This is a no BS guide on how to start a blog! As a full-time creative myself, I feel safe putting this guide out here, and I want you to get this right from the start.
Starting a blog can be a good way to have your own creative space on the internet, or it can be a way for you to become your own boss! Both are great reasons to start a blog, but the question is now what? Where do you even begin?
I will cover these 5 steps:
- Choosing your content pillars
- Branding yourself
- Setting up your blog
- Designing your blog
- Making your first post
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Step #1: Think about your content pillars
What are content pillars?
“Content pillars are 3–5 topics your brand will consistently discuss, amplify, and create content for on social media”. – Later Media
Common topics include home, beauty, lifestyle, travel, food, fashion, wellness, and more. If you have browsed my site, you can see I am more on the lifestyle side because I share clean beauty, plant-based eats, and my travels. I like to think of myself as a health-conscious adventurer. My Instagram and blog, are all about taking care of myself from the inside out and traveling.
A good way to discover your content pillars is to look at who your favorite creators are or look at your Pinterest boards. What are you watching and saving that inspires you?
Step #2: Brand Your Blog
Alright content pillars, done! Now it’s time to brand yourself or think of your domain name (www.yourdomainname.com).
Your domain name is not set and stone forever if you decide to move on to something else. But, it is nice to have your domain name set from the start.
This is a huge decision, but here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Is your name a reflection of you and what your goals are?
- Is the purpose of your blog clear from the name alone?
- Will your website be easy for viewers to remember and type?
If you are positive about your content pillars and name, you need to snag your domain name before someone else takes it, which I will show you in the next step!
Step #3: Setting up your blog
What are web hosts and blogging platforms?
The web host is a service that provides your blog with a place to live on the internet.
The blogging platform is where you do all the behind-the-scenes work like building, managing and creating content.
Think of it as a house on land. The land is the (web host) where your house lives and the house is the (blogging platform) that you build, manage, and create, and you can’t have a house without land.
If you have any intentions of turning your blog into a business even if you think it’s just a dream, go ahead and pass up on the free blogging platforms and get self-hosted from the start!
Difference between self-hosted and free hosting?
Free hosted blogging platforms like WordPress.COM:
- Don’t require you to pay for a web hosting service. But, you also DO NOT own the website or your content.
- You’ll have to include the hostname as part of your domain name. So instead of yourdomainname.com, it will be something like — yourdomainname.wordpress.com.
- The host can also place distracting ads on your site, but you don’t make money from them.
- You won’t have the freedom to customize your website.
- Your site may look dull and unprofessional.
- And, your site can be turned off at any time if you violate their terms of service.
Self-hosted blogging platforms like WordPress.ORG:
- Provide you with total control over your website.
- Builds trust with your audience.
- Are great for monetizing.
- It allows you to customize your website design.
- Has More SEO Benefits.
- You Get Access To Over 40,000 Plugins.
If you want to blog as a hobby hosted may work well for you, but if you want to blog and grow a business and look professional overall self-hosted is the best option for you!
Which web host and blogging platform is best?
I use wordpress.org because it is considered the top blogging platform and works amazingly with my web hosting.
The web hosting service I love and recommend is Bluehost.
Why Bluehost?
1. You get a free domain
Bluehost gives you a completely free domain name for the entire year when you sign up here.
2. 24/7 customer support
As a new blogger, you will have a few questions, which is fine! Bluehost’s support team can help with your questions at any time.
3. Automatically installs WordPress for you
This is super helpful if you are just starting. No need to deal with crazy codes to install your site. Bluehost does it for you with the click of a button!
4. Affordability
When I started my blog jemayward.com affordability was my top concern in choosing a web hosting company and Bluehost delivered!
Bluehost is offering a special price for the Je’May Ward readers so you can start your blog for just $2.95/month!
More reasons I love Bluehost and WordPress
- Bluehost is the #1 hosting company recommended by WordPress
- Bluehost is one of the most affordable hosting companies for new bloggers
- With Bluehost, WordPress is FREE
- WordPress powers 30% of the internet (that’s a lot of people!)
- WordPress has over 40,000 plugins to choose from
Just remember not to confuse wordpress.com (hosted) and wordpress.org (self-hosted).
WordPress.ORG, however, is free, but you do have to pay for your web hosting service AND domain name.
Remember I’ll show you how to get a FREE domain name for a year with Bluehost.
With wordpress.COM you don’t have to pay for hosting, BUT you have no control over your site.
Now let’s get started creating your blog!
Choose your plan
Go to Bluehost.com and click the “Get Started” button.
This site contains affiliate links. Please read the Disclaimer for more information.
Bluehost has three package options Basic, Plus, Choice Plus, and Online Store.
I recommend the basic plan for all new bloggers. The Basic plan on Bluehost is only a few dollars per month — a tiny start-up cost if you think about it and well worth it. Like forreal… what other legit business can you start with a small start-up cost?
And, if you use my link, you can save 73% off the regular price.
Choose your domain name
This is where you will enter your domain name or brand name (what people type into the search bar to find your website).
It’s what people will remember you by and what sets you apart from others, so try to keep it memorable and stick to .com if possible.
Also, make sure it’s a name that’s not taken by other blogs or social media sites.
When you get to this page, you can use your existing domain name, if you have one, or pick a new domain name.
CREATE AN ACCOUNT, CONFIRM YOUR PACKAGE, AND PAY
Fill out your account information to create your account.
Next, you need to choose your package of the 12, or 36-month plan.
For the Package Extras option, please consider getting the Domain Privacy Protection.
I recommend you keep the Domain Privacy Protection because it hides your personal contact information from unwanted visitors.
It’s only an additional $0.99 per month, and it’s worth it to ensure that your contact information stays safe.
All the other options are not necessary.
Fill out your payment details, check the standard Privacy Policy and Terms of Service and click the green submit button.
Installing WordPress
At this point, you will be prompted to create a password.
Click the green button and create a password.
After you create a password, you should take a few minutes to read through the privacy policy and terms.
Then once you’re done, check the box if you agree and click Next.
Bluehost will automatically begin to install WordPress and add it to your account.
One-click, and guess what!? Now you have your own WordPress blog. Whooop whoop!
The only thing left to do is to design your site.
So, go ahead and login to your account.
Step #4: Designing your blog
Now that Bluehost has installed your WordPress site for you, all that’s left is picking a design theme. Choose a default theme for now. Don’t worry about how it looks because we’ll change it to a better one later.
Once you’re in, you’ll see the WordPress dashboard where you get a behind-the-scenes look at your website before it launches. This is where you’ll write posts, monitor comments, change settings, modify your design, and much more.
If you aren’t familiar with WordPress, then I’d suggest spending some time clicking around and getting used to where everything is. It shouldn’t take you too long to get the hang of, but if you do get stuck then there are a ton of Youtube tutorials you can watch.
WPexplorer.com also has a great guide on the WordPress Dashboard that covers everything from installing plugins to changing site settings.
Choose a blog design theme you love
If you want your blog to have a professional look, you’ll want to get a theme. Thankfully it’s easy to do and requires no crazy coding knowledge.
There are a few options you can choose:
- Hire a developer to design a custom website for you: This is often very expensive, but if you have the funds, I’d say go for it!
- Choose a free or premium WordPress theme: While WordPress has a ton of themes to choose from, they are often overused and limited design-wise.
- Purchase a pre-made theme from a third party: This is the most common option and one I’d recommend. There are millions of pre-made themes out there with unlimited design options so you can customize your site to your liking.
My favorite spot to purchase a pre-made WordPress theme is the Creative Market.
Note: If you go with this option, make sure you’re purchasing from a reliable seller that has good ratings. You don’t want to end up with a site full of coding errors or have a theme work great for 5 years only to find that it stops working because the developer no longer supports it.
Go with one that’s affordable and best represents your brand. If for some reason you don’t like the theme you chose, you can always change it later!
Once you’ve purchased a theme, it’s time to download the theme files and install them into WordPress.
Downloading your theme
After you’ve purchased your theme, the files will download to your computer in a .zip folder.
To upload them to WordPress, all you need to do is go into your WordPress dashboard, click the Appearance tab and go to Themes > Upload or Add New Theme > Install > Activate.
After installing a theme, then select Upload.
Once you’ve activated your theme, you’ll receive this message.
From here just click on Start Building and you’ll be taken to your WordPress dashboard.
And this is how your WordPress dashboard will look.
Now keep in mind, that your site is not LIVE until you actually launch it.
You may want to write a few posts first and tweak your design before officially launching your website.
Step #5: Pump out the Content
So, to begin writing your first post, from the WordPress dashboard on the left sidebar, click Posts. Then, click Add New.
Add the title for your post and then go ahead and start blogging about the content pillars you came up with earlier!
Once you’ve written a few posts, and your website design is ready, then you’ll need to launch your website.
Click the Bluehost icon to go to the home page. Next, click the Launch button.
and that’s it kiddo… see it wasn’t that hard to start a blog!
Final Thoughts
My biggest piece of advice is to not let the fear of failure or uncertainty hold you back.
Indecisiveness and comparison kill progress and are the biggest time wasters. If you want to start a blog, then the best thing I can say is to just do it!
Everyone starts somewhere even the most successful bloggers started from scratch.
You don’t need to know how to do everything right from the start because progress is progress and if you wait until you are ready you’ll probably be waiting forever.
I would love to hear from you!
Leave a comment below and share your thoughts, results, or challenges with starting your blog. If you just created your blog let me know in the comments!
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