Why Blogger? Why not WordPress or Tumblr? As with any blogging site, Blogger has both strengths and weaknesses when it comes to functionality and ease of use, and when it comes down to it, the platform you choose should really depend on your intentions for your blog. For instance, Blogger is probably most suitable for people just getting started with blogging, people running or managing a small business, or those who want to blog for leisure. Due to the limits on customizability and integrated functionality on Blogger, it may be difficult to really make your blog unique and have it function the way you want it to function. However, the simplicity of it makes it easier to navigate and customize, especially for first-time bloggers.
As far as choosing an intention for your blog, blogging in general can be an effective way to handle public relations for a company. One of the biggest benefits is the ability to post longer messages and have them displayed in an eye-catching and attractive manner. Twitter, on the other hand, limits each post to 140 characters, and Facebook only shows so much of a post before you have to click the "see more" link. So, if you have, say, a press release that has quite a bit of important information to it, it would be beneficial to post it to your blog, then go to Facebook and Twitter and post the link to the blog post on those platforms with a short message explaining what it is. Also, a business may use a blog to post newsletters or pamphlets that were, in the past, mailed out to subscribers or members. This functionality saves on paper and stamps, allowing businesses to be more environmentally conscious.
Since Blogger is used by 30 million+ people each month, there are an endless supply of blogspot websites to take a look at to see how people are using Blogger, and using it well. This article shows just a few examples of businesses or companies using Blogger to showcase the websites for their products or services. Again, making the decision to use Blogger rather than WordPress or Tumblr should be based on your intentions for the blog. If you want to be able to own your own domain, host the blog yourself on your own computer, or customize the look and feel of your blog right down to the last minuscule setting or option, Blogger would not be a sound choice. However, if you want an extremely easy to use interface paired with just enough customizability and the peace of mind knowing the technology behind your blog is taken care of by Google, Blogger may be the way to go.
Resources:
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/businesses-use-blogger-21628.html
http://www.confluentforms.com/2012/11/using-blogger-create-gorgeous-websites.html
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Putting Blogger to good use
So, you've decided to take the plunge and start a blog through Blogger.com. The most important question you may have is "Where do I start?" or "How does this place work?" The first step is to make sure you have a Google account because you will need one to use Blogger. Second, you'll have to create a title and a domain name for your blog (which is completely free!). Third, you'll want to pick a template and a theme, as well as make any other customizations. The last step is to start posting!
Since Blogger is hosted through Google's servers, you don't have to pay to host it yourself, and you also don't have to pay for a domain name, as long as you're okay with .blogspot.com being part of your URL. If you did want a domain name without .blogspot.com, Blogger allows you to use your own domain name, which you would then have to pay for on a yearly basis.
Another important aspect of using Blogger is adding gadgets to your blog homepage. These gadgets act as information placeholders and can range from a blurb about a Wikipedia page to a virtual pet. In December last year, Google introduced Featured Posts for Blogger, which is a gadget that allows you to place your favorite or most relevant blog post at the top of your page.
When compared to WordPress or other blogging platforms, Blogger is one of the more simple sites to use and navigate. The skills required to make a blog and post to it are so minimal that anyone who's familiar with the Internet and text-editing software (such as Microsoft Word) could do it successfully. Also, seeing as you don't host your website yourself and, there are less chances for technological failures, as Google's servers boast virtually 100% up time hosting (meaning your blog will never crash due to increased traffic).
As a final note on this post, Blogger can be accessed on many different devices, making it even more usable in various situations. There's a Blogger app you can download from the App Store on Apple devices and the Google Play Store on Android devices. That means you can make a blog post from literally anywhere you can access the Internet.
Resources:
http://venturebeat.com/2015/12/11/googles-blogger-platform-introduces-featured-post-tool-to-help-you-showcase-your-favorite-content/
http://blogger.com
http://howtomakemyblog.com/blogger-vs-wordpress/
http://www.blogxpertise.com/2012/08/10-reasons-blogger-better-wordpress.html
Since Blogger is hosted through Google's servers, you don't have to pay to host it yourself, and you also don't have to pay for a domain name, as long as you're okay with .blogspot.com being part of your URL. If you did want a domain name without .blogspot.com, Blogger allows you to use your own domain name, which you would then have to pay for on a yearly basis.
Another important aspect of using Blogger is adding gadgets to your blog homepage. These gadgets act as information placeholders and can range from a blurb about a Wikipedia page to a virtual pet. In December last year, Google introduced Featured Posts for Blogger, which is a gadget that allows you to place your favorite or most relevant blog post at the top of your page.
When compared to WordPress or other blogging platforms, Blogger is one of the more simple sites to use and navigate. The skills required to make a blog and post to it are so minimal that anyone who's familiar with the Internet and text-editing software (such as Microsoft Word) could do it successfully. Also, seeing as you don't host your website yourself and, there are less chances for technological failures, as Google's servers boast virtually 100% up time hosting (meaning your blog will never crash due to increased traffic).
As a final note on this post, Blogger can be accessed on many different devices, making it even more usable in various situations. There's a Blogger app you can download from the App Store on Apple devices and the Google Play Store on Android devices. That means you can make a blog post from literally anywhere you can access the Internet.
Resources:
http://venturebeat.com/2015/12/11/googles-blogger-platform-introduces-featured-post-tool-to-help-you-showcase-your-favorite-content/
http://blogger.com
http://howtomakemyblog.com/blogger-vs-wordpress/
http://www.blogxpertise.com/2012/08/10-reasons-blogger-better-wordpress.html
Getting the meat and potatoes
Owned by Google since 2003, Blogger is a website-creating platform that was originally launched in 1999, but has undergone numerous content and appearance changes since then to improve accessibility and user-friendliness. The main purpose of Blogger is for anyone to be able to create a blog, and millions of people have taken advantage of the opportunity in the recent years. An infographic from blogging.org shows that in 2012, over 10 million people were using Blogger, and of those 10 million, about 40% were female and 50% were male. In addition, the majority of users were between the ages of 21 and 35. Quantcast.com has a few more up to date statistics, but they're much less specific. There are just over 30 million people in the U.S. reached monthly now, which shows an increase since 2012. However, a year ago, there were 40 million people reached monthly, showing a decline in users that may continue into the future.
So why do people start blogs in the first place? Many are simply looking to share wisdom or stories with other people, or promote their business, but some look towards blogging to make money, which is not an easy task. The same infographic mentioned above says that 81% of people never make over $100 blogging and only 8% make enough money to support themselves and a family. Google takes 32% of the money made from AdSense, which can be integrated right into your blog, in order to make money off of Blogger, so that's why it's difficult to begin making money for yourself.
Resources:
https://www.quantcast.com/blogger.com
http://blogging.org/blog/blogging-stats-2012-infographic/
https://www.quora.com/How-does-Google-make-money-on-Blogger
So why do people start blogs in the first place? Many are simply looking to share wisdom or stories with other people, or promote their business, but some look towards blogging to make money, which is not an easy task. The same infographic mentioned above says that 81% of people never make over $100 blogging and only 8% make enough money to support themselves and a family. Google takes 32% of the money made from AdSense, which can be integrated right into your blog, in order to make money off of Blogger, so that's why it's difficult to begin making money for yourself.
Resources:
https://www.quantcast.com/blogger.com
http://blogging.org/blog/blogging-stats-2012-infographic/
https://www.quora.com/How-does-Google-make-money-on-Blogger
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