A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Own Blog

If you ever wondered how to start a blog, then you're in the right place. This detailed guide walks you through every crucial step, from staring at a blank screen to creating a lively blog that gets read. We cover everything without holding back!

Whether you want a blog for business, a personal project, your adorable Instagram puppy, or anything in between, this guide is for you. Best of all, the hands-on work will take you only about 30 minutes (plus the time to read this guide, of course!). You'll be amazed at how simple it is to start a blog.

After reading this, you'll know exactly what steps to take, what to focus on, what to ignore, and what actions to take to help your new blog attract readers and take off.

But first, why listen to us if you want to learn how to start a blog?

Several years ago, we were in your shoes. We wanted to start a blog, and had a rough idea of our content, but didn’t have all the pieces lined up. Forgive the “we” throughout, but this blog is a group effort with multiple contributors.

Through trial and error, we've grown our blog to over 150,000 visitors and $20,000 in revenue each month.

Today, we want to show you how to work towards similar results and replicate our strategies and tactics in creating your blog. This guide summarizes our ~7 years of experience in building and growing a blog.

How to Start a Blog – An Overview

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to start a blog:

Chapter 1: Deciding What to Blog About

Chapter 2: Choosing the Best Blogging Platform

Chapter 3: Setting Up a Domain Name, Hosting, and WordPress

Chapter 4: Must-Have WordPress Plugins

Chapter 5: Basic Settings Every Blog Needs

Chapter 6: Blog Homepage and Other Essential Pages

Chapter 7: Coming Up with Blog Content Ideas That People Can't Ignore

Chapter 8: How to Write a Blog Post – Step by Step

Chapter 9: WordPress SEO – Where to Start

Chapter 10: How to Promote Your Blog

Chapter 11: How to Monetize Your Blog

Chapter 12: Best Blogging Tools and Guides

Before we start, let's address some common objections and questions about how to start a blog:

Common Questions About Starting a Blog

Can I do it all by myself without anyone’s help?

Yes. You can learn how to start a successful blog and execute that knowledge yourself. Modern tools are very user-friendly and easy to grasp, so you don't need a professional designer or developer.

What do I need to get started? Do I need to know how to code?

You need a computer and a small budget. No coding knowledge is required no website-owning experience, and no design skills.

Can I create a blog for free?

Yes, but it's not the best path. Free blogging platforms have limitations:

You're stuck with the platform’s subdomain and can't get your domain name without paying a fee.

Limited customization options and feature installations.

Limited monetization options; not all platforms allow product sales or ad promotions.

You may be forced to host the platform’s ads.

Paying a modest fee allows you to create a fully functional blog without these issues.

Is blogging dead?

No. Despite claims that social media, YouTube, and other platforms have killed blogging, the data says otherwise. According to WordPress.com, more than 400 million people view over 21 billion blog pages each month. WordPress powers over 30% of all websites.

Can I turn my blog into a business and make money from it?

Yes, you can. We’ve grown our blog from $0 to ~$20,000 per month in revenue within ~3 years. We'll explain how we've achieved this and how you can too.

Without further ado, the first step to starting your blog is picking a topic