If you did a Google search and landed on this post intending to learn how to start a blog, you are in the right place.
There are a ton of successful blogs, and you could envy how they took off so fast. But instead of envying those blogs, I want to help you start your own blog today (not a free wordpress.com blog), and right now as a new blogger and create your first blog post.
So in this the ultimate massive insane guide:
I’ll walk you through, step-by-step how to start a blog, go ahead and answer some of the frequently asked questions about starting a WordPress blog, and then show you some of the tools that’ll help you get off the ground with your blogging career.
And if you follow these steps to a tee, you’ll not only have a successful blog but also build a money-generating machine that will help you generate money while you sleep.
That sounds like a reasonable offer, right?
Don’t let your guard down. We have a long way to go. But first, let’s begin with the most frequently asked questions about how to start a blog.
Table of Contents
What Is A Blog?
A blog refers to a website that’s regularly updated with fresh and great content, usually written in a conversational tone.
A content creator who creates and updates a blog is called a blogger. He or she usually writes high-quality blog content intending to attract readers and share his or her view, experience and knowledge with them.
Also, people start blogs with the ultimate goal of earning passive income.
Why Should I Start My Blog?
You don’t need to write like J.K Rowlings or Seth Godin or be an expert in html language to be a successful blogger. Readers want to share your moments with you. So as long as you can express your thoughts, rest assured you’ll build a successful blog.
Additionally, you don’t need years of experience to get readers’ attention. I have seen people who started a blog as soon as they became mothers, and their blogs took off immediately. A good example is Elna Cain of Twins Mommy.
When her twins were barely a year, she started a freelance writing business from scratch with no previous online or business experience.
And within six months she was making a full-time income with her blog.
A year later she started Twins Mommy to help other moms like her start a blog and grow their traffic and income.
[be]In a nutshell, there are no limits to starting a successful blog – you can start a blog from any part of the world by:
Below is why people start blogs:
Making Money Online
More people are diving into working from home instead of traditional full-time jobs, and the number is likely to increase since the pandemic hit us.
Blogging is by far the best way to make money online, and the rewards could be more if you do it the right way. The best of all is that you don’t need a degree or Ph.D. to get started with your blogging career – all you need is a functional computer and a stable internet connection.
And you don’t need to blog full-time to earn passive income. There are a ton of bloggers earning part-time and still make decent cash.
Growing a Business or Personal Brand
You need to create awareness for your brand and attract more customers. The best way you can do that is by starting a personal blog. Blogs resonate well with prospective buyers. Eighty-Eight Percent of consumers research a product online before purchasing it.
Therefore, if you want to scale your business to the next level, interact more with your readers, starting a blog is your best possible way to do that. And the best of all is that starting a blog has become a whole more straightforward over the years – you don’t need to be a coding master.
Telling Your Story
Most people start a blog to share their personal experience with online readers, and it’s also one of the best strategies to get your blog off the ground as fast as possible.
If you have had a bad experience in the past, faced challenges in life, starting a blog to give advice and encourage people who are undergoing the same could be a good idea.
In a nutshell, a blog is an ideal platform where you can share your personal experience, views, and insights about how to approach a specific obstacle.
Should I start A Blog?
People ask a ton of questions – from how do bloggers make money to should I start a blog in 2021, and that’s what I want to answer right now.
There has been an increased obsession with visual content lately. It’s taking over on some of the largest and most popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
And most people already have a feeling that the blogging industry could soon die. Let me drive away from the fear for you with facts and stats:
From the above stats, you can easily think of blogging as a very competitive industry with very limited opportunity of breaking through the noise, but that’s not the case.
Blogging is a long-term investment. You don’t start a blog today and see the positive results tomorrow. It could take up to two years to start feeling the worth of having a blog. Sometimes, even six years to see the full potential of it.
And because of this, most blogs don’t make it this far. Most bloggers give up in the long run because they are not patient enough to give it time.
In other words, blogging doesn’t need the impatient – it needs people who can wait a little longer, regularly creating content on their blog and promoting it.
Therefore, blogging is still a promising industry, but you must be prepared to stay patient before you can start seeing results.
Not to worry, let’s dive into a step-by-step guide on how you can start your own blog:
How To Start a Blog Step-By-Step in 2021: The Beginner’s Guide
1. Choose A Profitable Blog Niche In Three Steps
Aspiring new bloggers keep on asking the same question:
How do I choose a profitable niche/ topic for my blog?
And to be honest, this is one of the reasons why most people fail at blogging. They invest months or even years trying to specialize in the wrong niche.
Worst of all, they realize it when it’s too late.
That means that the only option they are left with is to start all over again.
Then the cycle continues – they invest time and money, months, or even years trying to force a topic to the wrong target audience.
Maybe you think that the right blog topic for your target audience is what you enjoy writing about.
Honestly, doing something out of passion is good in line with other factors. Writing a topic you love is even a better idea.
The downside?
Not everyone wants to listen to the topics you love writing about – people are looking for solutions on the Internet, so give it to them.
In other words, choose a profitable niche, where passion meets revenue potential, a niche that will drive traffic, help you make more sales, and earn passive income.
So how do you do all that?
Below are three steps/ factors to consider when choosing a profitable niche:
STEP 1 – Your Audience Revenue Potential
Usually, when someone wants to start a blog, they ask: what should be my niche? To some extent, that’s right, but this is what you should be asking yourself – who is my target audience?
In other words, you need to offer your target audience something valuable – solve some of their problems to make money.
Usually, people are willing to spend any amount on their biggest nightmares, and this is your chance.
(Hey, I’m not saying your focus should be on making money. Solve your audience’s needs first, and you’ll reap big afterward.)
That’s why you need to understand your audience’s pain points and find solutions to them. And to do that is by looking at yourself – defining what audience you belong to first.
The reason why this is important is that you’re way better at solving a problem you have encountered.
STEP 2 – Your Professional Leverage
Once you complete defining your audience revenue potential, the next step is to leverage the advantages you have. So ask yourself the following questions:
If you are serious about building a successful blog, you need to make your intentions known to your audience. And to do that, you need to maximize your connections, your experience, and any other competitive advantage you may have.
When building your own blog, one thing you will be required to do is to build connections with other industry blog owners in your niche. And when doing this, make sure that you are only targeting blogs with a high Domain Authority (DA) to get quality backlinks for SEO purposes.
In a nutshell, leveraging your professional experience is an excellent idea for the success of your blog. Imagine what it’ll be like to get published in a popular magazine like Business Insider in regards to your professional experience? Check out Danny Margulies’ story on Business Insider.
Being featured on Business Insider helped Danny Margulies to build a successful blog called Freelance To Win, Check out his site here.
And check out his monthly stats ( more than 5.900 visitors/month) on Ubersuggest:
STEP 3 – Keyword Research For SEO
Most bloggers ignore the most critical factors when choosing a niche – keyword research. It’s relatively simple. You should know what your target audience is searching for on the internet.
And the bitter truth, even if you may not like it, is that you have to be excellent in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) if you want your blog to rank high in the search engines.
And if you are wondering why you need to have the necessary SEO skills, here’s why: people search 63,000 times every second. That means that 3.8 million searches are made every minute, 228 million searches every hour, and the big surprise over 5 billion searches every day.
Fortunately, you have a variety of SEO tools that can help you. Some of the most popular SEO tools include SEMRush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, among others. These tools can help you know the following:
And below is what you need to consider while doing your keyword research using Ubersuggest tool:
Monthly Search Volume:
Keyword Difficulty:
2. Write Down Your Blogging Goals (SMART Goals)
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
You need to plan when you are starting a new blog. So once you have chosen your niche, you need to keep track of what you do – your content ideas, as well as your goals.
Here, you don’t need to complicate things for yourself. Just make sure you have SMART goals – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Once you have SMART goals, you need to know your unique selling points – how is your blog unique? Usually, your unique selling point should be seen on your homepage. Here’s how to showcase that:
3. Decide On The Right Blogging Platform
In this section, we will try to be brief and to the point.
If you want to start a serious blog and earn passive income from it, you need a self-hosted WordPress website, and that’s what we will use to start your blog today.
Blogging platforms are services or software that people use to publish their content on the internet. There are a ton of blogging platforms, such as Medium, WordPress.org, Wix.com, Drupal, Joomla, WordPress.com, among others.
You need hosting and especially WordPress hosting to be able to access your files at any time you want to. Plus, people take hosted websites more seriously than free websites.
And to prove to you that WordPress is King, 34.6 percent of all websites use WordPress. Additionally, some of the top blogging websites use WordPress. Examples include, TechCrunch, Mercedes-Benz, among others.
With WordPress, you can install unlimited plugins, customize your site using themes, and that’s why free blogging platforms can’t reach its standards.
Technically, WordPress is free, but that’s not the case. See what SmartBlogger says:
The reason is that you have to purchase a hosting provider package; that’s when you can install WordPress. Additionally, you will also be required to buy a domain name.
All in all, these minor expenses shouldn’t stop you from starting your blog. Because if you need to build a successful blog, one that will earn you passive income, you will need a solid foundation, and that foundation is WordPress.
4. Choose Your Own Domain Name
When someone lands on your page, the first few things he or she will look at include the design of your website, your headlines, and the domain name.
Let’s take Entrepreneur, for example. What comes to your mind? Who is their target audience? No doubt that their target audience is Entrepreneurs.
Let’s take another example – Hostgator. Who is their target audience? Again, this is a no brainer – people who want to get hosting services for their website.
As you have seen, neither of those domain names are crappy. They quickly help a visitor know what the blog is all about, and that’s what you should aim for – to help your readers understand what your blog is all about through your domain name.
How To Select A Domain Name
Below are three different ways to find a domain name for your audience:
You can use the above three hacks to find your perfect domain name. Maybe, you can write them down in Google Docs, or use a domain generator, such as NameStation to get blog name ideas.
Once you have a list of domain name examples, go to a domain registrar such as GoDaddy or NameCheap and check if your desired domain name is available for purchase.
The advantage of using NameCheap to search your domain name is that it provides a feature called Beast Mode. With this feature, you can search up to 5,000 domain names simultaneously.
To use this feature, click “Use Beast Mode” at the top. Alternatively, you can enter the keyword and click “Beast Mode” located next to the search bar.
Sometimes you might be lucky that your domain name is available. If not, you will have to brainstorm other domain name ideas or go to a premium domain platform such as Sedo.
Remember, don’t let this stress you up. If you didn’t manage to find your preferred domain name, give yourself a break, and come back fresh after a couple of days. By then, you will have thought about another domain name.
5. Choose A Web Hosting Plan
If you have never heard about the web host, or rather web hosting, it is your website’s warehouse. To have your website on the internet, and backed up, you will pay a small fee.
There are many web hosting service providers, for example, there are SiteGround, BlueHost, Hostgator, among others. For today, we’ll go with SiteGround.
SiteGround is one of the most affordable and reliable web hosting services. Check out some of its excellent features:
The best of all is that SiteGround will offer you a sixty percent discount if you are a new customer.
How To Purchase Web Hosting at SiteGround
Head over to SiteGround and click the “Get Plan” button located below the WordPress hosting option. (choose whatever plan suits you).
If you are starting, it’s wise to choose the “StartUp” plan. Either way, you have the freedom to choose what suits your needs.
Once you do that, you will be taken to another screen. Please follow these steps:
On your final screen, complete these sections:
Let’s dig deeper into the payment information:
If you have chosen a 12-month plan, with no other add-ons, the total amount you will pay is $47.
Therefore reject other services and click, “Pay Now” button.
And there you go. You have successfully purchased your hosting.
Okay, let’s now point your domain name with your new web host.
How To Connect Your Domain Name And Your Host
This is probably the most technical, but let’s make it simple using these steps:
And that’s all.
You can also follow this YouTube tutorial step-by-step.
6. Install Your CMS: WordPress
It’s now time to install your WordPress.
If you use SiteGround, you will not need any cPanel knowledge.
So when you sign in to your SiteGround user panel, an “Account Setup Wizard” will pop-up as shown below:
Click “Start a new website,” then select “WordPress.”
Create your login details:
Click “Confirm” to continue.
Once you have read the terms and agreement, click, “Complete Setup.”
Wait for a moment for your WordPress to install, then login to your WordPress dashboard (wp-admin).
7. Design Your Blog Using A WordPress Theme (Premium Theme)
It’s time to design your blog, but let’s make something clear:
The content in your blog matters a lot more than the design.
For example, if you have an ugly website, great content, people will still visit to read from it, but when you have a beautiful site with poor regurgitated content, nobody will care about reading from your blog.
In short, don’t center much on your design. Have a functional website for, create high-quality content, and then make your design perfect later.
That said, let’s now look at how you can design your website.
How To Choose A WordPress Theme
A theme will determine how your blog looks, and with the help of a premium WordPress theme, you can get what you want.
The best of all is that there are a ton of WordPress themes you can choose from – both free and premium themes.
And because I know how hard it can be to choose among the many themes, I’ll make it simple for YOU:
How To Install WordPress Themes
Follow the steps below to install your WordPress theme:
From here, you have two options:
Option #1: Using WordPress.org’s Directory
Option #2: Installation of a Thirty-Party WordPress Theme
8. Install WordPress Plugins
WordPress has lots of features, but plugins will give you more.
And the good news is that you can find any plugin on WordPress.org. All you have to do is to know what you want to do with the plugin.
But there are specific WordPress plugins you need to install right away after you have installed WordPress on your site.
To help you with this, I will give a list of the six categories of plugins you will need for your WordPress site.
Additionally, I will add an example in each category. Feel free to use the one that suits you. You also have the freedom to choose.
6 Categories of WordPress Plugins
- Performance Plugins such as WP Super Cache
- Security Plugins such as iThemes Security
- Backup Plugins such as UpdraftPlus
- SEO Plugins such as Yoast SEO
- Social Sharing Plugins such as Social Warfare
- Email List Building Plugins such as Convert Pro
How To Install WordPress Plugins
You have selected the plugins you need, let’s now go ahead and install them:
From there, you have two options:
Option #1: Install By Uploading The WordPress Plugin
Option #2: Install A Plugin By Searching The Plugin Name
After installing the plugin, head over to “Plugins” from your WordPress dashboard and activate the plugin you installed by clicking “Activate.”
9. Your Blog Set Up and SEO
There are tons of articles on the internet about SEO – from on-page SEO to keyword research. But I’ll be brief in this section.
If you want to create a blog, one that brings in traffic, makes more sales, and sits on the first page of SEO, you need to up your SEO game.
Let’s start with the basics that most people often forget when setting up their new websites.
Google should find your website
If you want Google, Bing to find your website, be sure to do the following:
Create An XML Sitemap
If you don’t know what an XML sitemap is, below is a quick definition:
Because your website is still new with few backlinks, a sitemap will help you get noticed by Google. So let’s create our sitemap and submit it to the webmaster tools.
How To Create An XML Sitemap
If you installed and activated the Yoast SEO plugin, I recommended earlier, creating a sitemap is a snap.
Next, you need to follow these steps to copy the URL of your sitemap:
Copy and save them.
How To Submit Your Sitemap To Webmaster Tools
10. Create Your First Post-Great Content
Let’s be honest.
Honestly, this is the part you will enjoy most. Imagine the hassle you have gone through trying to set up your blog, and now you are here – to create your first post.
And because you are eager to do this, let me walk you through step-by-step, but first, let’s look at the basics:
Create A New Post On Your WordPress Blog Page
- Hover to your WordPress dashboard, go to “Posts.”
- Click “Add New”
And you will have added a new blog post!
If you use Gutenberg editor, below is how your screen should appear:
How To Find Blog Post Ideas
Use BuzzSumo
Buzzsumo helps you find popular blog posts on social, depending on the number of social shares.
Enter the site URL of your competitor on the search bar, and you’ll see all the popular posts on the blog.
Alternatively, you can enter a keyword and see the most popular blog post.
Know Your Reader’s Pain Points
In other words:
Know your audience’s worst nightmares – what’s giving them sleepless nights?
For example, are they having sleepless nights trying to figure out how they can generate more traffic to their blogs? Or are they having trouble raising children?
If you can offer a solution to your audience, then there is no doubt that your blog will pick up fast. So let the solution to your audience’s problem be your blog post ideas and create content around it.
How To Write A Good Headline
The simple tactic is to emulate how the professionals write their headlines.
Look at some of the top-performing blogs like SmartBlogger or Neil Patel.
How To Write A Good Introduction
11. Boost Your Blog Traffic And Promote It On Social Media
Hack #1: Focus on One Social Media Platform
If you want to specialize on every social platform out there, I must say you are going to fail – terribly!
There are a ton of social platforms, and you only have around eight hours to work daily. You can’t work on all of them at the same time.
Instead of trying to do the impossible, here is what you need to do instead:
Hack #2: Avoid These Old-school Techniques
There are a ton of blogs out there, giving traffic hacks. Sadly, some of these hacks have lost meaning and, therefore, no longer work.
Below, I will outline some of the five traffic hacks that I believe no longer work, and they could consume your time as a beginner with no trackable results.
If you are starting, please avoid these hacks because they no longer work:
12. Build An Email List
Nearly all famous bloggers will never ignore to build their email list. It is one of the blogging mistakes, and because I don’t want you to fall, victim, I’ll walk you through on how to build one.
13. Make Money Blogging
Finally, you have your blog up and running, so what’s next?
Monetize your blog and start making money, but take note that you may not make a lot in your first year blogging.
It’s now time to make money blogging, and I’ll give you some of the ways you can do that in a moment. We have a massive guide on how to make money blogging.
First, you must know what you shouldn’t do if you are serious about succeeding with your blogging career.
This is a caution, though you have the option to choose.
Please don’t put all your time trying to leverage on Google Adsense because it’s not an excellent way to make money blogging.
Second, you need massive traffic to earn decently with Adsense, and as a beginner, you don’t have that traffic as you are just starting.
If you want to know other reasons why ads aren’t good enough for you as a beginner, read this blog post and find out more.
Monetization: How To Make Money Blogging
Affiliate Marketing
This is the most preferred as you can directly apply it to your blog from the start. So it’s the only one I’m going to discuss. (Be sure to check out the other ways I’ll list below).
Affiliate marketing is the process of selling products or services on behalf of another person and earning a commission from the sales you make.
To get started with affiliate marketing, you will need to register with some of the affiliate programs, depending on your niche.
Once you’re in, you will be given a trackable link. When someone clicks on your link and buys a product or service, you will earn a commission for that sale.
Other Ways To Make Money With A Blog
Over To You
I know this:
Most people who read blogs about how to start a blog end up not starting a blog or create a free blog instead, and you shouldn’t be one of those people.
Instead, I expect you to start creating your blog immediately. I suggest that you start brainstorming a list of domain names, and search if they are available.
Once you have your domain name, purchase a hosting package, install WordPress, install a theme, plugins, and create your first post, then start monetizing your site.
Be consistent and produce top-notch valuable content for your reader.
If you do this, your life will be 10X better than you can ever imagine; you will have more time with your family, travel around the world, and make more money on the side.
You will be going from one beach to another, doing what you love – blogging.
Mate, this is your chance, don’t waste it. Get started now! Your hard work will not go unrewarded.