Many people have told me they’d like to start a blog, but they have no idea where to begin. I’m not an expert by any means, but I’m always happy to share the little knowledge I have.
Why Start a Blog?
My answer to that is, why not start a blog?
Blogging is an enjoyable hobby. It’s the perfect way to share your thoughts with the rest of the world.
There are so many topics you could write about – health, food, fashion, music, travelling, a favourite hobby, politics or just life in general. Anything goes. If you feel passionate about something and you want to write about it, it’s guaranteed that someone somewhere will be interested in reading it.
As well as being enjoyable, blogging can be therapeutic. It’s a great way to share your knowledge and experiences and it could actually help someone. This is especially so if you live with health problems because one person’s experience can make another sufferer feel less alone with their illness. Blogging about health problems can also create much-needed awareness.
Most bloggers choose one topic to write about. That topic is known as their niche. However, you don’t have to stick to only one topic. It’s your blog, therefore, you can write about whatever you choose.
Start a Blog in Simple Steps
So what now? You’ve got lots of thoughts you’d like to write about.
How do you turn your thoughts into a blog?
This is a simple guide to help get you started.
Step 1. Choose a Blogging Platform
The platform is where you will write. There are a few platforms to choose from eg WordPress, Blogger, Weebly, Squarespace.
Without a doubt, the most common is WordPress. It’s user friendly and it’s also said to be more highly regarded by search engines and obviously, if you’re writing, you want your blog to be found in a search engine.
Since WordPress is the most used blogging platform, there is a wealth of information on the net about it.
However, it becomes a wee bit confusing because you need to choose between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
WordPress.com or WordPress.org?
When I first started this blog, I used the .com version simply because I didn’t know any better at the time. (Also known as I didn’t do any research!) A year later, I migrated my blog to .org.
That proves that whatever you choose at the beginning doesn’t have to be set in stone forever.
The basic writing platform is the same on both options, however, there are a few differences in what you can do.
WordPress.com
WordPress technically owns your blog if you use the .com version. You might be a bit restricted in what you can do. For example, you can’t customise some things or monetise your blog.
The positive is that you can set up a blog on WordPress.com totally free of charge. It’s basic but adequate and it can give you space to share your thoughts.
However, if your blog is free, your domain name (website address) might not be exactly as you want it. For example, I pay for my blog, therefore my domain name is https://despitepain.com. If I was using a free package on WordPress.com, my domain name would look like this – https://despitepain.wordpress.com which is a wee bit of a mouthful. But doing that would let you get the feel of blogging and cost you nothing.
WordPress.com does have other packages which give more flexibility. The personal package costs around $48/£36 per year. It’s the same as the free version but it will allow you to have your own domain name. They do have other plans which will give you slightly more freedom, but they are expensive.
WordPress.org
WordPress.org means that your blog is classed as being self-hosted and is owned by you. There are no restrictions at all. You can choose your domain name, design and customise your blog and you will be able to monetise it should you wish. You can add widgets, apps and plugins. You have total freedom.
However, you do need to find a company to host your blog for you.
Step 2. Find a Host
You can ignore this part if you have decided to use WordPress.com. But if you use the .org version, you’ll need a host.
This part can seem complicated but it doesn’t need to be. Two things to consider are your budget and how much technical support you’ll need.
- Your Budget
Packages on hosting companies range in price, but a lot aren’t what they seem. Many offer a very cheap price as a special offer to entice you in. But they often don’t make it entirely clear that it’s only a short term special offer after which, the price might shoot up. Always check the small print. - Technical Support
If you’re used to blogging, you might find you don’t need a lot of technical support. However, if you’re new to this, you’ll want to ensure you use a hosting company which offers good support. Some do. Others don’t. Some say they offer good support but definitely don’t.
Choosing the right host is important. Ask other bloggers for advice and read plenty of reviews.
Which Host Do I Use?
I use a company called Lyrical Host. Their price is reasonable in comparison with other companies. There are absolutely no hidden fees. The price they say is the price you pay. Lyrical Host is a friendly company with a very personal touch. I’ve been with them for a while now and can say that their support is second to none. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
Click here to read my review of Lyrical Host
If you decide to choose them, you can get a 10% discount using my discount code on that link.
I wouldn’t recommend them if I didn’t think they were good.
Now You Have a Blog, You Can Start to Make it Your Own
Now that you have a platform to write on and a host, you can start to focus on a name and customise your blog so it looks the way you want it to look.
Step 3. Decide on a Name
Take time over this because you don’t want to have to change it a few months down the line.
Your blog name could be your own name or it could be a name to reflect what your blog is about. Ideally, you want it to be memorable and catchy like Melody’s Music or Trisha’s Travels.
Your blog name can be whatever you choose, but you’ll also have to choose a domain name which will be the web address.
It’s good to have your blog name and your domain name the same, however, that’s not always possible as the web address may already be in use by someone else.
I was lucky because I had decided to call my blog Despite Pain and that was available as a domain name.
Most hosting companies have an option for you to purchase a domain name through them. Doing that saves dealing with two separate companies.
Tips on Getting Your Domain Name
- Check All Extensions If your choice isn’t available using a .com extension, check its availability using .net, .org, .co.uk etc
- Alter the Domain Name If the name isn’t available, you might be able to adapt the domain name slightly so that it’s still similar to your choice of blog name. For example, if your blog name is Trisha’s Travels but the domain trishastravels isn’t available, your domain could be trishtravels or TrishasTravelBlog.
Step 5. Customise Your Blog
All the platforms have themes you can choose from. I use a WordPress theme called Lovecraft. I like it because I was able to customise the colours to suit what I had in mind. You can pay for a theme, but there are many free themes to choose from. Mine is free.
Once you have your theme, you can then select widgets and menus to show on your blog. If you look at my sidebar, you’ll see I have chosen buttons linking to my social media pages, along with categories and recent posts.
You’ll be able to play around with various themes and widgets until you’re happy with the design.
You could also create a logo for your blog and write an “About Me” page so that people get to know who you are.
Step 6. Start Writing Your Blog
When you start your blog, writing that first post can be a bit daunting. It’s the white space problem. It happens to everyone. You’ll be fine. Just take a deep breath and start writing.
There are lots of suggestions online about how long a blog post should be and how often you should write. But ultimately, that’s up to you. It’s your blog, so you can decide what and when to write.
You might have come across the importance of the letters SEO when you write a post. Those letters stand for Search Engine Optimisation. Basically, it means you want to make your post stand out so that search engines like Google find it, like it and show it to people when they search. Again, it sounds more complicated than it really is.
However, SEO is too big a topic for me to explain in a small paragraph. This website has a beginner’s guide which will help you. If you use the WordPress.org platform, you can also install a plugin like Yoast which will help with this.
Step 7. Share Your Blog
If you’re blogging, you’ll want people to read it, therefore, you’ll need to share it. Sharing on social media pages can help you to build an audience. If you’re blogging regularly, it’s a good idea to join some blogging groups initially to get some help with sharing your posts.
You might also want to set up social media pages and a Pinterest account to make it easier for people to find your blog.
Step 8. (Optional) Monetise Your Blog
If you google “how to monetise your blog”, you will find numerous posts claiming that you can make a fortune very quickly from your blog. The truth is that many of those posts are telling you lies.
If you do want to make some money, it is possible, but it normally comes with time and effort.
You can be an affiliate for various companies (for example, your blog host or Amazon). This means that you can earn a commission if someone purchases a product you recommend. You could also write sponsored posts or reviews. Those are done in return for payment and/or goods. You could advertise for companies or you could sell your own products on your blog.
Blogging really is a fun hobby and a great way to reach people with your thoughts, ideas and knowledge.
If you’d like to start a blog, I hope this post helps you. It’s a basic guide but will hopefully get you started.