Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #3-A: Using the Auto-post Option While on Vacation

I recently read a post on Frugality Is Free about “auto” blogging while on vacation.  I asked FrugalMom, the author, if I could share her post here.  I know I touched on this briefly in an earlier lesson, but I thought having her share the details and her personal experience with it might help readers here.  FrugalMom and her family 

Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #12: Final Acquaintance with Blogger & Tips on Posting

I think this is the last lesson in the Blogging 101 series.  I very well may find I missed something and return with another lesson, but for now we will finish up and move on to Blogging 201 as we enter the blogging community.

Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #11: Adding Google Analytics, Going Public, and Submitting to Search Engines

Google Analytics

Being able to study statistics about a blog’s readers helps blog owners evaluate the popularity of their content as well as the effectiveness of their promotional efforts.  Advertisers seeking blogs for ad placement or giveaways often want to know the

Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #10: Purchasing a Domain Name and Removing the Blogger Navbar

There are two optional items that many bloggers take advantage of when setting up their blog.  One is purchasing their own dot com domain name and the other is removing the Blogger Navbar from the top of the blog page.  In this lesson we will learn how to do both.

Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #9: Adding Informational Pages to Your Blog

In Simply Blogging 101 Lesson #2 we learned how to publish a page and the assignment was to write an “About Page” either about yourself, your blog or both.  We also learned in Lesson #3 how to publish a post.  Today’s assignment is to publish either a page or a post for each of the following:  About (if you haven’t

Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #8: Set Up RSS Feed & Email Options for Readers

When you are steadily publishing on your blog you will want to offer your readers the option of signing up to follow your activity thru an RSS Feed or thru signing up by email.  So getting these set up now will give you the opportunity to offer these services to your readers immediately.  It is my understanding you need to make your blog

Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #7: Setting Up Your Blog's Navigational System

Now that you have finished lessons one thru six in the Simply Blogging 101 series, you are just about ready to start publishing the information you want to share with your future readers.  In order for those readers to navigate thru your site easily and find older posts of interest to them you need an easy way for them to navigate your blog.

Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #6: Design Page Layout & Adding Gadgets to Blogger

Now that you have your blog makeover done it is time to become familiar with adding and moving gadgets on your page.  Blogger offers many widgets that are easily added to your header, sidebar or footer.  Moving them, as well as removing them, is extremely easy.  For this lesson we need to go to our design page—you can find it thru

Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #5: Edit the Template & Design Your Blog's Look Part 2

Since we used up our 30 minutes in Lesson #4 before we finished working our way thru all of the Blogger Template Designer options we will finish that up in the first part of this lesson.  Once again, find the Template Designer on your dashboard or in the Navbar at the top of your blog by clicking on design and then the designer link below the

Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #4: Edit the Template & Design Your Blog's Look Part 1

Now that you have published your About page and Welcome post it is time to for a lesson on how to change the look of your blog thru Blogger's Template Designer.  When I began blogging in April of 2010 at Simply CVS the Template Designer was apparently in beta and not available to all bloggers. I had to research and find ways to

Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #3: How To Publish a Post

In Blogging 101 Lesson #2 you learned how to use the page publisher in Blogger.  The post publisher is exactly the same except for three additional options:  jump break, labels and post date & time.  You will want to open your own post publisher to view as you read thru this lesson.  There are two ways to find it:  1) open your Blogger

Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #2: How to Publish a Page (Thru Writing an "About" Page)

This how to blog lesson is about writing an "about" page.  In order to truly work with the Template Designer in designing the look of our blogs we need to have a tab showing at the top of the page and a post showing in the body of the template.  This lesson may take you more or less time than 30 minutes depending on how much you have

Blogging 101 ~ Lesson #1: Sign Up and Set Up @ Blogger

At the end of this first thirty minute lesson in the Blogging 101 series, we will have set up a blog and will be able to write our first post if we choose to.  This is the easiest part of blogging.  As stated in the "About" page I am choosing to walk readers thru setting up a blog thru Blogger.com as it is designed with ease for the everyday blogger.  It is free and quick & easy to