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Setting up a Blogger account can be done in three easy steps. Create an account, name the blog, and choose a template. Multiple blogs can be hosted with the same account name, so that part only needs to be done once. This way you could separate your professional blog about your business from your personal blog about dogs, for instance. Blogger will host your blog for free on blogspot.com. Blogger can also be used to automatically FTP your blog posts to your own web space. Make sure the correct server settings from the internet service provider are used, otherwise you may have unpredictable results.

Once your blog is set up, Blogger has a basic WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor. This is not necessarily a bad thing as most blogging tools do not have robust html editors, and the ones that do often require java or other plug-ins. Should you need more formatting options and a larger window, Google Docs can be used to post to your Blogger blog. You could also do advanced editing with HTML since Blogger has an HTML tab to let you do this directly, however it does not allow JavaScript. You can optionally configure Blogger with a secret email address, so you can email your posts to your blog. This is handy for making updates on the run or updating from your cell phone or other mobile devices.

Blogger allows you to upload pictures from your desktop and post them to your blog. You can choose the basic layout and size of your images, and the pictures will be uploaded to Blogger's server space, so the pictures don't have to be hosted on a different website. That doesn't mean you can't post with pictures that you've hosted elsewhere on the web. You can also use Picasa Web Albums to post pictures to your blog. Google Video and YouTube videos can be linked into your blog posts in a similar way.

You initially pick one of several templates for Blogger; you can however switch to a new template at any point. The template controls the look and feel of your blog, as well as the links on the side. You can also customise and create your own template, although this requires more advanced knowledge of CSS and web design. There are many sites and individuals who also offer Blogger templates free for personal use. You can change the arrangement of most of the elements within a template by dragging and dropping. Adding new page elements is easy, and Google gives you a good selection, such as link lists, titles, banners, and even AdSense ads. Labels can be added to blog posts, so that all of your posts about beaches, cooking, or bathtubs for instance, are properly identified. This makes it easier for viewers to find posts on specific topics, and it helps when you want to glance back on your own posts.

You can make money directly from your blog, by using AdSense to place ads automatically onto the blog page. The amount you earn depends on your subject matter and the popularity of your blog. Google puts a link to sign up for an AdSense account from within Blogger. You can also opt to avoid AdSense, and no ads will appear on your blog, unless you put them there.

If you are serious about blogging for profit, you may want to invest in your own web space and use a blogging tool that gives you more customisation options and tracking information. Starting with a Blogger blog would still give you an idea if you're able to keep up with regular blog postings or if you can attract an audience. Blogger doesn't make a podcast friendly feed without some tweaking in Feedburner. Blogger's tools for private blogging are still very basic and do not allow for as much customisation as bigger social networking blog sites, such as MySpace, LiveJournal, and Vox. However, for the price, it's really a very well rounded blogging tool. Blogger is an excellent place to start blogging.

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