How to Start a Successful Blog

Looking to starting a blog? Look no further! I’ve put together a simple step by step guide for how to start a successful blog right here!

Blogging is a great option whether you’re looking to make a little extra money on the side or looking to replace your full time job all together. By taking a quick search on Pinterest, you can find successful bloggers all over the place making $10,000 a month!

Here’s how you can start a successful blog too!

*This post contains affiliate links.

Step 1 – Choose your Niche

The first thing you want to do is choose a blogging niche. Choose wisely! While,yes, it’s always important to keep your eyes on the prize ($$$, we’ll get to that in a second)… Keep in mind that it’s so much easier to make a blog successful if you’re blogging about something you’re truly passionate about.

For me, I knew there were two things that I could talk about for hours on end and never get winded – my son and Disney! But passion isn’t the only thing to consider, you want your blog to be able to solve a problem and be useful to your target audience. I knew I was the person my friends would go to whenever they began planning a trip to Disney or were looking for a simplified answer to a mom problem so that’s where I started.

Have a niche in mind? Are you passionate about it? Will it help people in some way? If so, you’re ready for step 2!

Step 2: Choose a Domain Name, Hosting & Blogging Platform

Get an idea of what you want your blog to be called. Don’t worry about desperately searching for the perfect name. Just stick to a few “rules” when looking for a domain name; Keep it short, sweet, and easy to remember.

I highly suggest sticking to a .com; They’re much easier for people to remember!

Check if the domain name you want is available here! (Don’t buy it yet! You’ll get it for free below!)

WordPress is one of the easiest blogging platforms to navigate; Which is why a good amount of websites you visit are WordPress sites (think the New Yorker, the Walt Disney Company, and this blog right here!). When you sign up for Bluehost web hosting, they will walk you through installing and setting up your WordPress account as well. I signed up with Bluehost and had this blog set up in about 10 minutes!

Why do I think Bluehost is the best for hosting?

• It’s incredibly easy to use (even for those that are technologically illiterate like myself)
• Not only is it affordable ($3.95/month), it’s one of the cheapest around.
• They provide your domain, SSL Certificate, AND WordPress platform COMPLETEY FREE.
• They’re fast, secure, and around with GREAT customer service whenever you need them! Also, they offer a 30 day money-back guarantee.

Sign up for your Bluehost here and select your plan now – I use the basic plan.

Step 3: Build your Blog & your Brand

Think about what you will be blogging about and how you’d like your audience to view you. You want your blog and your brand to look professional and presentable but it’s also important for it to have a comfortable feel. You want your audience to recognize your work and want to stick around to view it.

A few things to consider when building a brand…

• What logo will you use? (I designed my own in a FREE program named Canva)
• What color palette will you be using? (I’ve stuck with no more than 5 colors)
• What fonts? (It’s best to stick with no more than 3 fonts)
• What kind of images? (You can find free stock images and apply preset filters available on multiple sites and apps such as Canva)

Once you have your brand in mind, you can start building your blog.

The first steps to building your site are fairly simple. Choose a theme in WordPress and begin writing a few pages and posts.

I recommend having an “About Me” page and anywhere from 10 to 20 posts published when you launch your site. You want your audience to have enough material to keep them around and interested in what you have to offer.

Step 4: Monetize & Market

In order to truly make money from your blog, you’ll have to learn a thing or two about monitization and marketing. Like any business, you’ll want to have a business plan together.

The two easiest ways to monetize your blog are through affiliate marketing and creating your own products or services to offer. Which ever you choose, you’ll want to have them ready to go before you launch your site so that you can begin earning money from day 1.

When it comes to marketing, utilize social media and build an email list for your readers to stay connected with you!

I can’t stress it enough how important it is to stay connected with your audience. Share things with them, respond to their comments, be present. This will keep them wanting to continue to interact with you and return to your site on a regular basis.

Step 5: Launch Day!

Make all of the finishing touches and present your blog to the world! Be proud of all of the hard work you’ve put in to get you to this point and be prepared to continue to work it like it’s a business day in and day out. You will only get out of it what you put into it, so get to it!

You’ve got this!

***I love feedback! Whether you loved this or have suggestions on how I can improve what I’m doing please feel free to leave a comment! Are there specific things that you’d like to see me post about? Send me a suggestion! Don’t forget, I post to all kinds of social media platforms. So keep an eye out for me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Mix, Blog Lovin’ and (of course) Pinterest!