Blogging With WordPress

So you’ve decided to start your own blog. Excellent idea!

It’s a great way to promote your writing skills and build your author profile. You’ve also discovered that you can make some money, either through affiliate links or advertising on your blog. More of this next time…

So let’s get started…

First you need to decide what software to use. The most popular blogging software available is WordPress which can be downloaded free from WordPress.com.

There is a more technical version which can be downloaded from WordPress.org, but it requires some time to set up and you need to be fairly techno-savvy. So for now we’ll start with the easier option.

The advantages of using WordPress.com

1. You don’t need to find a host provider. They do that for you.
2. The hosting is free.
3. Basic blog features are also free, and premium features such as extra storage and custom style sheets can be added at a relatively inexpensive fee.
4. You don’t have to have any technical experience to set it up.
5. You can start blogging straight away.

Some points to consider before you start with WordPress.com

1. You can’t incorporate your blog into your current website. Your domain name will have “wordpress.com” as a part of it. For example, your domain would look like this: http://www.freereads.wordpress.com 
2. Your blog is chosen from a number of templates so it won’t look very unique and functionality is limited.
3. You’ll be limited on how you can monetize your blog. Wordpress.com won’t host blogs whose primary purpose is to drive traffic to affiliate programs or blogs that read like a sales letter. That’s not to say you can’t include any affiliate links; however, they are very strict with their guidelines.
4. Only the basic blog service is free. They do have a list of premium features, such as extra storage and custom style sheets that you can add to your account for a relatively low fee. (For example, an extra 20 GBs of storage is $20 a year.)
Whatever your blogging goal, WordPress is an excellent choice as a blogging partner, and I highly recommend it. And whether you choose to use WordPress.com or WordPress.org really depends on your personal needs.

As a beginner, familiarising yourself with blogging, I suggest you start with WordPress.com and go from there. You can always update later when you’re more familiar with the process.

Setting up your WordPress.com Blog

1. Register by filling out a one-step form
2. Select your Blog name i.e. Free Romance Reads, and the domain i.e. http://www.freereads.wordpress.com
3. Check your email inbox and click on the link from WordPress to confirm your registration
4. Login to WordPress.com with your username and password and go to the Dashboard. This is where you can edit your blog layout and post your first article.
5. Once you’re done posting your first blog, click on Update Post and view it at your chosen domain e.g. http://www.freereads.wordpress.com

Good luck and happy blogging!

Louise Rose-Innes
http://www.louiserose-innes.com
http://www.freereads.wordpress.com