The how to start a blog for free is an article about how to start your own blog. It’s a beginner’s guide that includes the steps you need to take in order to get started on your blog.
Abhishek Raj last modified this page on October 14, 2021. 4 Responses
“Abhishek, I understand what blogging is, but I’m not sure how or where to begin.” When my friends get the opportunity to discuss the fundamentals of blogging with me, I am often bombarded with this question. Many people are familiar with what a blog is and what a blogger does. However, many of them, particularly novices, are unaware of the steps or difficulties involved in establishing their own blog. So, today I’m going to provide a thorough, step-by-step tutorial on how to create your own blog the simplest manner possible!
Why should you create your own blog?
Blogging offers a number of advantages. Let’s take a look at each one individually…
Blogging’s Advantages:
- It aids in the development of your online presence, which is very desired in today’s digital age.
- Enhances your writing abilities
- Assists you in establishing yourself as an expert on the topic you’re writing about.
- Increases the strength of your resume. Prospective employers are generally intrigued by your profile.
- Making money from your blog is a possibility.
- Assists you in making connections with important individuals in your field.
- Enhances the image of your own brand
Step-by-step instructions for creating your own blog:
Step 1: Think on what you want to write about.
Take some time for yourself, go somewhere peaceful and free of interruptions, and do one thing: reflect!
Begin by considering your personality in general. What is it that you really like doing? Determine your area of interest. Even on Mondays, what motivates you to get out of bed? That is your inner calling, and it is what will drive your blogging career ahead. Then you must match your skill sets to your interest.
Let’s say you’ve discovered that photography is your passion. However, you are inexperienced with DSLR cameras and sophisticated photo-editing tools such as Photoshop/Lightroom. This is a catastrophe waiting to happen. Integrating your passion and talents is critical to your long-term success as a blogger.
This process is referred to as “identifying a niche for your blog” (follow the link to learn more)
I’ve prepared a fun exercise to assist you in discovering your inner calling or passion. Make a list of ten activities that you really like (no matter how crazy they could be).
Select the items that correspond to your skill sets from this list. If you have a history in financial education and job experience, for example, “Investing in Stocks” may be your chosen specialty.
Let’s take another thing from this list that seems to be amusing to contemplate as a specialty – “eating ice creams.” You may be wondering what talents are needed to consume ice cream. You might create an ice-cream review blog or an ice-cream recipe blog, for example. As a result, keep an eye on your ability to write evaluations and create delectable ice cream recipes. There are no limits to creativity!
Step 2: Should you use a free or self-hosted blog?
After you’ve chosen what you want to write about, you’ll need to choose between a “Free blog” and a “Blog that is hosted on your own server” to create your own blog.
A free blog is just that – a free blog for the rest of your life! On either blogger.com or wordpress.com, you may start a free blog.
A self-hosted blog is a professional blog that you operate on your own server with a custom domain name. Take, for example, the blog you’re now reading. My web-hosting server at Bluehost is assigned to the custom domain name (buddinggeek.com). The blogging software/platform that is installed is called WordPress.org. This is clearly not a free blog. There are certain expenses associated with running a self-hosted blog (see the table that follows for more details)
To understand the difference between a free blog and a self-hosted blog, look at the table below:
Free blog | Self-hosted blog | |
---|---|---|
Name of the domain | A free sub-domain (example.blogspot.com) is given to you (example.wordpress.com) | You have complete control over the custom domain name you select (subject to its availability) |
Costs that are associated | Totally free for life | Costs for domain registration/renewal + charges for web hosting |
Estimated cost breakdown | NIL | Charges for a domain ($10 per year) + Web hosting ($5 – $50 per month, depending on the type of hosting – shared/dedicated) |
Ideal for | New bloggers or casual hobby bloggers that are happy to keep their blog’s scope of development limited | Bloggers who are passionate about growing their blog, developing their online identity, and establishing a brand image. |
What is the difference between a free blog and a blog that is self-hosted?
Do you know the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?
WordPress.com is a website where you can create a free blog (with no technical knowledge required).
WordPress.org allows you to use the newest WordPress software to self-host your own website or blog (requires some prior technical knowledge to setup)
Step 3: Create a new blog.
You should register your blog name on the relevant platform after choosing whether to go with a free or self-hosted option.
Step-by-step instructions for creating your own free blog:
If you want to try free blogging and go with blogger.com, for example, follow the steps below to get started:
- Use your Google account credentials to log in to blogger.com.
- Choose a name for your blog (for example, if you’re interested in the stock market, you might call it Zooming Returns).
- Choose a domain name for your blog (for example, zoomingreturns.blogspot.com if you want to focus on the stock market).
- Make sure your Display Name is correct. What name would you want your readers to recognize you by? Choose a genuine name or a fictitious name.
- Finish with a click, and you’re done! Your new blog will be up and running in no time.
- You’re probably looking at a blogging dashboard right now. Create a new post, add some additional blog pages, manage comments, customize the theme, and so on… Use the left side panel to perform a variety of things with your blog.
Similarly, you may utilize WordPress.com to start your own free blog.
Step-by-step instructions for setting up your own self-hosted blog:
- Make a new domain name registration. To begin your domain name search, I suggest GoDaddy. It’s one of the most well-known domain registrars.
- You have two choices at this point: either host your domain for free on blogger.com (yes, Google offers free web hosting for custom domains hosted on blogger.com), or… Alternatively, you may use WordPress, which needs you to first buy a web-hosting package. Let me put it bluntly: WordPress is a much superior and more sophisticated option than blogger.com.
- So, if you want to create a self-hosted blog using WordPress, you’ll need to get a web hosting package first. Bluehost comes highly recommended (I’ve been using it for the last three years). Choose any shared hosting package that is not only affordable but also powerful enough to support your small-scale website.
- You must properly change the nameservers after purchasing the web-hosting package. We purchased our domain name from GoDaddy in our guide, but we chose Bluehost for site hosting. As a result, you must copy the nameservers (IP addresses) from your Bluehost account and put them into your GoDaddy account. Visit learn more, go to GoDaddy’s brief how-to tutorial. This update may take up to 48 hours to complete.
- The next step is to set up WordPress on your newly purchased domain. Log into your Bluehost cPanel and look for the option to install WordPress under the software area. Simply click it, complete the setup instructions, and wait for the magic to happen.
- – Best wishes – Your new WordPress blog should be up and running now. Follow this URL to log into your new WordPress blog: https://yourdomainname/wp-login.php
That is all there is to it. You have now created your own blog. Heartfelt congratulations on your accomplishment! Write your first blog entry right now!
Also, don’t forget to check out this post on how to pick a decent blog name.
Feedback/Questions?
I hope you liked reading the little lesson. Please feel free to share it with your friends who are considering starting their own blog.
And if you have any more questions or if anything in the article is still unclear, please leave them in the comments section below.
This article may include affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. More information about this disclosure may be found here.
The how to start a blog for free and make money is an article that will provide beginners with the necessary information on how to start their own blog.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start a blog Beginners Guide?
You can start a blog by creating an account on Blogger.com and then setting up your blog with the help of their guides.
How can I start my own blog for free?
Blogging is a free service. However, there are some costs involved in running a blog. Its best to start with the basics of what you need before spending money on anything else.
How do I start a blog with no experience?
Start a blog about something youre passionate about and share your thoughts with the world.