How To Start A Blog In 5 Easy Steps

I love blogging and will often speak passionately on the benefits of blogging. A question I am often asked, by those new to blogging is, how do I start a blog?  In this post, I will walk you through five easy steps to start a blog. And, I will also share my top blogging tips and tools to get you started on your own blogging journey.

5 Easy Steps To Start A Blog

1. Choose a platform
2. Pick a domain name
3. Choose a host
4. Customize your blog
5. Start writing!

Choose A Platform to Start A Blog

To start a blog, you first you need to decide where your blog is going to live. There are many blogging platforms to choose from, such as Tumblr or Blogger. However, my preferred platform is WordPress, for several reasons. The biggest reason I prefer WordPress is that it is free to use and highly customizable. Additionally, WordPress has a vast selection of pre-made themes, from free through to top end, which makes it simple to start and to maintain a blog.

Choose A Blog Domain Name

Your domain name is the name and the address of your blog. It’s what people type into google to find you. Choosing a name for your blog can be tricky so take your time with this.

Do you want to use your own name, or perhaps a fun play on your name like I have, using ‘FinnTheinFinncible’ on here and on my YouTube channel. Or do you want a name that describes the niche of your blog? Do also check the name isn’t already taken, especially if you plan to self-host and purchase your domain name (which I really recommend you do!).

To help find a name, a tip I recommend is to do some free writing and word association. Get a pen and a piece of paper and set a two-minute timer. Begin by perhaps putting the topic you want to write about, and then just add words that come to you that link to it. Do this without thinking, just write words. You may be surprised at what comes out!

Choose A Blog Host

Once you have chosen your preferred platform (hopefully WordPress!) and you have an awesome blog name, you now need a blog host. You can choose to stick with the free hosted blog solutions, and for many people new to blogging, this option is tempting. I started this way and I wish I hadn’t. To explain:

Hosted Platforms

A hosted blog means that you do not own your domain name or your blog. Your awesome blog name will be ruined by having to add @wordpress.com to the end. And, because you don’t own your blog, it could be taken down at any time. You will also not be able to monetize it, using adverts or affiliate marketing.

Self-Hosted

When you choose to self-host, you own your domain name and your blog. Your awesome name can have simply .com or .org at the end and look much neater and more professional. Self-hosting means you have full control over your site and the freedom to use affiliate links and place adverts so that you can make money from your blogging.

I always suggest you start your blog straight off with self-hosting to avoid the hassle of having to swap later on (yes past me!). Self-hosting does not have to be expensive. I personally recommend BlueHost. There are various payment plans and you can often even get a free domain name. BlueHost excels at integrating with WordPress to make the process incredibly straight forward.

Start Customizing Your Blog – Choose a theme

Once you have signed up to BlueHost and created your account, now you can create your blog. This is where choosing WordPress as your blogging platform makes it so much easier. From your BlueHost dashboard simply choose ‘create’ blog, or if you have already set one up, choose to link it.

Now the customization fun begins. There are so many wonderful themes to choose from, you are spoilt for choice! Pick a theme and then you can begin designing the look of your blog. Most themes come with customization options making this simple and straight forward. You don’t have to get it all perfect straight off. You can get the basic look sorted out and then fine-tune it as your blogging evolves.

Start Blogging!

Honestly, we can spend too much time procrastinating, too much time worrying we are not good enough, or that people won’t want to read what we have to say. If you have a desire to write, then just write and with time, your writing will improve. By just being you and writing about what you are passionate about, you will attract people that love what you have to say.

Blogging Tools I Recommend for Starting A Blog

Now you have started your awesome blogging journey, congratulations! With every post, your writing will improve. And with every tweak of your blog theme, your blog will continue to look better and better as you become more confident at customizing. To help with the journey, these are some of the other blogging resources and tools I recommend.

Writing Skills

Improving writing comes with practicing in public. I love Jeff Goins who says, you are a writer so start acting like one. I always recommend his book and his website to writers of every level

If you are looking for an awesome tool to help you not only spell check but also to help improve the way that you write, I highly recommend giving Grammarly a try. Even their free version is fantastic but their paid options can really help to fine-tune your writing.

Graphic Design

To make your blog and your posts stand out, you will need to create some awesome graphic designs. I am not an artist. I have had to teach myself how to design blog header images, blog post images, and my (occasional!) Pinterest image.

I discovered Picmonkey and that made the process so much easier. Picmonkey is incredibly easy to use, it comes with lots of premade designs and makes creating artwork simple even if you are not an artist!

Affiliate Marketing

As you have hopefully chosen to self-host, you will be able to make money from your blog. One of the ways to do this is through affiliate marketing. With affiliate marketing, you write a blog post about your favorite products, link to them, and if readers buy through you, you get a commission. I use shareasale, which is easy to join and there are lots of ways to find the products you love.

I hope that was helpful, do let me know in the comments below. Have fun, enjoy the blogging journey, and if you also fancy trying your hand at filming, check out my post on vlogging for beginners.

Hello! My name is Finn and I have a passion for creating honest content, that inspires personal growth and promotes well-being.

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*Please note, this blog contains affiliate links which means when you buy through me. I may make a little commission. However, this is of no extra cost to you, and I only recommend products that I have personally found helpful.