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Blogging has been around for so long that it’s hard to imagine what a blog used to be like. You may have grown up reading blogs, but the content and technology are wildly different from those early days of blogging. If you’re thinking about starting your own blog today, here is a guide on how start one in 7 easy steps.
The “how to start a blog for free” is an article that shows you how to start a blog in 7 easy steps. The article also includes the “Must Have” text.
How to establish a blog and generate money may be done in only seven steps. A blog may be launched in a single day, but it usually takes three to six months for it to get momentum in terms of Google rankings and revenue. The methods outlined below may help you boost the success of your blog.
When beginning a blog, you’ll need to decide on a blogging platform and, maybe, a hosting provider. Bluehost, where you can host your WordPress site for just $2.95 a month, is a great option if you want to avoid problems and issues.
Bluehost is a great place to start.
To establish a money-making blog, follow these seven easy steps:
1. Choose the kind of blog you’d want to start.
Choosing a topic to write about is the first step in starting a blog. You may already have a solid notion of what you want your blog to be about. However, there are key elements you should be aware of in order to choose a niche with genuine income potential.
“You need to focus on a niche that you can properly service.” By doing so, you significantly reduce your competitors. At any time of day, people prefer something that caters to their individual requirements than a generic piece of material. Because it appealed to the special target demographic of nerds who want to be healthy, Nerdfitness became a popular blog in a short amount of time, despite the fact that there were already other fitness blogs.”
— Ted Chong, Digital Senior Blogger
Different Types of Blogs
There are many Different Types of Blogs you can start and each appeals to a different niche audience. The best type of blog for you is one where you already possess deep skills and experience or where you have a strong passion for the subject.
Some of the most popular Different Types of Blogs include:
- Food blogs: If you like cooking and inventing new recipes, you may want to consider starting a food blog, which is one of the most popular online niches.
- Fitness and wellness blogs: If you’re passionate about health and fitness, consider starting a wellness blog.
- Business blogs: These Different Types of Blogs tend to focus on a narrow set of business needs and interests, such as leadership, entrepreneurship, or business growth strategies.
- Travel blogs: If you have a strong desire to travel and adventure, you should consider creating a travel blog.
- Lifestyle blogs are a popular blogging niche that focuses on a certain set of lifestyle choices, hobbies, and distinctive preferences that are expressed from the blogger’s point of view.
- Craft blogs: There’s a lot of demand for do-it-yourself craft ideas, so if the notion of sharing your crafting expertise appeals to you, you may want to consider starting a craft blog.
- Finance blogs include topics such as how to save money, how to invest money, how to live on a budget, and other topics connected to personal or corporate finances.
- Sports blogs: If you like sports, you may want to establish a blog dedicated to your favorite team or sport.
- Mommy blogs cover a wide range of topics including parenting, homemaking, and the personal issues that moms encounter.
- You may write about movies, television, music, theater, and celebrities on entertainment blogs.
- Fashion and beauty blogs usually discuss fashion trends, cosmetics, hair, and many sorts of beauty products and routines.
- Hobby blogs: You may write about whatever hobby you choose, from model trains to gardening, and anything in between.
It is entirely up to you the sort of blog you create. Simply choose a field with which you are comfortable relating, since your ability to engage your blog’s readers is critical to generating money blogging.
On her renowned site, lifestyle blogger Joanna Goddard discusses a wide range of issues.
Researching Keywords
You want to write about things that people are looking for since it is the most effective approach to get your blog noticed. You won’t be able to generate money if no one knows about your blog.
If your goal is to have your blog posts rank on the first page of search engine results, then it’s important to research keywords to see how much search traffic different terms get. Researching Keywords also helps you understand how much competition there is for the keywords you’re targeting.
The best free tool for doing Researching Keywords is Google’s Keyword Planner. It is easy to use, but you will need to set up a Google AdWords account to access the Keyword Planner tool.
You may improve your chances of ranking well in Google’s search results by generating blog entries focusing on high traffic and low competition topics. View our guide for the finest strategies on how to rank high on Google.
Google’s Term Planner may help you figure out how many people are searching for a certain keyword and how competitive it is.
2. Making Money With Your Blog
The most common mistake made by new bloggers is neglecting to consider how they would monetize their sites. If you want to earn money from your blog, you should think about how you’ll make money before you start.
Affiliate marketing, putting adverts to your site, selling items or services, and having paid sponsorships for your blog entries are some of the most common methods to earn money from blogging.
You don’t have to be ready to sell anything on Day One if you intend to sell things or services on your blog. However, if you want to make money from your site, you need have something to sell within the first six months.
“Although bloggers don’t need to sell anything right away, I advocate having a product or service ready to go within the first six months of establishing a blog to prevent turning it into an expensive hobby.” A well-defined income stream must be included in the company strategy from the start. The world of blogging is competitive, so the more preparation you can do to start building a successful company, the better off you’ll be.”
— Alexis Mathews, Marketing Strategist & SEO Specialist, Premier Executive Media
Check out our popular article on how much bloggers make if you want to learn more about how to make money as a blogger. The suggestions offered will assist you in getting started with your money-making blogging endeavors.
3. Select a Blogging Platform
Blog platforms are divided into two categories. The first alternative is to host your blog on a third-party site. While this option is often free, it has considerable limits in terms of blog design, revenue, and search engine exposure. The second alternative is to construct a self-hosted blog using a content management system (CMS) and a hosting firm such as BlueHost, which can be done for as low as $2.95. The greatest approach to generate money online is to start your own self-hosted blog.
Create a blog on a different website.
WordPress.com, Blogger, and Medium are just a few of the free blogging platforms available. The benefit of these websites is that they link you to a community of other bloggers.
However, there are a number of drawbacks to having your blog hosted on another domain, including:
- There is no custom domain: You don’t acquire your own unique domain name since you don’t have one (ex: yourbusiness.com vs yourwebsite.wordpress.com). As a result, your authority as a blogger may suffer.
- You won’t be able to completely monetise your site because of monetization concerns. When it comes to making money on your blog, free blogging platforms have tight guidelines.
- You’re at danger since you don’t have complete control over your website. If the website that hosts your blog goes down, your personal blog will go away with it.
- Weaker search ranks: You may have restricted SEO control, which might have a detrimental influence on your Google page rankings.
- On these sorts of sites, you have design and HTML code limits. As a result, you won’t be able to design the blog precisely way you want it.
Create a blog on a different website. if you are less serious about your blog and just want a fun way to share your thoughts and experiences with others. If you decide to go this route, consider opening a free blog account on WordPress.com, which also offers several upgrade options that will allow you to grow your blog.
The WordPress.com dashboard allows you to personalize the appearance of your blog.
Create a Blog of Your Own
In terms of site design and profitability, a self-hosted blog provides a lot of flexibility. You’ll need a self-hosted website if you want to generate money from your blog. It’s critical to remember that every company need a website, and a blog should be included in your strategy.
The following are the most popular self-hosted blogging platforms:
- WordPress is the most popular blogging platform available today, and Bluehost works well with it. Bluehost offers self-hosted WordPress sites for as little as $2.95 per month. It takes less than 30 minutes to set up your blog with Bluehost.
- Squarespace: Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder that includes hosting. Squarespace’s simple website-building interface allows you to construct a gorgeous blog. Monthly rates begin at $12.
- Wix: This all-in-one website builder is regarded for being one of the most user-friendly methods to get started with blogging. For $13 per month, you can establish a Wix site. A comparison of Wix and WordPress may be found here.
- DreamHost and WordPress: DreamHost is another hosting option for WordPress. Plans start at $2.59 per month and do not need a full year commitment.
There are a plethora of alternative blogging platforms to explore. The alternatives listed below will undoubtedly fulfill your blogging requirements if you want to get your blog up and running fast and effortlessly.
4. Choose a Domain
If you want to create a self-hosted blog, you’ll need to choose a domain (example: yourblog.com). When you sign up for Bluehost’s hosting services, you’ll get a free name for the first year.
You may also buy your name independently from your hosting provider at companies such as Hover and Namecheap, where yearly domain prices range from $8 to $15. Domain renewal rates are often cheaper for domain registration-only websites than on hosting-only websites.
The following elements should be included in a good domain name:
- Description of your site: Ideally, just looking at the name of your blog will give visitors a sense of what you’re writing about. Minimalistbaker.com, for example, is a culinary site that features recipes with less than ten ingredients.
- Keywords: You want visitors to discover your blog while they’re looking for answers in your field of expertise on Google. People looking on Google will be able to notice that your site is relevant to their requirements if your principal keyword is included in your domain.
- The domain name is simple to remember and pronounce: If your website is difficult to pronounce or spell, it will be difficult for visitors to remember you. When picking a domain, be concise and utilize popular spellings.
With millions of blogs on the internet, finding a domain name that is not already used may take some time. The more unique your blog name is, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to get the domain you desire.
When you’ve identified a domain you like, buy it right away. Domain registration providers are well-known for keeping track of domain search queries and boosting the price of those that have been looked for but not bought.
5. Create a Blog Design
It’s time to design your blog once you’ve completed steps one through four of the blog-starting process. The method you use will be determined by the platform you are utilizing. Squarespace and Wix both include pre-made themes that you can utilize to personalize your site.
You’ll need to install WordPress if you opt to go with a WordPress site. This is made simple with Bluehost. Simply go to your BlueHost dashboard, scroll down to the website area, and click “Install WordPress” to begin the installation process.
Bluehost’s interface makes it simple to install WordPress.
Personalize and design your blog
If you’re utilizing SquareSpace or Wix, you may choose from a variety of templates available via these all-in-one platforms. You don’t need to be a graphic designer to start a blog since these themes manage crucial design elements for you.
Because of its stunning contemporary themes, many individuals select Squarespace as their blogging platform. Squarespace is a simple-to-use platform for bloggers with little design abilities who want to construct a professional-looking blog. On SquareSpace, there are 21 template families to pick from, for a total of 92 designs. Take a look at this collection of the top free Squarespace layouts.
Simply select a template and begin building your blog while using SquareSpace to create a blog.
If you choose Wix to build your blog, the Wix ADI will assist you in designing a site based on your responses to a few questions. You may also choose from one of Wix’s numerous templates. Wix, in fact, provides over 300 design templates from which to pick. Choose wisely, since you won’t be able to change layouts once your site is up and running.
Wix is regarded as one of the most user-friendly blog systems. In reality, Wix is an excellent platform for folks with less technical knowledge.
Wix has over 300 distinct blog layouts to choose from.
You’ll need to choose a theme for your self-hosted WordPress blog (WordPress.org), which is the top option for bloggers who wish to develop a money-making site. A WordPress theme is a design foundation or template for your website that allows you to alter it. There are many of WordPress themes to choose from, with many of them being free. However, you may wish to pick a paid theme since premium themes provide greater creative options.
You’ll have access to hundreds of free and paid themes if you host your blog with Bluehost. Installation is simple and fast, and you’re never locked into a single theme: you may switch themes at any moment.
Bluehost offers a responsive WordPress theme as an example.
Divi from Elegant Themes is a strong premium theme to consider if you want additional customization possibilities for your blog’s look. Divi is a theme that also contains a website page builder that is more user-friendly than WordPress’s default post editor. Divi is a popular page-builder tool among non-technical bloggers because it makes creating gorgeous, personalized pages a breeze. Divi subscriptions are $89 per year.
Finally, if you need assistance with the design of your blog, you may always hire a web designer or developer. Fiverr can assist you in finding the ideal freelancer to assist you in creating a stunning blog. Even better, freelancers on Fiverr are accessible for almost any budget.
On Fiverr, an example of a website design freelancer
6. Create content for your blog
It’s time to start adding material to your blog after your site has been created. This is one of the most important but least understood phases in the process for individuals who wish to learn how to create a blog. Content marketing is a strategy for providing value to your audience, establishing trust, and converting readers into buyers.
The Different Types of Blog Posts
There are many different The Different Types of Blog Posts you can add to your blog to engage readers and generate money. The most successful bloggers vary their content for maximum appeal to both new and returning visitors.
Here are some common blog post formats that you may use on your own site.
- Instructional posts: Show folks how to accomplish something. The most popular how-to entries are step-by-step instructions.
- Expert roundup posts: Collect feedback from a variety of experts in their industry on a certain issue or theme. Then, in a single post, combine all of the expert responses and add your own personal opinion.
- Choose a product or service and provide an impartial evaluation of it in a blog post. Compare features, choices, and pricing, among other things. Then tell your blog readers if you think they should buy the service or product and why.
- Posts about success: Everyone enjoys a good success story. Share an achievement you’ve experienced and the circumstances that contributed to your success. This is a fantastic approach to motivate your blog’s viewers.
- Interview posts: Conduct interviews with individuals to learn more about a subject you’d want to write about. You might conduct an interview with a subject matter expert or other individuals who have an opinion on what you’re writing about and want to share it.
You’ll quickly observe which sorts of articles attract visitors and which turn readers into paying customers if you experiment with various types of content. Take note of your accomplishments and do more of what works.
An example of a Fit Small Business roundup post
Content for Other Types of Blogs
Your blog will have more information than just blog entries. You should also include a “About Me” page, strong calls to action (CTAs), and maybe some Magnets made of lead for email capture. Depending on the sort of blog you have, you may want to add additional material. Some of the most useful blogging advice goes beyond article development.
Your “About Me” section
A robust About Me (or About Us) page is required in addition to blog post material. Because your About page is likely to be one of the most frequented on your whole site, provide material that highlights the various ways readers may benefit from being on your blog and gives them compelling reasons to stay.
Because your About Me page may be one of the most frequented on your site, you want it to greet visitors and reassure them that they’ve arrived at the correct place. Make an effort to be unique and communicative. Explain why you began your blog and how it may benefit your readers. Give a peek of your past and experience to increase your trustworthiness.
CTAs that are effective
Always include CTAs that are effective both within your blog posts and throughout all your pages. A CTA tells your visitors what you want them to do next. For example, you may want to send your visitors to a pillar post, which is a long-form post that best represents the purpose of your blog.
Another action you may want your site visitors to perform is to download a resource or tool you’ve made available. Magnets made of lead are these kind of products and resources, and they’re a great approach to create an email list.
Magnets made of lead
Getting fresh visitors to your website isn’t enough. You’ll need a technique to keep them coming back after they’ve arrived. Email marketing is a fantastic method to achieve this, but you won’t be able to do it successfully until you first create an email list.
You’ll need to set up a free business email account that comes with Bluehost’s plan. This is a crucial step since receiving an email from yourname@yourblog.com will seem more professional than receiving one from yourname@gmail.com.
Here are a few methods to acquire email addresses after you’ve set up your company email address:
- Make an e-book or PDF: Make an e-book or PDF containing content that isn’t on your website. Before visitors can obtain the free information and resources you’re offering, have them submit their email address.
- Create a weekly newsletter: Sending out a weekly newsletter will offer individuals a cause to give you their email address. You may have a pop-up on your page or just a box at the top of your website asking users to sign up for weekly advice.
You’re giving readers a cause to come back to your site by sending them frequent emails about new blog posts.
From the Minimalist Baker blog, an example of an email capture form with a lead magnet.
Additional Site Content
Anything else you want your visitors to view will be included with the other information on your site. Images and links to items and services you wish to promote, as well as advertising and affiliate promotions, may be included. Infographics, movies, connections to your associated social media platforms, client testimonials, and more may be included. It belongs on your website if a piece of content benefits your site visitors and leads to increased sales.
“The finest piece of advise I can give beginning bloggers is to be consistent, consistent, consistent.” I’ve seen (and experienced in my early efforts to keep a blog) bloggers who expect fast results. Then, after a few blogs that failed to reach a million views, they gave up since they had not achieved instant success. Choose a publishing schedule, plan out your approach, group your material, share it with everyone, and most all, keep going!”
— Bri Seeley, Business Coach
7. Increase the number of people that visit your blog
Creating an email list, as described in Step 6, is a terrific approach to drive high-quality visitors to your site. Mastering search engine optimization (SEO) and using SEO methods across your site is another great strategy to attract money-making visitors.
Using smart SEO strategies to optimize your blog ensures that search engines like Google will notice and rank your pages high in search engine results. The higher your blog ranks in Google’s search engine page rankings, the more visitors it will get.
Yoast SEO is a strong WordPress plugin that many prominent bloggers consider a “must have” SEO plugin. Yoast offers both a free and a paid version.
Another common method for increasing blog traffic is to share links to your site on social networking. Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter are all great ways to get people to read your blog.
Make sure that all of your traffic-generating strategies are designed to bring in targeted visitors to your blog – individuals who are interested in the topics you’re writing about. Increasing your website’s bounce rate by attracting visitors who aren’t interested in your blog subject is a bad idea (the number of people who visit your site and immediately leave). Your Google page rankings will suffer as a result of high bounce rates.
Frequently Asked Questions about Starting a Blog (FAQs)
What is the cost of starting a blog?
You may start blogging for free on several websites, including WordPress.com and Medium. The majority of individuals who want to make money from their blogs set up a self-hosted website. Bluehost offers a self-hosted blog for just $2.95 per month.
How can you generate money when starting a blog?
Sites like Squarespace, Wix, Bluehost, and DreamHost make it simple to build a blog. Affiliate marketing, selling items and services, posting sponsored articles, and displaying adverts on your site are some of the most common methods to earn money blogging. The easiest method to earn the most money is to choose a lucrative area with enough demand to keep your blogging company going for a long time.
What is the average income of a blogger?
Most bloggers are said to earn less than $100 per month from their blogs, but that’s just because their sites aren’t set up to produce money. If they use clever blog monetization tactics, even rookie bloggers may easily make $500 to $3,000 each month. On a monthly basis, top bloggers may make anything from $10,000 to six figures. According to certain blogging statistics, marketers that concentrate on blogging are 13 times more likely to achieve a favorable return on their investment (ROI).
Is it possible to build a blog for free?
WordPress.com, Medium, Blogger, and Wix are among the best places to create a free blog. While you may create a blog for free using a non-self-hosted site, the most successful bloggers use a self-hosted platform like WordPress (through WordPress.org) and a hosting provider like Bluehost or DreamHost to construct their blogs.
Conclusion
Starting a blog on a subject you’re passionate about is a terrific way to share your expertise with people who share your interests. Plus, if you’re committed to the process, your blog may become more than simply a pastime; it can also be a lucrative source of revenue.
If you want to start building your money-making blog today, Bluehost is a great place to start.. You can launch a WordPress blog in 30 minutes or less on Bluehost and it will only cost your $2.59 a month to get started. Learn more about Bluehost for bloggers.
Go to Bluehost.com.
The “how to start a blog and get paid” is a blog that teaches people how to start a blog. The article also includes 7 easy steps on how to do so.
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