How to Make a Blog From Scratch

Creating a blog is a very simple way to create your own personal homepage on the Internet. Unlike many other personal homepages, a blog has a greatly condensed layout, typically with pre-formatted HTML code, which allows easy access even to those who are not technologically savvy. Blogs are usually organized through date-by-date entries, which gives them a distinctive journal-like aspect, and can encourage weekly, daily or even, in some cases, hourly usage. Blogs have made a significant cultural and political impact, leading to the term "blogosphere" to describe online editorials covering the lives of celebrities, the fortunes of sports teams and the movements of political candidates.

• 1

  Sign up for a blogging service. The two most popular and well-known blog services by far are WordPress.org and Google's Blogspot.com. Both can be linked to various social networking media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Myspace, and also feature easy-to-use email options. Blogspot has the added ability to link other Google-based accounts, such as Gmail and YouTube, requiring only one username and password for all three, which can greatly simplify your online experience.

• 2

  Select a subject or a uniting theme for your blog. Even if a blog is just about the completely random and unforeseen things that happen in your life, you can use that information to create a cogent title and URL, or Web address. Be sure that the title and URL of your blog reflect -- in some way, no matter how obscure -- the subject matter you will be addressing in your posts. Common topics and themes for blogs include a sports team, a political ideal, life of a unique person in a specific city, and travel stories.

• 3

  Investigate and decide upon a background and format for your blog. Normally during the initial setup of your blog, these options will automatically be displayed to you. As with your title, pick a background that is demonstrative of the general feeling of your blog. An American football blog, for example, should probably not have a border of yellow flowers. Custom formats are another available option.

• 4

  Tell your friends and family about your blog, and ask them to spread the word. Utilize other social media to provide further publicity.