How to Start a Blog

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on a link and make a purchase. You can visit my disclosure policy and privacy policy for more details.
  

If you have no idea how to start a blog, but want to create one, then this post is for you!

 

Blogging takes a lot of hard work, determination and persistence. Patience is also necessary, as every blogger realizes that it is a slow process to becoming what most people view as successful.

 

Being a blogger is also truly rewarding! It is something I love to do and hope to make it my full-time career someday.

 

I’m going to walk you through how to start a blog, step-by-step, and share with you some helpful tips I’ve learned the hard way (so you don’t have to!).

 

 

We are going to go through the following eleven steps. This is a comprehensive post, so feel free to pin this for later! My goal with creating this post was to make it so much more than fluff. Often, you find ‘how to start a blog’ posts that only contain hosting information. While it’s important, there is so much more to know after you get your hosting set up.

 

Also, I’ve made the steps below clickable links, so if you’ve already picked your niche and blog name, but want to know whether you should choose a free platform or self-hosted, then go ahead and click on step three.

 

1. Choose Your Niche
2. Choose Your Blog Name
3. Self-Hosted or Free Platform?
4. Choose Your Blog Host
5. Choose a Theme for Your Blog
6. Essential WordPress Plugins
7. Legal Pages
8. Set Up Your Email
9. Create Content
10. Get Traffic to Your Blog

 

1. Choose Your Niche

 

Before you deep dive into how to start a blog, we need to start with the basics.

 

What do you want to write about?

 

What you write about is considered to be your niche, such as:

• Fashion
• How-to blogging
• Lifestyle
• Mental health
• Or other options!

 

Do some research on your niche to be sure that it’s right for you and something that you’re really passionate about. That passion comes through your writing, and likewise doesn’t come through if you’re not really feeling it.

 

Example: I knew I wanted to create a lifestyle blog because I wanted to cover a few related-categories (general lifestyle, productivity and wellness).

 

So you want to pick something that you’re interested in and enjoy!

 

 

2. Choose Your Blog Name

 

Once you’ve picked your niche, it’s time to pick the name of your blog!

 

This can be an intimidating decision to make, especially if you’re like me and are quite indecisive.

 

Don’t worry, you will figure it out!

 

To help you with choosing your domain name, think about simple, clever titles that will let your readers know what your site is about in just a few words.

 

For example, it took me a little while to choose my name. I almost ended up calling it “Marvelously Moving.” I’m so glad I didn’t. It’s hard to say, spell and just didn’t roll off the tongue very well. It also didn’t tell my readers what my blog was truly about.

 

I wanted to create a brand that embodied being the best version of yourself, and so “Make Life Marvelous” was born.

 

When you’ve narrowed down your options, go ahead and plug them into this domain checker. There is a chance that someone may have already taken that domain name, which means unfortunately you won’t be able to use it.

 

 

 

You can choose for your blog to end in .com, .org, .blog, etc. I recommend using .com because I think it’s what people are most generally used to seeing, but that’s totally up to you!

 

 

3. Self-Hosted or Free Platform

 

If you’ve started looking up ‘how to start a blog’ posts even for just a little while, I’m sure you have come across the argument of making your blog self-hosted or using a free platform, like Wix or WordPress (dot com).

 

Most likely, bloggers have mentioned that going self-hosted from the very beginning is the way to go – especially if you’re planning on monetizing your site.

 

You may be wondering, what does it even mean to be self-hosted?

Why can’t I start with a free platform just in the beginning, and then switch over to self-hosted later?

 

Those are good questions! Being self-hosted means that you own your blog and everything on it. While you can start out on a free platform and switch over later, I would highly recommended not doing that.

 

It truly comes down to what you want to ultimately accomplish with your blog.

• What is your end goal?
• Do you want to monetize it?
• Maybe sell your own products someday?
• Do affiliate marketing and work with other brands?

 

If you’re looking to do any of those things, you need to be self-hosted and there’s no better time to begin than right now. Don’t cause yourself the stress of switching over to self-hosted later on, start out with a paid web host from the beginning.

 

 

4. Choose Your Blog Host

 

A blog host is required to “house” your blog, so to speak, on the internet. It’s sort of like paying rent, but for your blog. Your web host keeps your blog live on the internet.

 

With that being said, you wouldn’t want just anyone hosting your blog, would you?

 

When I first started blogging, I started with Bluehost and I’m so glad that I did! I’ve received such great support from them when I needed help, and they make it very easy to get started blogging quickly.

 

 

With a one-click installation of WordPress, you can get started learning the WP ropes and creating content for your soon-to-be readers.

 

I personally use and recommend the basic program for new bloggers. You can always upgrade at any time!

 

You’ll also get a free SSL certificate for your blog, free blog domain for your first year, and helpful support 24/7! You can use my link to sign up for Bluehost today, and if you truly don’t like their web hosting, they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. It’s a win, win!

 

The Quick and Easy Bluehost Sign-Up Process

 

Below are some screenshots of the sign-up process. If you’re like me, you like to know what’s ahead before you take the leap.

 

First, you’ll enter your desired blog domain name. If you want to go ahead and see if it’s available, you can use the widget above in the blog name section!

 

 

 

Next, you’ll enter your account information.

 

On the next screen, you’ll enter your payment information.

 

Now, you’ll choose the package that you would like. To get the most out of your web hosting, I recommend choosing the 36-month plan. You’re guaranteed those three years at the hosting price that you signed up with.

 

There are some extras to choose whether or not to include in your package. Personally, I did not choose any of these extras. The only one I seriously considered is the domain privacy protection.

 

If someone were to look up your domain, they can see that you own it. It will include your name and address. I can completely understand why some bloggers would rather it say Bluehost and their address than their own. If it’s something that you think would bother you – it’s worth it to pay $11.88 per year.

 

 

5. Choose a Theme For Your Blog

 

The theme of your blog is the overall design that your readers and visitors will see. You want to choose a theme that looks professional and fits the branding you’re looking for.

 

Just by choosing a professional and beautifully laid out theme, you can look like you’ve been blogging for a long time.

 

I’ve received many compliments on my theme and have received comments that people thought that I’ve been blogging for a lot longer than I have. I credit part of that to my theme.

 

Professional themes don’t have to be super expensive. I got mine on Etsy from TinselPop.

 

Keep in Mind Branding

 

When you’re just starting out, you may not have a clear idea of the fonts and colors you want to use. Those are important parts to your brand. My advice to keep it consistent and not to choose too many different fonts or colors.

 

Try to keep it simple. Choose a few colors that you really like and try to stick with those when creating your designs. Choose two-to-three fonts you like that are readable and fit the style of your blog.

 

When you go on Pinterest, there are times that you can pick up on who the author of the pin is without actually seeing their blog name. That’s the result of great, recognizable branding! You want to be able to do the same not only on Pinterest, but keep things consistent on your blog throughout your posts and pages.

 

 

6. Essential Plugins to Get Started

 

*This is for self-hosted WordPress dot org (not dot com).*

 

When you’re just starting your blog, plugins in WordPress can be overwhelming.

 

There is a seemingly-endless list of plugins that do all sorts of things, and it’s hard to tell where to start or even if you need any at all.

 

I’m giving you a list of essential plugins to help you get started with the basics. Each of these have a specific purpose.

 

I want to note that while some plugins are necessary and it’s okay to add the ones that you find useful, you can bog down your blog and cause it to load slower if you have too many.

 

Akismet

 

A spam plugin is essential to have when you start your blog. You can acquire a lot of spam comments over time, and you don’t want them to be posted on your blog for a couple of reasons.

 

• If a spam comment gets posted your blog, your readers and visitors will see it and will likely know that it’s spam. It’s sort of turn-off when I see those types of comments. You don’t want someone who isn’t aware it’s spam to click on their links and then they will likely receive spam, pop-up ads, potential viruses, etc.

 

• You want to keep your site safe and protect it from any sources with bad intentions, like viruses, malware, etc. A head’s up that if you accidentally click on their link, you’ll end up with hundreds more spam comments from that site. I had this happen back in the day, and it took forever to get them to stop spamming my comments.

 

Classic WP Editor

 

I have used this plugin from the very beginning. It is so easy to use and I have found that a lot of other bloggers agree it’s much easier than the Gutenberg editor.

 

WP Super Cache

 

To help keep your site from loading quickly, you’ll want to have a cache plugin. I use WP Super Cache.

 

The GDPR Framework

 

I use this plugin to help me stay compliant. You’ll want to read up on GDPR and make sure that your privacy policies and disclosures are compliant as well. This plugin provides the in-page pop up at the bottom of my blog with a disclosure, as well as a little checkbox when you add comments to my posts.

 

Yoast SEO

 

There is a lot of talk about Yoast SEO, and for good reason! I find this plugin super helpful and like most bloggers, like to see the green lights lit up on all spectrums.

 

However, it is important to note that Yoast is simply a guideline. Just because you don’t necessarily have a green light someplace does not mean that your post isn’t going to rank, and likewise if you have all green lights, you could still be missing something.

 

Sharaholic

 

If you want others to share your blog posts, you’ll need to have a social sharing plugin for that. I use Shareaholic and it’s quick and easy to set up!

 

Pin It Button on Hover

 

If you’ll want your readers to be able to hover over your images and pin them, you can download the Pin It Button plugin.

 

There’s a possibility that some social sharing plugins already have this feature, so be sure to check that out before downloading this one. The plugin I use doesn’t have that feature.

 

Smush

 

This plugin helps you to optimize your images to the appropriate size. If they are too large, they will cause your site to load very slowly and make your reader’s experience not-so-great.

 

PRyC WP: Add custom content to post and page (top/bottom)

 

This isn’t essential until you start affiliate marketing, but I wanted to include it for your reference.

 

On each of my posts, I have a standard disclosure that my post may contain affiliate links. It also mentions that I may receive a commission if you click on one of the links and make a purchase, and then it links to my disclosure policy. This disclosure is required if your post contains any affiliate links or is sponsored, you just have to be fully transparent.

 

With this plugin, I can keep that same disclosure at the very top of every post. Easy peasy!

 

 

7. Legal Pages

 

*I am NOT a lawyer, so please do not take any of this as legal advice. I am just sharing with you information that I’ve used to put together my blog.*

 

It is very important that you have the proper legal pages on your blog before making it public.

 

1. Privacy Policy
2. Disclaimer
3. Disclosure Policy

 

You will also want to brush up on the GDPR, as you need to be sure your blog is compliant with it. You can find out more information via this post, as well doing more research on Google and Pinterest.

 

It is required by law that every website includes a privacy policy. It also it there to help you be fully transparent (super important for bloggers!) with your readers that you care about their data, how it will be used, and that you will never sell it to any third parties.

 

A disclaimer is there to protect you from getting any sort of legal actions taken against you. An example would be that I am not a lawyer, so my advice should not be taken as legal advice and I cannot be held liable for any of your decisions after reading my post.

 

A disclosure policy is required if you’re going to do any affiliate marketing or sponsored posts. When applying to work with brands or affiliate networks (such as ShareASale, Awin, etc.) will verify that you have an adequate disclosure policy on your blog.

 

Plus, it’s important to note that you also need to have a mini-disclosure at the beginning of every post that contains affiliate links or a sponsored post. This is another way to be fully transparent with your readers, so they see your disclosure before they see any affiliate links.

 

You must disclose that you may receive a commission if they click on a link and purchase something, but that it’s at no additional cost to them. It doesn’t have to be long, it just has to be accurate and clear. Be sure to include a link to your disclosure policy so they can click on it if they want more information.

 

For more in-depth information on these important legal policies, please check out this post from Amira at A Self Guru. She’s a lawyer and knows her stuff!

 

 

8. Set Up Your Email Account

 

With your hosting, you’ll likely receive a free email address with your custom domain name (like mine ends with makelifemarvelous.com).

 

I can’t speak for other hosts, but with Bluehost, you can access your custom email in their cPanel. It’s not very user-friendly or customizable for me.

 

I was super excited when I came across a post with easy-to-follow instructions on how to use Gmail FREE with your custom domain name.

 

You can check out this post from Failure Mountain right here! This example is with Bluehost, but I believe the steps should be very similar with other hosts.

 

 

9. Create Content

 

Now we get to the heart of blogging: writing content!

 

My number one priority will always be to provide value to my readers, so it’s always in the forefront of my mind when I’m creating content for my blog.

 

I encourage you to do the very same. 🙂

 

There are a lot of things that I wish I knew before I started writing posts for my blog. I can’t tell you how many times I had to go back through my published posts and fix issues in the “text” tab in WordPress.

 

My hope is that I can help you from making some of the mistakes I made from the beginning.

 

Check out my list below of helpful information before you start writing your first blog post.

 

Quality Over Quantity

 

This is difficult even for non-beginner bloggers, so understanding this from the start will give you an advantage.

 

We tend to get caught up thinking that we have to post 3x per week no matter what because consistency is everything.

 

While consistency is everything, that doesn’t mean you have to pile on the amount of blog posts you’re pushing out each week. I encourage you to start with just one blog post per week, posted on the same day each week. Your readers will know when to expect a new post from you, and when you’re just getting started, you can promote all of those posts you’ve had saved up.

 

Claim Your Social Media Handles

 

Even if you aren’t ready to start posting on Instagram or Facebook yet, you’ll want to go ahead and set up accounts for your blog. This keeps from others taking your blog name on those sites, as well as allows you to use them later one when you’re ready.

 

Optimize Your Images

 

You will want to install a plugin that optimizes your images for you, or you can optimize them yourself before uploading them to your blog.

 

Make SEO a Priority from Day One

 

There is a learning curve, but I promise you that you’ll thank yourself later!

 

The best free way to get blog traffic is SEO. While it isn’t an overnight process by any means, it will allow you to receive traffic and eventually make money in your sleep!

 

Use No-Follow Links Appropriately

 

I learned about no-follow links after blogging for 6+ months. That’s pretty late, but it’s never too late to learn something new!

 

No-follow links are simply links you tell search engines, like Google, not to pass on authority to your site.

 

You’ll want to make any affiliate links no-follow, as well as if you leave a comment on someone’s blog post with a link to your blog.

 

Insert Pinterest Descriptions

 

You can do this with plugins, like Social Warfare or Tasty Pins, or you can do this manually. I do this manually to keep from adding an extra cost, but it’s completely up to you.

 

To insert the Pinterest description manually to your pins, do the following:

1. Click on the image you want to add the Pinterest description to and then go to the “Text” section in the WordPress editor (it should be highlighted)
2. Inside the img tag, you will want to enter “data-pin-description=”insert your description here”
3. See the example below.

<img src=”https://www.yourdomainname.com/yourimagename.png” width=”940″ height=”788″ data-pin-description=”When you binge watch Netflix for six hours, you invested six hours of your life. You can’t get those six hours back! Learn how to invest your time so that you can achieve all of your goals! #howtoinvestyourtime #howtoprioritize #planforsuccess #howtobeproductive”  />

 

An important note is to add hashtags at the end of your Pinterest descriptions! This will help your posts to be seen when people are searching for your topic on Pinterest.

 

Don’t Add Tags!

 

I learned this after 6+ months blogging, and had to go back and delete them. So I want to save you from having to do the same!

 

In WordPress, you’ll see a “Tags” section on the right-hand side of your post editor. Just leave that area blank, as it does not contribute to SEO at all. It can actually negatively affect your SEO because for every tag you create, search engines will make those separate categories that your blog is about.

 

Keep a Running List of Blog Post Ideas

 

Even if you’re super motivated to write in the beginning, there will come a time when you don’t really know what you want to write about. All bloggers have this occur from time to time. It always helps to keep a list of blog post ideas in one place that you know just where to find it.

 

When a post idea pops in your head, write it down in your special place. Then you’ll always have it in the future if you choose to write about it.

 

If you’re not sure where to start and you’re considering starting a lifestyle blog, check out my Lifestyle Blog Post Ideas: The Ultimate Guide post!

 

Use High-Quality Designs for Your Posts

 

When you visit blogs, you can tell if an image just doesn’t look very good, if it’s blurry or if it doesn’t showcase what they’re writing about.

 

Also, word of caution, you can’t just use images that you found on Google or from anyone’s website. Be sure you have the owner’s permission to use their images, they are protected by copyright.

 

If you’re looking for free stock images to use in the beginning, you can use images from Unsplash or Pixabay without permission. You can also find free images on Canva, as well.

 

Always Create a Pinterest Pin in Every Post

 

Unless you don’t want any of your posts shared on Pinterest (and I don’t know why you wouldn’t!), always create a pin to include it in your blog posts.

 

I have visited a lot of blogs that have had great content, but haven’t provided images to share on Pinterest. They often will have the Pinterest sharing button at the bottom of their post, but won’t have a vertical pin image to share.

 

Don’t miss out on someone sharing your posts because you didn’t take time to create a pin! I recommended creating at least three per post, but you at least will be giving yourself a chance with one pin image.

 

Add Rich Pins via Pinterest

 

It’s super easy and quick to add Rich Pins on Pinterest and it’s a one-time thing! You can check out more information on how to set up Rich Pins here.

 

 

10. Get Traffic to Your Blog

 

There are lots of ways that you can boost traffic to your blog.

 

Start an Email List

 

It’s never too early to begin your email list, and I encourage you to start it on day one!

 

It will likely take you a little while to gain subscribers, and that’s okay. You just want your readers to have the option to join your list.

 

Plus, those subscribers are typically the people that are most dedicated to your blog and enjoy reading it. If you decide later on that you want to sell a product, e-book, or course – they are your people!

 

Keep in mind that you’ll want to create a welcome email for each person that joins. I recommend creating a schedule for how often you send emails to your subscribers, as well.

 

It keeps things consistent and you’ll be able to develop a better routine of email content planning.

 

I use MailerLite and love it! It’s very user-friendly and is free up to 1,000 subscribers, making it perfect for when you’re just starting out. You can use my link here to sign up for MailerLite!

 

Join Active Facebook Groups

 

I started joining Facebook groups a little late, and I wish I had started before I even made my blog public.

 

There are some fantastic Facebook groups that have a lot of successful bloggers out there, sharing their tried-and-true tips.

 

It’s a place that allows you to ask questions as a new blogger and get advice from other bloggers. Most have probably experienced a lot of the same things you’re going through.

 

Comment on Other Blogs

 

This is a super simply and easy way to drive traffic to your blog. Also, it has far more benefits than just boosting blog traffic.

 

When you start connecting with other bloggers, you can make friendships that last a lifetime. You also open yourself up to opportunities to work with open another that you may have not otherwise had.

 

Often times, when you comment on another blogger’s post, they will visit your blog and comment on one of your posts. Win, win!

 

Utilize Pinterest

 

Pinterest can bring you tons of traffic – we’re talking thousands and into the millions of pageviews!

 

So many new bloggers either do not use Pinterest at all, or don’t have a clear strategy when they join.

 

You’ll want to make your Pinterest account a business account, and claim your website. This will allow you to track your analytics for your pins, which will come in handy later on. You’ll be able to see which types of pins are performing the best, which are converting over to more pageviews, etc.

 

For more information on how to create a great Pinterest strategy, I recommend reading these posts:

• 27 Best Tips to Create Pinterest Images That Get Clicks and Shares by Arfa at She Means Blogging | Arfa is beyond fantastic and has a ton of other great resources on her blog. It’s one of my very favorites!
• The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Growing Your Blog or Biz With Pinterest by Kyla at Dish It Out Social | Kyla’s blog is a wealth of information and I have learned so much from her posts.
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Pinterest Marketing by Ell at Boss Girl Bloggers | You will learn so much from Ell Duclos, her blog is filled with great info on blogging-everything.

 

 

I put a lot of hard work and effort into providing as much value as possible in this post, and I hope that you learned a lot about how to start a blog.

 

If you found this post helpful: If you could be so kind as to share it below and drop a comment, I would be forever grateful!

 

 

Let’s Chat!

Have you ever wanted to start a blog?
What would be your niche if you were to start a blog?
What’s your favorite thing about blogs?