How to build your own blog
Ready to build your own blog? It can seem overwhelming and be very intimidating. In this article, I’ll run through 10 simple ways to build your own blog. If you’re a blogging novice with basic computer knowledge, this guide can help you create one in just 20 minutes or less.
The good news is that the internet is exploding with growth right now and more people than ever are online. This explosion in growth means more potential readers for your blog so it’s the perfect time to set one up, there is no better time than now.
Here are the 10 steps you need.
1. Choose A Blog Name
If you don’t have an idea for a name yet, think about what you are wanting to share with the world. Perhaps, you’re wanting to share your life experiences and the lessons you’ve learned throughout them, or maybe creating a blog where you talk about your day-to-day life to random thoughts and musings. You could even write about your hobbies or passions. Whatever you’re wanting to express make sure the blog encapsulates your main theme.
A good blog name should be descriptive so that potential visitors can instantly gain insight into what you write about just from your blog’s name. Try not to get too hung up on just one word though. For example, if you write about cooking the name of your blog doesn’t have to have the word “cooking” in it, instead, you could use “food” or “meals”. These words would still let people know your blog is about cooking.
Once you’ve pondered on some different ideas and you’ve found the name for you, the next step is to choose a domain extension. A “.com” domain extension is the most preferred, but “.net” and “.org” work as well.
2. Get Your Blog Online
To get your blog up and running online you’ll need two things: blog hosting (also known as web hosting) and blogging software. The good news is, these two things usually come together in a package.
The web host i recommend is BlueHost, this is what I’ll be guiding you through throughout this article. The reason why I’m hyping up Bluehost is that BlueHost will register your domain name for free, making sure no one else can take it. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are unsatisfied for any reason. They offer a free, automatic installation of the WordPress blogging software. They offer reliable web hosting that has been recommended by WordPress since 2005 and they currently host over 2 million blogs and websites. If you’re ever stuck with anything, they offer helpful 24/7 customer service via phone or web chat.
The first step of using BlueHost is to choose a plan with them. I recommend that beginning bloggers get the basic plan. The second step is to type your domain name in the left box and click next to start the installation process. You can then fill out your billing information on the registration page and then choose your hosting package and options. You’ll need to create a Bluehost account after this, after following all these steps, you’ll be taken to the installation helper. Now, you can finally install WordPress to start to build your own blog.
3. Build your own blog
Now you’ve got WordPress installed, log in and it will transport you to the WordPress dashboard. This is where you can make any changes you want to build your own blog. Everyone has a different idea of how they want their blog to look. One great thing about WordPress is that you can change your entire layout and design with just a few clicks.
In WordPress, blog layouts are known as “Themes”. Themes control the entire design of your WordPress blog. To change your theme you are going to click on the “Appearance” tab on the left menu.
You will see several free WordPress themes are already installed on your blog. These are well-designed, clean-looking themes that can work for just about any type of blog. In fact, many of the world’s top bloggers use one of these themes.
If you don’t like any of the pre-installed themes on WordPress, you can easily choose from thousands of other free WordPress themes. To install a new theme, click on the “Appearance” tab on the left menu and then click “Add New Theme”.
For first time WordPress users, this article will be extremely beneficial to build your own blog.
4. Write A New Blog Post And Publish It
Now that you’ve played around to build your own blog design, it’s time to actually get down to the nitty-gritty. To create your first piece of content, go to the left menu and click on “posts”. Once you’ve done this, you will see that a post is already there, this is a default post on every new WordPress blog, and you don’t need it. To delete it click “Trash” just under the post. To begin writing a new post, click the “Add New” link.
This will take you to the post editor screen, enter the title of your post in the top box and then begin writing your post in the lower box. If you want to add pictures to your post, click on the “Add image” icon and click “upload” to upload a picture from your computer. You can make adjustments to the picture size on the next screen. When you are ready, click “Insert into post” to add a picture. Once you have completed your new blog post, simply click publish.
When writing blog posts you need to think about two main types of content: static and dynamic content.
Static content should include a few necessary pages explicitly designed to provide visitors with the tools they need. Important static pages to include are an “About me” page and a “contact page.
Dynamic content is your blog and the most important content you have to offer. This is where you, the creator, will infuse the blog with knowledgable tips, facts, opinions, and engaging stories. This is how you get your visitors hooked and keep them coming back for more. Your blog content should be regularly submitted at specific intervals. Waiting months to create content will disengage your audience, and make them look elsewhere for valuable content.
5. Promote Your Blog
Creating a blog is all well and good, but it won’t get you anywhere without doing the work needed to promote it. This is especially important when you first start.
The first thing to do is alert your inner circle, the very first people that should be aware of your blog are your inner circle. This includes family, friends, and colleagues within your field. Encourage them to be followers, ask them to mention your new blog, and most importantly thank them for their support.
While you don’t want to overdo it, social media is a great tool for marketing your blog. Create an account with the “Big Five” ( Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest, and Twitter). You should post a link to the newest content on your accounts, but you can also post relevant news and other sources that your readers may find interesting. Don’t forget to use hashtags and engage with your followers.
Other ways to promote include commenting on other blogs and engaging with your visitors, posting regularly, and collaborating with other bloggers.
6. Make Money From Your Blog
Once you have put in the effort of creating great blog content and promoting your blog, making money from it is the easiest part.
You can make money by selling advertising space. Once your blog becomes popular, advertisers will be hounding you for the opportunity to advertise. The best way to take advantage of this situation is to use Google Adsense. Adsense finds the advertisers for you and all you have to do is place the Google Adsense code on your blog to start running ads.
Another way to make money is to sell affiliate products, an affiliate program is a commission-based way to advertise. When one of your readers clicks a link on your blog, they get sent to an advertiser’s website and you get some commission for this if they purchase from them. It’s important to disclose that you are an affiliate of the product.
Other ways to make money include selling digital downloads. E-books, video tutorials, and e-courses are the most commonly consumed digital materials sold by bloggers. With little to no overhead and no shipping costs, you can keep the prices low and inviting.