Everyone has a blog these days, or so it seems. So, what is your excuse? Why don’t you have one? Isn’t everyone a blogger or a social media star in 2019?
All joking aside, there are a lot of people out there that would love to blog and would probably do very well at it but they are intimidated, assuming that starting a blog takes a lot of technical and computer skills.
The truth is that starting a blog isn’t that hard, and if you really wanted to you could have a blog live in less than 30 minutes.
Do you think that is crazy talk? I’m 100% serious and if you follow the steps I have outlined below you can be the next blogging star in less than a half-hour.
Register a Domain and Hosting
You need to first think of a good (and available) domain name for your blog and set up a hosting account for your new blog. This resource explains it step by step and it also shows you how you can get your domain for free.
Once you have your domain you need hosting. This is how your blog remains “live” on the internet.
There are so many choices when it comes to hosting and if you understand servers and how they operate you can pick from several configurations.
But the easiest option is to just signup for WordPress hosting. I would suggest you use WordPress for your blog, because it’s the easiest and most user friendly option. You can look at all of the options available here and pick the one you like best.
Select a Blog Theme
You want your blog to look good and provide your readers with a good experience, so selecting a nice theme is key.
Many people assume that starting a blog involves paying a web design company thousands of dollars. You don’t have to spend a penny on your design. You can view all of the available WordPress themes here and use the filter options to find one that matches your needs. They are free.
Once installed you can play with the settings and customization features to give your theme a unique look and feel.
Install Plugins
There is a plugin available to do almost anything imaginable, eliminating the need to know how to code or the need to hire a developer to make changes.
The WordPress plugin directory is something you will want to become familiar with. Everything from plugins to help with your SEO to placing social media share icons in your posts is available.
There are a lot of articles on marketing blogs that give plugin recommendations. I would suggest reading some to see what is available and then start to research on your own as well.
Stick to One Main Topic
This is where a lot of blogs fail. They go too wide and fail to identify one niche. Nobody will read your blog on a regular basis if your topics are too broad.
There are blogs for everything, from cooking and home remodeling to plumbing tips from Valpak. There are no limits. The best approach is to pick a topic you are interested in and just go with it.
Do you love sports cars and could talk (blog) about them all day? Then that would be a great topic because you love it and there is a huge audience that will be interested in your articles.
Share Your First Post on Social Media
Now that your blog is live you need to start letting the world know it exists.
The best place to start is social media. Share your posts on your social media profiles and invite your friends to check it out.
Then ask them to share your posts as well. This can create a snowball effect and expose your blog to more people. If it’s good it will start to gain momentum.
Remember it takes time. You can’t expect to have a popular blog right away. Keep writing and don’t stop.
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