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So you want to know how to create a blog?
Then you arrived at the right place.
This is a free, step by step guide that will help you get set up quickly and give you tools to make great money blogging.
But who am I to tell you how to start a blog?
I donât want to bore you all with my story but what I will say is blogging has proved to have been an amazing journey for me so far.
Itâs allowed me to quit my full-time job and escape a work environment that I often found to be very stressful (Iâm sure you can relate).
Today, I work half as much time as I used to and make more money than I ever did before.
I guess the point Iâm trying to make is that there is no reason why you canât do the same too!
So with that in mind, grab a drink, sit back and we can begin this step by step guide on exactly how to start a blog.
Oh and stick around to the end because Iâve included a bonus for youđ.
Contents
What Is A Blog?
A blog is essentially a website that produces content on a specific subject or niche.
How does that differ from other websites?
Content on a blog tends to be more informal and laidback.
In other words, you donât have to watch what you say as much.
Why is that important?
Because it allows you to be yourself more.
That canât be said about many things in the world today am I right?
Here is how I like to think about it:
[bctt tweet=âHaving a blog is like owning a little corner of the web â username=â MoneyEquationâ]
And since you own it, you can do what you like with it!
Common reasons for creating a blog include:
- Journaling
- Sharing knowledge
- Connecting with others
- Making money
So itâs fair to say blogging can be rewarding in more ways than one.
Key Takeaway: A blog is like your own little space on the web
Can You Make Money Blogging?
I get this question all the time and itâs understandable.
My answer is always yes.
In fact, you can make excellent money.
I currently make $3,000/month which is amazing when you consider these points:
- Iâve only had this blog for a 1 1/2 years
- I had no prior experience writing content
- I knew next to nothing about running a website
- My blog is still tiny in comparison to others in my niche
Now Iâm not trying to say itâs easy money or promote some kind of âget rich quick schemeâ.
Far from it.
Just like everything in life worth doing, it can take some time.
But what I am trying to say is my hard work paid off, so there is no reason why yours wouldnât either.
And guess what, if you create a blog and stick to it here are the sorts of numbers you could achieve.
(These examples are taken from my niche đ)
So itâs fair to say the earnings can be life-changing.
I hope thatâs answered any doubts you may have had if any.
So now you know you can make great money blogging, what are your next steps?
Great Questionđ
Just follow these next few steps in order and youâll be set up in no more than 15 minutes!
Key Takeaway: Making money blogging is no joke
Choosing A Niche
First things first, when you create a blog, youâre going to need a topic(s).
You should hopefully already have a few ideas in mind!
But for those of you that donât, Iâve got you coveredđ.
Blogâs are commonly about 1 of these 3 things:
- A passion of yours- We all have topics we are interested in. Whether it be pogo hopping, skydiving or even watching crazy cats videos online, there is an audience out there that share the same interests as you.
- A blog about yourself- You may think that writing solely about yourself can give off the wrong impression, however, this is very popular in the world of blogging. Successful bloggers document travels, adventures or perhaps an unusual/interesting job they may have.
- Experience(s) youâve had- People read blogs to resonate with others, learn or perhaps to have a laugh. Writing about your life experiences can be valuable to people.
Key Takeawayâ Some people have a passion for pogo-hoppingđ
Picking A Niche
Next up is choosing a name.
It seems easy but it can often throw people off because they overthink it.
Try not to do this!
Easier said than done I know.
Iâd personally spend the next 5 minutes brainstorming ideas.
If youâre stuck, here are a few things to consider:
- How Recognisable is itâ Try to involve your niche in some way or another.
- Quirkinessâ I think itâs very important to stand out, being quirky can help you. However, donât try to be so different that people miss the point or even worse, become confused as to what your name is about.
- length-The longer the name the harder it is for people to recall it.
Iâve managed to make this process easier for you with the feature below.
It allows you to check the availability of your chosen domain namesđ.
Tipâ Try your best to get a .com domain as these are the most frequently searched
If you are still struggling, donât worry about it.
You can always come back to it.
Itâs not vital you have your domain name from the offset.
So either way, we can move on to the next step nowđ.
Key Takeaway: Donât overthink it
Get Your Blog Started With Bluehost
You may think that we are about to get into the technical stuff, but I can assure you that itâs very simple.
Iâll take you through the whole process step by step to make it as easy as possible for you.
There are many companies offering host packages, but I always personally recommend Bluehost for those of you who are starting out blogging.
I believe itâs the best option for these reasons:
- WordPress has been recommending Bluehost since 2005
- They proudly display on their homepage that they host over 2 million blogs/websites.
- They have a money-back guarantee for unsatisfied customers
- One of the only hosting companies that offer payment monthly (most are annual)
- 24/7 customer support
- Built-in marketing services, tools and paid ad credentials
- Hassle-free WordPress installation on all accounts
(If you want to find out more, I have created a full Bluehost review)
Iâve also personally used this company for a handful of my blogs in the past and Iâve never had any issues with them.
Disclosure: Bluehost compensate me if you purchase a plan through any of my links at no extra cost to you.
Step 1: Click here to get access to the offer below and press âget startedâ
Step 2: Choose A Plan
Youâll be taken to this page below where you have the option to choose a plan, press select when youâve found the one right for you.
Know that all offers are of great value for each plans respective features.
What I would say however is that if you are new to setting up websites, go with the basic plan.
Itâs got everything youâll need as a beginner.
And remember that you can change your plan in the future if you need to!
Step 3: Enter Your Blogâs Domain
Here all you need to do is enter the domain name that you decided on earlier into the box on the left.
Simply hit next to be taken to the registration page.
Side note: If you didnât come up with a domain name yet, you can always click the pop up that says âChoose domain laterâ.
This means you can get everything else important setup and not feel pressed into thinking about it too much.
Step 4: Fill Out Your Details On The Registration Page
After filling this in, you can choose your package and any add ons.
Some things to consider:
- All of the add ons available to you are not compulsory or essential for every blog. Itâs down to you what features you would like. Donât forget that you can always leave them all unticked and add them to your blog down the line.
- Make sure you read all the content in the âmore informationâ link if you are interested in any of the add ons.
- The longer your subscription, the cheaper the monthly rate. Again, think back to the question I posed to you earlier to help you decide.
Now just create a password and fill in the details.
Once youâve done that youâll officially have your own blogđ„ł!
Blog Customization
So Iâm going to assume by this point you have you hosting sorted as you wonât be able to see the following layouts below.
Now youâve created a blog you can customise it however you would like.
Iâve split this topic down into section so we can tackle each one at a time.
Appearance
When you sign up with Bluehost, youâll be pitched some recommended themes for your blog.
You can preview each one and choose the one you like the look of.
If you ever want to change your theme, it can be found under the âAppearance section.
To equip it, simply hover over the one you like and click âactivateâ.
If you find that the free themes available to you donât have the features youâre looking for, paid themes are also an option.
Donât get me wrong the free themes have some good features, but down the line, youâll most likely want to buy a paid theme.
This is because they take into account important qualities that your blog needs such as:
- Responsiveness
- Mobile friendly
- Support
- Navigate
- Lead magnet option
If you are interested in the theme Iâm using, you can check it out here.
But if your just getting started, free themes are perfectly suitable.
To equip a new theme simply hover over the one you like and click âactivateâ.
Now, as you may have figured out, the column on the left-hand side is your WordPress administration area.
Thatâs where youâll find everything you need to customise, create and grow.
My view will likely be different to yours due to the plugins (more on this later) I have installed but I recommend having a look through the default sections.
This will help you familiarise yourself with the interface.
How To Write A Blog Post
Now letâs get into how to create a blog post.
Itâs a very simple process that Iâll take through.
On the left-hand side towards the top hover over âpostsâ and click on âadd newâ
Once on the page above, add a title at the top.
Then scroll down and press the blue box that says âadd text blockâ
Once youâve pressed this, it will produce a text box with some prewritten text, simply hover over the box and click the green pen.
A text box with writing tools will pop up- just clear the pre-written text and youâre ready to write!
To publish a piece of content, hit âsave changesâ then click publish on the right-hand side.
(Please note: Make sure you do this each time as it will delete your content up until your last save )
Now you know how to create a blog post, letâs look at content creation.
Content Ideas
Even though youâve chosen to write about a topic that interests you (hopefully), we can all be stuck for ideas on what to write about on our blogs.
(when creating a blog post, try to consider these each time)
Iâve compiled a list of questions to help spark some creativity from within you:
- What articles have been successful and popular relating to your niche?
- What questions do users consistently ask?
- Is there anything in the industry that no one what to tackle?
- Is there a viewpoint you hold that is contradictory to popular opinion?
- What would you enjoy reading about?
So in essence, just deep dive into the topic.
Key Takeaway: Content is king
Promoting Your Blog
Once youâve produced some content and are happy with the overall appearance of you blog, its time to get promoting.
Here is a breakdown of the best ways to attract attention online:
- Social mediaâ What better way to get your blog out there than sharing it on social mediums like Pinterest, Twitter Instagram etc
- Forumsâ Forums are a great way to immerse yourself in a community and promote you content. Just make sure you donât spam!
- Advertising platformsâ This is a great way to promote articles on your blog for money. Promotion mediums include AdWords, Pinterest ads, Taboola.
These are all great ways to get your blog out then, the process of getting people to your site consistently will take some work but you do you reap the rewards!
How To Make Money Blogging
One of the great things about having a blog is that there are a whole host of ways in which you can make money.
Letâs take a look at some.
1. Sponsored Blog Content- Writing a dedicated post or mentioning a brand on your blog for money.
2. Affiliate programsâ An affiliate is someone who promotes products and/or services for other companies in exchange for a commission.
3. Blog Advertisementsâ By putting ads on your site, youâll get paid every time a desirable action happens. A platform like Google Adsense is great for beginners.
4. Sell Online Courses- Digital products, particularly courses are a great way to make money from your knowledge. You can sell these courses an infinite amount of times and you donât even need to store it!
The Best Plugins
The last step in learning how to create a blog has to do with implementing plugins.
Plugins are exactly as they sound, additional software that can be integrated into your blog.
To access them simply hover over the plugin button and youâll find you can view your current âinstalled pluginsâ and âadd newâ to search for more.
To search for a new plugin all you need to do is go to add new and then on the right-hand side youâll see âsearch pluginsâ
Although there are tens of thousands of plugins out there to choose from, here are a few I recommend when your first getting started:
- Yoastâ Helps with all-things SEO
- Jetpack- Bring a whole host of feature in one place (including monetization etc)
- MailChimp- helps you build an email list
- Securi- Site security
- Wp-fastest cache- Improves site speed
The other apps are all optional and you can choose which ones you think are important for your particular blog.
Final Thoughts On Creating A Blog
So thatâs it you have just learnt how to create a blog!
I hope you found this helpful, it took me a great deal of time to put this one together.
As promised here is your bonus when you sign up for our email list đ.
If you are interested and want to support The Money Equation, consider checking out some of our previous posts.
Money management app reviews:
Note: If youâre stuck donât give up, you can always send me an email.
Dan@the-money-equation.com
Put the subject line as âNeed help on how to create a blogâ
Iâll do my best to reply ASAP
Also if you think this guide on how to create a blog had anything missing, be sure to comment below so I can make necessary improvements!