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Blogging is restless. There are more than 100 million blogs online, and according to statistics and projections, there are going to be even more of them in the future. Thanks to this trend, hosting companies and web developers have made it very easy for anyone to start their own blog in just a couple of minutes.
If you are not familiar with this process and you lack the technical knowledge, don’t despair. Here are 4 easy steps for you to follow to start you own blog and work on establishing your online presence as a blogger.
Pick Your Blogging Platforms
Picking your blogging platform is the first step. Don’t worry, this process is straightforward. A blogging platform is the environment you will use to build and launch your website, as well write and post your articles.
As you can see, the two most commonly chosen blogging platforms are WordPress and Custom options. For the sake of keeping this guide newbie friendly, I am going to stick with WordPress, but if your knowledge exceeds these boundaries, you are free to pick any other platform from the list.
Why have I chosen WordPress for you? Because it is an extremely easy to use platform, it is supported by a majority of web hosting providers and it comes with dozens of useful plugins and add-ons. Besides, it has a an enormous community behind it, which makes learning how to use it as simple as watching a 2 minute video WordPress guide on the YouTube.
Get A Web Hosting Plan
In order to have full control over your digital intellectual property (in this case, your domain name and your blog posts), I always recommend fellow bloggers to avoid free hosting. With a paid hosting plan, you will be able to choose and own a domain name, monetize your blog however you want, and be the owner of your entire blog.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, thanks to the huge market, web hosting plans have become so much more affordable these days. The prices range from $5 to $20 per month depending on the number of services you get in a hosting plan.
Some web hosting providers have specialized packets for fellow bloggers, such as DreamHost. This is a great option if you want to focus on blogging. If you choose this web hosting company, they will take care of your website speed, security, and enable you to use premium WordPress themes for your blog. All expenses are of course included in your monthly subscription plan.
Set up a Blog
Once you’ve chosen your blogging platform and purchased a web hosting plan, your next step is to set up your blog. If you have chosen WordPress and a web hosting company with full support for WordPress, this process is straightforward.
What is expected of you in this process? Well, most web hosting companies with WordPress support have a setup wizard that will smoothly lead you through the blog setup process. First, you will have to create your user name and password, choose your domain name, pick a WordPress theme, and then your next click will launch the website online.
Start Writing
Now we come to the step that lead you here, and that is how to start writing. With WordPress creating new blog posts is the same as making and saving a new Word document. The default WordPress post editor is not the only option you can use to create amazing looking posts.
You can tryout any of the following WordPress plugins to make your posts more visually appealing: Black Studio TinyMCE Widget, WP Editor, CKEditor, Widget Content Blocks, or Advanced WP Columns. With these editors, you will be able to design your posts to look exactly how you prefer. Don’t forget to use the WordPress media library to upload images and engage your readership with relevant visuals.
There you have it, 4 easy steps to start your blog. In fact, these steps make this process so simple that you will be able to go from not having a blog to being a blogger with an online presence in just couple of hours.
