Blog Guide 4: Set up your WordPress.com blog

This post assumes that after reading Blog Guide 3: Free hosted blog or own domain? you decided to go for a free blog to be hosted by WordPress.com.

Here are the 3 easy steps to get you started on your own WordPress.com blog.

1. Go to WordPress.com and sign up for a free account. Enter your preferred blog domain and blog title to finish the sign-up process.

2. Log in to your email account and click the verification link sent by WordPress.com.

3. Now log in to WordPress.com and start blogging!

Yup, setting up your WordPress.com blog is as easy as 1-2-3! But read on if you want to make a few tweaks and changes before you start with that first blog post.

To do any of the following, you need to be logged in to your WordPress.com account and must be in the Admin Control Panel page.

Changing or updating blog options

a. To change your blog title, tagline, and format of the date and time, go to Settings > General.

b. To change the look / theme of your blog, go to Appearance > Themes.

c. To add and/or rearrange plugins or widgets on your sidebar, go to Appearance > Widgets.

d. To add or create new pages, go to Pages > Edit.

e. To manage trackbacks or comments received, go to Comments > Edit.

f. To create a new post, go to Posts > Add New.

Ready to make your first post? Jump to Blog Guide 5: Make the first blog post!