How To Start A Blog [Almost] For Free
Starting a Blog on a Budget
Are you thinking about starting a blog but don’t think you can afford the initial investment to get started? In this post, I’m going to tell you exactly how to start a blog (almost) for free. Yes. Almost.
There are ways to start a blog totally free. BUT if this is something you want to do to earn a sustainable, long term income, it’s 100% worth it to make a couple very smart, and yet still affordable investments right at the beginning.
Let’s get into what those investments are, how much they cost, and how they’ll work with all the other awesome, free resources.
Initial investment
There are 3 key things needed to start your Blog:
1. Web Host - The company that stores your blog on its server.
2. Content building platforms - where you build your blog, create content, format posts.
3. Domain Name - This is basically the name/address for your website.
Choosing A Web Host
Bluehost for hosting. They are a fantastic option for beginners.
Bluehost makes getting started quick and easy.
Essentially, you can sign up for hosting, choose your domain name, and install WordPress all through Bluehost . This means you can actually have a functioning site in minutes! It’s a one-stop-shop for creating a website.
I’ve used Bluehost as my web hosting platform from day 1 and I love it. They are trusted by the owners of over 1,900,000 domains!
It’s secure, fast, reliable, and the customer service is AMAZING! I’ve had to contact them for help numerous times (and you will too) and the support I receive is always outstanding.
They have also saved my butt after I messed up some coding and totally destroyed my site. Bluehost was able to fully restore my site. How? Because they back up your site every 24 hours! Because of this feature alone, I will forever sing their praises. Sign up HERE.
Content building platforms
Upon arriving at the SiteGround home page, you need to choose where you’ll be building your blog. I use and recommend WordPress.
To be clear, you want WordPress.org – not WordPress.com
There are other places you can build your blog. But WordPress is very popular and therefore you’ll be able to find an endless supply of helpful resources available for troubleshooting, support, maintenance, plugins, etc.
After selecting to buy WordPress hosting, you’ll need to choose your plan. If you are just starting out, the StartUp plan is great and only costs $3.95 a month.
Choosing and Buying a Domain Name
After choosing your plan, you’ll be prompted to choose your domain name. Give this some serious thought and research. Your domain name will be part of your personal brand.
Choose and enter your domain name to see if it’s available. The Domain name will given Free.
That’s it. If you’re thinking of starting a blog, these are your first steps.
Once you sign up for hosting, WordPress, and claim your domain name you will officially have started your blog.
Your investment will be $3.95/month for hosting ($47.40 for the year) and $0 for your domain name. From here on out, you can start writing content and monetizing that blog. Let’s go into the free blogging stuff now.
Free Blogging Stuff! Whoohoo!
Pinterest Business Account
Pinterest is a HUGE source of traffic for bloggers. A large portion of my traffic comes directly from people clicking through to my site via a Pinterest Pin.
Pinterest is a massive, visual search engine with endless information. Joining as a business gives you an inside look at how your pins are performing using Pinterest Analytics.
It allows you to see what pins are getting the most views, clicks, saves, and by who. You’ll quickly learn who your audience is and what they are craving. That’s such a powerful tool!
You’ll see what’s working and what’s not. Thus, you can keep sharing the popular content and grow from there!
Best of all, it’s free!
Canva
You’ll need to create eye-catching pins to promote your blog posts on Pinterest. No need for fancy and expensive software. Canva allows you to create beautiful pins and graphics for free! No design skills? No problem. Canva offers beautiful templates to help get you started.
They have a free version and a premium paid version. But the free one is very impressive and versatile.
Social Media
Never underestimate the power of social media. Most bloggers use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to grow their brand. All are free to join.
For me, Facebook Groups have been a great way to increase traffic and followers. I was hesitant to join Groups at first, but now I wish I’d started sooner.
Blogging groups are also a huge resource for new bloggers to ask questions specific to their site. This is especially helpful when first starting out. You WILL have questions. Joining groups with more experienced bloggers can help you get the answers you need, quickly.
Facebook Groups that I’ve used to learn new things and drive major traffic to my site:
YouTube
If you’re struggling with setting up accounts or just general use of any of these free resources, head on over to YouTube (also free).
There is almost always a video tutorial to guide you through anything you are struggling with. It can be so valuable to watch and follow along as someone gives you specific instructions.
Plugins
There are countless, great, free plugins. These are just a few that I use and love and haven’t paid a dime for.
Yoast – Helps to optimize your SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Grow by Mediavine – Adds social sharing buttons to your site
JQuery Pin It Button – Adds a “Pin It” button to your blog’s images for easy pinning
GDPR Cookie Notice – Shows your website complies with the EU Cookie Law / GDPR.
Ewww Image Optimizer – Reduces file size of images to keep your site running quickly.
Let's Talk Monetization
You Can Monetized your Blog by Two Types.
1. By Google AdSense
2. Affiliate Marketing
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