WordPress has quickly developed into one of the world’s premier content management systems. In fact, some estimate that as much as 23% of the internet is hosted with WordPress!
If you are planning to create your first blog with WordPress.com, don’t fret. Here is a beginner’s guide to creating your very own WordPress.com blog.
Getting Started with WP
- Go to WordPress.com.
- Click the “Create Website” button. You’ll be directed to another page where you can create your account.
- Fill in all the required fields of information. The last field will require you to create the unique URL of your blog. If what you’ve entered is still available, you’re good to go. Otherwise, you have to ensure that your URL hasn’t already been used.
- Choose which services you want for your blog. You can choose the free service, which is a good way to start.
- Complete your registration by activating it through the email that will be sent you.
Setting Up Your Blog
- Follow the Setup Wizard to set up your WP blog.
- Choose a title and a tagline for your blog. The latter is often a single liner that describes your blog or gives readers an idea of what your blog is about. Both title and tagline can be changed later on if you wish to.
- Pick a theme for your blog. The theme often dictates the overall mood and feel of your blog. There are hundreds of free WordPress themes that you can choose from. Pick one that closely reflects the central idea of your blog.
- Connect your blog to your social networking sites, but ONLY if you want to. You may connect it to your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts.
Writing Your First Post
- Open the dashboard of your blog. You can look for the button that says “Dashboard” on the page or simply go to http://YOURBLOGURL.wordpress.com/wp-admin/.
- Select “Post” and then “Add New” from the menu. You will be directed to another page.
- Write your content. Include photos, videos, and even quotes if you like. Don’t forget to add a title to your blog.
- Click the “Publish” button when you’re done.
That’s it! Congratulations! You’ve just published your first WP blog.
With this WordPress.com blog guide, you can set up a WP account in just a couple of minutes to kick-off your blogging journey.
Keeping a blog is a great way to add ongoing engagement and excitement to a personal brand, as well as to provide another avenue for driving people to your product or service. I myself have been keeping one for more than four years (www.TheBestAdviceSoFar.com — which forwards to a WordPress site as described by Reade above). However, blogging is a commitment. Too often, people read about the benefits of blogging or have what seems like “a” good idea they want to write about — but then realize the hard work that’s involved only after their new blog page is up. The internet contains a vast wasteland of sad, orphaned sites that people birthed — and then abandoned.
I would recommend, if you are considering starting a blog, decide first how often you will update the blog. Let’s say it’s once a week. Then, BEFORE starting your blog, commit to writing four posts OFFLINE. Start a file on your computer and write those first four posts — once a week, not all at once. This will allow you a taste of what it actually takes to come up with solid topic ideas, write good content and edit to perfection BEFORE you start your blog. It also gives you a good head start. If you decide you DO have what it takes after having written those first four offline posts, you’ll a starter file that can take the pressure off of you. You could even post the first of these the day your blog goes live, and then add NEW content each week, saving the other three original posts you’ve written on file for times when the creativity is just not there or time is running particularly short.
I started out on WordPress.com and it was great until I decided to get my own URL and get a web host.
It’s a great way to get your feet wet into blogging. I started out there myself.
Good succinct guide, Reade.
I’ve kept a blog for more than four years now (www.TheBestAdviceSoFar.com), which is actually hosted at wordpress.com; I just have my custom URL pointed there. Since I do not have a need or desire at this time to post sidebar ads for PPC purposes, I’ve found that the free-hosted site at WP suits all of my needs, including the ability to customize widgets and offer a prominent graphic link to my book’s sales page on Amazon.
I think many people read about starting a blog, think, “Hey, I’ve had this really cool idea I’ve often thought to write about” and then jump in. But many people don’t realize that blogging is a big commitment and involves hard work for the long haul. What I might recommend is that BEFORE you set up a new blog, consider how often you will post (let’s say once a week). Then write four posts OFFLINE and save them to file. Write them at the frequency you think you’d really update posts to your new blog, not all at once. This will allow you to see if you really have the idea flow, time and desire to keep an ongoing blog. If you decide you DO, then you’ll already have your first blog post ready when you set up your new blog. Then, you can even write NEW content weekly, saving your remaining original three posts for times when time or inspiration are running short, as a sort of safety net.