For today's Tutorial Thursday I am going to be a breakdown on how to quickly post your first post on a Blogger driven blog.
This tutorial will continue after the break, for the sake of the feeds that Free*Style is published on.
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If you are still interested, please click on through.
Step 1
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You will need to either create a Blogger blog, or you will have to be invited to post as an author to one. After that, you will need to follow the processes of logging in or accepting the invite from the blog's admin, which would be sent to your email account.
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Step 2
Step 2
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You will end up on what is considered your Home Page or Dashboard.
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Here you will need to click the Orange Pencil Button. It will pop up your post writing window.
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Step 3
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Now it is time to write your first post.
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Now it is time to write your first post.
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The big, clear area is where you write. You can start typing away, but lets learn a bit of the extra buttons first, so you can have an easier time with things.
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Going from left to right.
Compose - Your normal writing window
HTML - Where you can view all your post's coding
Undo Button - This undoes the last action your preformed
Redo Button - this will allow you to go back forward, if you decide it is needed
F Dropdown - This is you Fonts Menu, if you want something fancy, or want to highlight a word
T Dropdown - This is the Text Size Menu, it is set to Normal by Default
Headings Dropdown - This is for when you want to separate your information
B - Click to Bold a word
I - Click to Italic a word
U - Click to Underline a Word
ABC - Click to Strike Through a Word
A - Text Colour Menu
Highlighter - This back fills behind your word, with a block of colour
Link - You click this to insert a link in your post, it has it's own window that pops up
Picture - You click this to insert pictures into your post, it has it's own window that pops up
Video - You click this to insert videos into your post, it has it's own window that pops up
Break - This is a handy tool, if your blog is syndicated
Alignment - This is how you choose what way you want your writing oriented on the page
Numbered List - For, you know, numbering things
Bullet List - For when you want to put bullets in things, there are always days that need bullets
Quote - This makes an official looking little Quote Insert box on your post
Remove Formatting - I have no clue what this does, and will continue to not know, seems sketch
Spell Check - The Wonder that is Spell Check, beware if you aren't in the USA, it will try to make you conform
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Going from left to right.
Compose - Your normal writing window
HTML - Where you can view all your post's coding
Undo Button - This undoes the last action your preformed
Redo Button - this will allow you to go back forward, if you decide it is needed
F Dropdown - This is you Fonts Menu, if you want something fancy, or want to highlight a word
T Dropdown - This is the Text Size Menu, it is set to Normal by Default
Headings Dropdown - This is for when you want to separate your information
B - Click to Bold a word
I - Click to Italic a word
U - Click to Underline a Word
A - Text Colour Menu
Highlighter - This back fills behind your word, with a block of colour
Link - You click this to insert a link in your post, it has it's own window that pops up
Picture - You click this to insert pictures into your post, it has it's own window that pops up
Video - You click this to insert videos into your post, it has it's own window that pops up
Break - This is a handy tool, if your blog is syndicated
Alignment - This is how you choose what way you want your writing oriented on the page
Numbered List - For, you know, numbering things
Bullet List - For when you want to put bullets in things, there are always days that need bullets
Quote - This makes an official looking little Quote Insert box on your post
Remove Formatting - I have no clue what this does, and will continue to not know, seems sketch
Spell Check - The Wonder that is Spell Check, beware if you aren't in the USA, it will try to make you conform
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This is the Side Menu, of additional things you may want for your post.
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Labels - This is where you do some of your post SEO
Schedule - You can prep posts ahead of time, and set them to go live at certain times here
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I've never had a use of the other 3 options, so can't really tell you anything about those.
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Step 4
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Labels - This is where you do some of your post SEO
Schedule - You can prep posts ahead of time, and set them to go live at certain times here
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I've never had a use of the other 3 options, so can't really tell you anything about those.
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Step 4
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So you have written your post, and you want to insert your photos, links, space whales.
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Adding Images
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There are various options for this once you click. The easiest way is to just upload right to the site from your desktop.
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If you wish to get some more views to your flickr, you can post your pictures straight from there as well.
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On your flickr photo, to the bottom right you will see these buttons. You will want to hit the Arrow Button, which will pop up a little window. Click Embed, then select the size that suits your blog and syndicated feeds. Some Feeds have very slim formats, so it is easier to have the pre-selected sizes that flickr offers.
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You then copy the link, once you have your settings selected. From there, go back to your Blogger Post, hit the HTML button, and insert your link where you want it on your post. Why are we doing this on the HTML page? cause it is code, and wont show if you do it on the Compose page. Also, you need to delete a bit of the code.
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You will want to delete the whole part that starts with < script async blablabla right to the end.
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Adding Images
.
There are various options for this once you click. The easiest way is to just upload right to the site from your desktop.
.
If you wish to get some more views to your flickr, you can post your pictures straight from there as well.
.
On your flickr photo, to the bottom right you will see these buttons. You will want to hit the Arrow Button, which will pop up a little window. Click Embed, then select the size that suits your blog and syndicated feeds. Some Feeds have very slim formats, so it is easier to have the pre-selected sizes that flickr offers.
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You then copy the link, once you have your settings selected. From there, go back to your Blogger Post, hit the HTML button, and insert your link where you want it on your post. Why are we doing this on the HTML page? cause it is code, and wont show if you do it on the Compose page. Also, you need to delete a bit of the code.
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You will want to delete the whole part that starts with < script async blablabla right to the end.
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Now you can go back to your Compose Page.
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Adding Links
Adding Links
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This is not too hard, all you do is highlight the word you want as the link, so if it is the name of the shop, click in front of the first letter, and drag your cursor until the whole word is highlighted. It will appear in a blue colour. Then you go up top, hit the Link Option.
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Here you make sure you have your title right, you paste in your link, then click the "Open this link in a new window" option, so the reader doesn't accidentally lose your post when clicking a link
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Adding Videos
This is not too hard, all you do is highlight the word you want as the link, so if it is the name of the shop, click in front of the first letter, and drag your cursor until the whole word is highlighted. It will appear in a blue colour. Then you go up top, hit the Link Option.
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Here you make sure you have your title right, you paste in your link, then click the "Open this link in a new window" option, so the reader doesn't accidentally lose your post when clicking a link
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Adding Videos
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This option works much like the picture menu.
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Breaks
This option works much like the picture menu.
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Breaks
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Breaks can be important. Sometimes you get supper chatty, or have a lot of info, or took 23 pictures of the same new little shoulder critter you found and just love do death. Not all viewers, nor Syndicated Feeds will enjoy having a never ending post scroll on and on when visiting your site/reading the feed. Breaks allow you post put all the extra added info in your post still, but sectioning it of, so the reader can choose to read it or not. Some bloggers do this with their links, so people can choose to continue on if they want to pick something up, or not, and just stare at pretty pics all day. I use it a lot for my tutorials, as Free*Style is on many feeds, and tutorials are super long.
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Step 5
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This is the point when you should be finishing up your post. Add your labels, set the time you want your post coming out at(or don't touch that, if you want it to go out right away). .
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I find it handy to Preview my post, I do this a lot with my late night posts, as being a dyslexic, my affliction is more prevalent when I am sleepy. This is also a handy time to hit that Spell Check, if you don't feel like proof reading your post yourself. This will not catch sentence structure issues though, this is strictly for the words themselves. .
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Blogger auto saves during your session, but sometimes things can get funky, so hitting save is always a nice option. If you are now ready for your post to go live, you can hit that publish button. Blogger will divert you to the post page of the blog, where you can see a lit of all posts, and are able to edit past posts if needed. .
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Breaks can be important. Sometimes you get supper chatty, or have a lot of info, or took 23 pictures of the same new little shoulder critter you found and just love do death. Not all viewers, nor Syndicated Feeds will enjoy having a never ending post scroll on and on when visiting your site/reading the feed. Breaks allow you post put all the extra added info in your post still, but sectioning it of, so the reader can choose to read it or not. Some bloggers do this with their links, so people can choose to continue on if they want to pick something up, or not, and just stare at pretty pics all day. I use it a lot for my tutorials, as Free*Style is on many feeds, and tutorials are super long.
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Step 5
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This is the point when you should be finishing up your post. Add your labels, set the time you want your post coming out at(or don't touch that, if you want it to go out right away). .
.
I find it handy to Preview my post, I do this a lot with my late night posts, as being a dyslexic, my affliction is more prevalent when I am sleepy. This is also a handy time to hit that Spell Check, if you don't feel like proof reading your post yourself. This will not catch sentence structure issues though, this is strictly for the words themselves. .
.
Blogger auto saves during your session, but sometimes things can get funky, so hitting save is always a nice option. If you are now ready for your post to go live, you can hit that publish button. Blogger will divert you to the post page of the blog, where you can see a lit of all posts, and are able to edit past posts if needed. .
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Now you have the skills to start your own blog, or blog with a buddy who has a Blogger site. Keep in mind this was just a very basic tutorial on how to get started quickly for posting your first post. There are many other things you can do with your blog posts, and if you wish to learn more, there are many great sites that teach you how. I just wanted this here for my new bloggers, who have never blogged on blogger before, as a quick guide.
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Enjoy your Blogging!
Now you have the skills to start your own blog, or blog with a buddy who has a Blogger site. Keep in mind this was just a very basic tutorial on how to get started quickly for posting your first post. There are many other things you can do with your blog posts, and if you wish to learn more, there are many great sites that teach you how. I just wanted this here for my new bloggers, who have never blogged on blogger before, as a quick guide.
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Enjoy your Blogging!
