You have probably heard of the new way to make money online by blogging, and if not that’s okay too! Today, I am going to show you how to make a blog and what benefits goes along with having your own blog. Whether it is for personal reasons or for business purposes, blogging comes with many hidden benefits and today is the day you should start!
How to Start a Blog (Guide for Beginners)
I know it can be scary for beginners and people who do not like to elaborate to others about your life, but trust me. In the end it will pay off and it will help you spread your wings and fly! Quite literally… Can you imagine quitting your 9-5 jobs, if you haven’t already and start writing about things you are passionate about? Does this not sound like the dream job for you?
You will not only make money but you can live your dreams too! Life is too short to continue doing something you are not happy with- and I do not mean to say that your current job does not make you happy, but I know having your own business will grant you more flexibility in your life to pursue your dreams. Now let’s roll with it and begin the process on how to start your own blog or aka your own way to freedom!
The Path To Freedom Starts Here:
#1. Think about the topic you want to blog about.
(Example: Food, Travel, Real Estate, Fashion, Finance)
#2. Pick the right name for your blog
#3. Register your domain
#4. Choose the platform your blog will use
#5. Select the right platform plan
#6. Design your website or hire a web designer
#7. Start writing your posts
#8. Build up your audience
#9. MAKE MONEY ☻
#10. Have FUN!
Coming up with a topic you can blog about takes time. You want this topic to be something you are passionate about, and something you feel you can write about for years to come. Of course you can have subtopics, but when somebody acknowledges your blog for providing good travel advice, you want to make sure that is what your audience is getting when they come to your page.
The same goes if you have a food blog. People will come to your blog for recipes and healthy eating advice- and so on. You are a smart person; you get what this whole topic advice is all about.
Choosing the perfect name for your blog is usually the biggest struggle of it all, but it doesn’t have to be. No matter how great the name you choose, if the information provided on the page is not good value, than your readers will not likely be back for a second time. Of course if you pick a catchy name, than readers might be inquisitive and click on your link faster.
That is always an added bonus. Also, when it comes to your branding- you will have you blog name all over that. Make sure it is something you will be proud of down the road. Don’t worry or spend too much time figuring it out, because it is still possible to change your domain name if you are not satisfied with it in the end. This is not recommended because the audience that you did attract in the beginning, might get confused and go to your old domain.
After you have found the right name for your blog, it is important to check to make sure there is not already another person using that same domain that you were hoping too! This happens SO often. Think about the web as real estate. There are so many properties with places on them. You might have wanted to start a store in a certain place but you can’t because there is already a building there.
The same goes for domains on the web. That domain might work perfect with your topic of choice, but unfortunately someone might have thought the same thing. It is not out of the ordinary to bid on a domain if you had your heart set on that specific one. You will be amazed to see that some domains go for thousands and thousands of dollars. So make sure you make the right decision when choosing your domain.
Next it is time to register your name. Who do you choose? Go-Daddy? It’s up to you who you want to register your domain with and which company offers you the best package. Look around and spend a few minutes researching this.
Now the hard decision is: which platform do I choose to have my website on? There are so many wonderful websites you can use to make your blog; it all comes down to personal preferences. I know the popular one for bloggers is: WordPress. WordPress is great but there are a lot of other great platforms to register with too!
Here are a few different platforms to research into:
- Squarespace
- Weebly
- Wix
- Hostgator
- Blogger
- Joomla
Once you have chosen the right platform to host your blog, the next step is choosing the right package. Do you sign up on a monthly basis or do you make the leap of faith and sign up for 1 year. If you decided to do the annual package, this will save you a lot of money. However, it will only save you the money if you blog is still up and running.
If you decide after one or two months that this is something you are not interested in pursuing, than doing month by month is a better idea. I know you are thinking, how am I supposed to know that now? Well if blogging is a new idea and not something you have been thinking about for a while, then starting on a month-to-month basis is recommended.
The Fun Part Is Here:
If you have come this far in your blogging career, you are one step closer to making money with blogging. Of course this is the part where you might have to spend a bit of money in order to make some money. If you are good at graphic and web designing, good on you! This part should be easy for you. On the other hand, if graphic designing and web designing is not something you excel in- then finding the right person to do this part of the job for you would be beneficial in the long run.
You want to make sure your website is appealing to your viewers and is user friendly. Making a website user friendly can be very difficult if you have no idea what you are doing. There are many websites out there that are willing to help you learn and they provide good templates to get you started. I would highly recommend Squarespace if you are looking for good templates that are very user friendly.
It’s all part of the fun when blogging, trying to make the perfect image that describes you and your business. Try making it on your own first, and if it’s too difficult than hire someone. There is no point spending more money if you don’t need too! When you become a blogger that is something you will learn. Spare the extra cash here and there.
Now it’s time to begin writing! This is what matters the most when it comes to your blogging career. Your content defines your business. Was it catchy and informative enough for me to come back? Remember at the end of the day, you want it to be so catchy that if you read it on someone else’s website you would return for more!
There is so much general content out there that by being a little creative, it could go a long way. The more creative you are with your posts, the more viewers will return back for more. Make your posts fun, engaging and informative. A good way to get more audience to your page is by starting off with a giveaway. Give something away that will attract some readers to your page.
This is all a form of marketing and who doesn’t love free stuff. In the end you will build up your audience and hopefully when they follow your page- they will be provided with information that will benefit them in one way or another.
Lastly…
The last thing and most important thing to do is: HAVE FUN!
You have made the initiative to make a life on your own and it’s not always as easy as it may sound. You will be surrounded with obstacles that you will need to overcome. Just like with any business owner. It’s easy for the employees who work there because they do what they are told, but when it comes down to the owner who has to make the decisions… that’s when the tough part arises.
However if you are successful I can guarantee it will be worth it and you will have fun doing it. Especially when you start making some good money. You will have EVEN more fun that you did when you were creating this. The blogging community is such a great group of people, that if you have any questions- someone will be able to help you! It’s always good to network and meet like minded people.
There will come a time where you could use a little help and finding that person who has been there and done that; might be your answer! Cheers and I hope this post has given you motivation and inspiration along with the necessary advice you need in order to start your blogging career! 🙂
