In this article, I will tell you how to start a blog. How you can create your own blog to earn money in 5 simple steps.
What is a Blog?
Before I tell you how to start a blog, you should about what a blog is?
Many individuals who heard the word “blogging” do not know what a “blog” is or how one can earn money and enhance their life by developing a blog.
A blog is basically a type of website or a platform where you publish your content online. A blog’s content typically involves text, photos, videos, animated GIFs and other media.
Difference between blog and website
The only true distinction between a blog and other website forms is that blogs are updated frequently with fresh material that is presented in reverse chronological order (fresh posts firs).
While websites are static where content is structured into pages and are not frequently updated.
Five Easy Steps to Start a Blog
- Choosing a blog name
- Choose a domain name
- Select a platform for blogging
- Purchase web hosting
- Plan and create content
Choosing a Blog Name/Niche
The very first step to start a blog is choosing the right name for a blog. You must be clear about the field you want to start a blog and a blog name must be related to the category you choose.
Your blog name should represent what you are going to write about or your blog view. When selecting your blog name, it is important to consider your target audience.
Your target audience is the group of readers you are going to write to. So choose your targeted audience first.
Do some competitor’s blog name research on the internet and check the blogs related to your niche. This will help you to choose a successful blog name.
Choose a blog name that is easy to pronounce and easy to remember.
Choose a Domain Name
After deciding a perfect name/niche for your blog, the next step is to choose a perfect domain name.
A domain name is your website name. A domain consists of two parts; the name followed by the extension.
For example, if your domain name is dailytech.pk, then dailytech is the name and .pk is the extension.
You can purchase a domain name from a site like GoDaddy or NameCheap.
You can not change your domain name later because it is your web address.
Your domain name must be short, easy to spell, and easy to remember. Try to use keywords in your domain name.
A keyword is a word people type in a search engine to search for a topic. Here you can learn more about what is keyword research and what are the types of keywords.
Select a platform for blogging
There are different blogging sites you can choose for your blog i.e WordPress.com, WordPress.org, Blogger, Wix, Squarespace, etc.
However, WordPress is the most flexible and user-friendly and free platform out there.
Two types of WordPress sites are available, WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
You have to choose the right one. You can easily customize the look of your blog in WordPress because it allows you many free themes and plugins.
So as a beginner, it is better to choose a free blogging platform because it is easy to use while you are first getting started.
Purchase web hosting
After choosing a domain name and blogging platform, the next step is purchasing blog/web hosting.
Web hosting is not free. You have to purchase your blog/web hosting to put your blog online.
You can purchase a web hosting service from a number of different companies like GoDaddy, Skyhost, Bluehost, HostGator, etc.
Most hosting companies require you to own your domain to host with them. But if you don’t have a domain, the hosting companies will help you purchase one.
The next step is choosing a theme and layout for your blog and activating it.
Plan and create content
The last step is planning and creation of content for your first blog post. Do some research before creating your first blog post and keep in mind your targeted audience.
Create your first blog post on a topic you know better than anything else.
Also, add some images related to your post and try to make your own images rather than using google images. It will prove authenticity to have your own images and your reader will begin to trust you.
You can also use a video related to the post. After doing all the research and creating your first blog post, just publish it for your targeted audience.
So these are all steps to start a successful blog. Good luck!