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Blogging is a great way to share your passion with the world. Whether you just want to start a blog for yourself or for your business, it's a fun and easy way to put your content out there and connect with like-minded people! Whatever you do, don't let the technology scare you-- it's far simpler than it sounds! So read on to find how easy it can be to do yourself!
How to start a blog in 7 steps:
1) Choose a topic and goal for your website (this will help you establish your budget).
- Do you want to make money?
- Share your passion?
- Journal experiences?
- Hobby blog?
- Business blog?
2) Choose WordPress hosted (free) or self hosted($$$).
To give you an idea of what is what:
- WordPress Hosted: Free, WordPress keeps your files & posts on their server. This option limits you with regard to design, plugins, and ads. I recommend starting with this option if it is just for fun, or you just want to start experimenting. Just go to WordPress.com and choose "getting started."
- Self Hosted: Costs money, you PICK a host to keep your files on their server (think "file cabinet"), custom design, can use plug-ins to add functionality to your website, and you are allowed to run ads from various networks to monetize your site. This is the best option to choose if you are making a website/blog for your business or want to make money.
3) Choose a domain name (mynewblog.com) and purchase it.
This is not required if you decide to create a FREE blog at WordPress.com, just go there and get started. If you are going the self hosted route, you'll need to purchase a domain name.
4) (Self hosted only) Choose your host and purchase your hosting plan.
Who you want to host your website depends a lot on how many visitors you plan to have. Most people start out on a shared hosting account (the cheapest option) at somewhere like Bluehost. As your blog traffic grows, you may find yourself needing to switch hosts down the line to better fix your needs.
Most popular hosts (I've used the first 3):
- Bluehost (better customer service, a little more $$ than godaddy)
- Web Synthesis (more expensive, but what I use)
- WPEngine (most expensive, for a very high traffic blog) http://wpengine.com
If you are just starting out, I recommend Bluehost.
5) Choose your THEME.
What is a theme? A theme determines the look and feel of your website, kind of like a template. If you are doing a self hosted site, I personally only use and recommend the Genesis Framework their Child Themes. You can view them here. Don't waste your time on a cheap or free theme (the code is not always solid, and that means security issues). This website is built was built on the METRO PRO theme (but now I use the Foodie theme, also a Genesis Child Theme).
6) (Self hosted only) Install WordPress on your server, and then install your theme.
7) Start blogging and customizing your site!
Now it's the fun part. You get to use WordPress to customize your site! WordPress is super easy to use, and if you have any trouble there are a bunch of great tutorials on YouTube to help you out! 🙂
Blogging challenges and tips:
- Don't be afraid of taking your own pictures! But consider upgrading from your iphone. Quality pictures go a long way for getting traffic. TIP: Invest in a DSLR camera. I use this one.
- Building an audience takes time and patience. The Butter Nutrition blog took about 2 years to establish a good sized readership. TIP: Keep writing and don't worry about readership at first.
- Don't let the technology curve stop you. I promise everything is very learn-able and figure-outable, sometime you just need a little help from Google and YouTube to get your questions answered. TIP: Google is your friend-- use it!
- Don't worry about making money in the first year. Until your readership grows, there is no reason to spend time on ads and affiliates just yet.
- Don't be afraid to limit your audience to a particular niche. You can't be everything to everyone, so don't try.
- Don't go it alone. Connect with others in your niche and learn from each other. TIP: Find relevant groups on Facebook and ask questions!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do bloggers make money?
- Running ads like Adsense (by Google) and other ad networks. However, I don't recommend running ads until you have at least 20,000 unique visitors a month. The Butter Nutrition blog uses Yieldbot, Adsense and Amazon ad networks currently.
- Affiliate relationships: Sign up to be an affiliate for companies you love, and if your readers make a purchase by clicking your affiliate link you make a commission. Again-- it's best to stay true to your brand and only promote products you use yourself. I personally use Amazon Affiliates the most.
- Other affiliations: Butter Nutrition is an independent distributor for Young Living essential oils because I love the products and it's a perfect complement to my brand. Again, only promote products you trust and use personally!
- By selling your own products and services.
How much does blogging cost?
- If you create a free blog on wordpress.com, it barely costs a thing. You can move your free blog to self hosted down the line when you audience grows).
- If you have a low traffic blog (less than 20k visitors/month) hosting will run you less than $20/month.
- The more traffic you get, the more you have to pay to keep your blog loading quickly with high blog traffic (which can cost hundreds of dollars a month).
Other expenses to consider:
- Are you going to have a newsletter that people can subscribe to? Butter Nutrition currently uses Convertkit for email marketing.
- Will all your photographs be original, or will you need to purchase stock images? I don't recommend using free images off of Google image search as you could get in trouble with copyrights if your blog grows. I personally get my images from depositphotos.com.
How to grow your blog:
- Write great content that you are passionate about!
- Write MORE content!
- Network with other bloggers in your niche
- Social media: Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook accounts are a must for sharing your work with the world!
- Search engine optimization (SEO) this is how people find your blog by using Google
How can you edit photos and images?
- Picmonkey.com is a great online tool for editing photos and adding cool fonts to your pictures and is FREE. Probably the most popular free software used by bloggers.
The best thing about starting a blog is getting to use your own ideas to build something from scratch all by yourself! It's definitely a learning adventure, but anyone can do it and be successful if you are passionate, patient and persistent!
Do you have any questions about blogging? Leave them below!
Photo Credit: Depositphotos.com/ivaleks
Affiliate Link Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Please note: using an affiliate link does not change the price of the product, instead the seller pays Butter Nutrition a small commission. My thoughts on these products are my own. I only refer to products I use myself or in my practice. Thank you!
Paid Endorsement Disclosure: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
Lori
This was very interesting right now I'm working on sharing my story,(holistic, natural way of life) on goggle+, if you have any ideas please let me know.
Deborah
Hi Catherine,
First, thanks for the great article. I am just beginning my blog and a grateful for help.
My question; I understand the need for a disclaimer. I notice that you and others have a small one at the bottom of each post and a more detailed one as a link. Is this common practice? Is it legally necessary?
Thank you for your help.
Catherine
Not sure what is common practice, since I am not a lawyer. I just like to make it extra clear to my readers, so there is no confusion. I'd rather be over stated 🙂
Abundantly,
Catherine
Esther
This is such a useful post, thank you.
Moses Brodin
Just want to say thank you for writing this post. I pinned it awhile back and it really helped me launch my first self hosted blog. I seriously don’t think I would have found studiopress on my own and the previous themes I tried left me in I’m-having-trouble-coding tears. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise!
Writer
I'm so glad to you for sharing this detailed guide on how to start a blog. That's really inspired and motivate me to start my own blog. I hope that you will continue doing this type of content for beginner bloggers.