Here are five reasons why starting your blog today could change your life.
1. Improves your mental health – I can attest that starting this blog improved my mental health significantly! It gives me the opportunity to write about the things I enjoy talking about which is helping others manage their money and personal finance.
This distracts me from negative thoughts or being sad about my personal problems in life. Surprisingly, you won’t even have time to feel sad or bothered because you’ll be thinking about how to grow your blog!
2. Amazing learning opportunity outside of school and the traditional 9-5 workspace – Blogging is a totally different world! It’s like a course on its own and there’s so much you can learn! After starting this blog, I realized that there’s more in life than just going to school and working the typical 9-5. You’ll know what I mean once you get started!
3. Build connections with the online community – I’ve met some amazing people online and they are the people who will keep you motivated and going with your blog!
4. Tell your own story – Everyone has a unique voice when it comes to helping a reader with their problems. For example, if you blog about your debt-free journey and the steps you took to reduce your debts, your voice can offer value to a reader who can relate to your story.
5. Make money opportunities – I would have never thought that anyone could make money online through their blogs! I used to think that the traditional 9-5 and getting promoted was the only way to make money. My traditional and naive thinking is not true. You can definitely start a blog that makes money today to help you get out of debt, stop living paycheck to paycheck, save money for retirement, or even improve your lifestyle!
Overall, I’m slowly learning and I know you can too, but please keep in mind that this is not a “get-rich-quick” scheme. Like Warren Buffett and his investment style, it will require patience and perseverance.
On top of that, you really need to believe in yourself. I admit that I have A LOT of self-doubts about myself BUT overall, you need to have the “I WANT THIS! I GOT THIS!” type of mindset!
As long as you enjoy what you’re writing about, along with solving your readers’ problems, the chances of establishing a profitable blog will likely be in your favor.
Since I started blogging, I noticed that there’s one thing in common among the successful bloggers who became full-time bloggers and are making over $10,000 per month blogging…
They did not give up!
I have to admit that most of my life, I was a Debbie Downer who got discouraged and gave up easily after failing once or twice.
I was also a person with extremely thin skin who was sensitive to literally everything (I still am but getting better after starting this blog!).
So, before starting my blog, I kept in mind that to become a successful blogger, you must train yourself to have the following traits:
1. Thick skin – Not everybody will like you and that’s okay because you’re not here to solve the entire world’s problem. I doubt anyone can do that! No matter how great your content or product is, you will come across haters. Haters are gonna hate and that’s their problem; not yours!
The saying also goes: if you try to satisfy everyone, you will end up satisfying no one!
Remember, you’re here to help your target audience and they will appreciate you. Those who judge, hate, or don’t like you aren’t your target audience! Forget them!
2. Persistence – Blogging is not always going to be rosy no matter how great other bloggers make it sound on their posts that go something like this: “How I made over $5,000 in my second month blogging from scratch!” It’s great that some people are able to achieve such outstanding results in their second month, but don’t lose hope over that.
I admit that I feel like crap too when I see those stories, but you just gotta keep swimming and think about what YOU need to do in order to achieve YOUR goals! The best way to spin this around is to learn from successful bloggers. Instead of feeling like crap and giving up, be inspired by them! Whatever you do, don’t give up!
3. Curious – Be curious to learn. As I mentioned above, be inspired and motivated by successful bloggers! Analyze other successful bloggers’ websites to see what they’re doing right.
4. Don’t be scared to invest in the right blogging education – I admit that I was SCARED to invest in blogging courses and e-books when I first started. I was afraid of being scammed by what they call it “sleazy online salespeople,” but I took the plunge anyway because there is no such thing as free lunches! To my surprise, the few courses that I purchased made a huge difference in my blog traffic and income results. I actually wish I did this sooner!
Thank you for reading this far! I hope you found this information valuable. Now it’s time to actually start your blog…
Whether you plan to monetize your blog or to share your journey with the world, you’re here because you decided to start the blog of your dreams. So, congratulations!
Let’s get started!
Here are my step-by-step instructions on how to start your blog along with my easy to follow 6-step tutorial below!
Now, let’s dive into the details on how to start your very first and awesome blog, shall we?
CHOOSE YOUR NICHE
This is where you ask yourself the following questions:
– What do you love talking about to your friends and family (or even strangers), that you can’t shut up about?
– What are your strengths, skills, and interests?
– Perhaps they’re not your strengths or skills (yet). But what do you enjoy talking about?
– What motivates you to learn and grow within that niche? For example, I wouldn’t consider myself an expert when it comes to personal finance, but I am confident enough to offer tips based on my experience and what I’ve learned. As you all know, there is no limit when it comes to learning. The best part is being able to learn and teach at the same time!
– Most importantly, is this something you would talk and write about even if you weren’t paid to do it? If you answered yes, you’re definitely onto something!
TOPIC IDEAS
There are so many different topics for you to blog about! Here are some examples:
- Travel
- Food
- Beauty and Make-up
- Personal Finance and Money (that’s me!)
- Frugal Living
- Entrepreneurship and Business
- Career and Personal Development
- Technology and Gadget Reviews
- Healthy Eating
- Health and Fitness
- Crafts and DIY Projects
- Parenting and Mommy Blogs
- Real Estate
- Home Renovations
- Fashion and General Lifestyle
As you can see, the ideas out there are unlimited!
You can blog about almost anything as long as you are sincerely interested in that topic. AND let’s not forget… you need to keep the reader in mind by solving their problems!
Your blog posts need to provide value by solving a problem (or at least entertaining to read)!
This is what I learned within my first year of blogging…
You DON’T need to reinvent the wheel.
You may think articles that solve common problems is saturated and that there’s no point in creating that type of content. This is SO NOT true — there’s a reason why they are common…
Because A LOT of people are searching for them and YOU have your own unique voice and story that offers value! Believe me, there are people who actually want to hear from you!
Some common problem-solving posts could be as simple as the following:
- How to declutter and organize your home
- 25 smart ideas for organizing your kitchen
- 9 simple exercises for women that burn calories fast
- 25 ways to save money without living an extreme frugal lifestyle
- How to plan an amazing trip to Europe without going broke
- 10 ways to look pretty without using a lot of makeup
TIPS ON CHOOSING A DOMAIN NAME
Now that you’ve got your niche, it’s time to think of your domain name.
Your domain name is essentially your www.yourblogname.com. I know a lot of people overthink this because they want to come up with the perfect name. The truth is, there’s no such thing as THE perfect name.
But you may want to consider some words in your name that will help people search for you. For example, if you blog about frugal living, it helps to include the word “frugal” in your domain name.
You don’t have to rush this part. Sit down and give yourself some time to think, but don’t over complicate it!
Anyway, let’s get you started with my easy step-by-step tutorial below!
STEP 1: GET STARTED
Click on the green button, “get started now” when you enter Bluehost page right here.
I recommend choosing the “basic” 36-month plan to get the cheapest price to start your blog — this is the plan I personally purchased when I first started.
Again, the best value would be the 36-month plan because this lowers the monthly rate over the 36-month period (plus, you get a free domain name as well).
You can ignore the “plus” and “pro” packages — “basic” plan is all you need. There’s no need to pay extra especially when you’re a beginner. I personally went for the basic plan when I was just a beginner.
Plus, you can also change any options later down the road if you decide you need more than just the basic plan.
STEP 2: CHOOSE AND REGISTER YOUR DOMAIN NAME
Next, register your domain name (I went through some tips on choosing your domain name in the section above).
Again, this domain name is included for free as long as you sign up for at least a 12-month plan with Bluehost.
To get the best pricing, I recommend going for a hosting plan that is longer than 12 months because it will save you money in the long run. I personally went for the best value which is the 36-month plan.
Again, if you think about it, this will cost you less a cup of coffee a month.
Follow this step to set up your free domain name. 🙂
If you’re still stuck, don’t spend your time worrying too much about this. You can click on “I’ll create my domain name later” so you can get started on your blog without the stress of picking a name first.
STEP 3: CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
Account information: First, fill in the account information which includes your first name, last name, country, etc. by following the screenshot below.
Package information: Now, make sure you’ve selected the account plan you want to go with. I went through the differences between the basic 12, 24 and 36 month plans with you above.
Package Extras: You’ll see the following options:
- Codeguard Basic
- Bluehost SEO Tools Start
- SiteLock Security Essential
You don’t need any of these extras. You can simply ignore them for now. There’s no need to pay extra especially when you’re a beginner. Plus, you can also change these options later down the road if you decide you want extra features.
Payment Information: Now, follow the next step to provide payment information.
If you don’t have or use a credit card, you have the option to pay with PayPal by clicking on “see more payment options”.
Already have a domain name?
If you already have a domain name (i.e. you’re not registering for a free domain name), then skip to the next section.
You’ll notice this page where they ask you to choose package extras.
To be honest, the only thing I would consider adding on is the Domain Privacy Protection for only $0.99 per month.
As a brand new blogger, you don’t need it but I personally went with it (and I also recommend it) because it prevents unwanted e-mails (i.e. spams) from your inbox.
Other than that, you don’t need anything else. Plus, if you ever change your mind, you could easily make changes down the road.
Again, I kept things really simple when I started as a brand new blogger.
STEP 4: CREATE A PASSWORD
Next, choose a password for your account, confirm it, and then log in.
Hint: It’s best to choose a password that is NOT the same as your banking or private information. That’s just common sense.
STEP 5: INSTALL WORDPRESS ON BLUEHOST
Don’t worry, you’re almost done! This is the most fun part!
Now that you’ve purchased your hosting service and free domain name, the final step is to install WordPress.
As you can see below, Bluehost will ask you to choose a theme. You can choose what you feel fits your personality.
If you’re not ready yet, feel free to skip this step.
The free theme that I’m currently using is the Oslen Light and I haven’t changed it since I started this blog. I’ve been wanting to change my theme for a while now but I just didn’t put it on top of my priority list because I’ve been focusing my efforts on other areas of my blog that would generate higher returns.
With that said, a free theme isn’t going to stop you from making money on your blog as long as it looks modern, clean, and presentable. You can always choose/change your theme later. There’s an abundance of free and paid themes! Once you get the hang of blogging with WordPress, you can get more serious about installing a specific theme you love.
STEP 6: FINAL STEPS
Now that you’ve selected your theme, you can select “Start Building.”
Next, Bluehost will ask: “What kind of site can we help you set up?”
You can choose either “Business” or “Personal.” It doesn’t really matter. You can even click “I don’t need help.”
DONE, AND DONE!
Congratulations, you’re officially a blogger now!
Aren’t you super excited?? Let’s celebrate now!!