First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on this first step of starting your new blog! You are here because you want to start a blog that can be a source of income for you.
Is it possible to start a blog that can make an income? Absolutely! Will you start making bank after publishing your first blog post? Probably not. This is not a post telling you how to make $10,000 in your first month of blogging. While it is very possible to make thousands of dollars a month blogging, that won’t happen right away. You need to take your blog seriously and treat it like a business.
Starting a blog can feel like an overwhelming process. You’ve decided to share your life, ideas and expertise with the world but you have no idea where to start…WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE! There’s an infinite amount of information on the topic and it’s always growing. Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint where to start so blogging remains on the back burner. Does this sound familiar?
Why start a blog? Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts with the world. It’s also a way to make money and with blogging the sky is the limit (there are blogs that make $100,000/month). There are many streams of income you can make when it comes to blogging but more on that later. What you do need is a little faith and a lot of determination to make your blogging dreams come true.
My best advice to starting a blog is to START YOUR BLOG RIGHT NOW…I mean it, start the process RIGHT NOW and learn as you go. You don’t need to be a tech genius to launch a blog. Blogging is something you can learn as you go. And there is no better time to start your blog than RIGHT NOW.
No one has ever wished they waited to start their blog later, it’s always the opposite.
I was once in your shoes when I wanted to start my blog so I wanted to break down how to start a blog in easy to follow steps. Keep reading for my 8 simple steps for setting up your money-making blog in less than an hour.
This blog contains affiliate links. That means I earn a small commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase. All opinions are my own. Thank you for your support!
Step 1: Choose Your Niche
The first thing you’ll want to do when you start a blog is deciding what you want to blog about. What will be the main topic of your blog that targets a specific group of people? This is also known as your niche Will you have different sub-niches as well? Do you want your blog to be more of a hobby or a side hustle? Maybe you even want to replace your full-time income?
If you are thinking about starting a blog then chances are you may have already thought about your niche.
Bloggers will say that having a niche is a crucial step to starting your new blog. This is very true. When you are focused on a niche then you will attract your ideal readers. You will stand out as an expert on that particular topic and this can help grow your blog faster. Having a niche will also help with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) so you can rank higher on Google.
Niching down also benefits you when it comes to creating your content. It can feel very overwhelming when you are writing about any and all topics, even just thinking about a topic to write about.
Do you already have a niche in mind? Great! Go with that! But if you don’t have a niche and are stuck on this step, let me tell you this secret.
If you can’t choose a niche right now then pick a few topics you want to write about for your first few months of blogging.
You can always see what you enjoy writing about, the value you bring to the table and what your audience responds to. Once you get more of a clear idea of the direction you want to take your blog then you can shift into your niche and any sub-niches you want to write about.
Here is a MAJOR TIP with starting a successful blog. Have a solution to a problem that people are looking for. Your blog needs to be about your reader and how you can help them. People are not Googling what you ate for breakfast that day. That’s not to say that you can’t sprinkle in what you want to write about but the focus has to be on your reader. Keep that in mind when you are choosing your niche.
If you need some help with choosing a niche then are some different questions you can ask yourself.
What are your interests?
This is the first step to drilling down to your niche. Make a list of your interests and topics that you are PASSIONATE about. If you are into budgeting, saving money or side hustles then maybe a finance blog would be a potential niche to write down. Maybe you love taking trips and exploring new places then a travel blog would be right up your alley. If you love cooking, trying new restaurants or fancy kitchen gadgets then a potential food blog may be for you.
What are you are knowledgeable about?
To drill down to your niche even more you will want to think of the VALUE you can bring to your audience. What topics do you love to research and have gained knowledge about that you can teach to others? I know when I am searching the web it is because I am looking for value. I have searched for things like ways to save on my groceries, fun things to do in Chicago and Nespresso Creatista Plus reviews to only name a few and these all have lead me to blogs. Google receives over 63,000 searches per second and your blog could be one of those search results.
Who is your target audience?
Next you’ll want to DEFINE your target audience to further drill down to your niche. Not everyone will find your blog helpful because not everyone is your target audience. You want to focus your blog posts to your specific target audience so they get value from you. Your blog posts will focus on the interests of your target market and how you can help the. This will keep them coming back to your blog in the future. Knowing your target market will also help you pinpoint different topics to write about and the direction your blog posts go in.
For example, if your blog is focused on starting a home based ETSY business then an example could be “My target audience is a mother in her late 20s to early 30s who works a corporate job. She…has kids that go to daycare 5 days a week…loves to use her Circuit to makes personalized gifts for family and friends…is thinking about starting a side hustle so she can take her family on a vacation during the summer”.
Step 2: Brainstorm blog post ideas
Now that you have a better idea on your niche now it’s time to start your list of blog post ideas. You want to make yourself a running list of blog post ideas so that when it’s time to write a new blog post then you won’t get stuck on what to write. I would recommend starting with a list of 10-20 blog post ideas for your niche and any sub-niches then as you think of more you can add then to the list. I like to have my blog post idea list on a Google Doc or my Notes app on my phone so I have instant access when an idea hits.
Some other ways you can brainstorm blog post ideas is:
- Google search suggestion
- look through Pinterest
- research other blogs in your niche
- ask others what they want to read about
- what do you want to read about
- what you can share about your life that can help others
Step 3: Choose Your Blog Name and Domain
Your blog name and your domain name should be the same if not very similar so I have grouped these two into one step.
Since you are thinking about starting a blog then you may have already have a blog name in mind. If you have some ideas then now would be a great time to search up the blog name, domain and any social media handles to make sure they are not taken.
If your desired social media handle is not taken then create your accounts on the main platforms now (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.) even if you will not use them right away. You don’t want someone to have snagged it before you decided you want to go ahead and start using a particular platform.
Your blog name is something that you will really want to think about because it will be your online presence and your brand. It will not only be your website but all of your social media handles as well so be sure that you choose something that you can grow with. On the other hand, over-complicate this step.
You want your blog name to be easy to remember and give your visitors a hint to what your site is about. If possible, have a keyword to describe your niche in your blog name. For example, if your blog is about saving money you can have the word “frugal” in it.
You can use your name like I have which will make your blog more personable. It can allow for more flexibility with your blog if you decide to go a different direction.
Your domain should:
- have a .com ending
- be easy to pronounce and spell
- not be too long
- not have numbers or hyphens
Be sure to check out step 5 to see how you can register your domain FREE for the first year.
Step 4: Choose Your Blogging Platform
Your blogging platform is the software that is used to manage and publish your content.
There are so many choices when it comes choosing a platform and hosting for your blog, some include WordPress.org, WordPress.com, Blogger, Tumblr, Wix and many more. If you are looking for a blog to just get your thoughts out there and you are NOT going to monetize then you can’t go wrong with any of these. Chances are, if you are reading this post, then you want to monetize your blog. You will want to sign up for a self-hosted blog on WordPress.org (not WordPress.com, they are not the same thing).
But why spend money when I can set up a blog for free?
Setting up your blog with a free platform would really put your blog at a disadvantage. When you are with a free platform it makes your blog look less professional. Instead of having the domain www.myamazingblog.com, your blog would be www.myamazingblog.wordpress.com or www.myamazingblog.blogspot.com.
With free platforms there will be display ads on your site that you have no control over and that you are not getting paid for.
It’s almost impossible to monetize a blog on a free blogging platform and some free blogging platforms don’t even allow you to put any affiliate links on your blog at all.
You also cannot do sponsored posts because you don’t own the content on your blog…your blogging platform does.
If you are wanting to make money from your blog then you need to think of your blog as an investment.
WordPress.org is what I use for this blog. It is a free, self-hosted blogging platform which means you are responsible for installing the blogging software and that it is being hosted with a paid web hosting company. It sounds way more complicated than it is. The platform is very user-friendly and is something that can be learned as you go. Also when you use a self-hosted blogging platform it means you 100% own the site and you control it and this allows you to monetize your blog.
WordPress also powers 27% of the world’s websites which is insane.
If you have decided on WordPress.org for your blog then you can easily install it in the next step with 1-click.
Step 5: Choose Your Blog Host
A blog host is a company that provides the web server space and is where all of your blog files are stored. It basically allows your blog to live online so people can find it.
There are a variety of companies you can choose to host your blog at. Here are 3 important factors that you should look for in choosing a hosting company.
- Uptime – Your blog host should have a guaranteed uptime of 99.5% or higher
- Cost – Your blog host should not only be cost-effective but have a variety of plans in case you need to upgrade in the future
- Customer Support – Your blog host should have 24/7 expert customer support in case you have any questions or you “break” something that needs fixing right away.
After researching different hosting companies I chose Bluehost to host my blog and fully recommend them for yours. Not only do they check the boxes on those 3 top factors but they have 1-click WordPress installation so you can get your blog up and running quicker.
Bluehost has been around since 2003 and powers over 2 million websites. Their hosting company has also been recommended by WordPress since 2005. It is the best, affordable hosting from beginner to expert bloggers.
With Bluehost you get
- Low-cost plans starting at $2.95 a month
- FREE domain registration for the first year (saving you $15) when you purchase a web hosting package
- 1-click WordPress installation (THE best thing ever!)
- Free SSL Certificate
- Extensive library of resources with guides, articles and videos
- 24/7 live chat support
- 30 day money-back guarantee
Bluehost has a few different plans you can choose from. I recommend the Basic package with a 36 month term which gives you the best value. It’s the plan I chose when I signed up with them.
When using my link, their web hosting is only $4.95 a month for the first 3 years! They also have the Basic package with a 12 month term for $2.95 a month. With either package you choose, you will get your domain name FREE for the first year!
Click “Get Started” to sign up with Bluehost.
You can check out this blog post on How To Set Up Your Bluehost Account For Your New WordPress Blog for a step-by-step guide.
Once you are done with the sign-up process you can install WordPress and choose your theme.
Step 6: Set Up Your Blog
YAY! Things are getting real now! Now is the time to set up and design your new blog!
The first thing you will want to do is set up WordPress. It is so quick and easy to set up with Bluehost. After you have created your Bluehost account you will want to click on “Go to login” and Bluehost will automatically install WordPress for you.
I recommend going with a free theme when starting out (I currently use PinkPersonal Blogily). Choose a theme that suits your blog, you can always change it or purchase a theme later. After that, you can spend a little time customizing your blog by choosing a font and color scheme that you like. Spend some time on this step but not too much. The main focus on your new blog when starting out should be the content.
You will also want to create the following pages to start your blog
- About Me
- Contact
- Legal
Step 7: Write and publish your first blog post
Well now that you got the scary part of setting up your blog out of the way it’s time for the fun part…writing and publishing your very first blog post.
Your first blog post can be about anything, YES, anything! With your first blog post you are getting your feet wet in the blogging world. Don’t get hung up with finding the perfect topic and writing the perfect post.
I purchased my domain and hosting as well as set up my blog in July of 2020 and guess what? My blog laid dormant for a a couple years. I was so excited to start my blogging journey but then got stuck perfecting my blog posts. Then life got in the way. It wasn’t until I received an email letting me know that my domain was up for renewal that I decided it was now or never.
I have realized in my adult life that there is never a better time to do anything than NOW! If I would have just posted that first blog post back in July of 2020, it would have kept the momentum going and I would have over a year’s worth of blog posts.
So I wrote my first blog post which was my FabFitFun summer 2021 subscription box. It’s a fun topic for me and while this particular post won’t drive a ton of traffic it does help with my blogging momentum.
The point is to keep the momentum going.
Step 8: Get The Blog Post Checklist
Get my FREE Blog Post Checklist down below. It is the checklist that I use this with each blog post to make sure I don’t overlook anything before I hit publish.
Final Thoughts
Those are my 8 simple steps or setting up your money-making blog in less than an hour. If you want to see other ways you can make money from home, check out my blog post Make Money Online: 6 Ways You Can Start Making Money Today
I would love to know why you have decided to start your blog! Please feel free to post any questions or comments you have in the comments!
Related posts:
Set Up Your Bluehost Account For Your WordPress Blog
