If you’re keen to become a blogger in the near future, your hobby is going to rely on using tech. You can’t share your thoughts with the world without a digital interface! But if you’re a bit of a technophobe, blogging on a regular basis can be an intimidating thing.
You love to write and you know you’ve got just the idea for a great lifestyle blog, but you’re not all that great with computers. You just about know how to turn them on and use an internet browser, but the finer points of using a PC escape you. You’re not alone in this either; there are millions of people who feel the same way, despite how present this kind of tech is in our lives!
So, will this all turn out to be a recipe for disaster? We don’t think so! You just need to learn a few things that’ll make blogging easy and prevent tech from becoming a confusing and difficult thing you feel you’re never going to get on with. Check out our guide below to find out just how manageable your blogging dreams really can be.
Run into a Glitch? Turning it Off and On Again Usually Works
If your computer is misbehaving and you’re not quite sure how to fix what’s going on, don’t panic. The age old fix of turning it off and on again will usually do the trick. This will force quit any background applications that could be messing up your flow and will give the computer some time to reset and start afresh.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure you’ve saved any work first, if you’re using something like the Microsoft 365 suite, but all you need to do is hit the autosave option in the top left and then hit the power button. Then turn it back on and get on with what you were doing before.
Get Used to Using Computer Shortcuts to Save Time
If you’re still not used to using a PC on a regular basis, having some shortcuts on hand will reduce the amount of time you need to find the right websites, images, or files you need to put a blog post together. And trust us, finding the right
Search operators and button combinations are both great for this purpose, but don’t worry, we’ll explain a few of these here and how they can be useful.
To start with, make Google work for you. If you only want to get results that are an exact match for your search, put a ‘-’ symbol in front of any word that keeps popping up that you don’t want to see and you’ll never have to deal with it again. You can also place words inside “quotation marks” to find exact matches for longer search terms too, which can be tricky for a search engine to handle.
And when it comes to finding the perfect image, sometimes you’re the only person you can rely on! Learn how to take a screenshot on mac and you can immediately copy and paste the image into your blog post editor. This is great for highlighting more specific images that are only available via screenshot, like a snap of an application you want to recommend or the banner of a website you find helpful.
Learning to Touch Type is Well Worth the Time
Touch typing is the act of typing with a keyboard without having to look at what you’re doing. You can simply pop your fingers on the keys and tap out the words you want to say. Your eyes can stay on the screen the whole time and your muscles do the rest of the work.
Touch typing is a great skill to pick up, but it does take a good bit of time. Indeed, a lot of touch typers spent years using a computer before they mastered it, but you can get a bit more practice in by regularly playing a few games that support it.
And remember, anyone can learn a skill like this – you don’t have to be ‘good’ with computers to pull it off!
Make Sure You Have Virus and Malware Protection Installed
You don’t want to be online without any defense working in the background. You never know what you might come across when you check out other blogs or when you’re doing research into a certain topic.
Most computers come with inbuilt virus protection these days, such as the Windows Defender, but a lot of people still like to put an extra layer of protection on top. We also recommend doing this just to be sure, especially if you’re already worried about using the computer.
You’ll likely have to pay for this extra protection, seeing as free antivirus and antimalware isn’t all that great, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Come Up with Unique Passwords for All Online Accounts
Unique passwords are the strongest thing for keeping hackers out of your accounts. While it’s easy to use passwords made from familiar words, dates, and phrases that mean something to you, these are much more likely to be guessed.
Now it might take a bit of thinking, but coming up with unique passwords means you stay safe when online. Don’t underestimate the importance of this; come up with a new one each time you have to register for something, especially when it comes to your blog and its extensions.
If you’re not a tech savant and you probably never will be, don’t miss out on starting up a blog you have all the passion for. You could build a wonderful audience and even start to earn some money through your writing, which is always a great use of your time! You just need to learn the basics of handling a computer and being a part of the online world first. And trust us, that can become second nature if you just put a little bit of practice in.
Jessi is the creative mind behind The Coffee Mom, a popular blog that combines parenting advice, travel tips, and a love for all things Disney. As a trusted Disney influencer and passionate storyteller, Jessi’s authentic insights and relatable content resonate with readers worldwide.