Have you been looking for ways on how to start a blog of your own? Do you wish to start a blog and make money online? Then this guide is for you. There are several reasons why people go into blogging these days. People start a blog sometimes for the fun of it while the majorities go into blogging for money. Now, you need to know your stands in this case before you move on. Personally, I have been blogging for 5 years and I make a living off my blogs. My blog earning is enough to take care of my bills and buy some gadgets as well.

If the reason why you intend starting a blog is to make money online, then read on. In this tutorial, I have documented the various steps you need to take to start a blog and run it successfully. Starting a blog is not as difficult as you think. Before you start, there are things you need to know before starting. It’s very important you go through this carefully especially if you are a beginner in the blogging business.

Things you need to know before Starting a blog

The following are the things you must know before you start blogging.

1. Self Hosted WordPress Blog. You may be thinking of the best platform for creating a blog. There are numerous options out there for new bloggers such as blogger (Blogspot), Wix, Squarespace etc but I recommend WordPress. When I say WordPress, I meant WordPress.org hosted separately on your server. This is by far the best thing you can ever do for yourself. With WordPress, you have full ownership of the blog without having any fear of losing your blog overnight for unknown reasons. Another major reason why I advise you start your blog on a self-hosted WordPress platform is that you’ll have access to the numerous free WordPress plugin and plugins. Most of these resources aren’t available for on all these platforms mentioned earlier.
2. Pick a Specific Niche. In order to blog effectively and stand out among other bloggers, you need to choose a specific niche and grow it passionately. Many bloggers make this silly mistake. They try to be a jack of all trade by blogging on what they call “General topics”. To be a successful blogger, you must be different and stick to a niche. Be known for a particular thing instead of trying to be master of all.
3. Content is the king. This might not be the first time you are hearing this. You will not grow if your contents are scrap and if it’s no value to the life of your audience. Before you start a blog, ensure that every post you are going to write on should be well researched and will solve a problem. The points have to be clear and interesting to read. Avoid copying other peoples contents to avoid if growth matters to you a lot.
4. The Design must be Responsive. Nowadays, most people prefer using their mobile phones or tablets to browse the internet instead of the PC and laptops. Therefore, ensure you optimize your blog properly when starting a blog to remain relevant to mobile users.
5. SEO is Key. Most of the time, when people are searching for information, they prefer to Google it. So, it will be unwise to ignore search engine as a source of traffic. There are several SEO tools and plugins that can help you achieve this with ease especially if you are using WordPress.

Ways to Start a Blog and Grow It Successfully

1. Choose a Blogging Platform
2. Get a Reliable Web Hosting And Domain Name
3. Use a Good Theme
4. Write Valuable Contents
5. Interact With Your Readers

How to Start a Blog

Like I said earlier, starting a blog is not as difficult as you think. You can even make full-time income blogging from home. All you need is the right mindset and follow this practical guide carefully without leaving anything undone.

Here’s a step by step guide on how to start a blog; It is not just “anyhow blog” but a  self-hosted WordPress blog and runs it successfully.

1. Choose a Domain Name. When I first started blogging, I just had to visit Namecheap and register my domain name. The cost of registering a domain name is normally $10 (But you can Use this link to get 20% off the usual price).
2. Buy a Hosting Plan. You’ll have to buy a hosting plan from a good hosting company. It’s advisable you host it with Bluehost because it’s reliable and it’s easy to start a blog on their hosting service. WordPress itself recommend Bluehost as the best hosting service for WordPress users.Note: Bluehost can help you host and set up your blog for just $2.95 per month. As a Bluehost partner, we have made some deals with Bluehost therefore; our readers can now use this link to get 50% discount on the usual price and a free domain name. Grab this Offer here.
3. Setup Your Blog. After purchasing your hosting plan, use the 1-click install on your Bluehost dashboard to setup your WordPress blog. This should just take you less than 5 minutes to set up. If you experience any difficulty, you can use the live chat system to ask for their help okay? Hence you’ll be creating your blog on WordPress; there are thousands of Free WordPress themes and premium themes at your disposal. Just install any theme of your choice and customize it to your taste. Like we did, we will also like you to set up a Feedburner account so that people can subscribe. It is also important to integrate Google Analytics into it so you’ll be able to track your stats.
4. Write Valuable Contents. Contents are what make blogging very interesting. This includes articles, videos, images etc. Ensure you create your pages such as the about us, contact us, privacy policy, the categories before you start writing your articles. If you intend monetizing the blog, then you can apply for a Google AdSense Account or join affiliate networks like CJ. Remember to post articles regularly and ensure your contents are up to date.
   
5. Interact With Your Readers. It is important to give your readers an avenue to express themselves. This you can do by allowing them to leave comments on every post and ensure you respond to comments that require your attention.

I am very glad you now know how to start a blog from scratch. May I know if you have any question regarding this tutorial? If you do, or simply want to tell me how it has helped you get started, just leave it in the comment box below let’s discuss.