How To Start A Blog In 2019
Were you looking for a
free, easy, step-by-step guide on how to start a Successful blog?
My free guide on this page will show you how to create a blog
that is beautiful and functional, all in an easy step-by-step tutorial .
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Ready to start the simple step-by-step tutorial?
My name is Fatai peter, and I am going to show you how to start
blogging. I have been building blogs and websites since 2008. In that time I
have launched several of my own blogs, and helped hundreds of others do the
same by creating successful blogs.
I knew that starting a blog can seem overwhelming . This
free guide is all about blogging for beginners, and will enlighten you on how to be a blogger with just the most
basic computer skills. So whether you’re eight or eighty eight, you can create
your own blog in less than 30 minutes.
I am not ashamed to admit that when I was first learning how to
build a blog I made a lot of mistakes. You can benefit from more than a decade
of my experience so that you don’t repeat these same mistakes when you make
your own blog. I created this free guide so that anyone can learn how to blog
quickly and easily.
What is a blog anyway?
A blog is a type of
website that focuses mainly on written content, also known as blog posts.
In popular culture we most often hear about news blogs or celebrity blog sites,
but as you’ll see in this guide, you can start a successful blog on just about
any topic imaginable.
Bloggers often write from a personal perspective that allows
them to connect directly with their readers. In addition, most blogs also have
a “comments” section where readers can correspond with the blogger. Interacting
with your readers in the comments section helps to further the connection
between the blogger and the reader.
This direct connection to the reader is one of the main benefits
of starting a blog. This connection allows you to interact and share ideas with
other like-minded people. It also allows you to build trust with your readers.
Having the trust and loyalty of your readers also opens up the door to making
money from your blog, which is something I discuss later in this guide.
Should you start a blog?
One of the misconceptions about starting a blog is that you need to be a great writer to be successful. Nothing could be further from the truth. People read blog sites to get a personal perspective on things, so most bloggers write in a very informal and conversational style.
In addition, you don’t need to be an expert on your topic in
order to have a successful blog. For example, readers of a cooking blog don’t
want to read a textbook from a food scientist, they want to hear the
experiences of someone who has actually cooked some real meals, mistakes and
all.
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To be successful as a blogger there is really just one
requirement: a passion for your topic.
At its heart, blogging is about sharing your knowledge with the
world. Choosing a topic that you are passionate about makes the process of
starting a successful blog so much easier. Writing about more than one topic is
totally fine too. As long as you are writing about things that you are
genuinely interested in, your passion will shine through and keep your readers
interested.
So why would you go to the trouble of blogging? There are a few
reasons:
- Make
money from home. Blogging
can be quite lucrative if done correctly. The top bloggers in the world
obviously earn quite a bit, but even a part-time blogger can expect to
make a nice profit if things are done correctly. The best part about it is
that blogging is a form of passive income, since you can spend just a few
hours a week writing a blog post and then continue to make money from it
long after the blog post is written. I go into much more detail on how to
blog for money later in this guide.
- Share
your story. A
blog allows you to have a voice and be heard. You can share your story
with the entire world if you so choose. One of the most common ways blogs
are used are as a diary where the blogger writes about their daily
experiences so that friends, family, and others can all be a part of their
lives.
- Recognition
for yourself or your business. No, you probably won’t have paparazzi
following you around because of your latest blog post. But a successful
blog can gain you a ton of recognition in your respective field. Many
bloggers are known as experts just because of their blogs, and some have
even gotten book and movie deals based on their blogs.
- Find
a community. Blogging
at its heart is interactive. You write a blog post and people comment on
it. This is a great way to connect with people who are interested in the
same things as you are. Blogging allows you to teach these people based on
your experience, and it gives you the opportunity to learn from your
readers as well.
The good news is that the internet is exploding with growth
right now. More people than ever are online. This explosion in growth means
more potential readers for your blog. In short, if you are thinking about
starting a blog then there is no better time than right now.
How to Start a Blog
in 6 Steps
Learn how to create a blog in about 20 minutes following these
steps:
1.
Pick a blog name. Choose something descriptive.
2.
Get your blog online. Register your blog and get
hosting.
3.
Customize your blog. Choose a free template and
tweak it.
4.
Write & publish your first post. The fun part!
5.
Promote your blog. Get more people to read your
blog.
6.
Make money blogging. Choose from several options to
monetize your blog.
Let’s start your blog!
Step 1: Pick a
blog(Domain) name
The first step to finding a good blog name is choosing your
topic.
If you’re not sure what to blog about, there are a few
ways to find a good blog topic:
- Hobbies
& passions. Hobbies
or other interests you are passionate about are a great place to start.
Cooking, travel, fashion, sports, and cars are all classic examples. But
even blogs about more obscure hobbies can be successful, since the your
audience is literally anyone in the world with the internet.
- Life
experiences. Everyone
has lessons they have learned through life experience. Sharing this
knowledge can be incredibly helpful to others in similar situations. For
example, I recently helped a woman start her blog about being a fireman’s
wife. She has a lot of experience and knowledge to share with others about
this topic, and it has helped her connect with others in similar
situations.Think about the things you have experienced in life. This could
be related to your family (example: a blog about being a stay at home
mom), work (a blog about experiences dealing with clients), or other life
experiences (a blog about dealing with a troubling time such as a disease
or divorce, or about a happy time such as preparing for a wedding or a
birth of a child).
- A
personal blog. A
personal blog is a blog all about you. This will include a variety of
topics, from things you do on a daily basis, to random thoughts and
musings. This is a great way to share you thoughts with the world without
having to stick to just one topic.
Once you have a topic it’s time to choose your blog name.
A good blog name should be descriptive so that
potential readers can instantly tell what your blog is about just from the
name.
If you are blogging about one specific topic then you will
definitely want to include that in some way in your blog name. Try not to get
hung-up on just one word though. For example, a cooking blog doesn’t
necessarily have to have the word “cooking” in it. The words “food”, “recipes”,
and “meals” would also let people know that your blog is about cooking.
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If you are planning to create a personal blog where you discuss
a variety of topics then I recommend using your name, or some variation of it,
since your blog is all about you. For example, I own the blog scottchow.com.
You can also add your middle name or middle initial if you find your name is
already taken. Or you could use a variation like “Scott Chow Blog” or “Blogging
with Scott”.
Once you have some blog name ideas you will need to choose
a domain extension.
A .com domain extension is the most preferred, but .net or .org work as well. It is also important to note that for the purposes of a blog domain you cannot have any spaces between words. So “Blogging with Scott” becomes bloggingwithscott.com
A .com domain extension is the most preferred, but .net or .org work as well. It is also important to note that for the purposes of a blog domain you cannot have any spaces between words. So “Blogging with Scott” becomes bloggingwithscott.com
Now that you’ve got your name and have picked an extension it’s
time to make sure that no one else has already registered the same name:
See if your blog name is available
Note: You cannot use any spaces or punctuation other than dashes
in a domain name.
If you find that the name you wanted is already taken there are
a few things you can do:
- Try
a different domain extension. If the .com version is already
registered you may still be able to get the .net or .org version of your
blog name.
- Add
small words. Words
like “a”, “my”, or “the”. For example, this site is called
TheBlogStarter.com instead of BlogStarter.com.
- Add
dashes between words. For example, scott-chow.com
Step 2: Get your
blog online
Now that you’ve got a name picked out it’s time to get your blog
online. This might sound hard or technical, but the steps below will walk you
right through and make the process easy.
To get your blog up and running you need two things: blog
hosting and blogging software. The good news is that these typically come
packaged together.
A blog host is a company that stores all of the files for your
blog and delivers them to the user when they type in your blog name. You
must have a blog host in order to have a blog.
You also need to have the software to build your blog. In this
guide I will be showing you how to build a blog using the WordPress blogging
software, because it is the most popular, customizable, and easiest to use.
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The blog host I recommend, and the one I show you how to use in
this guide, is Bluehost. I personally use BlueHost and I recommend them
for all new bloggers because:
- They
will register your blog name for you for free, making sure no one else can
take it.
- They
offer a free, simple installation of the WordPress blogging software
(which I show you how to use in this guide).
- They
have been recommended by WordPress since 2005 and currently host over 2
million blogs and websites.
- They
have helpful 24/7 customer service via phone or web chat.
- They
have a money-back guarantee if you are unsatisfied for any reason.
Use any BlueHost link on this site to make sure you
get the special discount price of $2.75 per month.
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Disclosure: BlueHost compensates me when you purchase through my
link, so my services are free of charge to you! In fact, if you have any
trouble at all setting up a blog with this tutorial, just contact me and I will do it for you.
2. Select your plan. I recommend that new bloggers get the basic plan. Click “Select” to choose your plan.
3. Type in your domain name in the left box
and then click “next” to start the registration process.
- If
you already own a domain name and want to use it for your blog, type your
existing domain in the right box and then click “next”. Only use the right
box if you have previously paid to register a domain!
4. Fill out your billing details on the
registration page.
5. You will also need to choose your hosting
package and options.
- All
packages have everything you need to get your blog up and running,
including a free domain name, easy WordPress blog installation, web
hosting, and branded email accounts (e.g. yourname@yourdomain.com).
- The
36 month package gets you the lowest monthly rate, while the 12 month
package has a lower up-front cost. Remember, you can cancel anytime and
get a refund.
- I uncheck
the boxes next to the other products when I sign-up. You can
always get these products later if you decide you need them.
6. You will then need to create a password for
your account.
Once you do that you can choose a basic design template for your
blog (you can easily change this later, as you will see).
Now your blog software (WordPress) will be installed. Once the
install is complete click “Start Building” to be logged-in to your blog.
If the “Start Building” link doesn’t work, click “go to my
BlueHost account”. You will then be able to login to your blog by clicking “Log
in to WordPress”.
Step 3: Customize
your blog
Logging in
If you are not already logged-in, go to Bluehost.com and click “Login” on the top right to bring up the
login screen. You can then login using your domain name and the password
you set in the previous step. If you have misplaced your password you can
reset it by clicking the “Forgot Password” link.
Once you log-in you will be taken to your BlueHost Portal.
From the portal you can click “Log in to WordPress” to be logged-in
automatically to your blog.
Changing your blog design
Once you login you will be in the WordPress administrator area.
This is where you can make any changes you want to your blog.
Everyone has a different idea of how they want their blog to
look. One of the great things about a WordPress blog is that you can change
your entire layout and design with just a few clicks.
In WordPress, blog layouts are known as “Themes”. What is a blog
theme? Themes control the entire design of your blog. To change your theme you
are going to click on the “Appearance” tab on the left menu.
You will see several themes are already installed on your blog:
Twenty Seventeen, Twenty Sixteen, etc. These are well-designed, clean-looking
themes that can work for just about any type of blog. In fact, many of the
world’s top bloggers use one of these themes.
Unless you have a very specific design in mind for your blog, I
suggest you use one of these themes to start with. For our example, let’s
use the “Twenty Sixteen” theme. In order to activate the theme on your blog,
hover over the theme and click the “Activate” button. That’s it! You have
changed the entire design of your blog with just one click!
If you don’t like any of the themes that are already installed
you can easily choose from thousands of other free themes. To install a new
theme, click on the “Appearance” tab on the left menu and then click “Add New
Theme”.
This is the theme search screen. There are thousands of
themes to choose from. You can change your entire design at anytime
simply by activating a new theme. To find a theme you like, I suggest you
click on the “Popular” tab and start browsing. When you find one that you like
click the blue “Install” button.
Once the theme is installed click “Activate” to activate the
theme on your blog. To see your new theme in action, go to your blog and take a
look!
Changing your theme is the simplest way to customize your blog,
but there are lots of other customizations you can do. Check out my full post on customizing your blog for an in-depth step-by-step
guide. You can also watch the video at the end of this guide to see
me completely customize a blog from scratch.
Step 4: How to
write a blog post & publish it
Now that your blog is up and running it’s time to actually do
some blogging!
Go to the left menu and click on “Posts”.
You will see there is already a post there. This is a default
post on every new WordPress blog, and we don’t need it. To delete it click
“Trash” just under the post.
To begin writing a new post, click the “Add New” link.
You are now on the post editor screen. Enter the title of your
post in the top box and then begin writing your post in the lower box.
If you would like to add a picture to your post, click on the
“Add Image” icon and click “Upload” to upload a picture from your computer. You
can make adjustments to the picture size on the next screen. When you are ready
click “Insert into post” to add the picture.
Once you have finished your post just click the “Publish” button
on the top right side of the screen to publish it.
Publishing Your Blog
Even after you have written a post your blog may still be
showing a “Coming Soon” page.
When you are ready to make your blog public just click the
“BlueHost” menu at the top left of the menu in your administrator area then
click the blue “Launch” button to remove the “Coming Soon” page.
Congratulations! You now know how to start your own blog and
publish content!
Step 5: Promote
your blog
Creating a well-designed blog and writing great content is just
the start. In order to get readers for your blog you will need spend some time
promoting it, especially when you first start.
One of my favorite ways to get readers to my blog is to post
links on my social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter. This is great,
because not only do your friends see the link, but if your friends share the
link with their friends it automatically multiplies your readers. If you have
created high-quality content on your blog then social media is a great way for
your blog to go viral.
In addition to getting new readers to your blog, you will also
want to make sure your current readers are coming back. This is where email
marketing plays a big role. By collecting the email addresses of your visitors
(with their permission of course), you can then notify them when you post something
new on your blog. This keeps people coming back to your blog, which not only
gives you more readers over time, it also allows you to build a closer
relationship with your readers.
Email marketing is too big a topic to cover well here, so I
created a separate guide to email marketing for those who
are interested (hint: every blogger who wants more readers needs to read this
guide).
For more tips on promoting your blog make sure to check out my in-depth guide to blog promotion.
Step 6: Make money
blogging
Once you have put in the effort of creating great blog content and
promoting your blog, making money from your blog is actually the easy part.
There are several ways you can make money blogging, from selling
your own products or services, to getting paid to write reviews of products on
your blog. But the easiest way to make money from your blog is to sell
advertising space.
Once you have a popular blog, advertisers will be hounding you
for the opportunity to advertise. The best way to take advantage of this
situation is to use Google Adsense. They find the advertisers for you and all
you have to do is place the Google Adsense code on your blog to start running
ads. Google Adsense takes all of the hard work out of the process and just cuts
you a check.
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