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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.
The Treasure Map To Blogging Success in Just 30 Days For Beginners
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!
Hi!! I am so nervous because I have always wanted to blog! I have always been so insecure about what to post, who will see and what they will think. I’ve wanted to blog for years and have never had the courage or know how to get started. I have zero idea what to blog about, I have zero idea what will work for me and my family as my husband is in law enforcement and doesn’t want our child on the internet. As a stay at home mama she is basically my life! So how do I start a blog about my life when I can’t share my daughter?! I would love to make a blog and monetize it but I am honestly terrified that it won’t do well or that I will get overwhelmed! Technology isn’t easy for me either!! Help!
Hi Rachael
I felt like you too when I was a beginner. Terrified, very nervous and didn’t know what to do! I also had the fear of failing but it’s worth trying and finding out than to not try. Another great thing about starting a blog is you can blog anonymously until you feel more comfortable. It’s what I did too.
When you start your blog, you don’t necessarily have to talk about your life and your daughter. You can still mention about her and not disclose any names or photos. You can start a blog and inspire or teach your reader something on almost any topic you like. I actually have a post here on what you can blog about that you’ll find helpful:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/what-to-blog-about/
I hope this really encourages you to start your blog! Let me know if you have any questions. I am very excited for you, Rachael!
I want to start a blog and try this to earn some money for myself and take my family out of debt which occurred due to business losses and Mismanagement of money.
Hey Bharat – I’d love to see you start your blog and build it from ground up! It will be amazing to see what you’ll do with it. 🙂
Starting a blog has always been something I wanted to do, without knowing how. Also, learned today I can actually make money which would increase so many aspects of my life. I would be able to give my fiance the break he desperately needs of working 6 18-hour days a week. The biggest bonus would be helping him restore his trucks and be able to show them off while taking care of my needs and wants. Travel is a big passion, but a big financial bug too, having extra income I would finally be able to go on adventures to all the places I enjoy! Which would also be a huge hit on blogs- what to do and what not to do in certain places, the best and the worst, how to travel safely, the basics I’ve researched myself. And, the best perk would be purchasing the land I need to start my farm (eventually want to open it as a petting zoo, free of course, parenting ain’t cheap!). The MAIN point of starting this journey is to find who I am and where I want to be! Can’t wait to get started and move towards everything I’ve ever wanted!
Hi Hannah
Thanks for sharing! I am very excited to see you start your blogs you can find out who you are and where you want to be in the months and years ahead. Blogging has definitely allowed me to discover and learn more about myself after 3+ years of doing it (I never realized a lot of things before I started haha) – there are a ton more things to learn!
It would be amazing to see you build your blog from the ground up so you can reach your goal of earning extra money and using that for your travel plans, buying the land to start your farm, along with many of your other financial goals!
Let me know if you have any specific questions about starting your blog. I am super excited to help you get started! 🙂
P.S. your finance definitely does deserve the break and relax from his hard work!
To help with searching for a hobby for myself — I have been back and forth on trying to blog!
I know I want to share my story battling mental health (PPD, MDD, GAD diagnosis). It’s something that’s not often discussed openly. My hope is to help not only myself but others as well.
Hi Stephanie!
That’s awesome to hear you wanting to start your blog about mental health and helping your readers get through it!
One thing to keep in mind. If you start a blog that is very specific to mental health and intend to offer any medical advice, it will be a little tougher to get your website found on Google unless you are someone who is licensed or a doctor because Google now wants you to be certified when you blog about topics that have to do with “health”. This is to keep readers safe when advice is about medical and health-related topics – they will more likely show articles written by doctors on the top google searches. However, the good thing is social media doesn’t have such thing so you can still get your blog in front of people.
To get around that challenge of Google, I recommend you starting a “self-development” blog where you can motivate and encourage your readers to become happier and positive. In your self development blog, you can always tie this back to mental health topics and write about it from the perspective of “self development”, “self care” along with positive vibes. It’s not to say you can’t write about mental health (you definitely can and I see a lot of people with their experience blog about it), but I also recommend adding other topics that are focused on development, positive mindset, positive thinking, and self care too.
I hope this gives you insights and the right direction to go towards, so that you stand a good chance at being found on google searches.
I can’t wait to see you start your blog using this tutorial page.
You can always shoot me an email and me know if you have any questions. I’m happy to help! 🙂
I want to gain experience in the field of blogging and writing, and I want of course to gain money to start a new life. I hope you will help me with this. Thank you
First of all, I want to thank you for your effort, your explanation, and for trying to help others
And you really inspired me to create a blog, so let me explain to you that I really want to gain experience in the field of blogging and writing, and of course I want to earn money to start a new life, I love writing and am ready to blog and help, but the problem is that I don’t know what I will write and what topic I belong to, I hope you help me with this
Thank you ❤
Hi Huda
It will be very new and foreign to beginners like you but don’t worry, because everyone goes through that very beginning stage when they start their blogs. I was once confused, nervous, and had absolutely no clue what I was doing when I was a total beginner. It all comes down to your willingness to learn along with your determination to put in the hard work. Making money with a blog isn’t easy, and it will take time. But as long as you stay focused and committed, and most importantly, implement the right steps, tips, tricks, and strategies, you will see results!
Let me know if you have any specific questions about starting your blog! I’m here to help!
Hi Ling,
I have some specific questions for you. Before that, I just wanna share with you that I’m going to share investing topics (fundamental Investing strategies) as well as personal growth content and will input affiliate links such as online courses. That’s my plan ☺️
1. If I’m outside US (e.g.Malaysia), can I still register the affiliate program like clickbank and shareasale?? Do you think I have the advantage to start a blog outside US like Malaysia??
2. How do you actually input the affiliate links? Since quite often I found that the affiliate links you input are the products you used it before but is it true and can we promote the products that we didn’t use before but carefully filter the quality of the product and ask the provider of the products through email??
3. How many articles do you think I need before launching my blog?
4. As mentioned above, I wanna share investing and personal growth topic, therefore wanna seek for your advice do you think is it OK to start out my blog with 2 categories or I should start with a topic 1st??
Hey Yan Ting
I hope you find these answers helpful in starting your blog! 🙂
1. You can start a blog almost anywhere. Depending on the affiliate program, you can set up the payment system with them. I’ve seen many bloggers from all over the world do this including where you reside.
2. I don’t recommend beginners to dive right into setting affiliate links immediately into their new blogs just yet. It makes sense to build an audience before using affiliate links right off the bat. I personally made this mistake and nobody told me this. You’ll learn from experience this is not the best long term strategy. Build good content, gain trust from your audience and then start introducing affiliate products. Having actual experience with the product helps too.
3. You can start as like as little as 1 post. I launched my blog with just 1 post and built it up slowly over time. You don’t need a minimum amount of posts before launching because no one will see your posts unless you actively promote them.
4. I highly recommend reading this post for this answer:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/what-to-blog-about/
I hope this helps! I’m really excited to see you start your blog!! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Hey Ling,
First just wanted to say I love you blog and what you write about it really does help and has inspired me to possibly start my own blog, I recently quit my full time job as it was really unfulfilling and was not good for my mental health. I want to live not just survive but also do something I love. My interest and passion is to do with fashion, I love putting together outfits and sharing it but I’ve never had the confidence to do so lol. I like the idea of blogging about how to look luxury on a budget because that is literally me lol but I worry about what else I could write about with fashion.
Does it just naturally come as you start the blog i.e idea’s etc.?
Hi Rebecca!
I can totally relate with you when you mentioned about sticking with a job you can’t see yourself in, don’t like nor feel fulfilled. I felt the same way too and it gave me that extra boost to make this blogging thing work out when I was in a similar situation.
It’s actually awesome that you already know what to blog about! Luxury fashion on a budget is an excellent niche and you can blog about many things like:
– How To Look Expensive For Less
– How To Get the Luxe Look For Less
– X Steps To Defining Your Personal Style
– How To Be More Stylish With a Capsule Wardrobe
– The Ultimate Guide To Dressing For Your Body Shape
– X Ways To Build a Sustainable And Minimalist Wardrobe
– X Essentials For Your Basic Capsule Wardrobe
– Unboxing High-End Items
– Buying Luxury Items From Pre Loved Online Shops and What To Expect
– {Insert Celebrity’s Name} Inspired Looks For Less
There are so many things to write about and you will naturally get the hang of it as you’re learning and expose yourself to the blogging world!
I hope this gives you the confidence to start your blog. Everyone starts off not knowing anything, lost and confused, lack of confidence, etc. but it gets better as long as you are willing to invest in your blog and invest your time into out. If you enjoy the topic, you’re going to keep persisting and results will come as long as you are determined and don’t give up!!
Let me know how it goes. I am looking forward to seeing you start your blog soon!! I know you’re going to do more than just fine! 💕
Hey Ling!
I’m struggling right now on what I want to write about. I thought about writing about my college experience as I went through college but I wasn’t sure if that would be too broad of a topic. I’m graduating high school this year and I really struggled to find information regarding college or other options like trade school as a student. From how to find the right college or how to find scholarships so I really want to be able to help upcoming graduates with their transition from high school to college etc. And I figured as I went to college I could also write blog posts on how I found the right apartment or a good internship. What I’m struggling with is if I’ll be able to find reliable sources for information that I wasn’t able to find and I needed this year. I want people to read my blog and really understand what steps they can take to have a successful future so I don’t want to accidentally reiterate or find information that just confuses my reader even more. I’m so sorry I know this is a really long comment but I was just wondering your thoughts on it.
Hey Anna!
Starting a blog about college is an excellent idea! I have a lot of readers who started their blogs about the college/student lifestyle!
You can definitely write about your experience and teach others about how to find scholarships and anything to do with finding the right college to apply for. There will be a lot of students similar to you who’d want to hear from you!
On top of that, I also recommend writing topics about general college and student lifestyle. Any daily tips that will help college students from studying tips, productivity, and time management to saving money for students. I have a post here that talks about what to blog about and how to find your niche. I believe you will find this very helpful:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/what-to-blog-about/
Let me know if this helps. I can’t wait to see you start your blog about college for students! 🙂
Hi!!
Before I ask my question, I wanted to let you know that you have seriously inspired me to start blogging which I had been thinking about from a couple of months but honestly a little scared to do so.
Ok here’s my question:
I have a couple of ideas on what my blog should be about but I’m honestly not sure which course would be the best.
Do you think it would be messy and all over the place if I post blogs about various topics which are totally disconnected with each other?
Hi Shreya!
I’m so happy to hear you’re inspired to start your blog too! It’s honestly the best decision I made and I hope to see you do it too!
I know a lot of beginners want to start off writing a lot of different topics because it’s exciting to explore the world out there and it can feel like you’re boxed in when you only choose one specific topic. I get it because even I feel that way still after blogging for a few years.
So my take is you can but try to make your topics relate to each other that way it doesn’t make it look like you’re randomly writing things that have nothing to do with each other. For example if my blog is personal finance and money, and I want to start blogging about travel, I would write about travel in a budget or ways to save to travel. I have a post here that talks more in detail about one specific topic vs multi topics:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/what-to-blog-about/
I hope this helps!!
Hi Ling!
I stumbled across your blogs on (of course) Pinterest and became interested in starting a blog for some extra income. I actually love my real job (which I now only work part time for multiple reasons), but am wanting to try something else that I can control the pace of and that may be feasible after I have a family. So I have a few questions that you haven’t touched on yet that I would like to ask, as well as for your opinion about a couple of potential blog topics.
First, blog topics. I love to read, and was wondering if something along the lines of book reviews was very successful. I don’t think that this topic fits in with your advice of solving people’s problems, however I always appreciate a good book recommendation from a friend. My other topic is actually related to my real job, which is occupational therapy. This one I can definitely solve problems with, as I can provide tips for aging in place, visual challenges, etc. I have also considered starting both, eventually. I know I need to learn the ropes first. 🙂
Second, I was reading over your tutorial on how to set up with BlueHost and have a question about the “personal” vs “business” options. Are there any tax implications for either of those? I guess with tax season I am trying to figure out the implications of blog income (I am guessing I would file that as a self-owned business). I’d appreciate any insights you have!
Finally, I don’t anticipate a walk in the park with any of this, but also don’t want to sink 40 hours a week into it, either. So my question is: How often do you post to keep readers engaged and traffic flowing through your sites?
Thanks so much for all the work you have put into the resources that you are providing!
Hi Scarlett
I personally don’t know if book reviews will be very popular. You would need to have lots and lots of traffic and lots of people click through your referral links to purchase those books, which in most cases, would require substantial volume. It’s not to say it won’t make money but it really depends which reviews your writing and how many people are searching for those specific books you’re reviewing. If it’s high in volume, you can monetize via display ads.
You could start a blog as an occupational therapist and help people and give them advice in this area. In this case, because it is your practice in career, you’ll have authority to write about it. I’m not sure what are the certifications in this occupation but if you want to be found on Google (since this is related to health), it’s best to have a certification for this specific topic.
I’m not a tax expert so I recommend consulting an accountant where you reside since this is different in all countries. I personally treated my blog as personal when I was still a beginner. I now treat my blog as a business since it is earning full time income.
How many hours you put into your blog is up to you – this is the great thing about starting a blog. You can treat it as a side hustle or hobby and put in fewer hours at the beginning. Blogging is NOT a get rich fast thing and it requires dedication and consistency regardless if you decide to put in 10 hours a week or 40 hours a week. The more time you spend to learn and nurture your blog, the faster you grow. Not everyone wants to grow their blog quick. I know many people who build it slowly and consistently over the years to turn it into a stream of extra income. It does become more passive down the road after putting in the upfront work.
I hope this advice helps! I am really excited for you and look forward to seeing you start your blog! Let me know what niche you decide to go for!! 🙂
Hi Ling!
Love your energy and straightforward attitude about blogging and thank you for all your free content! So far so good lol.
So…my question is this. Well, my topic of blogging is this 😉
I’m a Reiki Master, Energy Worker, Meditation Teacher and Chakra Healer. Sounds all woo hoo but I too am on this very special journey and learning along the way and want to share my journey with others who may be struggling the way I have. I truly am all about the power sharing of healing we all have – to heal/help both ourselves and others – by understanding that we all have extraordinary powers if we just learn how to use them, believe in ourselves and keep our minds open to possibilities. The Universe is such a magical, playful, infinite space for opportunity and I would like to help people see this, alleviate theirs stress and learn to live abundant lives emotionally, spiritually and even physically.
Subtopics could include health and mental wellness, self care, healing, grounding, relaxation techniques…well I’m sure you get the idea lol.
BUT I really have no idea how to start a blog on all of this! What’s my niche? Who is/are my target audience? What do I call the blog so people know what I’m writing about? I’m really not sure where to begin. I have a personal blog that I love to write in but it’s not one I want to share with the world as a business lol. So….I am familiar with Blue Host and the discount you’re offering and no doubt I will sign up using your affiliate link 😉 but in the meantime, I need your advice.
Thanks again,
Trish 💕
Hey Trish!
Glad that you are enjoying my blogging content so far! 🙂
Based on your comment and questions, starting a self-care or self-development blog will be a great fit for you! Topics like health, mental wellness, healing, relaxation, etc. are all related to each other so it will be easy for you to make your blog’s categories and subjects flow well.
All beginners won’t be able to determine their EXACT audience and niche. You only nail this part within months and years when you analyze your traffic stats as well as the comments and emails you receive from your readers. So far, you are in a good position – you know that you want to blog about self-care or self-development which is a really great start! No one starts out perfectly and it’s impossible to plan or map out your blog especially when you’re a beginner, so my best advice is to just start your blog and learn a lot of things on the go.
If you want more detailed information about determining your niche and audience, I cover that in my ebook, The Treasure Map To Blogging Success in 30 Days, here:
https://www.finsavvypanda.com/blogging-success-ebook/
Feel free to take a look. I’m highly confident it will help beginners like you get started on the right foot and avoid a lot of silly and costly mistakes!
I can’t wait to see you start your blog! Let me know how it all goes. 🙂
I hope this helps!