Updated Jan 25, 2023
Looking for an easy guide on how to start a blog?
The step-by-step guide in this This page will show you how to create a blog in 20 minutes with the most basic computer skills.
After completing this guide, you will have a beautiful blog that you are ready to share with the world.
p>
This guide is made especially for beginners. I’ll walk you through each and every step, using lots of images and videos to make it perfectly clear.
If you get stuck or have questions at any point, just send me a message and I’ll get it done. the best to help you.
Ready to get started? Click here to skip the introduction and start building your blog now
My name is Scott Chow, and today I’m going to show you how to start blogging. I’ve been creating blogs and websites since 2002. In that time, I’ve launched several of my own blogs and helped hundreds of others do the same.
I know starting a blog can seem overwhelming and intimidating. This free guide is all about blogging for beginners and will teach you how to become a blogger with only the most basic computer skills. So whether you’re 8 or 88, you can create your own blog in 20 minutes.
I’m not ashamed to admit that when I was learning to blog I made a lot of mistakes. You can benefit from more than a decade of my experience so that you don’t repeat these same mistakes when you start your own blog. I created this free guide so that a complete beginner can learn how to start a blog quickly and easily.
So how do you start a blog?
Learn how to start a blog on about 20 minutes following these steps:
How to start a blog in 6 steps
- Choose a blog name. Choose a descriptive name for your blog.
- Put your blog online. Register your blog and get hosting.
- Personalize your blog. Pick a free blog design template and tweak it.
- WriteYou write a post and people comment on it. This is a great way to connect with people who are interested in the same things that you are. Blogs allow you to teach these people based on your experience and give you the opportunity to learn from your readers as well.
- Try a different domain extension. If the .com version is already registered, you can still get the .net or .org version of the name.
- They will register your custom domain name for free, making sure no one else can take it.
- They have a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied for any reason.
- They offer free, automatic installation of WordPress blogging software (which I show you how to use in this guide).
- They offer reliable WordPress recommended web hosting since 2005 and currently host over 2 million blogs and websites.
- They have a helpful 24/7 customer service by phone or web chat.
- If you already have a domain name and want to use it for your blog, type your domain in the box on the right and then click “next”. Use the box to the right only if you have previously paid to register a domain!
- Each BlueHost account plan has everything you need to get your blog up and running, including a free custom domain name, easy installation WordPress, hosting, and custom email addresses (eg, your name@yourdomain.com).
- I uncheck the boxes next to the package extras except “Domain Privacycom/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/create-account.jpg” alt=”set up an account and password” />
Once you do, you’ll be taken to an installation wizard. As you are following this tutorial, you can click “Skip This Step” on the next few pages to go directly to the control panel.
7. Install the blogging platform WordPress .
Now the system will install WordPress automatically, once the installation is complete, click the “Login to WordPress” button on the top right to log in to the WordPress admin area. your blog.
Having trouble installing your blog? Get Get help here.
Step 3: Personalize your blog
How do I sta Are you a blog? You can watch me create and customize a beautiful blog from scratch here:
The above video should answer a lot of questions you may have about setting up and customizing a blog. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of some of the things I show you in the video.
Sign In
If you haven’t already signed in from the previous step, go to Bluehost.com and click “Login” at the top right to bring up the login screen. You can then log in with your domain name and the password you set in the previous step. If you have lost your password, you can reset it by clicking the “I forgot my password” link.
Once you log in, you will be taken to your BlueHost Portal. From the portal, you can click the blue “WordPress” button to be automatically logged into your WordPress blog.
Changing Your Blog Layout
Once logged in, It will be in WordPress dashboard. This is where you can make any changes you want to your blog.
Everyone has a different idea of how they want their blog to look. One of the best things about WordPress is that you can change your entire design with just a few clicks.
In WordPress, blog layouts are known as “Themes”. What is a blog topic? Themes control the entire design of your WordPress blog. To change your theme, click the “Appearance” tab in the left menu.
You will see that several free WordPress themes are already installed on your blog: Twenty Seventeen, Twenty Sixteen, etc. . These are well-designed, clean-looking themes that can work for almost any type of blog. In fact, many of the world’s top bloggers use one of these themes.
Unless you have a very specific design in mind for your blog, I suggest you use one of these themes to start with. . For our example, let’s use the “Twenty Sixteen” WordPress theme. To activate the theme on your blog, hover over the theme and click the “Activate” button. That’s all! You have changed the whole design of your blog with just one click!
If you don’t like any of the themes that are already installed, you can easily choose from thousands of other free WordPress themes. To install a new WordPress theme, click the “Appearance” tab in the left menu, and then click “Add New Theme”.
This is the theme search screen for WordPress. There are thousands of themes to choose from. You can change your entire design at any time simply by activating a new WordPress theme. To find a theme you like, I suggest you click the “Popular” tab and start browsing. When you find one you like, click the blue “Install” button.
Once the theme is installed, click “Activate” to activate the theme on your blog. To see your new theme in action, go to your blog and take a look.
Changing your theme is the easiest way to customize your WordPress blog, but there are many other customizations you can do. Check out my full post on customizing your WordPress blog for a detailed step-by-step guide. You can also watch the video above to see how I completely customize a WordPress blog from scratch.
Step 4: How to write a new blog post
You’ll see there’s already a post there. This is a default post on every new WordPress blog, and we don’t need it. To delete it, click “Trash” just below the post.
To start writing a new post, click the “Add New” link.
You are now on the editor screen of publications. Enter your post title in the top box, and then start writing your post in the bottom box.
If you want to add an image to your post, click the “Add Image” icon and click Click “Upload” to upload an image from your computer. You can make adjustments to the image size on the next screen. When you’re ready, click “Embed in Post” to add the image.
Once you have finished your post, simply click the “Publish” button at the top right of the screen to publish the new post.
Content that should be on your blog
There are two main types of content that your blog should provide: static and dynamic content.
<p Static Content: Your blog should contain some necessary pages that are explicitly designed to provide the visitor with the tools they need. The content of these pages is static, which means that the content does not change, or at least not very often. These are mainly top-level pages that can be accessed through a menu on your blog.
These static content pages should be in place long before you launch your blog into the world.
Important static pages to include:
- About Me (us): This page should include a biographical summary of the authors, as well as a mission statement. Think about the answers to these questions: How did your passion for the subject develop? What do you want to convey to the world? What is your ultimate goal?
- Contact me (us): A contact page gives the visitor a place to communicate with the author which, in turn, gives the visitor the assurance that you are a real and accessible author. You can add your physical address, phone number, and personalized email address. Or you can use a simple contact form to keep your personally identifiable information private. You should also put links to all of your social media profiles here.
In addition to your blog, which is usually featured on the home/front page, these two important pages should be visible on your top menu (header) and easy access. You can take a look at the top of this page to see how I have these pages included in the header menu. Check out this step-by-step guide to customizing your blog menus if you need help.
Other static pages that are just as important but less common include:
- Download Disclaimer Page: If you intend to monetize your blog, you must describe the ways in which you intend to generate income. This is an absolutely must-have page that shouldn’t be overlooked, per FTC guidelines. For example, if you are discussing and endorsing a product, and expect to profit by linking to the product, this relationship should be disclosed.
- Privacy Policy: If you collect data from your visitors to Somehow, you need to add a privacy policy page that tells visitors exactly how you’re collecting data, how you’re using it, and whether you’re sharing that data. If you implement Google Adsense or a Google Analytics account on your blog, a Privacy Policy must be used. This page is required by CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), and is included by default on your WordPress blog.
- Terms of Service – If your blog also has a storefront or sells services, it’s a good idea to have a Terms of Service page to lessen your potential liability.
These static pages required are usually linked to in the footer menu of a blog. They must be, at a minimum, visible and accessible from the home page. Again, look at the bottom of this page to see what this looks like in practice.
There are other static pages you can choose to include depending on what suits your blog and business. Common examples of static pages are an advertisement page to request paid ads, a donation page, a resource page to direct visitors to their favorite links within your field, and a page to submit ideas and content.
Dynamic Content: Your dynamic content is your blog and the most important content you have to offer.This is where you, as the creator, will infuse the blog with your brand of informative content that provides your audience with well-informed advice, facts, opinions, and stories. This is how you attract your visitors and keep them coming back for more.
Your blog content should be posted regularly at specified intervals. Waiting months to create content will never build a following. Publishing content weekly and driving traffic to these posts will help build your brand.
How to Write Great Blog Content
Each post should be long, informative, and engaging. It’s not always easy to come up with new blog post ideas on a regular basis and you’re free to mix up the tone and even the topic to keep things lively and interesting. It is your space, after all. But there are some elements that each and every piece of content should try to include.
Define the content: Create an engaging post title that stimulates curiosity and drives clicks . Use the first paragraph of your post to clearly define the topic of your article and provide a potential hook to keep the reader reading.
The longer the better, but break up: The more information and details you include, the better. But visitors will start skimming if the content contains mile-long paragraphs, and they’ll show up faster than they entered. Visitors enjoy the tidbits. Keep your paragraphs short with spaces in between, use featured lists and quotes, use images, and always include headings and subheadings so visitors can find what they’re looking for.
Engage Readers: At the end of each post, a common tactic used to engage visitors is to pose a meaningful question to your audience and ask them to respond in the comments. This simple measure can multiply the engagement tenfold.
Original content: Your content should always be original. Never plagiarize – eventually they will catch your eye and you could even face the consequences. Your content should come from your heart, your brain, your knowledge base, and your experience. You can get topic ideas from others in your field, but make sure the content comes from you.
Original Photos: While it’s easy to include stock images from image sites free, it’s even better to include your own photos and graphic work. Another idea is to take free images and manipulate them with a free photo editor.
Edit your work: your blog content should be sufficiently edited. Nothing says unprofessional like multiple typos and grammatical errors. If you need some refresher courses in grammar, consider using a writing app.
Publishing Your Blog
Even after you’ve written a post, your blog may still display a page placeholder.
When you’re ready to go public with your blog for the first time, simply click “Start” at the top left of the menu in your WordPress dashboard and then click “Start with Trust” . Click the blue “Launch Your Site” button to remove the placeholder page and launch your blog.
Congratulations! Now you know how to start your own blog and post content!
Step 5: Promote Your Blog
Creating a well-designed blog and writing great content is just the beginning. To attract visitors to your blog, you’ll need to spend some time promoting it, especially when you’re just starting out.
The following strategies will help get your blog in front of more readers. You don’t have to use all the strategies: try a few and see which one works best for you.
Alert Your Inner Circle
The first people who should notice your blog are your inner circle. This includes family, friends, and colleagues within your field. Encourage them to become followers, ask them to mention your new blog, and most importantly, thank them.
Use Social Media
Although I don’t want to go overboard, I still want to create accounts with the “big guys” like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram. You should post a link to your newest content on your accounts, but you can also post relevant news and links to other sources that your readers might find interesting. Don’t forget to use hashtags and interact with your followers!
One of my favorite ways to attract visitors to my blog is to post links on my social accounts, like Facebook and Twitter. This is great, because not only do your friends see the link, but if your friends share the link with their friends, it automatically multiplies your visitors. If you’ve created high-quality content on your blog, social media is one way for your blog to go viral.
Comment on other blogs
Find other blogs in your community and participate with them. Using the comments section, introduce yourself and leave engaging and constructive feedback. Many will allow you to leave a link to your blog.After building relationships with prominent bloggers in your community, you’ll quickly find yourself within their ranks.
Interact with Your Visitors
When your readers leave comments on your posts, always engage with them . Respond to their comments and questions, give them likes and affirmations. When it’s obvious that the author cares about their community and their readers, visitors are naturally encouraged to return.
Collaborate with other bloggers
Immerse yourself in your blogging community by collaborating with members respected in his field. Collaboration includes guest posting, promoting each other’s blogs and products, and regular interaction through comments and social media.
Post regularly
Post content regularly. Create an editorial calendar and stick to it. A good blogger posts at least once a week to start with. If you have long gaps between posts, your following will leave and your growth will be severely hampered. It’s not easy to post on a schedule, but it’s something you absolutely have to stick to.
Build an Email List
In addition to getting new visitors to your blog, you’ll also want to make sure your current visitors come back. This is where email marketing plays an important role. By collecting your visitors’ email addresses (with their permission, of course), you can notify them when you post new content on your blog. This keeps people coming back to your blog, which not only gets you more readers over time, but also allows you to build a closer relationship with your visitors.
Email marketing is a Too broad a topic to cover well here. , so I created a separate guide to email marketing for those who are interested (hint: every blogger who wants more readers needs to read this guide).
Optimize your blog for search engines
You want your blog to appear in search results as soon as possible.
Google: Sign up for a Google Webmaster account and open Search Console. To add your blog, click “Add Property” and follow the steps to add your blog.
Bing: Sign up for a Bing webmaster account and add your blog .
Submitting your blog is the first step in the process known as search engine optimization (SEO).
Keep in mind that with a new blog your traffic will be minimal at first . However, this will change over time, as long as you continue to add informative and relevant content on a regular basis.
To optimize this process, each page of your blog should include these key elements:
- Heading tags: Section headings and subheadings must be enclosed in heading tags. To do this, click on the left element of the block you are writing in and change it to “Title”. You can then choose between H1, H2, H3, etc. />
- Categorization: Your content should be clearly categorized into specific and relevant categories. On the post editor screen, click on “Document” in the right menu and then go to “Categories” and “Add New Category”.
- Permalinks: Each post from blog is “slug” the final part of the URL. You want to make sure that each post has a defined slug and doesn’t end with an article number. You can easily change this in your WordPress dashboard by going to “Settings” –
I go into the full details of how to set up Google Adsense for your WordPress blog here.
Selling Affiliate Products
An affiliate program is a commission- form based on advertising. When one of your readers clicks a link on your blog, they are sent to an advertiser’s site, and you earn a commission if they buy. Affiliate links are a good way to earn income through the use of product reviews. However, you must remember to disclose that you are an affiliate of the product.
Selling products and services
Selling your own products and services directly on your blog is a great way to increase your income. As your blog grows and begins to see a wide audience, your products and services will begin to sell themselves.
Use your blog’s sidebar to increase the visibility of what you sell using visual imagery and a link. to your store page.
Sell Digital Downloads
Ebooks, video tutorials, and eCourses are the most common digital materials sold by bloggers. With little to no overhead and no shipping costs, you can keep the price low and attractive.
If you’re very knowledgeable in your field, an eBook can practically write itself. Give it a try, you might be surprised!
Sell Memberships
Another way to monetize is by creating membership options on your blog. This allows you to offer members more exclusive content that is only available with a paid membership. For example, you could offer unlimited downloads of digital goods, free consultations, a private network or forum where community members can mix and mingle, and private content available only to members.
There are many ways in that a blog can profit from popularity and traffic. Choosing the way you monetize from your blog depends on your goals and the purpose of your blog. Those who sell services, physical goods, and digital goods, for example, may not want to participate in affiliate programs where traffic could be lost to another site.
For more information, check out my complete guide to making money blogging here
Need more help?
I hope this guide has answered all the questions you had about starting your blog, but if any of the steps were not clear to you, you can find a more detailed version of each step using the menu at the top right of this page (or at the bottom of this page if you’re on a smartphone).
More specific tutorials can be found on my blog page. Here are some of the most popular tutorials on my blog:
- How to add custom logos or images
- How to see how many people are visiting your blog
- How to Moving from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
- How to create a website with WordPress
- How to automatically share your new content on Facebook and Twitter
- How to choose the best website builder
- How to link to other sites from your blog
- How to change text size and color
- How to make your blog private
- li>
Contact me if you have any problems and I will personally respond to your email. The step-by-step guide on this site should give you everything you need to get started, but if you If you have any problems or just want personalized advice, feel free to contact me at any time. Blogging is my passion, and I’d love to talk to you about it!
Blogging FAQs
Still have some unanswered questions about blogging? Below are the most common questions I get about starting a new blog. If you can’t find an answer to your question here, feel free to email me through my contact page or leave a comment below.
Click on a question to read the answer:
What makes a blog successful?
What does it take to start a blog?
What should it be about? my blog?
How do I find a profitable niche for my blog?
How do I give my blog a name?
What do you do if your blog name domain is taken?
Where is the best place to start a blog?
How much does it cost to start a blog?
Do bloggers make money?
How do bloggers get paid?
Should I start my blog on WordPress?
Is WordPress free?
¿ How often should I post?
Why do blogs fail?
.
Ready to get started? Click here to go to step 1 of the guide
What is a blog?
In short, a blog is a type of website which primarily focuses on written content, also known as blog posts. In popular culture, we most often hear about news blogs or celebrity blogging sites, but as you’ll see in this guide, you can start a successful blog on almost any topic imaginable.
Bloggers a They often write from a personal perspective that allows them to connect directly with their readers. Additionally, most blogs also have a “comments” section where visitors can communicate with the blogger. Interacting with your visitors in the comments section helps foster the connection between the blogger and the reader.
This direct connection with the reader is one of the main benefits of starting a blog. This connection allows you to interact and share ideas with other like-minded people. It also allows you to build trust with your readers. Building the trust and loyalty of your readers also opens the door to making money from your blog, something I’ll cover later in this guide.
The good news is that the Internet is growing by leaps and bounds in this moment. . More people than ever are online. This burst of growth means more potential readers for your blog. In short, if you are thinking of starting a blog, then there is no better time than now.
Let’s start your blog!
Step 1: Choose a blog name
If you’re not sure what to name your blog or what topic, skip to the next section.
If you already have an idea for your blog name, blog, you can check to make sure no one else has registered it:
See if your blog name is available:
Note: You cannot use spaces or ampersands non-hyphen punctuation in a domain name.
If you find that the name you wanted is already in use, there are a few things you can do:
Add small words. Words like “a,” “my,” “best,” or “the.” For example, this site is called TheBlogStarter.com instead of BlogStarter.com.Add hyphens between words. For example, scott-chow.com
Choosing a blog topic
If you plan to create a personal blog where you discuss a variety of topics, I recommend using your name, or some variation of it, since your blog is about you. For example, I own the blog scottchow.com. You can also add your middle name or middle initial if you find your name is already taken. Or you could use a variation like “Scott Chow Blog” or “Blogging with Scott”.
Can’t decide on a good name for your blog? Contact me and I’ll help you personally (for free)!
Once you have some name ideas, you’ll need to choose a domain extension. A .com domain extension is preferred, but .net or .org will also work. It is also important to note that, for the purposes of a blog domain, there cannot be spaces between words. So “Blogging with Scott” becomes bloggingwithscott.com
Step 2: Get your blog online
Now that you’ve chosen a name, it’s time to get your blog online. . This may sound difficult or technical, but the steps below will guide you and make the process easier.
To get your blog up and running you need two things: blog hosting (also known as web hosting) and blogging software . The good news is that they usually come packaged together.
A blog host is a company that stores all of your blog files and delivers them to the user when they type in the name of their blog. You must have a blog host to have a blog.
You also need to have the software to build your blog. In this guide, I’ll show you how to create a blog with WordPress blogging software because it’s the most popular, customizable, and easy to use.
The web host I recommend and the one I’ll show you how to use in this guide, it is BlueHost. I personally use BlueHost and recommend them for all new bloggers because:
Use any BlueHost link on this site to get the special discount price of $2.75 per month.
Disclosure: BlueHost compensates The Blog Starter when you purchase through this link, so my services are free to you! In fact, if you have any trouble setting up a blog with this tutorial, just contact me and I’ll do it for you (for free!).
1. Click here to get the special rate of $2.75 per month at BlueHost and then click “start now”.
2. Select your plan. I recommend beginning bloggers get the basic plan. Click “Select” to choose your plan.
3. Type your domain name in the box on the left and then click “next” to start the registration process.
4. Fill in your billing details on the signup page.
