Blogging Tips: Starting a Blog in 5 Easy Steps (Part 2)

In the first post of my Blogging Tips series I covered all the things you need to consider before starting a blog which is basically how to find a blogging niche. You can read more about all of that over here. Now that you’ve considered everything in that post and you have (hopefully) found what you want to blog about, I’m going to tell you how to finally start a blog in 5 easy steps.

I promise you, it’s really that easy.

HOW TO START A BLOG IN 5 STEPS:

1. Choose a blogging platform

Before you can blog, you need a blogging platform. There are so many blogging platforms to choose from – from WordPress, Blogger and Squarespace to name a few. All of have their own pros and cons, but I can personally recommend WordPress. It is by far one of the biggest blogging platforms in the world. It comes with countless plugins and endless themes.

I started my blog with Blogger and after a year or two, I moved my blog over to WordPress. As a first time blogger, I loved working with Blogger. It was really so easy to use and did the job, but then when I wanted to change my theme, design and layout of my blog, I found WordPress was the answer for this.

If you’re still stuck on which blogging platform to choose, I recommend reading this article: Choose the Best Blogging Platform – Comparison 2018.

2. Find a host

Hopefully I have managed to convince you to choose WordPress as your blogging platform, so now the next step is to find a host. WordPress is simply just “software” and in order for your blog to be online and accessible to the public, you need server space, and you get server space from a hosting company or a “host”.

Some of South Africa’s most popular hosting companies include Hetzner, Afrihost and Webafrica. If you’d like to see what other hosting companies there are, I recommend reading this article: Top 10 Web Hosting Companies in South Africa.

3. Pick a domain name

A domain is a web address. For example, www.minkys.co.za is my domain name. If you don’t already have names or ideas, use the name of your blog or think of something short and catchy. Just remember though that your blog’s name should ideally be the domain name.

If you need some help deciding on a domain name, I recommend reading this article: How to Choose the Best Domain Name.

4. Design your new blog

Now this is the fun bit. This is the part where you design your blog to look exactly how you want it to look. If you’ve chosen WordPress, you can choose a new theme to work with by going to “Appearance” then “Themes” and installing a free WordPress them. If you don’t like what you see then you also have the option of buying a theme off ThemeForest.net.

Changing theme’s takes somennavigation, and I will admit, it isn’t so easy. Google will become your best friend when it comes to needing some help.

Here are a few things to remember when choosing a theme:

• Your blog’s design should reflect what the blog is about while also ensuring your personality and you shine through (does that make sense? but you know what I mean!)
• Your blog must be easy to navigate so your audience will enjoy browsing and therefore stick around

5. Get blogging

Last but not least, write your first blog post and hit publish!

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me on info@minkys.co.za

♥