How to Start Your Own Blog

I was recently asked how did you start your own blog and what do I need to get started.

First, Find a Niche

Lifestyle, Dieting, Cooking, Gardening, Healthy Living, DIY – something you’re passionate about. For me it was my chickens. I talked to everyone about them. Occasionally, they will have that glassy eye look and I know I’ve said too much. With my blog. It doesn’t matter! I can talk and talk and talk. Hopefully, the people following me love it as much as I do.

Choose your Domain Name

If you can afford it, purchase a few names you have ideas about. You just never know where your blog will take you. We started with chickens and trying to live a simpler life and since then we’ve added livestock guardian dogs and bees.

When my son wrote his first book, his name was already taken. You don’t want any regrets. You can always not renew after the first year.

Chose your Web Hosting Service

I chose HostGator for several reasons. First, they’re a Texas company, which is really important to me. Plus they offer a convenient month-to month payment model. I didn’t have to come up with several hundred dollars to get started AND they will give you a free domain name.

I decided on WordPress Hosting. It’s a little more expense than regular website hosting but if your main purpose is blogging, this is the option you want. For around $15-20 a month, with no long term commitment, I was in business.

Of course, if you have the money to purchase a three year plan, the savings is significant.

Website Building Tools

With WordPress, there are several free themes to give your blog a unique, custom look. It was a little intimidating when I first started, but they have great support and there are a lot of training videos online.

Plug-Ins

I had no idea what these were in the beginning. These are the
“extras” that make your website more inviting, similar to apps for your phone.

The first few I started with were Jetpack for security, Updraft Plus to back up my site, and Yoast SEO for search engine optimization.

Get Writing

Now that you’ve got all the technical stuff done to start your own blog, it’s time to get writing. Start with an About Me Page. This was the hardest thing for me to do. I had to ask myself what do I want my readers to know? What am I trying to accomplish? Start with a hook, something quirky. You want to draw your readers in so they will keep reading your other content.

Also, explain what they will gain from reading your blog and what makes you unique. Then tell them a little about yourself so they can relate and connect to you.

So now, you’re ready to write your first blog post. Let the fun begin.