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Wondering how to start a blog of your own? Feeling overwhelmed about where to even begin?
I get it, I was in that same exact position. That’s why I decided to create this guide. To help people like you (and like myself) put one foot in front of the other and take the first steps to turning dreams to reality.
This post is going to walk you through step-by-step on how to get your blog setup so you can start writing and sharing with the world.
HOW TO START A BLOG
Let’s get right into how to start a blog. It’s REALLY important that you don’t skip step 1 because you will need to make an investment. The investment is small, but still, if you’re going to do it, do it RIGHT.
INVESTMENT?! Don’t let that scare you. You can create a free website with WordPress but I *highly* advise avoiding this option. If you want people to take you and your business seriously, you need to go with a self-hosted WordPress website where you have total control.
MAKE A PLAN
This is so important. You need to decide what you’re going to blog about, what the name of your blog is going to be, and how you are going to market your blog.
Write all of this down, sleep on it and then revisit the next day. Make sure you are aligned to your plan and goals and then move forward.
CHOOSE YOUR HOST
Now that you have a solid plan, it’s time to pick your host. This is where that small investment comes into play. Basically, you will need to choose a company to host your website so that it is LIVE for people to see.
I 1,000% recommend SiteGround. I have used them from the beginning and their customer service is top of the line. They also offer easy ways to upgrade so that your website can grow as your audience grows.
This is a big part of the process so I’ll walk you through these steps.
GETTING STARTED WITH SITEGROUND
If you choose to use SiteGround, use the instructions below for a seamless experience
1. CHOOSE YOUR PLAN
I highly recommend starting with the basic plan. At $3.99 a month, its very do-able! Look forward to bigger plans once your audience grows and you’re generate income that you can invest back into your blog.
2. CHOOSE YOUR DOMAIN NAME
If you already have a domain name you can enter it here. If not, you can register a new one! Your domain name is the website address people type into their browser to visit your blog. Mine is lowcountrykings.com.
It’s important to make sure your domain name isn’t extensively complicated and that it makes sense.
3. COMPLETE YOUR ORDER
Alright you guys, this is what dreams are made of!! Click pay now and you are ready to dive head first into your new hobby, soon to be side hustle!
PICK A THEME FOR YOUR BLOG
Now that you are in total control, it’s time to take your blog to the NEXT LEVEL. Choose from free or paid themes for your blog to create the aesthetic that represents your personal brand.
The theme I chose was from 17th Avenue Designs. Her themes are ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. She has simple theme and advanced theme options available so that you can pick the best option for your goals.
Aside from being beautiful and thoughtfully designed, her prices are a steal.
I purchased my theme and installed it completely myself simply by following her guides. Not into that? You can pay her to install the theme for you! On top of that, she has tons of tutorials so you can play around and set your blog up to look exactly how you want.
START BLOGGING!
CONGRATULATIONS!! That’s it!
You officially have a website!! Now is the time to start putting all that planning to use. Write your first posts and get those babies live for the world to see!
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