How to Start a Blog TODAY!

So you want to start a blog. Excellent!

You’re about to embark on a journey that could not only enrich your personal life, but could also open up a whole new world of opportunities.

In this article, we’ll explore the simple 7-step process for starting a blog TODAY!

Why Should You Start a Blog?

Blogging is an extraordinary way to express yourself, share your thoughts, and connect with a like-minded community.

It can be a creative outlet, a hobby, the beginning of a new career, or your gateway to financial freedom.

The possibilities are endless, and the digital landscape is ripe for the next big voice. And that could be you!

Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of how to start a blog, let’s take a moment to consider why you should start a blog in the first place.

Here are several benefits you can expect from blogging:

1. Self-expression and sharing: A blog is a perfect platform for you to voice your thoughts, opinions, and ideas on a topic that you’re passionate about. It can be a personal diary, an expat journey, a political commentary, a fashion critique, a business guide, a food guide, product reviews, side hustle tips & tricks, or a mix of many things. The sky’s the limit!
2. Building a community: Blogs are great for connecting with people who share your interests. By engaging with your readers through comments and discussions, you can build a vibrant community around your blog.
3. Learning and personal growth: Blogging helps you hone your writing skills, learn more about your areas of interest, and develop new skills such as digital marketing and web design.
4. Financial freedom: A well-maintained blog can open up new income opportunities. It can act as a portfolio for freelance writers, a marketing tool for entrepreneurs, or a networking platform for professionals. You can earn income from affiliates, ads, sponsors, and selling products & services like eBooks, eCourses and coaching.
5. Making a difference: Blogs can be powerful tools for change. You can use your platform to raise awareness about important issues, inspire people, and even influence public opinion.

You’re reading our blog right now, and hopefully you’re finding it useful. We started it back in 2018 when we launched our YouTube Channel as a place to showcase additional information related to the topics of our videos.

However, our blog has taken on a life of its own now, and has become an important part of our overall information sharing and income generation strategy.

If we had it to do over again, we would start the blog FIRST and the YouTube channel SECOND. That would have allowed us to document our entire journey from the time we decided to move abroad until we started our YouTube channel over 18 months later.

That gap in the record of our journey is really painful!

Plus, we would have built an audience with our blog, which would have made it easier to launch our channel. YouTube rewards creators who bring an audience with them to the platform so it would have taken a lot less time to grow our channel following.

If you want to share your story or information to help people follow in your footsteps, the best place to start is with a blog. It’s a rewarding and fulfilling experience that can also lead to several online income streams.

Now that we’ve covered the “why,” let’s dive into the “how.”

Step 1: Choosing the Right Blogging Platform

Before you can start blogging, you need to choose a platform. There are many options available, such as Tumblr, Medium, Substack, Wix, Weebly and many more.

These platforms are great for beginners because they’re easy to use and require no technical knowledge to set up. However, they offer less customization and control that you might need further down the road.

For those reasons, we’re big fans of WordPress, which is a free and open-source platform that gives you full control over your blog.

You can customize its look and feel, add any features you want, and even move it to another web host if you need to. It’s versatile and powerful, which is why it powers over 30% of all websites on the internet.

Step 2: Choose a Domain Name

Before you can start building your blog, you need to decide on a domain name. This is your website’s address on the internet, and it’s how your readers will find you.

Choosing a domain name is a vital step, as it becomes the identity of your blog. You want it to be unique, catchy, and easy to remember. It should reflect your blog’s topic, your personal brand, or both. Keep it simple and avoid complex spellings or too many hyphens.

If you need some help thinking of a cool domain name, try asking ChatGPT or Bard. Here’s a sample prompt you can use: “Can you help me choose a domain name for a new blog about [your topic]?”

Once you choose a domain name, you can purchase it through a domain registrar or through a web host like SiteGround. Some popular domain registrars include GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Google Domains.

Step 3: Choose a Web Host

Next, you’ll need web hosting. This is where your website lives on the internet. Every blog needs a host – it’s the physical location of your website, stored on a server that your visitors connect to when they want to access your site.

There are many web hosting companies out there (and I have experience with several of the top ones), but we recommend SiteGround. That’s where this website is hosted and we’re EXTREMELY happy with the speed of their servers and the helpfulness of their support staff.

SiteGround is known for their excellent customer service, high-speed performance, and robust security features. Plus, they offer a one-click WordPress installation that makes setting up your blog a breeze.

When you sign up with SiteGround, you’ll choose a hosting plan. For new blogs, a basic plan is typically enough. As your blog grows and gets more traffic, you can upgrade your plan for more resources.

Step 4: Install WordPress

Once you’ve signed up with SiteGround, installing WordPress is simple.

Follow these steps to install WordPress on your new SiteGround website:

1. Log into your SiteGround account.
2. Go to the “Websites” tab and click on “New Website”.
3. Choose the domain you want to use.
4. Select “Start New Website” and then “WordPress”.
5. Fill in the login details for your new WordPress website and click “Finish”.

And voila! You’ve just set up your WordPress blog. It really is that easy.

Step 5: Choose a Theme

Next, it’s time to make your blog look amazing. WordPress themes are essentially pre-designed templates for your site. They dictate how your blog looks and feels to your visitors.

We’re using the Enfold Theme for this website, but there are thousands of free and premium themes available. The default theme that comes with WordPress might be enough to get you started.

For top-quality premium themes, we recommend checking out Envato Elements (owners of ThemeForest). They have a vast selection of beautifully designed, responsive themes that can make your blog stand out.

To install a theme on your blog:

1. Log into your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to “Appearance” > “Themes”.
3. Click on “Add New” and then “Upload Theme”.
4. Choose the .zip file of your Envato theme and click “Install Now”.
5. Once installed, click “Activate” to start using the theme.

And there you have it! Your blog is now ready for the world to see.

Step 6: Start Writing

Now comes the fun part: writing your first blog post. Here are a few tips:

1. Choose a topic you’re passionate about: The best blogs come from a place of passion. Choose a topic that excites you and that you’re knowledgeable about. You might want to share your origin story as your first post: What is your blog about and why are you starting it?
2. Start with an outline: A well-structured post is easier to read. Start with an outline to organize your thoughts and make sure you cover everything you want to. Use headings to organize your content into sections and use short paragraphs with 1 to 3 sentences rather than long novel-style paragraphs. That’s easier to read on mobile devices.
3. Engage with your readers: Encourage comments, ask questions, and create a conversation. It’s a great way to build a community around your blog, but don’t expect a lot of engagement in the beginning. Be patient, keep posting and engagement will happen over time.
4. Keep it simple: Write in a clear, concise way that’s easy for anyone to understand. Remember, not all of your readers will be experts in your field and things you take for granted might seem like magic to them.
5. Proofread: A blog post riddled with typos and grammar mistakes can be distracting and harm your credibility. Always proofread before you hit publish. If you struggle with grammar and spelling, try using Grammarly (it’s free).

To create a new post in WordPress:

1. Log into your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to “Posts” > “Add New”.
3. Enter your post title in the top field, and your content in the large text area below it.
4. Set a featured image that will be used as a thumbnail on your blog, as well as when people share it on social media.
5. When you’re ready, click “Publish”.

Step 7: Promote Your Blog

Last, but not least, you need to get the word out about your blog.

Share your posts on social media, tell your friends and family, and consider using SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques to help people find your blog in search results.

Remember, building a successful blog takes time. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. Keep writing great content, promoting your blog, and engaging with your readers, and you’ll start to see progress.

Final Thoughts

Starting a blog can be an exciting journey. Whether you’re looking to share your passion, build a community, or start down the path to financial freedome, a blog can be a great way to do it.

It takes some work to get set up, but with platforms like WordPress and resources like SiteGround and Envato Elements, anyone can start a blog.

So, what are you waiting for? Dive in, start blogging TODAY, and let your voice be heard!

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JP Stonestreet

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Hola todos! Welcome to my author bio page! Let's see. Where to begin... I grew up in the country on a lake outside a small Kansas farm town. As soon as I could, I got the hell outta there! Since then, I've lived and/or worked in Kansas City, Washington D.C., Denver, San Francisco, and Ecuador. I started and sold a dotcom, wrote a book about it, started a YouTube channel, and now I write a lot. Amelia and I have embraced the Unconventional Life and we want to help you do it, too!