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Before I answer the question of how to start a blog, let me remind you of why you should be starting a blog.
You have gained a lot of useful experience that you want to share with other users. Naturally, the ultimate goal is to attract new customers and increase sales.
How to achieve this? — Create a blog.
How to start a blog? — Read this article.
Unlike social networks where your content lives only for several days, articles have attracted new readers for years. While people use search engines, blogs will not lose their relevance.
Besides, content marketing is gaining popularity. A blog with useful articles is one of its types.
That’s why blogs are still relevant today.
This article is the first one in our comprehensive guide. In total, there will be six articles, such as:
- How to Start a Blog? A Comprehensive List to Guide You in Creation
- The Best Web Design Tips for Your Blog
- Ways How to Promote Your Blog
- Secrets to Increase Blog Traffic
- Resources Where to Download Free Images for Blogs?
- Tips to Increase Your Blog Post SEO
As for this article, I will reveal you the first steps in creating a blog, which are:
- Which blog topic is better to choose?
- How to pick a platform for creating a blog?
- How to choose a domain name?
- How to pick the best hosting provider?
- How to create your blog and successfully develop it?
Let’s go through all the details and some useful tips that will allow you to make your blog unique!
How to Start a Blog and What You Need to Do It?
- Choose a Topic for Your Blog
- Determine a Suitable Platform
- Registration of a Domain Name
- Choose a Hosting Platform
- Setting Up a Blog Platform
- Start to Publish Content
To start blogging, you don’t need to have any super knowledge at all. Even if you have never written, this does not mean that you need to take copywriting courses. Quite the opposite – do not bother with established rules and stereotypes. Write simply and quickly, in your style. As if you were just having a conversation.
Another misconception common among novice bloggers is the belief that you must be an expert in a particular field. But who told you that? No, avoid a boring theory that assumes the presentation of information in an instructive tone. Publish articles written as stories. For example, tell us some success stories.
To create a successful blog, one does not need fundamental knowledge in the field of copywriting. Moreover, it is not necessary to be an expert.
The main thing is the strong desire to tell people about something that you know or like.
Choose a Topic for Your Blog
The first thing you need is to choose a topic and title for your blog. Highlight one or two main areas and work on them. Moreover, each direction has several “sub-directions”.
When choosing a topic, immediately try to decide on your target audience:
- men or women;
- adults or youth;
- social status and direction of activity;
- etc.
You need to make the most accurate portrait of your potential reader. Immediately pick up the main keywords by which the reader can find you.
If you want to start a blog and make it a way to make money, but you can’t choose a topic. Here are some ideas for inspiration:
Listing Articles
List articles, like any form of content marketing, have their pros and cons. People love to read them, but many resources post the same monotonous ratings.
Cookery
The culinary theme as a whole is trendy. Video blogs are especially popular.
Today, for example, the trend is Mediterranean cuisine (less red meat, lots of fruits, vegetables, and nuts).
Practical Guides
Most people hate reading instructions. When was the last time you comfortably sat in an armchair with a glass of wine and guidance for your toaster? So, try to make them attractive.
Interview
Attracting certain people — clients, professionals, experts, managers — is a great way to add personality and credibility to your blog.
Charity and social activity
Engaged in activism? Do you support any petition? Rushing for the environment? Have you organized a project? This is not shameful to tell.
Travel tips
It doesn’t matter how much the Internet brings us together – travel will always be a popular topic in Internet searches.
Serials
Watching TV shows has long ceased to be entertainment for homemakers. Now the series is not only being shot at a completely different qualitative level, but they are also gathering crowds of fans around themselves. Can you argue for hours about whether the Witcher serial is good or not, or how cute the little Yoda is in The Mandalorian?
Politics
Politics is always a popular topic, especially in the year of elections, both local and state.
Personal experience
You moved to another country, started to breed horses, or decided to lose 30 kilograms? Share your experience on your blog.
Health
A healthy lifestyle has now become a real trend. Sports, proper nutrition, disease prevention are popular topics.
Beauty
Beauty blogs are becoming more popular. They include product reviews, makeup tutorials, and personal care tips.
Business, Management
How to choose a remote employee? In which startup to invest a lost million? How not to break when selecting a CRM system? You can tell about all of it.
DIY
If you weave from beads, cross-stitch, knit scarves or sculpt from clay, show your work and teach other people.
Here are some more ideas consisting of the types of blogs that can help make you money.
Important. You need to filter the information carefully for writing good texts. You cannot post articles about every event or thought. Blogging is an ongoing process of topic selection.
Although, ultimately, the best option would be to write about what you love. When you do what gives you joy. It always shows better results. And your audience will certainly notice it.
Determine a Suitable Platform
The next step is to choose the platform on which you will work. Since blogs are primarily made up of content, you will most likely decide to use a content management system (CMS).
Choosing a CMS as a platform for your blog will allow you to:
- Install a blog without programming knowledge.
- Successfully publish and create new content.
- Pay attention to writing, not technical aspects.
- Easily add new functionality using plugins and modules.
- Use beautiful designs from vast libraries of free themes.
Content management systems have gained immense popularity. They are the basis for a large number of sites around the world.
According to statistics, there are many popular CMS platforms.
Image source: http://trends.builtwith.com/cms
The most popular CMS platforms for blogging are:
Each CMS has its specific advantages and disadvantages. Let’s also stick with WordPress, as it is the most popular and even free.
WordPress
Keeping the name of the most popular CMS in the world, WordPress is a reliable platform for creating your blog. It is incredibly easy to install, use, and does not need programming knowledge!
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Convenient for beginners.
Easy SEO setup and management. A huge library of free plugins and themes. Ease of setup. A forum where you can find answers to all questions. | Frequent updates.
Occasionally requires maintenance. |
If you haven’t been familiar with a fresh and stylish blog WordPress theme yet, then meet Gutenberry. Actually, why does Gutenberry claim the attention? This pretty theme is created on the base of the Gutenberg editor. It is remarkable for its excellent stable work, convenient editing process and high speed of page loading . Gutenberry is fully independent and can make your experience truly memorable. Also, its sweet and soft appearance will fascinate all visitors.
Let’s dive into the advantages of the Gutenberry WordPress Theme:
- 3 dynamic blog layouts with ZeGuten plugin
- fully responsive and ready to all the screen sizes
- 5 types of wonderful homepages
- Gutenberg editor to forget about struggling with customization
- Retina ready images for better visualization
- twenty-four-hour support
Registration of a Domain Name
The next step, you need a website address. In addition to the name of your blog, it will contain the extension you have chosen:
- .com;
- .net;
- .org;
- .co;
- .us;
- .by, etc.
Note! Choosing a domain name is not so simple. It should be spacious, vibrant, attractive, and characterize your blog. Also, it should be free, not occupied by other site owners.
It will take time to come up with a memorable domain name that will appeal to visitors and yourself. Choose and search for a name closely related to the name of the blog. Find the correct extension and follow other unwritten rules for choosing a domain name. It all depends on a domain name registrar.
Take a look at the best domain name registrars:
Bluehost is the best option for combining domain registration with a web hosting service.
Namecheap is a simple check, free privacy protection, and an intuitive toolbar.
Domain.com offers fast payment, limited discounts, and purchase for a different number of years.
Google Domains is the classic Google interface, but you will provide more information to Google.
Hover.com offers a direct buying process.
The domain name and hosting need to be paid regularly. Monthly or every year, depending on the program you choose.
Choose a Hosting Platform
Hosting is the file storage of your site. That is the place where all the data will be located. When choosing an operator that provides hosting services, you should focus on indicators such as:
- site loading speed;
- option to automatically backup all data;
- availability of adequate and pleasant support service;
- security guarantees.
The Main Types of Hosting
There are four types of hosting providers in total. If you understand what it is, then this paragraph will not tell you anything new. But for all beginners and professionals, it is worth recalling, which there are:
1. Simple hosting, virtual hosting, or shared hosting is hosting type, in which your site will be located on one server and adjacent to other resources.
2. Virtual Private Server or VPS — the golden mean of hosting, which combines the advantages of a shared and dedicated server.
3. Dedicated server — you will get a full-fledged server that will be allocated for your management.
4. Cloud hosting — is a whole network of servers.
List of the perfect hosting providers:
The perfect solution for WordPress is Bluehost. In this article about Bluehost hosting service, you will find out more about its benefits. This hosting provider is officially recommended by WP developers to create sites and is one of the most popular in the world. There is also the possibility of registering a domain on it so that you can get a full range of services in one place.
Bluehost hosting offers different tariff plans for hosting the site.
For a blog, I recommend using service packs from the Shared WordPress Hosting line. This is a standard shared hosting, optimized for launching projects based on WordPress CMS. For a small blog, there are enough opportunities that the Basic minimum tariff provides for $ 3.95 per month:
- one site,
- a free domain,
- SSL for a year,
- and 50 GB on disk.
Domain Registration and Web Hosting in One Place
Bluehost offers a free domain name with web hosting plans. This is a recommendation for those who want to combine these services from one provider.
Main reasons:
- A free domain name included
- Plans start at $ 2.95 / month
- 24/7 telephone and chat support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Save money by registering with Bluehost when you launch your blog.
After you have decided on the resources, now you can start creating a blog on CMS WordPress and hosting it on Bluehost hosting.
Further Reading: The 15 Best WordPress Blog Hosting Sites for 2022
Setting Up a Blog Platform
On the Bluehost hosting, automatic installation of CMS WordPress is available, so you do not need to download the system distribution package and upload it to the server via FTP. The only thing that needs to be done before installing the engine is to register a domain, through which the site will subsequently be available.
- Log in to the Bluehost control panel.
- Click the Domains tab.
- Click the Add domain button.
- Enter the desired name in the line and click Check to check its availability.
- Select an address in the desired or just free zone and pay its registration for a year.
- The cost depends on the domain zone in which the site will be hosted. When buying a tariff for the first year, you get a domain as a gift.
- After successful domain registration, go to the My Sites section and click Create Site.
- Enter the name of the project (required) and its short description (optional), click Next.
- In the next window, select the domain that you registered. The hosting will also suggest installing three useful plugins (you can uncheck the boxes if you do not need these extensions). The system can also work without them. Anyway, the plugins can be added to the site at any time.
- The hosting will independently create a database, username, and password from the WordPress dashboard.
- After completing all the necessary procedures, you will receive credentials to enter the console. Remember them so as not to lose access to the administrative part of the site.
Start to Publish Content
When everything is ready, start writing and publishing articles. Everything is simple here:
- choose a topic;
- look for articles on this topic on the Internet;
- study them well;
- highlight the main thing;
- prepare the structure of the article (these are the items arranged in a logical sequence);
- write an article, focusing on the structure;
- publish an article through the admin panel by adding visual content.
Articles need to be written regularly. The more often, the better.
Firstly, search robots love regularly updated sites. Secondly, you can attract more readers.
Where else to get topics for posts?
Here are just a few options:
- News — Search for your main keywords here: https://news.google.com/
- Thematic forums — we look at what they discuss and what excites your potential readers.
- Blogs of the same subject — Find the most commented posts.
- Q&A services — Use frequently asked questions in your niche.
Once you start to create a list of topics and keywords, here’s some keyword management advice that you can utilize.
Wrapping up,
Congratulations! You have familiarized yourself with the first steps of creating, launching, and bringing your blog to a decent level. The next step will be finding a good WordPress theme to present your blog in a better light. I will tell you this in the following article from our Comprehensive Guide — How to start a blog.
If you still have questions related to how to start a blog, or want to share your tricks, write in the comments.
Hero photo by Brett Wharton on Unsplash
How To Start A Blog FAQs
These are steps on how to start a blog for free:
1. Choose a blogging platform.
2. Choose a domain name and host.
3. Choose a theme for your blog.
4. Start writing!
Here are some tips on how to write a blog for beginners:
1. Be yourself – Be genuine, and let your personality shine through in your writing.
2. Be concise – Get straight to the point, and provide value in every post.
3. Engage with your readers – A blog is a two-way conversation, so make sure to respond to comments and questions from your readers. If you build up a strong relationship with your audience, they’ll be more likely to stick around for the long run.
A common misconception is that all bloggers make money. The truth is, while some bloggers do generate income from their writing, the vast majority do not. In fact, many bloggers actually incur costs associated with their blogs, such as hosting fees and the purchase of blogging software and equipment. For those who do generate income from blogging, the amount can vary widely depending on the blogger’s niche, frequency of postings, and level of popularity.
Starting a blog takes time, effort, and a willingness to learn. However, it doesn’t have to be expensive. There are a number of ways to start a blog without spending any money. The first step is to choose a platform that suits your needs and budget. Then find free themes and templates online, or you can hire a designer to create a custom look for your blog. Once your blog is up and running, you’ll need to start creating content, and don’t forget to promote your blog which can also be done for free, through social media and other online channels.
While it’s true that the landscape of internet publishing has shifted in recent years, there are still plenty of people who enjoy reading blogs on a regular basis. In fact, a study conducted by Pew Research Center found that nearly one-third of adults in the United States have read a blog in the past year. And, contrary to popular belief, blogs aren’t just for millennials – the study found that adults of all ages are just as likely to read them. So, while the rise of social media and other digital platforms has certainly had an impact on blogging, this medium is still strong.
