Create A Blog in 20 Minutes
Here’s an easy guide on how to start a blog.
This step-by-step guide on this post will show you how to create a blog in 20 minutes with just the most basic computer skills.
How to start a blog in 4 steps
- Pick a blog name and topic
- Get your blog online
- Customize your blog
- Write your first blog
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Step 1: Pick a Blog Name and Topic
So just how do you decide what to blog about?
Determining what to blog about can seem difficult at first, but I promise it’s not!
I recommend creating a blog around a topic that you are passionate about, that you are an expert in, that you like, or something else along those lines. This can make blogging more fun instead of a chore.
You can blog about several topics or you can blog about one specific topic such as personal finance. It’s totally up to you.
You can monetize any type of blog type, so do not let that fear hold you back. There are many, many ways to monetize blogs, even the most unique ones! That’s the beauty of having a blog. I can be anything you want it to be.
Should a person be an expert or have a degree in the niche they choose?
You don’t need to be an expert or have a degree in what you’re blogging about.
I know many personal finance writers with blogs that track their financial mess they got themselves into. They don’t have financial degrees but are doing very well for themselves and help many people with their blogs. Many times readers just want to hear from you, follow a real person’s journey, read about how a real person made it through a problem, and so on.
However, if you want to give advice about legal or tax matters where you could get someone in a lot of trouble if you tell them the wrong information, then, yes, you should probably be an expert.
How do you come up with a blog name?
A good blog name should be descriptive so that potential visitors can instantly tell what your blog is about just from the name.
- Make it easy. Make sure that it is easy to type. I’ve seen blog names that are extremely long, contain words that are difficult t spell, and so on. Instead, you should make it as easy as possible for your reader.
- Think about what you’ll be writing about. Thinking about the topics you want to write about and your target audience then jotting down the descriptive words that are related to that will help you think about a blog name.
- Use a thesaurus to think of similar words. Sometimes, your first choice for a blog name may not be available, or perhaps you want to see if other words catch your attention better.
- Make it catchy. You may want to think of something funny, use alliteration, or something else to make your blog name catchy and memorable.
- Use your name. If you don’t want something catchy and/or if you think you’re not creative enough, then just use your name. It’s super easy that way, especially if you’re planning on blogging about your personal life or different topics.
How to choose a blog topic
If you don’t have an idea for a name already, the first step is choosing your blog topic.
If you’re not sure what to blog about, there are a few ways to find a good blog topic:
- Life experiences. Everyone has lessons they have learned through life experience. Sharing this knowledge can be incredibly helpful to others in similar situations. Think about the things you have experienced in life. This could be related to your family, work, events, and so on.
- A personal blog. A personal blog is a blog all about you. This will include a variety of topics, from things you do on a daily basis, to random thoughts and musings. This is a great way to share your thoughts with the world without having to stick to one topic.
- Hobbies and passions. Cooking, travel, fashion, sports, and cars are all classic examples. But even blogs about more obscure hobbies can be successful, since your audience is literally anyone in the world with the internet.
Step 2: Get your blog online
Now that you’ve got a name picked out you need it’s time to get your blog online. This might sound hard or technical, but the steps below will walk you right through and make the process easy.
To get your blog up and running you need two things: blog hosting and a blogging software. The good news it that these typically come packaged together.
A blog host is a company that stores all of the files for your blog and delivers them to the reader when they type in your blog name.
The blogging software is the one you use to build your blog. In this guide I will be showing you how to build a blog using the WordPress blogging software, because it’s the most popular, customizable, and easy to use.
The web host I recommend, and the one I show you how to use in this guide, is BlueHost. I personally use BlueHost and I recommend it for all new bloggers.
1. Click here to get the special $2.75 per month rate on BlueHost and then click “get started now”.
2. Select your plan. I recommend that beginning blogger get the basic plan. Click “select” to choose your plan.
3. Type in your domain name in the left box and then click “next” to start the registration process.
4. Fill out your billing details on the registration page.
5. You will also need to choose your hosting package and options.
Every BlueHost account plan has everything you need to get your blog up and running, including a free custom domain name, easy WordPress installation, web hosting, and custom email addresses (e.g. yourname@yourdomain.com).
Uncheck the boxes next to the package extras except for “Domain Privacy & Protection”. While not strictly necessary, domain privacy keeps your personal information (name, address, phone, email) hidden from the public database of registered domain owners.
6. You will then need to create your BlueHost account and password.
7. Install the WordPress blogging platform.
Now the system will automatically install WordPress. Once the install is complete click the “Log into WordPress” button on the top right to be logged-in to the administrator area of your blog.
Step 3: Customize your blog
Logging in
If you’re not already logged-in from the previous step, go to Bluehost.com and click “Login” on the top right to bring the login screen. You can then login using your domain name and your password that you set.
Once you login you will be taken to your BlueHost Portal. From the portal you can click the blue “WordPress” button to automatically login to your WordPress webpage.
Changing your blog design
Once you login you will in the WordPress dashboard. This is where you can make any changes you want to your blog.
everyone has a different idea of how they want their blog to look like. One of the great things about WordPress is that you can change your entire layout and design with just a few clicks.
In WordPress, blog layouts are known as “Themes”. Themes control the entire design of your WordPress blog. To change your theme, you’re going to click on the “Appearance” tab on the left menu.
You will see several free themes already installed on your blog. These are well-designed, clean-looking themes that work for just about any type of blog.
Unless you have a very specific design in mind for your blog, I suggest that you use one of these themes to start with. In order to activate a theme on your blog, hover over the theme and click the “Activate” button. That’s it! You have changed the entire design of your blog with just one click!
Step 4. How to write a new blog post and publish it
Now that your blog is up and running, it’s time to actually do some blogging! Let’s create your first piece of content.
Go to the left menu and click on “posts”.
You will see there is already a post there. This is a default post on every WordPress blog, and we don’t need it. To delete it, click “Trash” just under the post.
To begin writing a new post, click the “Add New” link.
You are now on the post editor screen. Enter the tittle of the post in the top box and then begin writing your post in the lower box.
Once you’ve finished your post just click the “Publish” button on the top right side of the screen to publish the new post.
Cheers