How to easily start a blog and make money

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8 Feb 2024

How to easily start a blog and make money

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If you’re wondering how to create a blog, you’ve come to the right place. As a blogger myself, I can tell you it’s a rewarding way to hone your writing skills, explore new ideas and build an online presence that revolves around your passions and expertise. You’ll get the chance to inspire, educate, and entertain your readers—and as your blog grows, you can even start making money and turn it into a full-time job or use it to start a business.

In other words, blogging is the first step toward finally pursuing your dream job or favorite hobby, so you really can’t go wrong. While starting a blog might seem daunting, I’m going to walk you through every step to make it as smooth and successful as possible. The process is actually quite easy, and you’ll have your blog up and running, as well as your first blog post written, before you know it.
In this step-by-step guide, you’ll find all the guidance and tools you’ll need to start a blog and get writing blog posts. You’ll learn how to make your website, write your first blog post and draw in loyal readers. Sounds exciting? Let’s dive in.

How to start a blog

Choose a blogging platform. Use a platform that offers customizable templates.
Pick a hosting platform. Consider a platform with good bandwidth, uptime and customer support.
Find the right niche. Narrow down your theme and have a specific audience in mind.
Select a blog name and domain. Choose a descriptive name that piques readers’ interests.
Set up and design your blog. Include imagery and effects that reflect your theme.
Brainstorm blog topics. Write down all your ideas before narrowing down topic selections.
Write your first blog post. Engage your audience with a killer title and use headers to make the content skimmable.
Create an editorial calendar. Create a calendar to help you publish consistently and hold yourself accountable.
Promote your blog. Use marketing strategies to expand your reach.
Make money blogging. Take advantage of opportunities to monetize your blog.

In this complete how to blog A to Z tutorial, we’ll cover everything from choosing your blogging platform to making money from your written work. With a little bit of guidance, you can get your blog online in 30 minutes or less.

This is going to be the most comprehensive advice you’ll find on building a successful blog from scratch. If you want to start a blog fast, though, feel free to use the numbered steps above as a quick cheat sheet. You can go directly to the step you need the most help with, or grab a cup of coffee and read it all the way through.

What is a blog?

While a blog can encompass an entire website or simply be its own section of a website, this is a place to share content about a topic you’re passionate about. A blog will typically include both written and visual elements published in an easy-to-read, article format so visitors can swiftly browse and find what they’re looking for. And with over 31.7 million blogs in the US alone, you can literally find blogs about every subject out there, from home renovation to baking to local business marketing strategies. Once you’ve established a community of readers, the possibilities are truly endless.
There's no definitive "perfect" time to start a blog. If you feel that you have the time and resources to start, manage and promote a blog and are enthusiastic about sharing your ideas with the world, it might be the right time to take the plunge and start your blogging journey. The sooner you start, the sooner you can learn and grow as a blogger.

01. Choose a blogging platform

The first step in starting a blog is to select a blogging platform or Content Management System (CMS) for publishing your content. A quick Google search will show you that there are several different sites available that suit bloggers from all industries. I recommend Wix because it’s a good all-around blogging platform that satisfies most needs.

Wix’s blogging platform is fairly straightforward to get the hang of, and it offers a variety of attractive design options and templates to work with. In addition, it comes with features to analyze your blog’s performance and monetize your content, which will come in handy as you setup your blog and build your readership.

How much does it cost to start a blog?

When researching how to create a blog, one of the biggest questions people have is how much does it cost to start a blog. On many platforms, starting a blog is completely free.

You can decide at any point whether you’d like to upgrade to a variety of different plans, depending on your budget and needs.

02. Pick a hosting platform

Once you select your preferred blogging platform, you’ll need to choose a hosting platform. A blog, like other types of websites, requires a host. This essentially stores websites on a server under a unique address so that visitors can easily reach them.

faqOn some blogging platforms, hosting is already included, so you won’t need to find a separate web host when setting up your blog. In that case, you can skip this step and move to Step 3.

With other website builders, such as WordPress, you will need to find and pay for a separate web hosting platform. Some popular options include:

BlueHost
HostGator
GoDaddy
DreamHost

If you’re not sure which web hosting platform to choose, take into account these factors:

Uptime: The amount of time that the server hosting your website is up and running. A strong uptime rate (99.95% or above) is a good indication that the host’s servers perform well.
Bandwidth: The amount of data your website can transfer to visitors over a certain period of time. This factor is based on the size of your website pages as well as the amount of traffic you expect. This quick bandwidth calculator can help you determine your site’s bandwidth.
Customer support: Customer service you can contact in the event something goes wrong. Ideally, your hosting provider should offer an online help center, offer callbacks and respond to questions and concerns on social media.

Once you’ve chosen your blogging platform and hosting provider, you can start coming up with your blog idea.

Don’t worry about picking and registering your domain name just yet. We’ll walk through that process together in Step 4.

03. Find the right profitable blog niche

Let’s move away from the technical and dive into the more theoretical. Take a step back and think about the main element that will form the foundation of your blog, from its URL and domain name to its content and design: your blog’s niche. What, exactly, do you want your blog to be about?

There is virtually no limit when it comes to your choice of subjects. The most crucial thing is that you select a specific topic area that will be the central focus of your entire blog and its content strategy.

Possible blog types range from fashion blogs to real estate blogs to book blogs or food blogs. Because there are lots of other blogs focusing on the same subjects, you’ll need a way to stand out while still writing about what you love.

Here are three simple steps for choosing the perfect blog niche—one that not only is in line with your passions, but one that you can also monetize and grow:

Narrow down your interests
Research your audience
Check if it’s profitable

Narrow down your interests

When you start a blog, think long term. To motivate yourself to blog regularly, you’ll need to write about something you’re genuinely interested in. If you choose a topic solely on the basis of its being popular or profitable, your efforts will peter out pretty quickly, along with your entire blog content strategy.

If you aren’t sure right off the bat what you should be blogging about, that’s okay. Begin with a simple brainstorming session about subjects you like. What do you get excited talking about? What are you eager to learn more about?

Now, write down the first five to 10 interests that come to mind. For the sake of this example, let’s say:

Travel
Cooking
Family
Music
Hiking

Next, think about your more specific interests within these subject areas and add them to your list. Your additions might look something like this:

Backpacking in Southeast Asia
Vegan recipes
Raising twins
Indie rock music
Hiking in the Rockies

Don’t worry about these niches being perfect just yet. You’ll research them more thoroughly in the next steps. (However, if you're looking for inspiration, check out how these popular art blogs are using their platforms to connect with audiences who share a similar passion.)

Research your audience

The next step of starting and creating a blog is to learn which topics people are interested in reading about. If your blog gains traction, you can eventually start making money from it and become a full-time blogger.

You can determine the demand for any given niche with a bit of market research. Begin by taking a look at Google Trends, which shows you how many people are searching for a particular topic. The more searches a topic gets, the more public demand it has.

For instance, let’s type “vegan recipes” into Google Trends. In the image below, you’ll see that there’s a relatively stable level of interest in this topic, so it’s a good candidate for a blog niche.

“Paleo recipes,” on the other hand, has a much lower degree of interest. This doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea—some bloggers prefer to write for a more specific crowd if they have a unique specialty—but it does mean there are fewer people interested in that particular subject area.

If Google Trends reveals that interest in a subject area is either very low or declining, then that topic is unlikely to gain traction.

Check if it’s profitable

Whether you run a personal blog or a professional one, it’s a good idea to check whether your niche is profitable. Even if you’re starting out as a hobby blogger or want to create a fan website, you’ll want to think about future monetization options in the event that your blogging efforts evolve into a career.

There are multiple ways to earn money as a blogger, but one of the most common methods is affiliate marketing. As an affiliate, you’ll work together with a specific company, providing a link to their products within your blog, and earning a commission for any sale made through your site.

Considering whether you could blog as an affiliate is a good way to figure out if your niche is profitable. Think about the kinds of “best of” or “how to” posts you might write. For instance, “Best kitchen appliances for easy cooking” or “How to make carrot cake in 10 minutes.” In both instances, you could include an affiliate link to your favorite food processor or electric mixer and make money for each purchase made through your blog.

You don’t need to plan out your money-making strategy just yet, but thinking generally about profitable opportunities can help you choose a niche. For now, focus on starting your blog—we’ll talk more about making money blogging in Step 10.

04. Select a blog name and domain

As you think about how to make a blog, the question of what to name it is probably lurking somewhere in the back of your mind.

There are three main routes you can go with your blog's name. These include:

Your first and last name
The name of your business (if you have one)
A creative new name

When choosing your blog’s name, you should also think about the personality you want it to reflect. Should it be formal and professional? Sweet and romantic? Edgy and offbeat? If you’re stuck on names for your blog, this blog name generator is a helpful source of inspiration.

Once you decide, you should also go ahead and choose your domain name for your blog. Also referred to as a URL, a domain is a site’s address on the web (this website’s domain name, for example, is www.wix.com). Typically, your domain name will be the same as, or at least influenced by, the name of your blog.

If you really want your blog to stand out, consider a .blog domain extension. It's a clear and unique way to help your blog and content pop.

05. Set up and design your blog

Choose a blog template
Decide which pages to include
Get indexed on search engines
Create a blog logo

At this point, you’ve chosen a blogging and hosting platform, domain name and blog niche. You’re now equipped with all the basics for setting up your blog. Here's how to optimize your blog design:

Choose a blog template

The first part of setup for a blog is selecting a template. Like your blog’s name, its look and feel will be an important part of its personality.

The most efficient way to get your blog up and running is to choose a pre-designed blog template. Afterwards, you can customize it based on your preferences.

Be sure to pick one that conveys your blog’s subject area. There are website templates for bloggers of any genre, whether you’re a food blogger, photography blogger or business blogger. As you browse, think about the mood you want your website to communicate, for example. whether it’s classic, modern, rugged or minimalist.

You should also take that into account as you further personalize the template with your preferred colors. Color psychology plays a huge role in forming your audience’s impression of your blog. As you choose a color palette, keep in mind the feelings and attitudes that different colors evoke. Blue, for instance, tends to evoke dependability and trust, while yellow evokes energy and joy.

If you’re unsure of which templates to choose, these blog examples serve as a helpful source of design inspiration.

Decide which pages to include

Once you’ve chosen a template, think about which pages to include. Most blogs include more than just a section to display their posts. They might also include an online store, as in the image below, or a contact page.

Here's an overview of the different options when designing your blog:

01. Contact page: This is a place to put your email address so that fans and potential business partners can reach out to you. You can also include a contact form so that people can send a message directly through your site.

02. About page: This tells visitors who you are, what you do, and why you do it, providing some context behind your blog and humanizing your content.

03. Online store: You’ll also want to add a separate online store page if you’re thinking of selling items related to your blog. You can call this page “Products” or “Shop.”

If you want to beef up your blog with even more pages, a Tutorials page, Now Trending page or Author’s Pick page are all popular options.

Furthermore, some blogs opt to place their posts directly on the homepage, while others keep their homepages and blog pages separate. If you do this, make sure to include a navigation menu so that visitors can easily access your blog as well as any other pages.

There’s no right or wrong way to set up a blog, so play around with different options to see what best suits your style and personality. Keep in mind that you can always add or remove pages over time as your blog evolves.

Get indexed on search engines

Another part of starting a blog is making sure it’s visible on Google and other search engines. This is crucial if you want your content to pop up in search results, so you’ll want to take care of this step right away.

First, make sure your site is indexed on Google. Essentially, this means giving Google a heads up that your blog exists. You can do this by submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console.

Pro tip: Google Search Console is not only important for indexing your site, but it’s also a valuable platform that you’ll be using throughout your blogging journey. It tells you important data about your blog’s site visitors and clicks, which you can use to improve your content.

To find out whether your site is already included in Google’s search index, do a quick site search (a site search uses your homepage URL and takes the form of site:yourblogname.com). If your blog pops up in the search results, then your site is already indexed.

Create a blog logo

Finally, polish off your site with an attractive blog logo. This is another way to add personality to your site, and it’s an essential step if you want to create a blog that evolves into a recognizable brand.

One option is to design your own or outsource the task, but you can also use an online logo maker. These tools give you plenty of room to customize your logo with your preferred colors, fonts and icons, and tend to be quicker and more affordable than hiring a professional designer.

Once you create your logo, place it in the upper left-hand corner of your website, and link it to your homepage. This will help brand your content while improving the navigation experience for readers.

06. Brainstorm blog topics

On the technical side, your blog is now setup and ready to go. It’s time to start thinking about which topics you’ll get started with.

Begin by thinking about your experiences, successes, failures or discoveries related to your niche. What insights can you share? What ideas are you looking to explore in-depth?

As you think of topics, try to get into your readers’ heads. Here are some questions to guide you through the brainstorming process:

What characteristics does my target audience possess?
What subjects does my target audience get excited about?
What challenges does my target audience face?

You can also come up with ideas using the topic cluster model. Essentially, this is a tightly organized system that strings together related posts using a series of internal links. While this process is usually considered part of SEO, you can also think of it as a mind map for coming up with ideas.

By this model, think about a broad topic—say, recipes—and then divide that up into smaller subtopics, like dinner recipes or brunch recipes. Then, divide those up into even more specific topics, like 20-minute dinner recipes, mimosa recipes, and cake decoration ideas. Any of these topics could be its own blog post.

If you’re still stuck, this list of blog ideas can help jumpstart the brainstorming process. They include:

A 30 before 30 list (also 40 before 40, or 50 before 50)
Your sources of inspiration
Beginners’ guides
Time-saving hacks
A challenge you’ve faced

Use these ideas to guide you, but feel free to add your own creative twist based on your niche.

07. Write your first blog post

Start with keyword research
Come up with a blog post title
Outline your main points
Write engaging content
Insert images
Optimize for SEO
Edit and publish

Now that you’ve come up with ideas, you’re ready to dive into the writing. Let’s go over how to write a blog post from start to finish:

Start with keyword research

Finding the right keywords is crucial for getting people to read your posts. By targeting certain phrases with your article, you increase the chances of your blog appearing on search results pages for those queries.

Let’s say, for instance, that you want to share a carrot cake recipe in your blog. You’ll want to target keywords such as:

Carrot cake
Carrot cake recipe
Best carrot cake recipe
How to make carrot cake

Depending on your topic, some keywords may be more obvious than others. You can refine your keywords using free keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner or you can use more robust paid options like SEMrush or Ahrefs.

Next, you’ll need to strategically target your selected keywords throughout your article. This means two things: First, you’ll need to sprinkle those phrases throughout your post (but try to do so as organically as possible—no one likes unnatural keyword stuffing). Second, you should structure your article based on the format you see in the top 10 search results for those keywords (you can also reference these results when deciding how long should a blog post be).

Let’s say, for example, that you want to write an article about your favorite carrot cake recipe. Start by checking your competitors—the top 10 search results on Google for the keyword “carrot cake recipe.”

When you type that phrase into the search engine, you’ll notice that the top results are written as numbered steps, rather than as a story. You can therefore assume that most readers prefer the list format for these types of posts. In order to provide valuable content to your readers—and to rank high on Google as a result—you’ll want your own post to assume a similar format.

Likewise, you’ll want to touch on all the main points covered by your competitors. This doesn’t mean you can’t be be creative. It’s just to say that in addition to sharing your own original insights, you should cover all the bases.

To continue with our example, let’s assume that when you look up “carrot cake recipe,” the top search results include a section about how to make cream cheese frosting. This is an indicator that many readers find this content helpful. In addition, it shows that Google has a preference for articles including that detail. You’d be wise, then, to touch on this idea in your own article.

Outline your main points

Keyword research gives you an idea of the best format for your blog post, as well as which sections to include. This naturally segues into the outline stage of the writing process.

First, choose which type of blog post you’d like to write. Will it be a how-to guide? A product recommendation? An op-ed? Whichever blog post template you choose, you’ll want to have a clear idea in mind before structuring the outline.

Then, use headers and subheaders to break up your content into organized, bite-sized chunks. Beneath each heading, make bulleted notes of the main points you’ll include in each section. This will be the skeleton of your first blog post.

Feel free to use this downloadable blog post template to help with your outline. All you need to do is fill in the blanks:

To find out whether your site is already included in Google’s search index, do a quick site search (a site search uses your homepage URL and takes the form of site:yourblogname.com). If your blog pops up in the search results, then your site is already indexed.

Create a blog logo

06. Brainstorm blog topics

What characteristics does my target audience possess?
What subjects does my target audience get excited about?
What challenges does my target audience face?

A 30 before 30 list (also 40 before 40, or 50 before 50)
Your sources of inspiration
Beginners’ guides
Time-saving hacks
A challenge you’ve faced

Use these ideas to guide you, but feel free to add your own creative twist based on your niche.

07. Write your first blog post

Start with keyword research
Come up with a blog post title
Outline your main points
Write engaging content
Insert images
Optimize for SEO
Edit and publish

Now that you’ve come up with ideas, you’re ready to dive into the writing. Let’s go over how to write a blog post from start to finish:

Start with keyword research

Carrot cake
Carrot cake recipe
Best carrot cake recipe
How to make carrot cake

Outline your main points

Keyword research gives you an idea of the best format for your blog post, as well as which sections to include. This naturally segues into the outline stage of the writing process.

First, choose which type of blog post you’d like to write. Will it be a how-to guide? A product recommendation? An op-ed? Whichever blog post template you choose, you’ll want to have a clear idea in mind before structuring the outline.

Then, use headers and subheaders to break up your content into organized, bite-sized chunks. Beneath each heading, make bulleted notes of the main points you’ll include in each section. This will be the skeleton of your first blog post.

Feel free to use this downloadable blog post template to help with your outline. All you need to do is fill in the blanks:
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