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I am SO excited today because I am going to help and show you how to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost!
First of all, if you don’t know who I am, my name is Ling, and starting my blog has changed my life!
I started my very first blog, Finsavvy Panda, a small personal finance blog where I teach my readers how to save money, make extra money, and achieve financial independence.
Before I started my blog, I actually didn’t really know what “blogging” was and this term was a little foreign, and it sounded strange to me.
Blogging was so new to me and during that time, I had no single clue on how it works. I was just told that with a low initial investment, starting a blog has the potential to earn a great amount of income.
I was hooked, got really excited about the idea, and looked into how bloggers get paid and make money with their blog posts.
After starting my blog, and learning how to get traffic, connect with readers, and monetize a website, I earned my first $5,000 per month within a year.
Today, I’m so glad and feel very fortunate that I started my blog with Bluehost as a beginner with NO prior knowledge about blogging, and NO technical, writing, or coding experience!
Starting my blog with a self-hosted Bluehost plan has changed my life! If I didn’t go self-hosted, I wouldn’t have been able to quit the job I disliked and my blog income wouldn’t have taken off to over $20,000 every month today!
Here are some quick screenshots of my blog earnings when I was still a complete beginner and new to this world:
$40,102.36 from just ONE source of income!
$2,455.64 from another source – one month of display advertising earnings!
$1,385.70 from another source of monthly earnings!
$2,015.20 from another source!
I am very happy with Bluehost because my blog has always been up and running in great shape! And, in this tutorial, I am going to show you how to start your blog using Bluehost too.
Don’t forget to save this blog post here on Pinterest so you can refer back to this detailed tutorial page on how to start your very first blog and make money!
I also offer my exclusive FREE 7-day email course to teach total beginners like you how to start your blog from scratch. I show you the EXACT steps I took to start a blog all the way to building traffic and earning a full-time income with NO tech and NO writing experience.
My e-mail course has helped thousands of people start a profitable blog and I would love to help you too. Sign up below to learn how!
Bluehost Blog Hosting Plans
In this section, I am going to go through Bluehost’s basic web hosting plans for beginners.
There are 3 options you can choose within the Bluehost basic plan – the 12, 24, or 36-month plan.
Whenever you’re ready, you can use this exclusive page for Finsavvy Panda readers to get 60% off with Bluehost and follow the step by step instructions below to get started – this can be found in the section, “How To Start A WordPress Blog On Bluehost.”
All of these plans are great deals and affordable for any beginner, and whichever plan you decide to choose will depend on your goals.
I personally started two of my blogs with Bluehost’s basic plan to get the best value and biggest savings!
I will go through these different plans in more detail in a bit.
But let me first tell you why you should start a WordPress blog with Bluehost:
- It’s powered by WordPress and any beginner (who has no experience with building a blog) will find it easy to use the platform
- There are no tech or coding skills required (I am NOT techy at all, and honestly, if technical or coding skills were required, I would have not started any of my blogs)
- It’s the #1 recommended web hosting company by WordPress
- Bluehost offers 24/7 through online support chat, phone, or e-mail (I use these free support services all the time whenever I need help with something)
- You’ll have a self-hosted blog meaning you actually own your own website (this is very different compared to the free ones you can sign up for)
What Does A “Self-Hosted Blog” Mean?
If you are wondering what a “self-hosted blog” is, in simple terms, it means that you are the owner of your website. Yes, you are the boss!
This is different from a “free” blog like the ones on the Blogger platform where you don’t actually own your blog. So, whatever you write on those free blogs, they can actually take down your content without giving you any prior notice.
It’s always best to invest a small amount of money in a self-hosted blog Bluehost because for one, you want to own your website. Why wouldn’t you want to be the owner and have full control for such a low price?
Secondly, if your intention is to make money with your blog, then it is best to go self-hosted because advertisers, affiliates, and companies you want to partner up with will take you seriously when you are the owner of your blog.
Again, I am so happy that I started my blog with Bluehost because if it weren’t for going self-hosted, I wouldn’t have been able to quit my job and earn a full-time income from home!
I honestly don’t know anyone who is actually earning an income using a free blog.
Here are just one of many e-mails I received from a reader (with her permission to post this) who regrets not signing up for a self-hosted blog right from the beginning. Now she also has to go through the hassle of transferring her content over, which is not a simple task:
Hey Ling, I have a blog on Blogger where I write about my travels and experience in Asia. I applied for Google Adsense because I want to start making money but they replied with some issues and now I think I should have listened to you several months back communicating with you when you suggested me to go with a paid domain like Bluehost… I don’t know if you remember me. I just wish I listened to your words, but I will now go and get a Bluehost plan for my blog. The problem is now I have to next find out how to move my blog posts and files over and I don’t know what to do. Please tell me how I can do this? – Amaya
As you can see, she waited several months to experience this mistake of not going self-hosted right off the bat. On top of that, she also needs to spend the time to figure out how to transfer her blog posts over.
So, here is a quick summary of why you should start a self-hosted blog (and NOT a free one).
- Bluehost is the #1 recommended web hosting company for total beginners and you don’t need any technical or coding experience to start.
- Time will be wasted trying to build a free blog and then realize later that you get rejected by advertising, affiliates, and companies you want to partner with.
- It will be inconvenient and a hassle to transfer your work over from the free platform to your self-hosted WordPress.
- You may lose your work if the free website decides to take down your content, plus you won’t get any prior notice.
- You will be the owner of your own blog.
- Going self-hosted is a must if you are serious about making money with your blog.
How To Start A WordPress Blog On Bluehost
Now that you know it is essential to go self-hosted, and NOT use a free blogging platform, especially when your intention is to monetize your blog, I am going to go through the different basic Bluehost plans with you where you can start your blog (the right way) for as low as $2.95 per month.
Again, the special page here will lead you to Bluehost’s 60% off regular price hosting plans – this is exclusive for Finsavvy Panda and Blog Savvy Panda readers. You’ll also get a FREE domain name, which is valued at $15 when you start your blog here.
If you ever have any questions about starting your blog or the steps in this tutorial, please send me an e-mail at ling@finsavvypanda.com. I am very excited for you to start your blog and I want to see you make progress with your blog, so I will answer any questions you have. 😊
Now, let’s get started and guide you through this easy tutorial.
Step 1: Choose the Bluehost basic package
If you are a beginner who wants to start a blog with just one website (and yes, I recommend only one website if you are new to this), you can select the “basic” package. This is the exact same package I personally chose when I started my blog.
You can ignore the “plus” and “choice plus” because you don’t need those unless you’re planning to start more than one blog, which again, I don’t recommend for a beginner.
You can always upgrade later when you feel like you want some extra features.
I personally did not go for any extra features until I started earning over $8,000 per month with my blog.
Step 2: Choose Your Domain Name
Next, choose your domain name (AKA your blog name).
If you haven’t decided on your domain or blog name yet, you can click on “I’ll create my domain name later” based on the screenshot below.
The great thing with this option is you can get started immediately and build your blog without having to decide on a domain name yet.
And yes, the domain name is free at $0 when you decide to host your blog using Bluehost! Along with the 60% off hosting, this is a $15 value that you get for free when you use this page to start your blog!
Step 3: Create Your Account
In this step, you are going to create your account by filling in your account information.
All you have to do is fill out your first and last name. You don’t have to fill in a business name if you don’t have one yet (this is optional).
Be sure to select the country you live in along with your address, phone number and email.
Step 4: Package Information
Hang in there because you are almost done!
Now, select your account plan.
It could be the 12, 24, or 36-month plan. These are all paid upfront in the form of a one-time payment.
I personally recommend the 12-month plan because as mentioned, you don’t have to spend a lot of money upfront to try out blogging. You can test the waters and see how you like it within your first year!
Whichever plan you decide to choose will depend on your goals and your situation. These are still very great prices and are a low-price and great investment for beginners who want to try out blogging and potentially earn a great income.
Note that depending on where you reside in your country, the pricing in your currency will be automatically converted based on the current exchange rate. If you live in countries like Canada, the U.K., Australia, or anywhere in Europe, you’ll see your own currency. But if you reside in other countries not listed here, you should see this in terms of US Dollars.
Bluehost 12-Month Blog Price:
As you can see, if you choose the 12-month plan, your investment for the first year would be only $36 and that includes the free domain name, which makes starting your blog very cheap and affordable!
Who is the 12-month package right for?
I have many readers who go for this package because they want to try out blogging for one year to test out the waters without spending a lot of money upfront. It’s only $36 for the entire year to get started!
So, the great thing is you will pay a lower upfront amount (and you’ll save 60% off the regular pricing today) with the 12-month plan.
Step 5: Package Extras
Referring to the same screenshot above again, in the “Package Extras” section, you’ll see options like the following:
- Codeguard Basic
- Bluehost SEO Tools Start
- SiteLock Security Essential
You don’t need any of these extras. You can simply ignore them for now and make sure you uncheck or clear those checkboxes so you don’t get charged for extras. There’s no need to pay extra especially when you’re a beginner. Plus, you can also change these options later down the road if you decide you want extra features.
Step 6: Payment Information
The final step is making your investment in the plan you selected.
You can choose to pay by credit card or other payment options like PayPal.
If you don’t have or use a credit card, you have the option to pay with PayPal by clicking on “see more payment options”. It is free to sign up for a PayPal account.
Step 7: Choose your password
Next, choose a password for your account, confirm it, and then log in.
Make sure you write down your password on a sheet of paper so you don’t forget!
Step 8: Install WordPress Powered By Bluehost
You’re almost done and this is the fun part because you’re just minutes away from starting your blog!
Now that you’ve purchased your hosting plan that comes with a free domain name, the final step is to install WordPress!
Bluehost makes this super easy with their 1-click WordPress Installation button.
Once you’ve clicked it, wait until WordPress is installed.
Bluehost will ask you to choose a theme, which you can play around with now or later. There are a lot of both free and paid pre-made templates for you to choose from so time your time to browse around and select the one you feel fits your personality.
Because you are a beginner, you don’t need to purchase a paid theme yet. I recommend testing the waters and play around with the free pre-made themes before you invest your money into a more premium theme.
It’s just easier when you get the hang of this before you jump to the next level.
Step 9: Start Building Your Blog
Now that you’ve selected the theme you want, you can select “Start Building.”
Next, Bluehost will ask: “What kind of site can we help you set up?”
You can choose either “Business” or “Personal.” It doesn’t really matter which one you select.
Going forward, you can log in to your WordPress dashboard and learn at your own pace.
Bookmark this link so that you can easily access it when you want to log in.
The link to your WordPress dashboard is: https://yourblogname.com/wp-admin/
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Bluehost support. They offer 24/7 via email, online live chat, or by phone.
Once you’ve started your blog using this tutorial, e-mail at ling@finsavvypanda.com and let me know!
I am always excited to hear from you and answer any questions you have about blogging. You can also feel free to leave any comments or questions in the comment section below. I will get back to you. 🙂
Additional Blogging Resources for Beginners
I also highly recommend you browsing around and checking out these helpful articles in this archive packed with valuable information to help beginners like you start your blog.
If you ever want a one-stop-shop with simple step by step instructions (with screenshots and images) on EXACTLY where to go and what to do after starting a WordPress blog on Bluehost, I recommend this really affordable e-book, The Treasure Map To Blogging Success in Just 30 Days, to avoid confusion and overwhelm. This is a profitable roadmap to help beginners like you build a solid and successful foundation before moving on and diving deep into learning traffic and monetization strategies.
You can also check out here how much does it really cost to start a blog to give you guidance, and honesty, of what to expect as a brand-new blogger. This is the path I personally took to see my income grow to over $20,000 per month!
I have many students who went through The Treasure Map To Blogging Success in Just 30 Days ebook and they were able to quickly set up and launch their blogs the correct way (yes, there is a correct way) and avoid silly mistakes that most beginners commonly make. They were able to do this much faster than the average person who has no roadmap or guidance. This is honestly the guide I wish I had when I first started my blog because it would’ve saved me SO much time, money, and hassle!
I hope you found this blog post helpful in starting your WordPress with Bluehost!
Happy Blogging!
Thank you so much for this! The compiled topics were very helpful! But I still have some follow-up questions now that I know I can actually start a blog (for real *squeal*).
1. Can I use an alias?
2. Do I have to show a picture of my face (for the public)?
You can use just your first name or any nickname that you prefer.
A lot of people actually ask me if they can blog anonymously and my answer is yes, absolutely!
In fact, when I first started, I was totally 100% anonymous and didn’t have any pictures of myself but I was still able to earn a full-time income!
I’m shy and introverted so I started off with just my preferred name online!
On top of that, I know many bloggers who don’t reveal their full names or picture but they are still very successful and doing well! The important part is you learning, connecting with your audience, and understanding how bloggers actually make money blogging!
Once you feel more comfortable down the road, you can always open up and use your pic.
I hope this helps! 🙂
I’ve started my blog and I was wondering if you think I should consider my blog a business? Or should I wait until I start generating income? I’m just not sure if I have to get a business license or not.
Hey Marilynn
To be honest with you, when I started my first blog, I didn’t treat it like a business right from the get-go. It was so foreign to me and I didn’t know whether or not it was going to work out for me at that time.
I know every blogger who is earning an income will tell you to treat it like a business right from day 1, and I totally understand why they say that. But this personally doesn’t work for me because I like to take things slowly and learn at my own pace. I don’t like taking things in life too seriously so that’s why I treated my blog more like a fun learning journey or a hobby when I was new. I also know many people like me who started a blog as a side hustle hobby.
Once I started earning my first income, I still didn’t treat it like a business until I saw it was growing and consistently earning month after month. That’s when I gained more confidence and I started treating my blog as a business.
It really depends on your personality type and how you feel towards it. If you are very serious about it and you know that you want this to be a business, then yes you can look into that aspect and treat it like a business on day 1. For some, they want to test the water and see how it is before they move onto the next steps.
I hope this advice helps!
Hey ling! I’ve got tons of questions running in my mind but for now, I’ll ask you some of my main questions.
1. How do I write my blog? Should my blog be lengthy or short? If it’s long then how long and if it’s short how short?
2. I thought of writing my blog about fitness and health but I ain’t a pro about it yet because I’m still studying about it in detail and I even want to put things about fashion too in my blog can I put it in this category itself? 😫 I’m so puzzled right now!
3. And one last question for today how long will it take to write a blog? Like how many days?
Hey Elsa!
I hope my answers to your blogging questions help:
1. How you write your blog post depends on what you’re going to be writing about. Some are short and some are long. There is no rule as to how long your blog post should be. I have blog posts that are as little as 600 words (it just doesn’t make sense for those to be any longer) and an occasional one as high as 5,000 words (because my readers asked me for more info). I would say the best is to have a minimum of 1,000 words. As long as your blog post answers the readers’ questions and they enjoy your content, then it’s good to go regardless of how many words are on the post. For example, if you are writing a post about how to lose weight for women, healthy and low-calorie foods that lose weight, or how to train for a marathon, you can give your readers a quick story but be sure to tell your readers how to do it in actionable steps; just write down exactly what you would tell them as if you’re teaching them something. Don’t think too much about the “word count.” The great thing about blogging is you can always go back and make changes to your posts.
2. You don’t have to be a pro. You can be a beginner who has already learned some things or starting from scratch. It’s always best to narrow down to one focus but it doesn’t mean you can’t dive off to another topic. I know many bloggers who have trouble narrowing down because they want to test the waters since they are not sure what they want. By testing and writing different topics, you’ll get the feel for what you want to stick to later on. You can always switch your focus to the topic you feel more passionate about. Aside from my personal finance blog, I created a separate lifestyle blog on the side because it allows me to write whatever I want without having to narrow down on my focus. My lifestyle blog still generates a healthy income despite it not being focused on one topic. One suggestion I give to my readers is I tell them to see if they can try to make the two different topics relate or tie back to each other. Fitness and fashion niches are completely different but you can put them together if you decide to blog about workout outfits, running shoes, etc. that are trendy and look good. People love to work out in style! 🙂
3. How fast you write depends on a person. I am a very slow writer so it generally takes me a week to come up with one blog post. But I know many people who are able to finish a blog post in a day.
I hope this helps!
Hello Ling,
I’d just like to say a big thank you for this tutorial on blogging. I love your writing and you have really inspired me to start my blog. However, I am struggling with my niche. I am a paediatric nurse from England and would love to start a blog about my nursing, but I’m struggling with where to start. For example which topics will actually draw in people’s attention.
I’d love to talk about how my day goes and what resources I use to help me get through a normal shift and share some of the resources I’ve made to help me through my shift. Do you think this is a good idea and will it bring enough traffic to my blog?
Thank you.
Hi Emilia!
I’m glad to hear that you enjoy my blog and that it has inspired you to start one too!
Btw, kudos to you for being a paediatric nurse! It’s NOT an easy job and I know there are many people who are busy with high-demanding jobs (especially those who are nurses) would love to hear from you!
You can definitely start your blog and have your story about your nursing experience and how busy work/life can be. To make this work out for you, I recommend writing some blog posts that are related to productivity, time-management hacks, along with some self-care tips. These types of posts are VERY popular and they tend to get a lot of traffic because so many people are looking for tips on how to relax more, de-stress, become more productive, and save time throughout the day. When you write these posts, you can always tie it back to your nursing story/experience and talk about how your day goes and what resources you use to help you get through a normal shift. So yes, I can totally see this work for you!
I also have an article here for some blog post ideas. I recommend you check out the “motivational quotes, productivity and time management hacks” along with the “organizing” and “self-development” section for some ideas. You can use these blog post ideas and tie them back to your nursing experience to inspire and motivate both the nursing audience and anyone who is always busy:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/blog-post-ideas/
I hope this gives you some ideas on how to get started! I can’t wait to see your new blog launch! 🙂
Hello Ling!
I just wanted some tips on how to start, I am not sure why I keep postponing it. I want to create the blog but I am so confused on my target audience.
I usually post things on my Instagram and snapchat, just little videos with inspiring words, and I have gotten a lot of good feedback, so I wanted to incorporate some of that little motivation into my blogs, I also wanted to lean on spirituality and inner peace, since I am a young mom, I also wanted to target that audience, but I don’t want people to think that my blog is only for moms, because it’s not, it’s for everyone who is “BUSY, BUSY”
Do you have any tips on how I can organize myself, or maybe decide on what to publish first?
Thanks!
Hi Brianna!
That’s awesome to hear that you’re getting good feedback on Instagram! Because you’re already getting engagement on that platform, you can look into how you can use it to drive traffic back to your blog in the near future once your blog is up and running.
I have a list of blog post ideas here to help you get started. In your situation, where you want to help people who always feel busy, I believe the “MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES, PRODUCTIVITY AND TIME MANAGEMENT HACKS” and “PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT” sections of this post will help you come up with something:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/blog-post-ideas/
You can start off with literally any blog post. It doesn’t have to have any particular order or whatsoever. Let me know if this helps! 🙂
Hello!
I have went through the course you had suggested for affiliate marketing. I am looking this week into signing up through your link for bluhost. I was curious if you could give me a little guidance.
Would my first blog be introducing myself?
What if I like to write about more than one thing rather than just one thing? For example: one topic being animals, another self development. Should I only stick to one for my first blog?
I am getting anxious about jumping in, just need a little guidance. I am still struggling a little bit about my niche. Could I base some of my blogs off the affiliate marketing items?
Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Sarah!
I’m thrilled to hear that you’ll be starting your blog! 🙂
These are all great questions!
For your first blog post, you don’t necessarily have to introduce yourself. You can actually do that on your “about me” page, and give an introduction of who you are (btw, you can remain anonymous if you want) and what you’ll be helping your readers with. As a beginner, I wouldn’t stress too much about your “about me” page yet. You can always create this page a little later once you have some blog posts ready – that way, you can also link or mention some of those blog posts on the “about me” page that will get readers visiting your other articles.
Generally speaking, it’s best to be able to narrow down your focus, but it doesn’t mean you can’t and shouldn’t be talking about different topics. I would suggest that if you’re talking about different topics, try to see where you can make them relate to each other with one common theme.
One of my readers wanted to talk about beauty, food recipes, and self-care because she enjoys all these topics and didn’t want to commit to just one niche. I suggested that she could do this by finding a way to tie those three topics back to each other. For example, if she decides to blog about beauty and make that her common theme, she can still introduce recipes or dishes with foods/ingredients that are good for the skin, hair or nails when you eat them (e.g. recipes with salmon, nuts, veggies, fruits, protein, biotin, etc.). She could also blog about self-love or self-care and easily tie it back to beauty since those can be related to each other.
I also have a post here that will help you decide what to blog about with a couple of examples:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/what-to-blog-about/
To be honest, I see a lot of bloggers have who have a blog with multiple topics where not everything they blog about relates to each other; yet they’re still doing very well (in your case, about animals and another about self-development). I actually have a separate blog like that too, which is generating a great income using display ads and affiliate marketing – I think this type of blog is a good start for beginners who don’t have experience and just want the freedom to write about whatever they want. It gives you flexibility and allows you to learn a lot of different things and it gives you an idea of which niche you enjoy more. Plus, you can always start a second blog that is more focused down the road once you gain a little bit of experience with your first one. I know many bloggers who don’t know what to focus on until later on when they give themselves the freedom to test out different niches and write whatever they want.
You can make money with your blog using affiliate marketing in literally any and all niches! I have a post here that talks about affiliate marketing. However, I do not recommend beginners to immediately look into affiliate marketing until they’ve learned how to get some traffic back to their blogs. One big mistake I see is A LOT of beginners get really anxious about making money and they skip all the necessary steps that are required to build a successful blog – e.g. navigating around WordPress and getting familiar with it, setting up the blog correctly, drafting and structuring their blog posts a certain way, and learning how to get some traffic first.
I have a post here that gives beginners direction and guidance on what to focus on first before jumping into the next level:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-start-a-blog/
Let me know if this info about starting a blog helps and if you have any additional questions, Sarah! 🙂
Hi Ling,
I’m very excited to start writing blog posts but I’m not sure how long they should be. I am currently writing about my journey with acne and I plan to write posts about what worked and what didn’t to cure it.
I also wanted to ask when I should start promoting and trying to make money from my website? How many posts should I have up? Also, what’s the best way to start making revenue for beginners?
Hi Val!
That’s great to hear you’re starting to work on your blog posts!
I wouldn’t stress at the beginning about your blog post’s word count. You can always make changes or add more sections and words to them later down the road. Generally it should be long enough to address the readers’ concerns or answer their questions, but not overly long to the point where they would lose it.
Let’s say, for example in your case, you decide to write a post called “How To Get Rid of Acne for Teenagers,” I would recommend you search this exact phrase on google searches. Look at the top 3-5 posts and do a quick word count to see how many words each post contains. You can take the average or median and use it as your gauge for an idea.
Again, there are no set rules on word count but this is what I would do. I’d say minimum should be at least 1,000 words. Again, you can always easily add or change it later on.
In terms of making money, I always recommend beginners to focus on setting up the blog properly along with the pages, and have a good amount of posts published (15-20) before learning any money making strategies. This is something I cover in The Treasure Map To Blogging Success in 30 Days ebook.
Also importantly, your blog NEEDS to be at least 4-5 months old before you can apply for advertising to be displayed on your website; and that’s another reason why I highly recommend people who haven’t started their blogs yet to start ASAP so they can “age” their website. Even if you just launched it now and have over 15 posts, you still won’t be able to apply for ads because your blog would still be considered too new.
So in other words, be sure to launch your blog even if you only have only one blog post for now. This is what I did when I first started my blog.
You can learn more about making money with a blog here:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/how-do-bloggers-get-paid/
I hope this helps!
Ling
Dear Ling
I am a 19 year old who recently came across your website via Google. I wanted to say 2 things of which one is a question:
1. My father set a goal for me to earn in this (new) year 3000 euros by myself without jobbing. At first, I thought it was almost impossible to achieve. Then I researched online on how to earn money online and from all options blogging seemed to be the most promising so far. When I researched about some figures raised by blogs, I thought it would be a good thing to spend my time in and got hopeful/inspired. Therefore I wanted to ask, is it makeable to achieve this goal in a year with learning about and creating a blog?
2. I can totally relate to you wanting to get out of the typical daily life job scheme. I may not be in such a situation yet, but I noticed that with Uni a lot of time goes away for things I would rather spend like to spend the time on. So I just wanted to say another thing even though I just signed up: Thank you a lot for providing us with your valuable experience and all this for free! Hopefully, we can learn from your mistakes ^^
Best regards
Hugo
Hey Hugo!
That’s awesome that you’re looking into starting and creating your blog! I am very excited for you and I’d love to see you start one!
Your goal of 1 year is very realistic and achievable! This also depends on the individual, how motivated and serious they are about learning how to start and create a successful blog. I remember when I first started my first blog, Finsavvy Panda, it personally took me at least 6 months to gain traction and see some results. And with a year of learning and implementing what I learned, I reached my goal of earning a full-time income. I remember I wanted this blogging thing to work out for me SO SO SO badly, so I was always very excited and motivated to learn and try out new things! So, yes, you’ve set a realistic goal for giving yourself a year to try out this adventure.
And honestly, I wish I had your mindset at age 19 (I was still in la-la land and very immature – haha). You are young, and the fact you’re already thinking this way, I can feel that you’re going to achieve great things and do very well with your life. I have no doubt that you’ll be able to build a successful blog.
Again, the great thing about starting a blog is it’s very affordable, especially when you go for the 36-month plan. You’ll also have a good amount of time to learn, build, and apply the strategies you learn throughout your blogging journey.
I hope this gives you encouragement to start! 🙂
Thank you a lot for this both, encouraging and helpful answer 😀
Hi Ling,
I hope you are well. I thought I’d reach out to you as I decided to start a travel blog 7 months ago, which I need to be profitable as I lost my job as a travel agent due to the pandemic 😔
Travel is my passion and I’ve been writing for the past few months, learning how to start a blog (I knew nothing!) etc.
Now I really want to go live, but I’m so nervous as I don’t know if I have enough material yet. Some bloggers say to post daily or even weekly, but I don’t know what the best formula is. I wanted a backup of at least 6 weeks worth of posts first before I actually make it public.
Do you think I should just bite the bullet and make my blog live, then learn as I go?
Interested to hear your thoughts as you are a successful blogger and earn the type of money I aspire to, as I want to be able to look after my family and keep travelling.
Thanks so much!
Lindsay
thetravelvine.blog
Hi Lindsay!
I am so sorry to hear about your job loss as a travel agent due to current circumstances!
I am very excited to see your blog thrive and succeed in the months and years ahead, so there is something positive to look forward to! 🙂
The truth is you actually don’t have to prepare a batch of posts before making them “public” or “live”. No one will see your posts unless you are active on social media or Pinterest, so you are good to publish them one by one as you go. For example, the blog you are reading now is new since the time of writing this and I am literally shooting out my articles one by one as I go – learning on the go will give you the best experience ever! I don’t have a set schedule of how often I post since I do a lot of things on the fly lol.
It’s good to consistently publish a piece of content instead of releasing them all at once. I have a blog post here that will answer your question about how often you should post:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/how-often-should-i-post-on-my-blog/
There’s no rule to this, but I hope this advice and the article will help! 🙂
This does help. Thanks so much for getting back to me. I’m going to just get on with it and go live. Then I will work out my schedule and what works for me as I go.
Have a great day 🙂
Hi Ling!
I’m enjoying your blog! I’ve devoured a lot of your additional links and blogs. Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing.
I’ve been trying to formulate my blog idea or niche. I’ve asked family and friends. Everyone seems to agree that it should be based on my little dog I adopted a couple of years ago and relating his journey to kids. So, kind of teaching kids different things through Henry, my dog. Like it’s ok to sniff new food and try it. Or even more to the point, it’s ok to be hurt and still love people. Of course, in a fun kiddie way. I’m currently an online teacher and I know how pets are a comforting way to teaching various things. I’m just not sure what that niche is or if there is a niche. Perhaps it’s a lifestyle with a pet and educational twist? Maybe this is more of a book? I’m not sure?
I feel like there’s a starting point and maybe blogging is it?
I really appreciate any guidance you can provide.
Thanks, Ling!
Hi Terri
I am glad you enjoy my blog and content!
From what you are telling me, it sounds like your blog will be a great fit for either parenting and/or teaching kids how to do things.
You can definitely use your dog, Henry, as a teaching guide for whoever your audience is and what it is that you are teaching them.
The part you need to figure out right now is your niche and who do you want to blog for? What exactly is it that you will be teaching kids specifically?
For example, I see that there are blogs that specifically teach kids how to make crafts. Or, a blog that teaches kids how to count and do math.
When you are new at blogging and just started your website, you can be more general (e.g. more like a lifestyle for parents and kids) and teach kids everything about school and life.
Once you start writing more content around this topic, you will start to truly understand who your true audience is. Those will be readers to come by and leave comments or ask you questions about something that is more specific. When you see them asking you comments, or you see which posts are doing well for you, you can start creating content that is more narrowed and focuses on that very specific topic.
You can always hit reply to this comment and let me know if you have anything that is more specific in mind. That way I can provide you with a clearer direction for your blog.
I also have a post here that talks about what to write about and how to find your niche. I also give examples of a defined focus vs. a lifestyle blog:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/what-to-blog-about/
Let me know if this helps and keep me posted on your thoughts and questions. 🙂
Hi Ling!
Yes, this does help. I think I need to narrow my niche down a bit. I will brainstorm some more. Perhaps I just start and then narrow it down as I go and discover my audience more. That’s a good idea. Thanks!
Hi Ling,
thanks for all your tips so far!
I’m sure you get a lot of the same questions from everyone, so bear with me! 🙂
I have been thinking about starting a blog more seriously for a couple of months now, what with the pandemic and the additional time I am spending at home, I figured it’s the perfect time now. However, I’m very confused about where to start and, although I do totally understand that this will be a trial-and-error process, but ideally I’d like to have as few false starts as possible!
Say if I started a cooking blog, for example, and it didn’t have any success, would I completely scrap that and start afresh – that is buy a different domain and blog – or could I use the existing one and just give it a twist? Also, is it a good idea at all to choose a broader subject which will allow you to explore a few different topics or is it better to narrow it down to one specific topic and focus on that?
Lastly, do you have multiple blogs going at same times, on different and/or related subjects?
Thanks in advance, I could really use some advice from someone with experience in this!
Hi Sara!
That’s awesome to hear that you are going to start your blog! I can’t wait to see you create, build, and launch it!
So, let’s say you start a cooking blog, and you plan to change the direction of your blog and what you write about, you actually DON’T have to start a new blog with a new host and domain name. For example, if you decide to start blogging about organizing tips for a home instead of cooking (what you originally planned for), you can still continue with your current blog by posting new posts. This approach will work best if you come up with a more generic domain name that contains your name, nick name, or something that sounds more “lifestyle” or general – for instance, justablogbysara (Just a Blog By Sara) or adventureswithsara (Adventures With Sara).
I usually recommend beginners who aren’t sure about what they want to stick with to go this route. This will allow you to learn different topics and be a little broader – I personally find this one more fun and exciting. Plus, it gives you flexibility when you are unsure.
If you are a beginner and you know exactly what you want to blog about (and you are pretty sure that’s the topic you’ll stick to in the long term), then go with the more narrow focus. I usually find that intermediate or experienced bloggers understand the concept of narrowing down better. That’s because they’ve been blogging for a while and they start to understand who their true audience is. You will too once you start your blog! 🙂
Even if you start a blog that is broader in focus, it doesn’t mean you can’t start another blog down the road that is more specific about one topic once your first blog starts making money!
I have 2 blogs that are running and generating full-time incomes:
1. Personal finance and money started 3 years ago
2. Lifestyle started 1 year ago (more broad and flexible) – home decor, crafts, recipes, food, etc. it’s literally on whatever I feel like and I get to explore more topics.
At this time of writing, I recently started this 3rd website just for my readers who ask me questions about blogging. I treat this space as my form of communication with you guys.
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any additional questions! 🙂
Thanks Ling, that’s very helpful. I meant to ask you if you are able to drive traffic to your website organically or you pay for advertising it?
Thanks again,!
My lifestyle blog is 100% free organic traffic – no paid ads. Personal finance blog was 100% free organic traffic for over 2.5 years.
Until recently, I’ve been learning more about paid ads and how to use them, but still, ’til this day, almost all of my personal finance still comes from free traffic.
As a beginner, you definitely don’t need to pay for ads until you gain experience and have products to sell. I hope that helps!
Hi Ling! I have a question. I’m thinking of starting a mom/lifestyle blog but realized I don’t know what products/services to offer now and down the road? Any suggestions or have you worked with clients/students in this niche?
Hi Rachel!
That’s awesome to hear that you’re starting a mom lifestyle blog!
You can actually offer many different products and services depending on what you write about on your blog. Definitely find something you enjoy doing.
For example, there are moms who blog about budgeting or saving money tips to help other stay-at-home moms or moms on a lower income, and they create digital products like printables, worksheets, or ebooks that teach them what to do. There are also moms who blog about losing weight after having a baby and they post articles that teach them everything about those exercise routines that they do to help other moms get back into shape. They will also create digital ebooks or mini-courses that lays out the exact program or steps they took to lose weight or become fit after pregnancy.
Another example is a mom who blogs about easy recipes for busy moms who don’t have enough time to cook, so they create ebooks or programs that help their busy mom audience. I know printables and ebooks do well for most people and they are the products to start off with to gain experience.
Another great way to monetize is offering your coaching services through 1:1 calls or memberships to your exclusive content based on what you blog/talk about on your website.
However, I always recommend new bloggers to learn how to monetize using display ads or affiliate marketing before creating products. This will give them the experience to move onto the product creation stage since they will have a better understanding of who their audience is down the road.
I hope this helps!
Thanks Ling. This helps so much and such a specific response. I now have more confidence in moving forward 🙂
I am interested in parenting tips and home decor. My problem is I am scared I am going to run out of things to write about. I guess that is what has always stopped me. What do you do in that regard? 😞 Thank you for any help you can give me.
Lana Brown
Hi Lana!
I will tell you this now… you will never run out of things to write about lol! So many beginners think this, and I did too when I first started my blog!! But once you start writing more articles, and you start seeing many other different blog posts out there (on both Google and Pinterest), you’ll realize the sky is the limit!
You can definitely blog about parenting tips and home decor. Both these topics do very well and many people search for these ideas. I actually have a blog post here that gives you ideas on what you can write about in different niches including parenting and home decor:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/blog-post-ideas/
Let me know if this helps you get started! I am excited to see you write your first blog post! 🙂
Ling,
Your content is simply AMAZING! Thank you so so so much!!
I have my first question for you! I like this theme – https://my.studiopress.com/themes/recipe-blogger/#demo-full
So if I use your link, do I purchase the Bluehost plan and then buy the theme? I’m scared!!! Am I really doing this… I am!
I am scared of failing 🙁
Hi Sam!
Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Yes, you can choose a free theme or a paid theme once you start your blog with Bluehost. I like how you get more customization and options with the paid themes compared to a free one.
I recommend the theme packages offered by studiopress (just like the one you mention) but with BOTH the framework and theme – it’s what I’m using too on my blog. You NEED to purchase the framework in order for the theme to work, so don’t forget to purchase the bundle package.
I’ve had people email me in the past asking me why their theme isn’t working and it’s because they didn’t buy the “two bundle package” with the Genesis framework. They only purchased the theme alone. This page here would be The Recipe Blogger theme + framework bundle package you’re looking for. It is a very nice theme for food bloggers and I admire it a lot! <3
I know it feels a little nerve-wracking starting your first blog. I was totally scared too and honestly didn't even know if I was going to make it, but I thought... hey, it's not expensive to start a blog; just treat it like a hobby by spending a little bit of money upfront and see what happens. And today, I am SO happy that I gave it a shot!
You will learn so many amazing things in the blogging world! It's going to be hard work and there will be challenges, but overall, a pleasant experience with so many interesting things to learn!
As long as you are determined, a self-starter, and want this to work out REALLY REALLY badly, I am confident that you're going to see great results with your blog!
Let me know if you have any questions about this tutorial page that helps you start your blog. I'm happy to answer! 🙂
Ling
Thank you so much Ling!!!
Hi Ling! I’m still having a hard time trying to decide what to blog about or if I should even blog.
I don’t think I’m great at wording, but maybe that would come with practice. Also, I’m not sure of a topic. I am burnt out with my career and am DESPERATELY looking for a change.
It’s so hard for me to decide what to do! I think maybe because I have a very wide variety of interests. Jack of all trades master of none is how I feel.
I’m 43 no kids not married. I work in Healthcare as a Healthcare aid.
I like working out at home, I’ve done some side jobs baking cakes, but not sure if I want to keep that up.
I’m into horses(have 2 at home) animal lover, love the outdoors… do a lil bit of crafting…
I think my main issue is not being able to zone in on a specific or focused idea.
Maybe you can help?
Thanks!
Hi Terra
I totally understand your concerns. It can be tough trying to figure out what to blog about especially when you are new to all of this!
Even when I first started my personal finance blog, I was still a little bit iffy about what to blog about, and there were a lot of times that I dived off topic because I just felt so foreign in the blogging world!
Yes, you’re right that it all comes with practice. I am definitely not a great writer and I don’t even have experience in writing blog posts or articles!
In your case, you can always start a blog that is focused on lifestyle. I like lifestyle blogs because it allows people, especially beginners who don’t know what to blog about, to test the waters and see what they like. I actually have a lifestyle blog in addition to my personal finance blog because I felt like narrowing down to just one specific niche felt kind of restraining at times.
With your lifestyle blog, you can blog about almost any topic. I actually have an article here that will help you figure out what to blogger write about:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/what-to-blog-about/
I also have a list of blog post ideas here for beginners
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/blog-post-ideas/
I hope that these will help you get started with your blog. Let me know if you have any questions. I am here to help! 🙂
Don’t forget to check out this article that will walk you through with choosing your blog name once you have gone through the article about what to blog about:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/how-to-choose-a-domain-name-for-your-blog/
Hi Ling,
I am doing my research on starting a blog. I’m super excited and nervous because it’s brand new and I haven’t figured out my niche yet, but right now I have a question and I wanted to ask before I forgot. When signing up with the webhost do we get a separate email associated to our blogger url or do we use our personal email?
I haven’t gone into the webhost to poke around I’m still reading your blogs about starting one and that just popped into my head.
Talk soon 🙂
Hi Annette!
I’m super excited for you to start your blog too, and it’s okay to feel nervous. Every beginner feels this way including myself when I first started. 🙂
And yes, when you sign up for a webhost like Bluehost, it will provide you with a free starter professional e-mail for beginner bloggers (e.g. yourname@yourdomainname dot com).
You can also create a Gmail and use it on the side. For example, I have both a gmail (finsavvypanda@gmail.com) and one for my associated domain name/URL (ling@finsavvypanda.com).
As for figuring out your niche, you can read this article that will help you decide:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/what-to-blog-about/
Let me know if I answered your questions. I’d be happy to clarify. 🙂
Good afternoon.
Just wanted to touch base with you and give you the run down of what’s holding me back from starting my blog.
So I’m struggling with what I want to blog about because I feel like I don’t know enough about anything to be able to keep writing content about a certain topic. I’m prbly over thinking everything as usual!
I also want to be able to write my blog anonymously…is that a thing that I could do?
Hi Lyla!
I have a post here that will help you decide what to blog about. I also talk about how you don’t have to be an expert to start your blog in that specific topic as long as you are interested and passionate about learning it, you can most certainly start your blog about it:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/what-to-blog-about/
I started my first blog totally anonymous too! I know many people who do this and it is definitely fine. I was still able to earn a six figure income as an anonymous blog.
I hope this gives you the confidence to start your blog! Let me know when you’re ready to get started! 🙂