How to Start Blog in Just 3 Practical Steps (The Ultimate Blogging Guide)
Let’s do this.
Yes, Let’s make it happen. You have thought about starting a blog. And, now you have landed up here reading a blog on how to start a blog. That’s Great.
Pal, I want to tell you that starting a blog is the best decision you can make for yourself. Personally, I started this very blog on 1st January 2020.
I took my blog as my Digital Startup, which indeed it is. Honestly speaking, as of now the Journey has been really cool and hot at the same time. There had been days when I used to be crystal clear with my Digital Startup Future. And, there were days when I used to be just blank even about the next step to be taken.
Let me tell you the same scenario prevails even today. And, trust me on this part it’s inevitable.
Yeah, that’s how it is.
Okay, enough of storytelling I guess. Now, let’s dive into the sea of Blogging together.
There are 3 Steps in this Guide that you need to follow to start blogging.
1. How to Start a Blog?
2. How to Start Blogging?
3. How to Monetize Your Blog?
First Things First
It’s always better to check the depth of the sea before diving in. But do remember that it’s never wise to do it with both the legs. Hence, it’s my duty to make you aware of each and every aspect necessary for starting a blog.I’ll answer each and every question of yours about Blogging.
I know as a beginner in blogging you want to ask a lot. And, that shows your fire, enthusiasm, eagerness, and whatever you like to call it. What I expect from your side is Patience. Patience to go through this Guide the way I’ll be taking you. Patience to hold your questions. And, Patience to give me time to answer your questions. All the sections are created with an aim to make things easy to digest.
Pal, one more important thing I want to disclose with you. Throughout this Guide, there will be various external links. Some of them are Affiliate Links through which when you’ll go and purchase for the item.
Later, a commission will be earned by me. Don’t worry you won’t be paying any extra money and even the price isn’t over-rated. You’ll understand about Affiliate in this Guide itself when we’ll talk about Blog Monetization
Okay. So let’s start.
Here are some things you should know about. Even if you know about them do read it as it’s only going to add something.
What is a Blog?
A Blog is an online platform where people like You and I write about multiple things like traveling, business, education, personal thoughts, etc. One can combine all these topics in a single blog as well as can pick an individual topic.
There are various types of Blogs like Fashion Blogs, Travel Blogs, Personal Blogs, Current Affairs, and the list goes on. Don’t confuse yourself by picking any one sort of blog. Instead, create on whatever you feel like. We’ll talk about this very soon.
What is the difference between a Blog & a Website?
Websites are meant to tell the reader about something like services, organization, culture, products, etc. On the other hand, Blogs are meant to educate the reader about various topics. Like this Blog is educating you with Starting a Blog.
Just to bring to your notice, a Blog can be a Website. But a Website may or mayn’t be a Blog. Read that line again you’ll get it.
What Blogging has for You?
Blogging is no more what it was. There was a time when Blogging had limited scope in every aspect from learning to earning. But today its one of the most profitable, scaleable, and self-fulfilling Business or Online Business you may call it.
Blogging will unlock an ample amount of opportunities for you. These opportunities will grow you as an Individual with skills and as a Businessman with earnings. You’ll grow a lot as a person. Blogging has a lot to give. I’m telling you this from my own experience. No bullshit theories.
Myths about Blogging
· You need to be a damn good writer. The greatest lie.
· Blogging is rocket science. You need a lot of skills.
· Blogging takes years to deliver results.
· Blogging is too difficult.
· Blogging is too easy.
· And much more
What all Blogging wants from you is a strong commitment, untiring patience, and eagerness to learn. You’ll build all of them slowly in the Blogging Journey. If you can see I myself isn’t good at them as of now. These qualities take time to inherit.
Blogger.com vs WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
The most asked question is, Should you blog on Blogger.com, WordPress.com, or WordPress.org?
See, Blogger.com and WordPress.com both allow free hosting for your blog and that’s it. Both these platforms don’t offer you anything else like custom domain, plugins, etc. Even these platform limits the Blogging Business. Simply because it limits the customization and branding.
Due to which it becomes really difficult to acquire traffic and hence growth. More then anything else, A Blogger’s scope of learning becomes limited. You can try out these platforms for some time. But to scale Blogging as a Professional Blogger you need to move on WordPress.org or a Self-Hosted Website.
WordPress.com offers free hosting at its platform. Whereas, WordPress.org is a Content Management System which allow Self-Hosted Website.
Investment is a must if you want returns.
Step 1 How to Start a Blog?
To start a blog you just need to invest in the domain and the hosting. Once purchased you’re done with starting your blog. But that’s not how it should be. Before starting a blog, you should be clear on the topic, the niche you want to create your blog around. After all, that’s the core of any Blog.
Let’s discuss this in detail.
Selecting the Blog Niche
Okay, Niche is nothing but the topic around which you’ll be creating your blog. As I told you earlier, it’s the core of any blog. That’s what will be driving the traffic (readers) to your blog.
Hey, don’t confuse yourself with the niche. A lot of people are just thinking about which niche to pick and that’s it. They never start with the blog. Please don’t do that. I agree that selecting a niche is really important. But it’s not like you’ll never start a blog because you’re not clear with the niche. Right.
While selecting a Niche for your Blog just keep following points in mind:-
1. Are You Really Interested in this Niche?
2. Do you really want to help people around that niche?
3. Can you work on the same niche consistently for the next 10 years or more?
If you’ll ask these questions to yourself then I believe you’ll get your answer.
Pro Tip on Niche Selection
People usually end up picking niches on the basis of Profitability. That’s okay to some extent. But don’t give much weightage to profitability. As in the long run, your interest and passion towards the niche matters a lot. Otherwise, you’ll be frustrated with Blogging because you’re not working on the things you like.
If you’re still confused with the niche or want to work on multiple niches then also its absolutely fine. Work on multiple topics what’s the problem.
Getting a Domain
The domain is the name of your blog. The name from which people will call you and remember you. Just like BeingDhruv.com is the domain for my Blog.
I’ll not discuss anything about Domain Technicalities. Simply because a Blogger doesn’t require to know much about the technical side as such. Even I don’t know much about the technical side. Lol.
Selecting a Domain Name
The Domain name should be related to the niche you are picking. That’s the basic fundamental rule of selecting a Domain Name. In case you’re the one who is going to work on multiple niches then simply book the Domain name for your name.
Yes, that’s the best way you can opt for and go ahead.
Your name gives you the liberty to do anything with your blog. You can become a Traveller, Cook, Fashion Designer, anything, or all on your blog. And, that’s the best part.
You can also start multiple blogs for those multiple niches if you want. But as you’re reading this guide, it means you’re a Beginner Blogger. So, starting multiple blogs around multiple niches isn’t right for you at this point.
Purchasing the Domain
To purchase a Domain Name you need to go to Domain Registrar Websites. There are various Domain Registrar Websites that don’t purchase a domain from any random registrar.
Reason being that they may charge you expensively for the domain. Also, keep in mind that a Domain needs to be renewed yearly (depending on your plan). So, that renewal price also counts.
The Best Domain Registrars you should go to is GoDaddy.com, NameCheap.com, and Name.com. Visit all three and see where you’re getting the best prices for your domain. And, go for that. I have purchased my Domain from GoDaddy personally.
Above you can check the availability of your domain using Bluehost. They also provide Domains and is well trusted for domains and hosting.
What is Web Hosting?
First, let’s understand Hosting. Hosting is a server where your blog will be hosted (saved). Its the digital storage where all your blog content, website data, images, files, etc. will be stored.
Take it as a Digital Space you’re renting for yourself. Yes, renting because just like domain, hosting also needs to be renewed yearly (depending on your plan). To purchase hosting you need to go to Web Hosting Providers. From there you need to purchase it. Again, don’t go for cheap web hosting service providers. They may charge you less but may not provide you with strong after-sales support.
Remember, Hosting is a very crucial part of your blog. It decides a lot of things about your blog like space, speed, and much more. You can’t just simply trust anyone. There will be times when you’ll require the Support directly from your web hosting provider. And, that’s really important. So, always do for named web hosting providers.
Purchasing the Web Hosting
Now, you know what is web hosting and why it’s so important. But the main point is purchasing the Web Hosting from a trusted and reputed Web Hosting Provider. The most trusted Web Hosting Service Providers are Bluehost and Siteground.
Bluehost is a beginner-friendly web hosting provider. They offer good support, descent speed, and considerable security. Most important is that Bluehost Web Hosting is affordable initially as well as later at the renewal time. As you’re a beginner you can go for Bluehost as many Bloggers suggest that its best for Beginners.
Coming to Siteground. It offers great support. awesome speed, highly optimized, and fully secured hosting. Siteground is much popular among professionals because of its excellent support. The pricing of Siteground Web Hosting is slightly expensive than Bluehost. But it is worth spending.
I purchased hosting from GoDaddy. Because at that time I didn’t know much about hosting. And, they offered free domain for the first year when Hosting was purchased. Later, I found that the same is available on Bluehost as well.
Pal, don’t take the amount you’re spending on Domain and Hosting as an expense. Instead, take it as an Investment. The Investment you’re making on yourself, for yourself, and for your Digital Startup. And, the returns will be much more then you can ever expect. Trust me.
Prefer, anyone from Bluehost and Siteground. If there is no problem with the budget then go for Siteground. Otherwise, jump to Bluehost.
Setting Up Your Blog
Congrats, You have taken the very first step towards your Blogging Journey. And, that reflects how much fire you have inside you for Blogging.
Okay, once the Domain Name and the Hosting has been purchased you’re almost done. Now, you need to know that to manage a Blog or simply any Website you need a Content Management System (CMS). A CMS helps one to manage, run, maintain, update, add, delete, etc. with respect to your Blog. It’s the office for your Digital Startup.
There are various CMS available in the market. Without any doubt, WordPress is the way to go. It’s the leading CMS in the world. Check out the above screenshot of BeingDhruv WordPress Dashboard. And, most important it’s easy to use and doesn’t need coding. Yes, that’s why Blogging is no more technical where one needs to know to code to build a website.
Install WordPress and You’re done with setting up your Blog.
Step2 How to Start Blogging?
Choosing the niche, Booking the domain, Purchasing the Hosting, and Installing the CMS WordPress you’re done with the setting up of your Blog.
Now, you’re ready to rock my friend.
But most Bloggers get blank once the Blog has actually set up. Seems dumb right?
I was the one as well who got blank. Lol.
See, the problem is being beginners they don’t know from where to start actually.
Should they work on their Website? Should they work on Designing? Should they work on factors like speed, usability? Should they write Blogs? Or what?
From where to begin. So much confusion. Don’t worry I’ll help you out.
Start with Yourself
Yes, this is the best way to start with. Start with Yourself. Let me simplify it.
Pal, now you have your own Website for Blogging. A Digital Startup as I keep saying. So, there are some important things to work on first. And, for a Blogger it’s Content that is Blogs and Pages.
Start framing the About Page for your Blog. Tell exactly your story.
Who You are? What you do? Why this Blog? What do you want to achieve through this blog?
And, anything you feel like sharing with the world. It’s your story nobody knows it better than you. For reference, you can visit About Section of My Blog.
While writing the About Page you’ll do an introspection subconsciously. And, that introspection will surprise you I promise. When I wrote my About Page, I got a lot of clarity within myself.
Once the About page is done You’ll be just amazed. You’ll start loving yourself. Your story is great my buddy.
Create Your Blog
Now comes the core of your Blog, the Blog itself. Start with your main job. Creating your first ever Blog.
The First Blog will always be special because that will reflect your Journey. Don’t stress yourself by creating an outstanding blog. That doesn’t happen in the beginning. Just choose the topic you want to write one and start writing.
If you were creating your 6th blog, I would have told you to the first search and read others’ content on the topic you want to write. But as it’s you very 1st Blog, don’t make it too complex and difficult for yourself. Just write your views on the topic. Do use images in your blog.
That’s it. Don’t judge too much your writing, language, grammar, etc. It’ll improve with time. And, this tip is coming from the worst writer itself.
To publish your Blog, go to Post > Add New. Paste your blog and hit Publish.
Once the blog is ready share it with Your Parents, Friends, Teachers, etc. and get some feedback. Take some feedbacks but don’t demoralize yourself. Feedbacks may disappoint you. But they are really helpful in the future.
Design Your Blog
Designing is an important part of your Blog. But keep in mind that you don’t need to have a pro designing on your blog. Do things smartly. Start with installing the Theme for your blog.
Go to Appearance > Themes > Add New
The theme is the basic design and experience of your website. Most Bloggers use premium themes like GeneratePress. It is the easiest theme to use, and very well-designed. Keep in mind that designing is an integral part of your blog. Good Design gives a vibe of quality content. So, invest your time in designing and purchasing the correct theme.
Without a doubt, the best themes for any Blogger are Astra and GeneratePress. I have personally used both of them. Currently, the theme that’s active on my blog is Astra.
Use the above slider to see the GeneratePress and Astra.
Get Set Plugins
To make the best out of your blog, you need plugins.
Plugins are add-ons you can install in your WordPress Dashboard. They help to enhance the user experience for your blog. Think of them as tools that’ll help you to manage your blog and run it ai its best. There are some plugins that are free, premium, and freemium (free for limited features only).
To add plugins, go to Plugins > Add New
Keep in mind that to plugins as well the same quality and authenticity rule applies. Don’t use any random plugin. They’ll hamper your website. And, you won’t be able to recover anything.
Some must use Plugins are:-
1. Askimet– Akismet is quite possibly the best way in the world to protect your blog from spam. Your site is fully configured and being protected, even while you sleep.
2. Jetpack — Jetpack enables you to connect your blog to a WordPress.com account to use the powerful features normally only available to WordPress.com users.
3. Rank Math — Rank Math is a revolutionary SEO product that combines the features of many SEO tools and lets you multiply your traffic in the easiest way possible.
4. UpdraftPlus — Backup and restore: take backups locally, or backup to Amazon S3, Dropbox, Google Drive, Rackspace, (S)FTP, WebDAV & email, on automatic schedules.
5. Sucuri — The Sucuri plugin provides the website owner the best Activity Auditing, SiteCheck Remote Malware Scanning, Effective Security Hardening, and Post-Hack features.
6. WP-Optimize — WP-Optimize makes your site fast and efficient. It cleans the database, compresses images, and caches pages. Fast sites attract more traffic and users.
7. ShortPixel — ShortPixel optimizes images automatically while guarding the quality of your images.
8. Elementor — Helps to customize your website without coding.
Focus On Email Marketing
From the first day itself, you should start getting the emails of the visitors. People usually neglect emails and their importance. I committed the same mistake. But please you don’t do that. Invest your time and efforts from the very first day of your blog with first getting emails and later begin the Email Marketing.
Email Marketing is simply a method to get targeted traffic to your blog. All the email subscribers of your list reflect the ultimate readers who are interested in your blog. Email List is the biggest Marketing Asset.
You should use an email marketing tool to enhance and manage your Email Marketing much better. The best Email Marketing Tools are Convertkit and Aweber. They both are the easiest email marketing tool and the most efficient. I am using ConvertKit for Email Marketing.
Step3 How to Monetize Your Blog?
This is where Blogging becomes a Business. A Digital Startup.
Yeah, you can definitely monetize your Blog. And, earn a good amount of money.
There are number of ways through which you can monetize your blog.
1. Through Advertisement
You can allow others to put their advertisement on your blog. Once anyone clicks on the ad, you earn the money. More the traffic more will be earning. You can use Google AdSense and Media.net for this. I have personally used AdSense.
2. Through Affiliate Marketing
This is the greatest source for Bloggers earning. Affiliate Marketing is where you put the affiliate links of the thing you are promoting. And, once anyone purchases through that link you’ll earn a handsome commission. Just the way I’m doing in this blog itself.
But don’t promote anything that you don’t use yourself and aren’t sure about. Be ethical in promoting things. Always be open with your reader. It’s great if you can be transparent with them. Maybe people will not buy from your affiliate links. But that’s okay.
There will always be some who will like your honesty and your blogs. And, they’ll happily buy the thing through your affiliate links.
3. Other Ways of Earning
· Sell Digital Products like E-Books and Online Courses
· Help Others by offering your Service
· Sponsored Content
Final Words
Hmm, firstly I want to Congratulate and Thank you for a number of things.
1. You thought about Starting a Blog
2. You not only thought but also started searching about Blogging.
3. You read this Ultimate Blogging Beginners Guide with full Patience.
4. You trusted me and gave me precious time to me.
My Friend, by completing this guide you have prepared yourself for Blogging. I believe that every question of yours must have answered in this Blogging Guide itself. If you have taken the steps simultaneously with this Guide then its awesome. And, if not then go and execute on these steps right now.
Otherwise, the time you spent reading this Guide will result nothing. And, I don’t want that to happen.
So, go and create your Digital Startup.
Soon in the future, I’ll be creating more Blogs related to Blogging that’ll help you. Don’t miss them. And, subscribe to My Email List to never miss any updates, blogs, ebooks, podcasts, etc.
Let me know in the comments about this Blog. Did it help You?
Tell me if anywhere I can help You?
We’ll meet soon in Blogs. Till then…?
Happy Reading!!
