to reduce stress when we have financial crisis, let me share to you some stress relief quotes:

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down. ~Lily Tomlin

"When reading, only read. When eating, only eat. When thinking, only think." - Korean Zen master Seung Sahn (Article of Toni Bernhard, J.D., Psychology Today) It's performing less, one task at a time. When you read, eat and think at the same time, you multitask. When you are blank, when you do not know what to do, pause for a moment, pick the most important task, if you are hungry for the moment, eat and forget other things. (Am doing this, everyday, trying, at least.)

Image Source Here

Give your stress wings and let it fly away. ~Terri Guillemets

Can you? Is that possible? Yes it is. Sit straight, breast out, close your eyes, take several deep breath... think about nothing with a smile on your face, just do that... just let your mind fly, free. You are not caged now... you'll be alright... everything will be!

Image Source Here

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another. ~William James

Of course, when I will try to accommodate all the thoughts right this time, I am just like playing in the boxing ring unprepared, I will be knocked out in the very first round. I would be hurt, mentally, domino effect, yes, absolutely. Why not tackle things one by one, is it not good to make a process for yourself? An organize one? I believe we deserve it.

Image Source Here

Resources:
• Quote Garden
• Psychology Today

Posted by Editorial Team on 3/14/2012 06:13:00 PM in Stress Management

Acceptance - A Way to Reduce Stress

Guys I got one hour to let go and recharge... come on...

Well guys, it's been a long time. And I am just here now, in a net cafe, yes, this is my working hour but I have to get out to produce some copies of my report, so I got an hour to standby and think of something better. Just waiting for the lady to tell me it's my turn, it's first come first serve rule. So here I am trying to find something that can relieve me from becoming stress again today, I cannot avoid to load my mind with so many things, about my personal life, about my family, about my sister who is sick at the moment, well, that's because I am human. If you have same case with mine, then do not worry that much, we are just human after all, we have feelings.

Today, I got one hour to look for something for myself and for you too. Do not worry, I am not selfish sharing you the things that can help us reduce and relieve our body and mind from being exhausted and stress out. I have shared you several ways already, but I would always disclaim, I am not the expert guys, if you are reading this today, that's because you want to hear the statement of the person who is in the state of stress, and is trying to get out himself from the situation.

Another effective way to cope with stress and get away from it is a simple acceptance. Often times we worry about tomorrow, if we have problems today we always try to guess what will happen next. We want to solve the problems right away, or else we want to always see a good result which is not possible all the time.

In the last chapter of my short story, I shared this :

When you are weak, don’t deceive yourself to be not. Accept that you are troubled, and you will find the exit, and eventually you will be heading towards the source of your strength.

It's about acceptance, it's about unloading ourselves from too much thoughts of possibilities, from the thinking so many 'how if's'! Today, yes I am troubled again, well that's life and I'll accept it! What should I do? I am not going to let myself worry that much this time around, I just need to pace forward, to do what need to be done, and that's it. If there would be situation that beyond my limit and capabilities, then let it be. If I learn to accept, there would be some ways that I can find my strength in the midst of being weak. Maybe, in a different way. Yes, there must be always an exit.

Guys, if you are trouble right this time, join me. Let's breath together.

Helpful Articles:

• Life, I Live (C-3)
• 3 Extremely Effective Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety
• 100 Natural Ways to Overcome Anxiety

Image Source: dorator.wordpress.com

Posted by Editorial Team on 3/07/2012 10:23:00 AM in Stress Management

Life, I Live -Chapter III

C-3

When you are weak, don’t deceive yourself to be not. Accept that you are troubled, and you will find the exit, and eventually you will be heading towards the source of your strength.

Wings was a silent-type guy. He did not talk that much, yet they often had private conversations with Grace. Any sign of special treatment? Well, Grace treated him just like Rose; she knew that he was still coping with the lost of his twin brother. The two were perfect buddies, and she could better understand the situation.

After several days, Grace found out something. She was not sure about it, but she felt different with him. Was she in loved with Wings? She should not be. Even Rose insisted that she only treated Wings as her brother, but she knew exactly that her cousin had feelings for Wings… Rose was madly in love with William, and only Wings could best play his role. They were just the same.

She saw several video of William, mostly beach hang outs, and the twin brothers shared things in common. The way they talked, the way they laughed, and the way they liked things.

One day, Grace caught his gaze. But she was sure not to fall in love with this stranger—he was still to her, even Rose knew her well, but the short time they were together were not enough. She was really cautious about having relationship with somebody she did not know well.

The situation was too complicated. She had so many dreams, and it could not be stopped by her emotion. At least she knew exactly that she was not the subject, it’s Rose. She must keep silent. Along the way, she knew, she would definitely look after Wings just any other guy—nothing special.

What if he would insist? Honestly, she admitted she did not know how to resist. This guy was like her favorite cake she barely tasted, his tempting her, but no, she would resist.

Image Credit: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Editorial Team on 3/03/2012 05:33:00 PM in Life-I Live (Story)

Life, I Live -Chapter II

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Life is about choosing the right direction; it’s about extracting one simple essence or venturing out the complexity beyond… and get lost along the way.

Rose was not all alone, she had Wings with her. When William was reported missing after he and his buddies got stranded in the Islands of Batanes 7 months ago, Rose begun to fall on her knees. Her strong personality was tested by the lost of him. The shipwreck had shown no sign of human remains, until now she seemed lost somewhere; she knew William was still there, alive. Wings resembled exactly as his twin brother, but she is not falling in love with him. She loved William, and she would continue loving him even she would find one day that his dead.

“Rose, can you just forget him?” Said Grace, finding out Rose was looking out in nowhere. “Continue believing that his alive will deprived you to be happy.” She said sympathetically.

“I wanted to, but I just can’t. He always popped out here inside wherever I am.” She’s trying to hold back her tears, but it’s undeniable that she’s too drowned with emotion.

“Coz, you are here to release that, so I am here… you can cry on me, I will help you let him go.”

“When I found out that Dad was cheating, I told myself I would resist, that I will be strong for Mom, but now, I can’t make it.”

Rose held her strong personality, as strong as Carmen, but when her mother almost gave up, she tightened her grip, now, she would continue struggling to remain in place, or she would be washed away too. Fortunately, her heart was always positive that she won’t be taken away from her anchor!

The misery felt by her mother, and the sorrow she had inside won’t stop her.

Lesson: As I we talked about on how to cope with stress, the story above is a perfect example. Rose did not self-medicate. She did not lock in her room; she did not find the company of drugs and alcohol helpful to ease her feeling, she did not even hang out in night clubs. Instead, she found that the company of people close to her is helpful. She released it. She accepted she’s already weak. She took it as an opportunity to find strength again.

Image Credit: Tim Seed / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Editorial Team on 3/03/2012 04:46:00 PM in Life-I Live (Story)

Life, I live

C-1

Life, it’s not living like the promised paradise. Shall I say it’s just like playing a seesaw! Yes, in fact, if today you are at the top, tomorrow you would wake up seeing yourself not in there anymore. Yet, how can you stay happy despite it all?

I am Prime Aque, and let me tell you a story. This is a story I wrote long ago, when I was still a young boy at my high school days. Life, it’s not about age, it’s about awareness, well, long ago I knew what it took to live a life. So here, its life we live for. Is it tough? I guess it’s more.

Grace is a local woman who was raised in a distant from what they called town. She lived with her parents, and her older brother, Johnny. Like any other, she dreamed a happier life one day, a life different from what she used to wake up each morning. She and Johnny had just a nice dream for their family. They had still one year left in their bachelor degree, but it was a hot summer, so they enjoyed being with Gerry, and Carmela. They have been so closed to their parents that they would keep no secret from them. A cold Thursday night, when everyone was almost asleep, a loud barking of dogs echoed the house. Johnny stood up and had a glimpse outside; the dim light of the moon gave two shadows of people standing just few meters away.

“Who are they?” He mumbled. But then the barking stopped.

Grace got a tight sleep. It was good as she and Johnny always go to bed late in town; they got so many things to do just to make their dreams come true. Fortunately, she was expecting for an academic recognition. She stood up and headed towards the window, the first thing she always do inside her room after waking up. She loved watching the rising sun.

“Grace?” She turned around, and surprised as this lovely one was unexpected to be standing just beside her. “Rose!” She threw herself with her cousin’s arms widely opened.

These two shared traits in common, Rose was born with a silver platter, but after Carmen, her mother discovered that her husband lived with a mistress, she stand strong pulling back her family from shuttering into pieces and she never gave up. Rose knew that one day, everything will be fine again. On the same hand, Grace was always positive despite of the face of poverty. Carmen got married with a businessman in Manila 25 years ago, but Carmela, her younger sister, chose to stay and fall in love with Gerry, her lover back in high school. Though she was offered with fortune, but she chose to live a life with love and faith. Money for her was like fallen leaves on the ground, as it could easily washed away when a storm came. (To be continued…)

Lesson: Life is about choosing the right direction; it’s about extracting one simple essence or venturing out the complexity beyond…

Characters: Grace, Johnny, Rose, Wings, William, Gerry, Carmela, Carmen

Image Credit: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Editorial Team on 2/28/2012 09:14:00 PM in Building a Better Life, Life-I Live (Story)

Where Moderate Use of Alcohol and Drugs Lead You?

Self-medication should be avoided. When you are in trouble, it’s always good to seek the guidance of the people you trust. The use of alcohol and drugs will give you the disadvantage in the long run! They are just temporary reliefs, but if you want to cope with stress, if you want to get out from trouble, then you have to seek the right way. The use of alcohol and drugs, even if someone says he is using it moderately will end up walking towards dead end!

Self-medication often times deceives you. Today, you will find their company calming. But within a certain period, it will hunt you like a predator running after your life. The moderate use will become excessive and abnormal. It will become uncontrollable. The dark spirits of alcohol and drugs will control you completely, that you got no choice but to follow like a puppet. You will be walking to and pro without purpose in mind. Remember, we are purposely gifted with life.

But it’s always been a choice whether to proceed finding the real way out or choose the easy ones, the company of these bad spirits. Bear in mind, it’s not lasting. If you choose this, get ready to walk up one day with nothing like a lost soul in a desert with nothing left but you, the scorching sun, amidst the endless earth of sand.

Beware alcohol and drugs are just like snakes. They can be your friends, but they would bite you at your back, taking away your life. Choose, live or die not in time. Addiction, it's a result of the wrong practice, self-medication!

Image Credit: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Editorial Team on 2/24/2012 06:28:00 PM in Building a Better Life, Stress Management

How to Reduce Stress: No to Alcohol and Drugs

When was my last entry, well it was couple of days already. Tonight, I am hear to continue my mission in giving our remedies for stressful situations in day to day living. I have observed almost a week on several things around, and being stressed out is the common result of our hectic schedules and tough encounter with life.

Some people usually practice self medication trying to find the nearest escape to their problem. Have you observed yourself? Have your observed your colleagues? Have your observed your friends? If you did, did they mask stress with alcohol and drugs? According to Study Guides and Strategies (studygs.net), alcohol and drugs won't deal with the problems, hence it won't help you cope yourself from the stressful situation. It is not the way to reduce stress, it may just worsen your feeling.

What happened to Whitney Houston? Well, I am not judging her, but we all know that she went into rehab because of a drug addiction (I don't know how true was that though), but I won't dig more, the news was enough for me. The lessons we get from her life behind the super successful singing career are rich to learn. She spent a lot of time in celebrity drug rehabs but she kept on relapsing as the years went by. It's mistake to use drugs and alcohol to run away!

In short, it is not just right to practice self-medication. According to Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia, it is the term used to describe the use of drugs and alcohol to treat untreated [relieve or reduce] stress and anxiety. Please read full definition about self-medication.

Whenever there is self-medication, and then addiction, a worst nightmare will soon conquer your bedtime! No, it will take away your precious life... (I will post about addiction as part of this topic soon.)

Sources:
♥Managing Stress @ studygs.net
♥Self-Medication @ Wikipedia
♥Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Editorial Team on 2/18/2012 09:53:00 PM in Building a Better Life, Stress Management

How to Reduce Stress: Don't Prolong the Agony

At work, or where ever, we encountered misunderstanding. People who do not know the worst effect of holding any pain, discomfort, distress or dislikes or even hatred will even find ways to prolong it. Instead of ending the trouble, they continue making actions to worsen the situation. What they do get anyway? Well, wrinkles and headaches. That's only a wrapper of the whole package brought by the situation. What's inside is the threat of your health!

When you found out that your neighbor or your colleague fight you at your back, or made some actions against you, of course, they deserve your confrontations, or if you can't manage and hold your temper, it will lead to an extended trouble. But what should you do in the end of the day? Are you going to bring the bitter feelings at home? No.

Leave the feeling at the place where it happened and let go of it. That's what I exactly learned today. Please do not prolong the agony, anger or bitterness inside you. Once you have released it, never let it bother you one more time. You better find some ways to solve it right away, talk to the person nicely perhaps. Sometimes light trouble would become heavy, open your mind and look at it at it's true weight and never waste your time on it.

It's stressful right? So find the solution to relieve yourself. I am doing it almost everyday! We are in the real world and such things are inevitable!

Tip: Listen, Speak and Keep Silent. If you have spoken your side, keep quite and let the situation back to normal again! Time will always heal.

Each day, our body and mind deserve some ways to reduce stress, always remember too much stress is dangerous to our health!

Illustration Credited to: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Editorial Team on 2/10/2012 10:00:00 PM in Building a Better Life, Communication, Stress Management

How To Reduce Stress: Set Priorities

Our health is the vehicle to our destination, without it, imagine walking a long long way...

Anyway, I am truly stressed out, sometimes even if I am trying hard to run away from stressful situations, but it seems I am in the midst of it the entire month! This is truly a challenging chapter of my life, since I got a parade of deadlines. When the nightfall comes, it is really nice to find something refreshing, well it's not good to go to sleep with mind still occupied with thoughts that can make your entire bed time a nightmare.

This is a part two of how to reduce and cope with stress! There are many ways, and I will tackle it here one by one, I able to come up with this valuable topic because I need this myself in the first place.

Tonight, I stumbled upon with a very helpful guide that talk exactly on how can we manage our stress! I pick one and it's simple:

Don't sweat the small stuff: Try to prioritize a few truly important things and let the rest slide. (www.studygs.net)

What do you think about it? It's just simply related to multitasking. If we are exhausted in doing lot of things, why not evaluate them and set aside the less important ones?

The old saying is true, we cannot better serve two masters at the same time, or unless we can manage. There are really extraordinary people out there, but if you are just like me, if you experienced back-pain and headache already, do not hesitate to list down the things that you wanted to accomplish, which of them are must to do and do it. Forget the miscellaneous ones and think about them if you got the extra time.

In everything we do, we must think of our health in the first place, it serves as a vehicle to our destination, without it imagine walking a long long way...

Study Guides and Strategies: How Can You Manage Your Stress?
Image Copyright: Naypong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted by Editorial Team on 2/07/2012 09:43:00 PM in Building a Better Life, Stress Management