How you can Start a Blog In 2023

 

How to Start a Blog In 2023: A Free, Easy, And Step-by-Step Guide

Creating a blog can open up several opportunities

There are many great benefits associated with having a blog, which is why I wanted to share this free step-by-step guide on how to start a blog.

There are 7 simple steps to do this.

This easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide will help you build a professional blog in just 30 minutes, requiring only basic computer skills.

Step 1: Choose a domain name (Your Blog Name)

No matter what purpose or niche you want to create a blog for, you need to choose a name that will make your blog recognizable and searchable on Google.

You can select any name and still create a viral blog.

Technically, these names are called domains, and they represent the URL of your blog, which allows people to find it.

It’s difficult to remember the ordinary IP address (numerical strings) for a blog, which is why we use a humanly memorable and appealing name for blogs and websites.

Domain names always end with an extension such as .com, .in, .us, .net, .org, .info, and others. It’s highly advisable to choose .com, but if it’s not available, you can consider .net or other options.

Here are the necessary factors for a domain name:

1. Unique and Memorable: Make it distinct and easy to remember.
2. Relevant: Reflect the content or theme of your website.
3. Easy to Spell and Type: Avoid complexity.
4. Short and Concise: Keep it brief without sacrificing clarity.
5. Appropriate Extension: Choose an extension that suits your purpose (.com, .net or others).
6. Avoid Trademark Issues: Ensure no infringement.

I’m sure you are ready to check if your desired name is available. This website to check and purchase your domain name (blog name).

Don’t worry, even if you skip to the next step. It’s the most important one, and you shouldn’t avoid it.

Step 2: Take your blog online

This is the most important and easy-to-follow step that will assist you in starting a blog and taking it online in less than 5 minutes.

To start your blog, you require two essential components: blog hosting (also referred to as web hosting or server) and blogging software. The great news is that these elements are usually bundled together as a package.

You can use wordpress if you like. 

It’s a simple, automatic, and free way to set up your blog online. However, the most important thing is that you need to acquire blog hosting (with a free domain) before this can happen.

Choose a suitable hosting company to host your blog.

1. Free custom domain registration to secure your chosen name.
2. 30-day money back guarantee for your satisfaction.
3. Automatic and free installation of WordPress blogging software.
4. Reliable web hosting with a strong WordPress recommendation since 2005, hosting over 2 million blogs and websites.
5. Accessible 24/7 customer service via phone or web chat.

Select your preferred plan, although you can start with the “basic” one as shown below in the image.

Though you are free to choose any other plan, it will work perfectly.

If you already own a domain name you can use that too.

. You will also need to choose your hosting package and options.

After completing this process and making the purchase using PayPal, credit card, or debit card, your registration will be complete, and a success message will be displayed, similar to the example shown below.  You need to create a username and password. Simply click on ‘Create account’ and proceed with the setup. Once completed, you will be directed to an installation helper.

As you are following this tutorial, you can click ‘

Skip to install WordPress in next step.

7. You can Install WordPress Blogging Software Automatically

Here, you will notice that Bluehost, after you click ‘Skip,’ will automatically install WordPress on your Bluehost hosting server and take you to the Bluehost dashboard.

Please be patient as this process may take a few minutes.

Step 3: Customize your blog

Previously, we created a Bluehost account, selected a domain name for our blog, and successfully installed WordPress as our blogging platform. I also provided instructions on accessing the WordPress admin panel.

I’m sure your blog is accessible when you enter the domain name in browsers like Chrome or Safari.

💡 Tip: If you want to directly log in to your WordPress admin panel without going through Bluehost after the WP installation, simply follow the format below in any browser. Enter your blog URL and provide the user ID and password you have created.

Now, it’s time to customize your blog to give it a professional appearance. WordPress is an incredibly user-friendly tool that offers thousands of themes and plugins, allowing you to create various types of websites and blogs without any coding skills or years of experience.

With the right guidance, like this post, you can use themes such as Astra and plugins like Elementor to easily design your blog through drag and drop functionality.

However, before writing your first post, it is essential to understand the four elements highlighted in the image. These four aspects will help you grasp the basics and get ready to publish your first blog post in no time.

1. User tab — Here you can edit your email password or add more writers and editors to your blog.
2. Appearance — Under the Appearance tab, you will find various sub-tabs like theme, menu, and customization options.
3. Plugins — In this tab, you can explore extensions (similar to mobile apps) to add more features to your WordPress blog. The majority of them are free.
4. Posts — Under this tab, you can start writing new posts or view all existing blog posts.

Sounds easy. I’m sure you won’t find it difficult.

💡 Tip: When starting a blog and logging in for the first time, make sure to go to the user settings and set up your password so that you don’t have to log in  every time.

Before proceeding, it’s important to have a clear understanding of themes and plugins to avoid any confusion.

WordPress Theme And Plugins

A WordPress theme is a group of files that control a WordPress website or blog’s visual appearance, organizational structure, and functional capabilities.

Colors, typefaces, page layouts, and other stylistic features are all under its control. Without knowing any code, using themes makes it simple to change a website’s appearance.

WordPress Plugins:

The functionality of a WordPress site can be increased by installing and activating extra software components known as WordPress plugins.

Specific features and functionalities that are not present in the core WordPress platform are provided by plugins.

They let users to include different features such as contact forms, social media sharing buttons, SEO tools, security upgrades, and more.

How to install a WordPress theme?

To install themes and plugins in your WordPress dashboard, follow the steps outlined in the image above. Here is the path you need to follow:

Install WordPress themes and plugins.

1. Theme: Go to “Appearance” in your WordPress dashboard and click on “Themes.” From there, you can browse and install new themes or activate a theme you have already installed.
2. Plugins: Navigate to “Plugins” in your WordPress dashboard and click on “Add New.” You can then search for plugins by name or functionality. Once you find a plugin you want to install, click on “Install Now” and then activate it.

Please note: You cannot build a WordPress site without themes and plugins, so it’s essential to understand their importance.

It is recommended. Themes and Plugins

To build your blog, it is better to have a theme that loads fast, is SEO-friendly, and offers many features even in the free plan.

With my years of experience, I would like to recommend the following themes and plugins to help you achieve that.

WordPress Themes:

1. Astra theme
2. Blosky Theme
3. Newspapper Theme
4. Hello theme By Elementor
5. Generatepress Theme

WordPress Plugins:

Plugins are typically chosen based on specific needs and requirements, which is why I’m sharing the best ones based on those criteria.

For designing your blog, you can use the following drag and drop plugins:

1. Elementor 
2. Beaver Builder
3. Gutenberg editor
4. Oxygen
5. Divi Page Builder
6. Thrive Architect

These plugins provide an intuitive and user-friendly interface for designing your blog, allowing you to create visually appealing layouts without the need for extensive coding knowledge.

For SEO, Security, Forms, and Optimization, you can use the following plugins:

1. Yoast SEO
2. Rank Math SEO plugin
3. WordFence for Security
4. W3 Total Cache
5. WP Rocket cache plugin
6. WP Forms
7. Ninja Forms

Here is a video tutorial to assist you in installing the Astra theme, along with any other themes you prefer, and guide you through the customization process. You can follow along with the video to easily set up and personalize your WordPress theme to your liking.

Install a theme and customize your WordPress blog.

See, you only wanted to learn how to start a blog, and we have already covered the majority of it in just the last 8 minutes.

If you are following this free guide side by side, it may take more time, but trust me, it’s worth your time and effort.

Your WordPress blog installation is done, customization is done, now it’s time to figure out all the necessary pages you need.

Necessary pages and elements your blog must have:

Remember, these are essential pages and elements, but you can customize your blog based on your specific needs and preferences.

1. About Page: Provide information about you or your blog, including your background, mission, and goals.
2. Blog Page: Display a list of your blog posts in reverse chronological order.
3. Contact Page: Include your contact information, such as email address, social media links, or a contact form for visitors to reach you.
4. Privacy Policy: Outline how you handle user data, privacy, and the use of cookies on your blog, ensuring compliance with regulations.
5. Terms and Conditions: Set out the terms of use for your blog, including disclaimers, copyright information, and user responsibilities.
6. Disclaimer: Clarify any legal disclaimers, disclosures, or limitations of liability for the content on your blog.
7. Navigation Menu: Include a menu that allows visitors to easily navigate through different pages and sections of your blog.
8. Social Media Links: Include links to your social media profiles, allowing visitors to connect with you on other platforms.

Did you know, having these pages will help you get approval from Google AdSense, make it easier to connect with your users, ensure a secure website, and with Chat GPT, it is quite easy to write and create these pages now.

When you are learning to start your blog, I’m just trying to provide you with comprehensive guidance to minimize the chances of failure as a blogger.

Don’t mind if this is a lengthy content; 

Great !! we are now ready to go the next step.

Step 4: Optimize and secure

Now, imagine a scenario where a reader visits your website and experiences slow loading times or feels that the site is unsafe.

you will simply lose money on the table, ruin your blog’s reputation, and have no use for all the hard work you put into writing and creating your blog.

That is something you will never like to happen to your blog, which is why optimization and securing your blog is crucial.

This is not a difficult task, though. All you need is an SSL certificate for your site and on-site optimization using plugins like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache.

Yes, simply install any of the above plugins on your WordPress blog and optimize your website speed, images, CSS, HTML, and JS without writing a single line of code.

Fortunately, when you started creating your blog, SSL was automatically installed on your blog by WordPress.

However, if you encounter any issues, you can reach out to Bluehost support, and they will fix it in seconds. Now, imagine a scenario where a reader visits my website and experiences slow loading times or feels that the site is unsafe.

Step 5: Technical setup

This is something you shouldn't never  want to miss. Before writing your first blog post, You always make sure to prioritize these steps for starting a new blog or website without fail.




Skip this step’ on the subsequent pages to directly access the dashboard.

Step 6: How to write great blog content (how to write a blog?)

It’s a joyful moment for me every time I create a new blog and write the first blog post.

I wasn’t always a skilled writer, but over time, I learned how to create great blog posts that convey your intentions to help your readers, solve their problems, and generate income for you.

You can follow these essential steps when beginning to write and inspire others:

1. Research the problem: If you were a doctor, you wouldn’t provide medicine without listening to your patient. Similarly, when you start a blog to address people’s problems, you need to understand exactly what they are facing first. There are many FREE tools like Ahrefs, Google Trends, and Google Keyword Planner that can help you find what your potential readers are searching for on Google and if there are existing videos or articles that offer better solutions.
2. Plan the content strategy: Writing a great post requires you to address all the ins and outs of the problem your readers are facing. An expert breaks down the main topic into many subtopics and explains them thoroughly so that even a novice can read and master the subject through that blog post. Develop a content strategy and create an editorial calendar. Outline topics, research, and gather relevant information to ensure your content is valuable and well-structured.
3. Focus on quality: Prioritize quality over quantity. Craft well-written, informative, and engaging blog posts that deliver value to your audience. Pay attention to grammar, spelling, and overall readability.
4. Use Infographics : Use relevant and eye-catching visuals, such as images, infographics, and videos, to enhance your blog posts and make them more engaging and shareable.
5. Consistency (My personal favorite): Pay close attention to consistency (write daily or at least 2 to 4 posts per week). Make sure your content is genuine, authentic (never copied), and empowering.
6. The longer, the better — but it’s important to break it up. Including more information and detail enhances the quality of your content.

However, if your paragraphs are too long and dense, visitors may start skimming or even leave your site. Visitors prefer bite-sized information.

Now you are ready to start writing your blog posts with the aim of ranking well, attracting traffic, and generating online income through various means.

To write a blog post on WordPress, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Click on “Posts” in the left-hand menu.
3. Click on “Add New” to create a new blog post.
4. Enter a catchy and descriptive title for your blog post.
5. Start writing your content in the main editor area. You can format your text, add headings, and insert media like images and videos.
6. Use the toolbar above the editor to style your text, add links, and perform other formatting tasks.
7. To add images or other media, click on the “+” icon in the top-left corner of the editor and select the media type you want to insert.
8. Use categories and tags to organize your blog posts and make them easily discoverable for your readers.
9. Save your draft periodically by clicking on the “Save Draft” button.
10. Preview your blog post by clicking on the “Preview” button to see how it will look on your website.
11. Once you are satisfied with your blog post, click on the “Publish” button to make it live on your website.
12. After publishing, you can share your blog post on social media platforms to attract more readers.

Up until this point, as a long-term blogger, I have covered everything you need to know about creating a professional and profitable blog.

However, without marketing, all your efforts can quickly fade away. That’s why it’s crucial to understand the next steps in marketing, as they will help you grow your audience, increase your earnings, and build your brand value.

Step 7: Promote And Make money blogging

Just like a wise kid from an economically poor family may struggle to succeed compared to a mediocre child born with a silver spoon, your blog can easily get lost among millions of other blog posts if you put in hours of hard work to write but neglect to put it in front of more and more eyeballs.

For a blogger, the internet economy has made it a lot easier to grow your blog audience and generate more orders.

You can use  strategies that can help you attract more attention, readers, and reach for your blog.

However, it’s important to test these strategies with the same passion you have for blogging in order to see success. Remember, nothing comes easy in the first attempt, and it won’t work if you take it lightly.

Here we go !!

1. Promote On Social Media

ChatGPT, Google Bard, DALL-E, Midjourney, and similar AI tools have made it easy to create images, write captions, and find trending hashtags for your social media posts.

Create a profile for your blog on all relevant social media accounts, connect with users, invite them to like, and join popular groups in your niche. Keep engaging and posting on a daily basis to help your blog generate good traffic from social media.

Tools like SocialPilot, SEMrush Auto Scheduler, and others can help you schedule your blog posts to be published on all social media platforms, even when you don’t have time or want to save time.

While Social media marketing is easy and FREE, It take time to build great audience base and generate sales or revenue though different monetization options.

That’s why, you should know about “Email Marketing” as well.

2. Email Marketing
I know it’s not possible to have a genuine email list in the beginning, but email marketing is still possible.

There are two easy ways to do so: either collaborate with other writers in your niche to use their email list, or you can collect email addresses in many different ways.

• You can visit different websites in other niches as well as your own topic, collect their email addresses from their websites, and email them.
• You can submit the contact form with your blog post link on various sites.
• Guest post on websites related to your niche and include your blog link. They will surely send emails to their readers.
• Collaborate with other creators to build a mailing list.

With that being said, you have some sort of idea where to start your email marketing journey to make your newly created WordPress blog go viral in no time.

However, there are other ways as well to help you market your blog, attract more eyeballs, and build a good reputation.

It might sound crazy to you, but did you know that nearly 99 billion people search for or watch YouTube videos every month? Moreover, they often click the links in the description to visit the recommended sites.

That’s why YouTube is a perfect choice to go viral with your blog.

3. Video Content Creation (YouTube, Facebook And Others)

To your surprise, YouTube videos are watched by 58.68% male and 41.32% female users across the globe, with nearly 22% of the traffic coming from the US and 6% from India.

According to Similarweb analysis, 31% of YouTube viewers fall within the age group of 25 to 34, and 80% are aged between 18 to 44.

YouTube Audience Age Analysis

You can’t imagine how much business you can generate and make your blog go viral in the least possible time with the help of creating and publishing videos.

Just create an account on Facebook, YouTube, and other video sharing platforms like Dailymotion and Rumble, and start sharing video content related to your blog posts. Don’t forget to promote your blog within the videos and in the video description.

This will drive organic referral traffic to your website’s blog, and the more people get to know about your blog, the more it will be shared, liked, and your subscriber base will grow.

4. Collaborate with influencers

Keep in mind that your blog is new and trying to grow, so you need to take the initiative to reach out, persuade, and provide great value to get shared.

Generally, you can find the email address of YouTube creators for cold emailing on the ‘About Us’ page of their channel, after verifying a captcha, or on the ‘Contact Us’ page of their website.

5. Guest Blogging And Social Bookmarking

You can choose to share your blog on free guest blogging sites like Medium.com, Quora.com, or Tumblr. Alternatively, you can reach out to similar websites in your niche and ask to submit your high-quality, original posts to their blogs, w

When you submit these posts, make sure to include hyperlinks to other posts from your blog. This way, if a reader wants to read more, they can click the links and visit your newly created blog.

Great! So far, we have learned how to start a blog, how to promote it, and when and how to write your first blog post. I’m sure you have been following along and finding the information useful.

Blogging for beginners may seem difficult, but I have covered every aspect in detail, explaining how to start a blog that can build an audience base, generate revenue, and work towards your goals.

How to Make Money With A Blog?

Whether you want to start a blog with no experience, I’ve left nothing behind in this FREE guide to help you start your blog.

But let’s face it, we all love money, and if our blog can make us more money than we imagine, even while we’re sleeping… what could be better than

Starting a blog is similar to starting a new business; it has the same potential for earning money, provided you treat it as a business.

You can monetize your blog through various websites to generate income. Here are a few ways you can make money from your blog:

1. Google AdSense (and other ads): Monetize your website by displaying paid ads. When a visitor clicks on these ads, you get paid. Depending on your blog’s category, ad type, and the traffic’s country, you can earn up to $1000 per click.
2. Affiliate marketing: If you recommend products or services, people can purchase them through your affiliate links in your posts, and you earn a portion of the sales. It’s a win-win situation for you and your readers, as they don’t incur any extra cost.
3. Sponsored posts: Once your blog gains authority and a good number of regular traffic, businesses and entrepreneurs may reach out to you to publish their articles, and you can charge for this service.
4. Paid Consulting: You can promote your own products and services on your blog, such as courses, t-shirts, web development, and other services.
5. Sell Subscription: If your content is exceptionally good, many readers may be willing to pay a monthly fee to access your articles and support you.
6. Click here to learn more.