Wondering how to start a blog as a complete beginner? In this guide, you will find the exact steps you can take now to launch a thriving blog in no time.
Let’s get right to it.
A blog is an online journal in which users can share their thoughts, opinions, ideas, and experiences.
Blogs are written by people who want to share their thoughts and ideas with the world. They use blogs to express themselves or to get feedback on their work. Blogs are also used as a way of marketing themselves or their products.
Here are the exact steps you can take now to start a blog as a complete beginner.
Step 1: Choose Your Blog Niche
The first step in learning how to start a blog is choosing a blogging niche. What is that you ask?
Well, a blogging niche is a type of blog that focuses on a specific topic. It is a space where you can share your thoughts, opinions, and insights on that topic.
To make say the least, a niche is a smaller segment of a larger market. It is a specific area of interest, such as fashion, cars, or health and fitness.
Here are some blogging niche examples:
- Nutrition Blogging Niche: This blog focuses on nutrition and healthy living. It might include recipes or tips for cooking healthy meals.
- Business Blogging Niches: This blog shares information about business, entrepreneurship, or leadership. It might also include articles about how to start a business or how to grow your current business.
- Personal Finance Blogging Niches: This blog discusses topics related to personal finance, such as credit cards, investing, and saving money.
- Finance Niche Blogs: This blog shares information about financial topics. It might cover personal finances or business finances, or it might focus on investing and trading.
- Adventure Blogging Niches: This blog focuses on travel experiences and adventures. It might be detailing a trip to a new place, how to build your own gear, or how to take better photos.
Here is a good example;
If you are an avid traveler, then you have a travel niche.
It is important to note that not all niches are the same. Some niches have a lot of competition while others do not. In order to find the right niche for your interests and skillset, it is important to conduct research on what other people in your field are doing and what they are getting out of it.
How to choose a blogging niche
Choosing a niche for your blog is an important decision. You should make sure that you are not choosing a niche that you will get bored with.
You should also think about the audience that you want to target. It is important to choose a niche that is relevant to your audience and what they are interested in.
If you have any doubts, ask yourself these questions:
- What do I love?
- What am I passionate about?
- What would my readers care about?
In the end, when choosing your niche, consider how much time you want to put into it. There are some niches that require more time investment than others such as fashion blogging or travel blogging.
Once you have identified a niche for your new blog, move to the next step of how to start a blog for complete beginners.
Step 2: Get Web Hosting and a Domain Name
How will people find your blog?
You need a domain name. A domain name is a unique name given to a website. It consists of two parts: the domain name, which is the first part of the domain name, and the top-level domain, which is the second part of the domain name.
For example;
Truehost.com. {Truehost} is the domain name (commonly known as second-level domain) while {.com} is the top-level domain (TLDs). The most common TLDs are .com, .net, and .org. There are also country-specific TLDs, such as .co for Colombia and .ca for Canada.
Now, before you register a domain name, you need to make sure it is the best.
How to pick the best domain name
The domain name is the most important part of your website. It’s the address that people type into their browser to find your content. You don’t want to miss out on a great domain name, so it’s important to know how to pick one that’s right for you.
As such, choosing the right domain name is an important part of your online marketing strategy. It should be memorable and easy to remember.
There are many factors that you should consider while choosing a domain name. Here are some of them:
- Short and catchy domain names are the best choice for your business.
- Domain names should be relevant to your business, services, or products.
- Domain names that have been used before will not be easy to take over by someone else, so try to avoid them if possible.
If you’re not sure about picking a good name, there are tools called domain name generators you can use. to help.
A domain name generator, such as the one at BizNameWiz.com, can be used to give you a list of random domain names that are available, as well as helpful tips on how to find good domain names and what keywords might work for your website.
The bottom line is, It’s important to know what kind of business you are in before choosing a domain name. For example, if you are in the legal field, then it’s best for you to choose a domain name that is related to law or legal matters such as lawyer.com or lawfirm.com
If you are in the marketing field, then it’s best for you to choose a domain name related to marketing such as marketingagency.com
Get hosting space
Once you have the domain, your blog needs to live somewhere. And its home is online. That is where web hosting comes in.
Web hosting is the process of providing storage and serving content to a client, typically over the internet. A web host provides space on its computer servers for websites to be hosted, typically with an operating system like Linux or Windows.
There are many different types of web hosts, including shared, reseller, VPS (you can read more about VPS hosting here.), dedicated and cloud-based hosts (more on this later).
When it comes to web hosting, there are two options: Free Web Hosting: These are services that let you put your blog on their servers. They might charge a fee for this service but it is typically at a very low price that you would be willing to pay.
This is the most popular option because of the low cost and availability. A downside of free web hosting is that they have a lot of limitations when it comes to what you can do with your blog.
There are also some restrictions on how much data your site can use, how many domains you can host, and other general service limitations. The upside is that the service is usually very quick and easy to set up, which is typical without any fuss or complications.
And then there is the paid hosting. option, which has the ability to host a lot more sites at a lower cost. There are many paid hosting services that you can choose from and they vary in their restrictions. They also vary in their price, with some hosts charging as low as $1 per month.
How to pick the best hosting service
Choosing the best hosting service can be a highly technical and time-consuming task. There are many factors to consider when you’re looking for the perfect hosting service.
When it comes to picking a hosting service, it’s important to consider factors such as cost, speed, customer support, and reliability, just to name a few.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive option with great customer support and a lot of features then Truehost might be your best bet.
Step 3: Set Up the Blogging Platform
Now that you have a domain and hosting space, it is time to pick a blogging platform. If you recall, we mentioned that a blog is a collection of posts and articles that can be regularly updated by a person or group of people called “bloggers.” Blogs are typically published on the Internet in the form of personal web pages.
Blogging platforms, therefore, provide different options for blog creation, including themes, widgets, and plugins. They also have features such as search engine optimization tools and social media integration for sharing content with other users.
In a nutshell, a blogging platform gives you access to a content management system (CMS) where you can create, edit, publish, and manage your blog.
Popular blogging platforms
With that said, there are actually many blogging platforms available for use. Some of the most popular ones include;
a). Blogger
Blogger.com is a platform for people to share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions about anything. It is also a social platform for people to connect with one another. Blogger has been growing in popularity since it was created in 2005 and it now has over 100 million registered users across the world.
The main purpose of Blogger is to help bloggers find their audience as well as reach new audiences through syndication on other websites like social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
It is in fact owned by Google and is free to use.
b). Medium
Medium is an online publishing platform that allows its users to create and share content. It was created by Evan Williams, who was previously the co-founder of Twitter.
Williams wanted to create a platform that would make it easier for people to share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions – something he felt had become increasingly difficult in recent years due to social media’s growing popularity and the increasing number of distractions such as advertising that had become prevalent.
The platform was released to the public in 2010.
You can start a blog on Medium for free, considering it is a hosted blogging platform.
c). WordPress
WordPress is a free, open-source blogging platform and content management system. It is owned by Automattic Inc. which also owns the popular website, WordPress.com, which is a free website builder.
There are two versions of WordPress, WordPress.com, which is a free website builder, and WordPress.org, which is a downloadable CMS software.
The latter is what we will focus on here.
WordPress is the most popular choice for self-hosted blogs. It’s powerful, easy to set up and customize, and can be used to create many different types of websites. Blogs built on WordPress can also benefit from being search engine optimized (SEO).
You will only need a domain name and hosting space. The next step is to download and install WP onto your domain (do that through the cPanel).
How to choose the right blogging platform
Choosing the right blogging platform is not as easy as it seems, especially when you are starting out. There are a lot of platforms to choose from and they vary in terms of features and functionality. So, before you decide on one, it is important to understand what your needs are and what you want to achieve with your blog.
Bloggers should be able to write about topics that interest them without having to worry about the technicalities of their platform. Some blogging platforms have a built-in audience whereas others require bloggers to build their own audience from scratch.
The best option for beginners is a platform that allows them to write without any restrictions.
Some blogging platforms offer features such as analytics, SEO tools, social media integration, and marketing automation tools that can help bloggers grow their businesses faster.
Why is WordPress the best blogging platform?
WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms in the world. It has a large number of plugins and themes that can be easily customized to suit any kind of blog.
WordPress is highly customizable and easy to use. It also comes with a variety of themes that can be used for any type of blog, from personal blogs to corporate blogs. It also comes with a large number of plugins that can be used for various purposes, from search engine optimization to social media integration.
The many benefits WordPress offers make it the best blogging platform out there.
Install plugins and choose a WordPress theme
If you decide to go with WordPress, after installation, the next step on how to start a blog is installing plugins and choosing a theme.
WordPress plugins are small pieces of code that can be added to WordPress websites to enhance functionality.
There are hundreds of thousands of plugins available for WordPress users to choose from. There are many reasons why people choose to install plugins on their WordPress websites.
Some use them for functionality like SEO, security, or maintenance purposes. Others use them for aesthetic purposes like creating a responsive website or adding cool animations and effects.
The best way to find out which plugins are the right ones for your website is by trying them out and seeing what they offer you!
On the other hand, a WordPress theme is the template for a website that gives it a certain look and feel. There are many different themes available for download, and developers can create their own from scratch.
There are many reasons why people choose to install a WordPress theme on their website, including that they want something simple and clean-looking, they have an idea of what they want their website to say/look like, or that they need functionality specific to WordPress that is unavailable in other platforms.
Step 4: Publish Content and Grow Your Blog
The next step in how to start a blog as a beginner is publishing content on your blog. And there are different types of content that you can publish such as tips, advice, tutorials, DIYs, etc.
What type of content do you want to publish on your blog? Here are some ideas:
- Personal blog
- Business blog
- News blog
- Inspirational blog
Each type of content has its unique characteristics and benefits. For example, personal blogs are meant for people to share their thoughts and feelings about life and their experiences.
Business blogs are meant for companies to promote themselves, their products or services, or to share industry news. News blogs provide a platform for people to share current events.
Inspirational blogs provide a space where readers can find the latest insights into spirituality or self-development.
Remember that the type of content you will be creating and publishing on your new blog is dictated by your target audience. If you are creating a blog for teenagers, your content will be different than if you were creating a blog for business professionals.
Only publish articles that help your target audience solve a problem they have.
How to find topics to write about
Finding topics to write about is easy to do. There are many places you can go to find ideas:
- Google Trends shows you what search terms people are most commonly used in your niche. For example, if you wanted to create a website for mom bloggers, the following search terms might show up on the site: “how to blog” “blogging” “blog mom” “finding blog ideas.”
- Twitter searches will show you tweets on a topic. For example, if you wanted to write about your grocery shopping experience, search for the following keywords:- Your followers on Instagram and Facebook will often post about what they are talking about in their favorite niche. All you have to do is use their hashtags and find their posts.
- Keyword research: Keyword research is an important part of any content marketing strategy. It helps you to understand your audience and find the most relevant keywords to use in your content. Keyword research helps you to find the best keywords for your website and content that will get you the most traffic. You also need to make sure that these keywords are not already in use by other websites or brands. There are many tools available online that help in keyword research, such as Google AdWords Keyword Tool, SEMrush, and Wordtracker (more on this in the next step on how to start a blog for complete beginners).
Once your blog is up and running, it is time to promote it.
Why?
Because without people reading it, it’s like a ghost town, no benefit for you.
Step 5: Promote and Grow Your Blog Following
As mentioned above, you need eyeballs on your blog, especially if you intend on making money with it.
Typically, bloggers can use social media to promote their blog and increase their blog traffic (which is a free way to drive traffic to a completely new blog).
The following is a list of ways bloggers can promote their blog on social media:
- Share your blog posts on your personal Facebook page.
- Share your blog posts on Instagram and Twitter.
- Share your blog posts on Reddit.
- Share your articles on LinkedIn.
- Post a link to your article in a group chat or forum post.
How to drive free traffic using SEO
In order to drive free traffic, we need to increase our rankings on search engine result pages.
One of the best ways to do that is by optimizing our website for search engines (SEO). And to do that, you need to first do keyword analysis.
Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing relevant keywords to improve search engine optimization. It can be done manually or automatically.
A keyword is a word or phrase that is used to find information on the internet. For example, if you were looking for information about “writing”, you might type in “writing tips” into a search engine. If your goal was to find articles on writing tips, then you would also add the word “tips” into your search query.
Keyword research can be done by manually searching for keywords in popular search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Amazon and reading through their results pages.
You can also use tools such as Google Trends or Keyword Tool to help identify potential keywords for content marketing purposes based on how often they are searched.
The aim of conducting keyword analysis is to find a topic that is searched a lot but has fewer results on Google (in other words, less competition high search volume keyword).
And when you find it, you can then use it to optimize your title, meta descriptions, and headings of the article.
How to use PPC campaigns to drive traffic to a new blog
What is a PPC campaign?
A PPC campaign is a type of marketing that uses Pay Per Click (PPC) advertisements on search engines.
A PPC campaign can be an effective way to reach a specific audience and increase your brand awareness. It is also one of the most affordable methods to market a product or service, as it requires less investment than other traditional marketing methods.
PPC campaigns have a number of different use cases.
Bloggers and marketers can use PPC campaigns to drive traffic to their blogs. It is an effective way to generate leads for your business and build your list.
Step 6: Monetize Your Blog
Once your blog becomes popular, you can start making money. There are many ways to monetize your blog, including selling ad space, writing your own e-books and books related to your blog, promoting affiliate products, selling goods or services directly to your readers, and asking for donations.
What is the best way to monetize my blog?
One of the easiest ways to monetize a blog is through affiliate marketing. This basically means that you earn money from the products you recommend. To do this, you’ll need a blog that primarily talks about topics relevant to the products you want to promote.
For example, if you’re a blogger who is into fitness and health, consider promoting fitness-related items like supplements and exercise equipment. Once people read your blog posts and start following your recommendations, they’ll go straight to the website of that product.
What to do next
Congratulations!
You have learned how to start a blog as a beginner. Use these exact steps to launch your next website online. Remember to check affordable hosting here.
How to Start a Blog FAQ
How do bloggers get paid?
Bloggers get paid in different ways. Some bloggers get paid to write content for a company, while others are paid by the hour. Some bloggers get paid on a per-post basis, while others are paid by the number of visitors their blog receives. The most common way for bloggers to be paid is through advertising revenue. Bloggers often receive money from companies that have sponsored their blogs such as a certain brand or product. Bloggers also might be able to make money through affiliate marketing, which is when they recommend products and services to their readers in exchange for a commission on any sales made.
How do I start a blog with no money?
There are lots of ways to start a blog without money, but the most popular way is to use WordPress.com. WordPress is an open-source web publishing platform that allows users to create their own websites. It is easy to set up and use, and there are tons of tutorials available online. If you want to start a blog without spending any money, then you should consider using WordPress.
Does it cost money to start a blog?
Yes, it does cost money to start a blog. You will need to buy a domain name and hosting space. And depending on the blogging platform you picked, you may be required to buy themes and plugins.