In this post we teach you how to start a blog and give you valuable tips that we have learned along the way from starting our blog. Blogging has significantly increased since 2010 and its such a great way for you to share your passions with others and may even generate a profit.
Are you interested in starting your own blog, but unsure of where to start?
We have learned many things about blogging since we started our blog at Keeping Life Balanced, and we created an easy tutorial to help get your first blog up and running. There are many benefits to owning your own blog. The main reasons to get started is to help others through your passions and also earn money from anywhere, doing what you love.
How to Start a Blog in 10 Steps
- Choose niche of interest
- Come up with blog/ business name
- Choose domain name
- Choose host provider
- Pick Theme
- Brainstorm Colour Palette
- Edit theme and customize
- Read up on SEO and writing for a blog
- Read up on niche / area of interest
- Create YOUR first blog post
Blogging is such a great way to earn money through all kinds of facets like: affiliate marketing, ads, sponsors and collaborations. Anyone is able to start a blog and with some effort and a bit of time, you can build your own professional blog. How to Start a Blog with these 10 steps should give you an idea of where to start and what step to move on to next, with this post showing you each step to help you create your own blog!
Choose your Niche
During this step you want to brainstorm what it is your good at, or passionate about and if there is a market for this topic or service. For example, if you enjoy cars and have a passion for sharing tips to others about how to fix issues on cars or other relevant information this could be your niche (automotive). Now that you have your niche figured out, write down what you will specially discuss on your blog, how this can help others, and how you can distinguish yourself from others in this niche – different is good!
Come up with a Blog / Business Name
At this point you should have an idea of what topics you want to sell or talk about on your blog and website. This is a very important part in this how to start a blog post, as this is what the public will identify you with. With this in mind it can give you an idea of what you want your blog to be called or how you want others to know your website. There are many website name generators out there or you can play around with words or phrases that describe your niche, business.
Register your Domain Name
Your domain name is quite an important part of your website as it tells the customer information about your website. The name that you choose is your online representation of your brand, therefore it makes it important to have it stand out from the competition. Make it memorable and make it brand-able. The best way for your domain name to be remembered is to have a clear name that is easily pronounced and not too long. Pick something that represents your brand properly. If you choose to sign up for Bluehost here, you will be able to get your domain name free by purchasing a full years worth of hosting for your site. Save yourself some money when starting up your new blogging website.
Choose a Host Provider
Many web hosting providers also offer a free domain registration which can be very cost effective, so keep that in mind when determining a provider. Having a self hosted blog allows for you to obtain complete control of your website with a personal email address, plug ins, advertising, improved marketing, rankings, better technical support and of course your own custom domain name. With Bluehost you are able to get a free domain by using our referral link. This domain name comes free if you end up purchasing a 12 month or longer hosting plan. If you are expecting to be hosting your site for a long time, buying the 36 month hosting plan is going to be the cheapest in the long run as the rate is much lower when buying long term. Also keep in mind that you can host your website for free, although you may not make a profit as the domain is not yours and looks unprofessional. In order to give yourself the best chance of succeeding on your blogging venture, a self hosted blog is the way to go.
These Bluehost pricing plans can give you an idea of the cost and what is included with each plan. Your plan will give you all the tools necessary for building a very professional and user friendly website. Check out the prices yourself here!
Install WordPress & Pick Theme
After you have chosen a web host and your domain name the next thing to do is install WordPress (if you wish to run your blog on that), and pick your theme. You can just pick a free one, use a recommended one, or purchase a pre made one. You can always change your theme as well. Now “Start Building” your blog or website. You will have to work on the design and producing high-quality content, of course. Good luck!
Choose your Colour Palette & Typography
Once you have figured out the theme and layout of your website you want to determine the colour scheme that you will use throughout your site and blog, make sure to record your hex colours of choice to use the same colours throughout your website. Once this is done choose the typography you want throughout your site so when you write your blog posts it will look the same across each post.
Edit Theme and Customize Website
You can either manually edit and create your site, or install website builders to edit your theme just the way you like. Some website builders are beaver builder, elementor, and more. There are several youtube videos on this topic that can make it alot easier to follow when editing your theme and customizing.
Read up on SEO and Blog Writing
In order to get your blog posts seen and get organinc traffic to your blog, you need to figure out your keywords and SEO to bring in more readers. There are some great youtube resources on this and it can take some trial and error to see what works best. In order to write for your blog and need to develop your writing style and how is your voice coming across to your readers. Another tip is to figure out your target audience – who is your niche for? This can help you figure your tone and writing style as well.
Read up on your Niche
At this step you have determined what you wish to blog about and in order to give valuable information to your readers, you need to learn more on that specific topic and figure out how to solve problems. Blog posts should be at least 300 words long to around 1500 words long or more. This requires more knowledge in order to truly provide helpful content to your readers.
Create Your First Blog Post
If you are using WordPress go into your dashboard and click posts on the left hand side and add new. Start writing your very first post and if you need more help here is a useful video.
General tips to navigate WordPress:
- You can add and create new posts by clicking on “Posts” on the left-hand side bar
- If you want to add an image, click on “Media” on the left-hand side bar add SEO as alt text
- You can go to “Appearance,” then “Widgets” in order to add items to your sidebar, footer, and so on to get the look you desire
- If you are looking for a way to send newsletters or emails to your readers, there are many to choose from, Mailpoet, Convertkit, Mailchimp
- Go to “Appearance” on the left-hand side when you are logged into your WordPress website and click on “Themes,” then activate whichever one you are interested in testing out. By doing this, you can start designing your website easily! Another option would be to buy a pre-made blog design, however there are many ways to get started choose the best for you.