How to Start a Blog in 10 Easy Steps + Best Practices for Beginners

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22 Feb 2024

Starting a blog is an excellent way to build credibility for your brand. A blog is also a great outlet for self-expression if you’re a budding writer or have a hobby you want to document and share with others.
However, there are certain strategies you need to know before you start a blog. Therefore, we’ve created this comprehensive step-by-step guide for new bloggers to kick-start their journey.
We’ll discuss everything from finding a niche and setting up a blogging platform to publishing content and promoting your blog.

How to Start a Blog – Video Guide

More of a visual learner? No problem – watch this WordPress tutorial to learn how to create a blog on WordPress.

How to Start a Blog in 10 Simple Steps

In the upcoming sections, we’ll break down each step in the journey of how to make a blog for beginners and provide more details.

1. Pick Your Blog Niche

A niche is a specific topic that your blog will focus on, and it’s key in determining your target audience. A strong blog niche can also help you pick the perfect blog name and develop a focused blogging strategy.
Examples of blog niches include books, travel, gaming, photography, and food.
When setting up your new blog, it may be tempting to cover a broad range of blog ideas or topics. However, trying to master too many subjects is difficult and often unsustainable.
You might pull off a few successful quality blog posts, but your audience will be scattered, making it hard to maintain a loyal readership.
That’s why sticking to a niche that can attract a devoted following is important. A dedicated audience will look forward to your next piece of content, giving your blog a steady stream of traffic.
To find the perfect niche for a successful blog, keep the following tips in mind:
Pick a Niche That You Like or Are Passionate About
Writing about a topic you enjoy will always be more fulfilling than forcing yourself to write about something you’re uninterested in.
Consider your hobbies and interests or topics you’d like to learn more about. Then, make them more specific. If your passion is food, try focusing on a particular cuisine like Japanese, Mexican, or Italian.
Similarly, if you want to start a book blog, consider blogging about reading on a budget or specific literary styles.
Select a Niche That Has Audience Potential
Your main topic should have a level of pre-existing interest to ensure you’ll have an audience to target. Use Google Trends to find the search volume of specific keywords related to your niche and determine whether enough people are discussing it on social media and community forums.
This way, you’ll know what’s trending in your niche and which blog post ideas have more engagement potential.
You Don’t Have to Be an Expert to Profit From a Niche
Being a topical expert gives you a certain authority that many readers look for, but it’s not a requirement. What’s more important is having a unique perspective on your niche and being eager to learn more.
For example, you might not be a professional photographer, but you can still start a photography blog as a beginner. To help build authority, feature interviews with experts on your blog.

2. Choose a Suitable Blogging Platform

Once you’ve settled on a niche, it’s time to start preparing a website for your blog. Blogging platforms are divided into two categories – hosted and self-hosted.
Hosted platforms like website builders are all-inclusive. They generally come with all the tools needed to build a blog. Plus, there’s no need to purchase hosting and a blog domain name from a third party.
On the other hand, self-hosted platforms require you to buy hosting solutions separately. These platforms are typically content management systems (CMSs) that offer extensive customization options for your blogging website.
Let’s take a look at some examples to understand these options better.
Content Management System (CMS)
CMSs are among the most common website-making solutions. They let you create and manage a website easily with a graphical user interface. CMSs are suitable blogging platforms due to their versatility and are perfect for those who want extensive control over their websites, from choosing blog hosting providers to implementing security measures.
WordPress is the most popular option among the many CMSs out there and powers almost half of all websites on the internet. Due to its popularity, users have numerous options for paid and free WordPress themes and plugins to enhance their blog pages.
This CMS also has a large and active community that shares useful knowledge and information regarding the platform. Therefore, we recommend using WordPress if you want to start a blog using a CMS.
First, it’s important to grasp the definition of web hosting because you’ll need to select a hosting service if you plan to start a self-hosted WordPress blog. Consider managed WordPress hosting to minimize technical complexities and focus more on creating content.

Complete control. You’re free to adjust, manage, and switch web hosting resources and providers.
Seemingly endless customization. You can add custom code or choose from thousands of WordPress plugins and themes from the official directory or third-party sources.
Built to scale. Self-hosted platforms can sustain complex websites of any size as long as your blog hosting plan has sufficient resources.

Cons

Steeper learning curve. Even though using a self-hosted platform is significantly easier than coding a website from scratch, it still requires some technical knowledge compared to website builders.
Time to set up. Unlike the instant setup of most hosted platforms, self-hosted platforms require extra steps like purchasing web hosting, registering a domain name, and installing the platform’s software.
No dedicated support. Most self-hosted platforms don’t offer customer support. So, you’ll need to rely on your hosting provider or community support.
Independent security and maintenance. You’ll be responsible for keeping your blog secure and properly maintained. This means installing security add-ons, running regular backups, and conducting software updates.

Website Builder
If you want to start blogging but want to avoid a lengthy setup process and steep learning curve, website builders are the best option.
This type of platform gives you a straightforward way to make a website without any complicated technical requirements, making it a great solution for beginners.
Services like Hostinger Website Builder provides users with professionally-made templates to jumpstart the blog building process.
You can customize the blog template easily with a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and various AI tools like the AI Writer, AI Heatmap tool, and AI Logo Generator.
See below for the pros and cons of choosing Hostinger Website Builder for your blog:
Pros

Quick setup. Use the AI Website Builder option to generate a completely custom blog in just a few clicks – all you need to do is provide a short description of your ideal blog. Then, head to the visual editor to adjust all the site elements to your specifications.
Premade templates. Speed up your building process by choosing from the many Hostinger’s templates specifically designed to optimize your blog. All the designs are mobile-friendly and customizable.
Essential blogging features. Hostinger Website Builder offers built-in tools that make blogging easy. These include a visual blog post editor, article groups with categories, post scheduling, and a URL customizer.
Comprehensive hosting resources. From just $2.99/month, your blog gets a free domain name, weekly backups, unlimited bandwidth, and robust security features.

Cons

Less flexible. Most website builders are built on a closed-source system. The templates and add-ons are usually limited to what the service officially offers. However, Hostinger Website Builder is compatible with popular third-party tools to grow your blog, such as Google Analytics, Hotjar, and Google AdSense.
No phone support. Currently, you can’t reach our Customer Success team by phone. However, Hostinger Website Builder offers live chat and email support to ensure you get all the help you need.

Third-Party Blogging Websites
Many successful bloggers use websites like Medium, Blogger, or Tumblr in addition to their own platforms. Some blogging websites use a social media-like algorithm where visitors can discover trending blog posts based on their interests.
Leveraging this system can help you build a strong audience base for your blog. You can also use these platforms to build backlinks and funnel more visitors to your blogging website.
Here are some unique benefits and disadvantages of using a third-party website for your blog:
Pros

Easy to start. All you have to do is create an account, and you’re ready to make your first blog post.
No maintenance work. There’s no need to think about technical aspects like the site’s performance or security – you can focus on publishing and promoting your blog.
Existing audience base. Blogging websites already have an established user base you can leverage to build your online presence. Plus, creating unique and valuable content gives you a chance to be featured on the platform.
Budget-friendly. Many of these blogging websites are free to use. That way, you can create accounts on more than one platform to expand your reach without worrying about costs.

Cons

Limited ownership. Your blog and its content will be stored on the platform’s server, so there is a chance you may lose them if the website goes offline.
Tough competition. Since you share the platform with other bloggers, getting traction can be challenging. Most of the time, contributors with established reputations will take precedence on the home page and get most of the traffic.
Fewer monetization options. Unlike running your own blogging platform, you can’t display ads or sell products directly from these third-party websites. The only options are promoting affiliate links or joining the platform’s partner program.

Choosing the right platform plays a big part in your blogging success. Make sure to identify your needs and preferences before deciding on a solution.
Beginners and those who want to save time will benefit from using builders like Hostinger Website Builder.
On the other hand, CMSs like WordPress are perfect for those with some web-building experience wanting the freedom to code or install custom extensions.
In addition to these two options, you can create accounts on popular blogging platforms to increase your reach and build a stronger audience base. However, don’t over-rely on them as they are not an ideal long-term solution.
For the rest of this article, we will focus on how to set up a blogging website using WordPress as the platform.

3. Create a Blog Name and Get the Domain

The next step in how to become a blogger is creating a thought-out name. It shouldn’t just be catchy and unique – it should also be brandable and relevant to your industry.
There are three main qualities a good blog name should have, namely:

Related to your niche. Ideally, readers should know your niche from the blog title. For this, consider using relevant keywords.
No longer than 2-3 words. While some blogs with long names are highly successful, the best practice is to keep them short.
Easy to spell and remember. For optimal brandability, avoid using numbers or special characters in the blog name.

Thankfully, you can use various blog name generators to jumpstart the brainstorming process.
All you have to do is give the generator a few keywords, and the AI will come up with different names for your blog. Simply choose the one you like the most, or combine a few suggestions, and your new blog name is ready.
The next step to start a blog is getting your blog’s domain name. This is the web address visitors need to enter to access your website.
Ideally, you should pick a domain name that is exactly your blog title. If that’s not available, find an alternative that resembles or is related to it. This is to avoid confusion and help your site become more identifiable.
You can purchase a domain name from an accredited registrar. Some web hosting companies, like Hostinger, double as domain registrars. With this approach, you can buy a domain and hosting in one go to save time and money.

4. Set Up and Customize Your Website

As mentioned previously, different platforms suit different needs and preferences. They also have different setup and customization processes.
In this section, we will provide a step-by-step guide to setting up and customizing a WordPress blogging platform.

5. Create the Necessary Pages and Categories

Website pages contain the content of a site. Unlike posts, a standard web page requires little to no edits or updates. The most common types of pages on blog websites are the following:

Homepage. Your homepage is the introductory page of your blog. This is what visitors will see when they enter your domain name into their browser’s address bar. The homepage should include snippets of your best and latest blog posts.
The About page. This is the section of your site where visitors can learn more about the person or organization behind the blog. The page may include a bio, the objectives of the site, and relevant images.
Contact page. This blog page contains information on how users can contact the website owner. A contact page usually includes an email address, a phone number, links to social media profiles, a contact form, or an address with its location on Google Maps.

Different kinds of blogs may need specific types of pages. For example, if your blog features an online store, you may need to add product pages to the website.
To create a page, open the WordPress dashboard and go to Pages → Add New. You will be taken to the Gutenberg editor. Use it to write and format the page copy and add relevant images, videos, forms, or other page elements you want to use.
Remember that a WordPress post differs from a page. Posts are primarily used for individual blog posts, while pages commonly appear in your navigation menu.
Another important factor for your blog is post categories. This lets you group specific blog posts together, making them more organized and easier to find.
On WordPress, you can add and edit categories by heading to Post → Categories via the WordPress dashboard. Alternatively, add them directly through the Gutenberg editor during the writing process.

6. Make a Content Strategy and Pre-Launch Campaign

Taking care of the pre-launch campaign is essential before you start blogging. To develop a successful content strategy, follow these recommendations:
Specify Your Goals
Setting goals for your project makes it easier to track your achievements and determine aspects to improve. The best practice is to set concrete milestones, such as “have 1,000 newsletter subscribers by the end of the year.” Specific targets make your progress more measurable and easier to track.
Identify Your Target Audience
Get to know the common characteristics of your demographic – their interests, needs, pain points, and aspirations. One good tip is to check out online communities where your target audience is likely to gather. Figure out what topic they’re interested in and what type of content they prefer.
Analyze Your Competitors
Find out the main competitor in your blog’s niche. Read and analyze their most popular posts, find out what works for them, and pinpoint areas where your blog can perform better or offer a unique perspective.
Pay attention to topics that aren’t covered in detail in their articles and focus on including the missing information in your own blog posts. This will help you stand out from other blogs.
List the Topics You Will Write About
Brainstorm blog topics and consider every piece of information you’ve found regarding your target audience and competitors. Find blog post examples and create a content inventory sheet containing all the possible topics to write about. This way, you will be more prepared and have ideas ready for future blog posts.
Perform Keyword Research
Determine the level of interest and competition for each chosen topic. There must be a strong, data-driven reason for selecting each keyword. Tools like Ahrefs and Google Trends are useful for understanding what people are searching for and what type of content is already out there.
Schedule Your New Blog Posts
The key to building a loyal readership is consistency. It’s better to stick to a regular publishing
Neil P.
Digital Marketing Expert and Entrepreneur

7. Write Your First Blog Post

With the pre-launch process covered, it’s time to start thinking about writing your first blog post. Here are some tips to make each new post count:

Be clear and concise. Use easy-to-understand language and keep sentences and paragraphs short. Avoid large blocks of text that may intimidate readers.
Use headings, subheadings, and lists. Structured formatting helps readers find the information they need faster, especially if they are skimming through the blog post.
Add images and graphics. Visual content makes your posts more engaging. Often, they are necessary – especially if you’re writing a how-to guide or want to convey data in a more digestible format.
Ensure Originality. Use a plagiarism checker to identify if your writing contains any plagiarism. This tool identifies and highlights the duplication in your text that you need to make sure it’s unique. It is especially important if you are using an AI writing tool for your content
Apply SEO best practices. Use tools like Yoast SEO to incorporate search engine optimization into your writing and publishing process. Creating SEO-friendly content can dramatically improve your blog’s visibility on search engines.

To create your first blog post, log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Posts → Add New. You will be taken to the WordPress text editor – the tool for writing and formatting your content.
The WordPress editor lets you add and edit blocks or sections for different types of content. These blocks can add elements like text, media, blog design features, widgets, and code. To select and add a new block, simply click on the + button located within the editor.
If you want to include a pre-designed template in your new blog post, browse the items under the Patterns tab.
Once you’re done writing, formatting, and adding content to your first blog post, make sure the settings are correct before publishing it. To access the post’s advanced options, click the Settings button at the top right of the editor.
In the settings sidebar, you can choose whether to allow comments, add tags, set the post’s categories, or upload featured images.
Before you publish the blog post, hit Preview to make sure everything’s in order. For example, check that the blog post title isn’t too long and that all paragraphs and images look as intended. Go back and edit the post if needed.
Once you’re satisfied, proceed and click Publish.

8. Publish Your Blog

The process of publishing a blog post is typically very simple, as we explained earlier. However, we recommend doing a last check to ensure the blog post is of its best quality.
Before making your blog post accessible, consider taking a look at this publishing checklist:
Review and Fix Any Grammar and Spelling Errors
Bad grammar and spelling errors can make your content look less reliable and damage your credibility. Therefore, take the time to proofread your blog post before publishing. One trick is to leave a day between writing and editing to ensure you are seeing the article objectively. It is also a good idea to ask someone else to proofread the blog if possible.
Check Formatting and Structure
Your blog format and structure can help maintain the reader’s attention. Some best practices include adding a table of contents, checking the flow from one section to the next, and ensuring font styles and sizes are readable.
Add and Optimize Visual Elements
Visual elements like illustrations and graphs help deliver information more effectively. Therefore, adding them in the right places can improve your content. If you use a CMS like WordPress, consider optimizing the images by compressing or resizing them for a faster loading time.
Ensure All Links Are Working Properly
Internal and external links help visitors navigate your website and are essential to your blog’s SEO performance. Check that all the links you include lead to the right pages. It is also important to consider the anchor text you use since they help Google and other search engines understand the links’ contexts better.

9. Promote and Grow Your Blog Following

Now that your new WordPress blog is up and running, it’s time to get people to read it. Even if you have high-quality content, it won’t make a difference if it doesn’t reach the target audience. That’s why blog promotion is vital.
Optimize Your Blog with SEO Practices
Search engine optimization refers to a set of techniques used to increase the ranking of a website on search engines.
Getting a website to rank high on search engine results pages (SERPs) is essential since around 53% of all website traffic comes from organic searches. If you have posts and pages ranking high on Google, your blog is more likely to enjoy a steady stream of organic traffic without paying for advertisements.
Here are some of the best tips for blog SEO:

Keyword research. Target specific long-tail keywords with low competition to have a better chance of ranking high on SERPs. Use tools like Google Trends, Semrush, or Ahrefs to gather keyword-related information.
Sign up for Google Search Console. It’s an excellent tool for tracking your website’s performance on Google. It will let you know which keywords bring the most traffic and which websites link to yours.
Install an SEO plugin. If you run a WordPress blog, Yoast SEO is one of the most popular plugins. If you use a website builder, most provide similar built-in SEO features.
Apply on-page SEO best practices. Some essential on-page SEO tactics include adding meta descriptions and changing permalink slugs.
Improve website performance. A faster page loading speed positively affects SEO. Make sure to follow website performance guidelines to speed up your website.

Build Your Blog Audience on Social Media and Online Forums
Promoting your blog on social media and online forums is an excellent way to find your audience and connect with them. The goal should be to find communities around your blogging niche and lead them to your blog.
90% of bloggers use social media to share their posts. It’s a popular method to generate traffic, so focusing some time on an optimized social media strategy is crucial.
The first step is to ensure that you incorporate social media into your own blog. Readers who find your content interesting or valuable may want to follow your social media accounts and share your blog content with others.
Consider using a social media plugin if you run a WordPress blog. Installing them will give you access to features such as social media icon widgets, social sharing, and Facebook like buttons.
The next step is selecting the social media platforms to promote your blog.
Each social media channel has unique characteristics, and not all of them will suit your specific niche. Therefore, researching each platform’s demographics before promoting on social media is essential.
Here’s some information about the most popular social media platforms and their user demographics that can help you grow a successful blog:

Facebook. The biggest social network with approximately 3 billion monthly active users worldwide. Men aged 25-34 make up 17.6% of its user base, making them the largest demographic on the platform. Most Facebook users also access it via mobile, so make sure your blog is mobile-friendly.
Twitter. There are over 300 million monthly active users on Twitter, with most of its demographic being male users. It has earned a reputation for providing real-time updates on various topics, and many of its users rely on Twitter to get their news.
Reddit. This social discussion platform has around 50 million daily active users on average. Reddit has over 100 thousand active communities for almost any niche, making it a great platform for finding your target audience.
Instagram. This photo-sharing app surpasses 1 billion monthly active users worldwide and is among the most popular platforms for influencer marketing. If you have visually appealing blog content and your target audience is millennials, Instagram is an excellent fit.
Pinterest. The popular image-sharing and visual curation platform has over 450 million monthly active users. Female audiences are the majority on Pinterest, with most users coming from North America. It’s a worthy option for blogs whose audience is predominantly American women.