Nowadays, millions of people around the globe make their living from blogging. However, the current COVID-19 crisis has increased the competition in this field. A large portion of the world population has lost their jobs. Therefore, they turned to new jobs based on the Internet. So, a lot of bloggers believe it is more complicated to make money from their online journals in 2020.
According to several case studies, this is not the situation. Today, more people than ever are on the Internet. This means more readers for each website. With the right tactics, each individual can make money from their blog. But if you are a beginner in this niche, you may feel intimidated from the overall process of setting up and maintaining your site.
In the following guide, you can find information on how to launch and scale your blog, generate traffic, and ultimately monetize your website.
How to Start a Blog: Step-By-Step Beginners Guide
Before you dive into the steps of launching your blog, you should consider the reasons for doing it. This will help you understand your personal goals. It is important whether you recognize your blog as a hobby or a full-time job. Once you decide upon this issue, you will be able to determine your audience, the time and effort you intend to spend on your website.
Step 1: Choose Your Blog’s Niche
There are two facts you should consider when choosing the niche for your blog.
First, you must consider your skills, experience, and passion. The right combination of these elements will establish your niche. Thus, it will motivate you to write daily and to overcome your temporary failures.
However, you must also consider whether what you have chosen is a viable blog topic. You should focus on a blog niche that is profitable and on content that is appreciated by the readers. If not, you are more likely to feel unsuccessful and quit your passion.
Step 2: Pick a Blog Name
The next step is to choose a descriptive name that reflects the content of your blog. If you are writing on several topics, or own a personal blog, you may use your name or some variation of it. In any case, make sure to choose a name that is appealing to your target audience.
You should also choose a domain extension, such as .com, .net, or .org. If your desired blog name is already registered, you may try with a different domain extension.
Step 3: Set Up Blog Hosting
To get your blog online, you will need blog hosting and blogging software. Generally, you will find these packaged together. The blog host will store your website on a server, making it accessible to your audience.
Finding a good web hosting provider is essential for the smooth functioning of your blog. First of all, this platform should be able to keep your blog up and functioning without interruptions. Additionally, it should be compatible with WordPress, as it is a user-friendly tool for beginners.
If you don’t have any technical experience, here you can learn more about successfully running your website.
Step 4: Install a Blogging Platform
Once you have chosen a web host, you should install a blogging platform or a Content Management System. If you are a beginner, we recommend you start with WordPress.
The blog platform is where you will be writing, customizing, and publishing your content. As a blogger, you don’t need any technical coding knowledge. Most web hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installation and customer support. Thus, they do the work for you.
Step 5: Customize your Blog
If you don’t have coding expertise or design knowledge, it is best to pick a theme.
At this stage, you can get creative with your blog and make any changes you like. You will start with a default theme. Then, as an administrator, you can modify the entire layout and design of your blog. You can edit the site identity, colors, menus, and additional features.
Furthermore, you are able to install new themes onto your existing blogging platform. There are countless designs available on the Internet. Ultimately, you should create something that represents both your character and content.
The next thing you should do is to install plugins. These tools provide for a variety of functions to integrate your website and increase its functionality. Thus, you will be able to perform a lot of additional tasks, without any technical knowledge.
Step 6: Set up Your Blog’s SEO
To be able to rank your posts and blog pages, you need to dedicate special attention to your blog’s URLs. More specifically, you need to set the permalink structure before you start posting content on your site.
Additionally, you should focus on one keyword for each blog post; add headings, post titles, and meta descriptions. However, make sure not to change the permanent URL.
Step 7: Start Writing on Your Blog
Once you have set up the framework for your blog, you can start writing content.
It is recommended to start with the pre-launch pages, such as the Home, or the About page. These pages create the overall image of your blog and help your readers understand what the blog is about.
As a content creator, you must understand proper grammar, basic sentence structure, and use of keywords. You should include the main keyword in the title, headings, the first two paragraphs, and meta description of each blog post.
When it comes to blog topics, you should focus on your audience and their wants. You should always deliver value to your readers. Also, you should not over commercialize your posts.
Finally, you should create a long-term content strategy to rank your posts and create revenues over time. The best ways to promote your blog are guest posting and link building. Both of which will connect you with other bloggers and build your reputation.
All in all, it will take some time to build a reputable and profitable blog. However, you are able to start and monetize your content by the above-explained steps. Launching your blog doesn’t have to cost much. Still, it may result in a wide audience and high returns.
