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Hello and welcome to my step-by-step tutorial on how to start a blog the right way!
If you’re just here for the step-by-step tutorial, you can scroll straight down to the section, “My easy 6-step blog tutorial” below.
🌟 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: I’m super excited to let you know that you can start your blog today with Bluehost for as low as $2.95 USD/month when you click and use this special Bluehost link HERE. That’s over 60% off their regular pricing. I don’t know when this low pricing will go away, so take advantage of it while it lasts!
Again, you can scroll down to the tutorial below and follow my easy step-by-step instructions on how you can get started today!
Before diving into my “How To Start a Blog” tutorial, I’m going to cover the following topics:
- Is making money with a blog possible? 💸
- Why I personally started a blog
- The blog hosting company I recommend for beginners
- Why starting a blog today could change your life! 🖥
- PROOF that you can make money blogging, and
- How to become a successful blogger 🤩
Is making money with a blog possible?
After blogging for 1.5 years, I am consistently earning over $10,000 per month with this very small blog!
This allowed me to go from blogging on top of my full-time job to becoming a full-time blogger in 1 year.
UPDATE: And now in my 3rd year of blogging, it’s crazy to believe that I’m now earning over $20,000 per month! And YES, still a very small blog!
Now, I have to admit that starting a blog and making money from it isn’t a walk in the park.
However, it is VERY possible to make a nice amount of money blogging (with NO prior experience) as long as you set realistic expectations from the start.
Also, you’d want to take it nice and slow… Trust me, slow and steady wins the race! 🥇
You can do this! 🌟
After learning so much in my first couple of years, I can personally tell you that making money online with a blog is REAL!
You can also see some example screenshots for proof that I’m actually earning real money online!
$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!
Aside from those few sources, there are many other sources that generate income for this blog!
And believe me when I say this… I’m NOT special or smart in any way!
I went through the beginner’s journey (with ZERO experience) but still managed to make money with this blog! AND TRUST ME, if someone like me can do it, then so can you! I REALLY mean what I say!
Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and unicorns, but the struggles and challenges allowed me to learn and grow within my first year of blogging!
I am really thrilled to share with you the EXACT steps I took to start a blog from scratch with NO tech and NO writing experience. That’s why I created this FREE 7-day e-mail course to teach beginners like you how to start your blog the right way! Sign up below to learn how!
A quick story of why I started a blog:
Long story short, my fiance and I knew that we wanted to improve our financial situation, so I knew that documenting our financial journey was going to keep us on track.
Surprisingly, our net worth increased substantially when I started reading other people’s blogs for financial help.
At the same time, I was starting to dislike my day job A LOT, so blogging on the side as a hobby to learn how to make extra money online made me feel like there was something FUN to look forward to.
With that said, I took the plunge and started my own blog to keep myself from going insane while sharing our journey with the world in hopes to help those who struggle with personal finance.
In one of my blog posts, I even mentioned that I got rid of cable because of this blog… Nope, it’s not a joke!
When I started blogging no more than a year ago, my interest in blogging grew so I didn’t really care much for TV anymore!
Not only was I able to save money by cutting cable – and becoming a happier person because of blogging – but I was also able to make EXTRA money on top of my full-time job with this new hobby!
Just imagine what an EXTRA $1,000 to $5,000 per month can do for you! 🤑 😮
In hindsight, I wish I started this blog sooner! I am so confident to say that you may feel the same too after you start your blog today! 🙂
The blog hosting company that I recommend:
I personally went for the most basic Bluehost plan when I started my blog and I highly recommend them to new beginners like you!
When I was a beginner, Bluehost made it really easy for me to start my blog.
With that said, you don’t need to be a tech genius to start a blog and launch your blog.
They have 24/7 customer support who can resolve your problems really quickly! As a new blogger myself, I’ve been really happy with their customer service to date!
Do not start a blog using a free platform!
I know you might be thinking of starting a blog for free on WordPress.com or Blogger.
DO NOT go that route!
It would be near impossible to make money when you sign up for a free blog because no one will take you seriously.
On top of that, applying to ad networks and affiliate programs will be extremely tough.
So believe me, you will want to start your blog the correct way by investing in a very affordable Bluehost plan here. You will thank yourself for doing this! It’s honestly one of the best investments I’ve made this year!
Why starting a blog today could change your life:
Here are five reasons why starting your blog today could change your life.
1. Improves your mental health – I can attest that starting this blog improved my mental health significantly! It gives me the opportunity to write about the things I enjoy talking about which is helping others manage their money and personal finance.
This distracts me from negative thoughts or being sad about my personal problems in life. Surprisingly, you won’t even have time to feel sad or bothered because you’ll be thinking about how to grow your blog!
2. Amazing learning opportunity outside of school and the traditional 9-5 workspace – Blogging is a totally different world! It’s like a course on its own and there’s so much you can learn! After starting this blog, I realized that there’s more in life than just going to school and working the typical 9-5. You’ll know what I mean once you get started!
3. Build connections with the online community – I’ve met some amazing people online and they are the people who will keep you motivated and going with your blog!
4. Tell your own story – Everyone has a unique voice when it comes to helping a reader with their problems. For example, if you blog about your debt-free journey and the steps you took to reduce your debts, your voice can offer value to a reader who can relate to your story.
5. Make money opportunities – I would have never thought that anyone could make money online through their blogs! I used to think that the traditional 9-5 and getting promoted was the only way to make money. My traditional and naive thinking is not true. You can definitely start a blog that makes money today to help you get out of debt, stop living paycheck to paycheck, save money for retirement, or even improve your lifestyle!
Proof that you can make money blogging:
It is totally doable if your intention is to start a profitable blog but keep in mind that creating a money-making blog is a marathon and not a race!
If you’re hoping to become the next Bill Gates overnight, then this is not for you. You should just close this window browser and hope to win the next jackpot.
I am not here to guarantee you results because nothing in life is ever guaranteed (no matter how great other bloggers make things sound). BUT, I am extremely confident that you can reap huge rewards with your blog as long as you’re patient and willing to learn!
Real proof with numbers:
As a new blogger, I actually made between $400 to $500 every month starting in April 2018.
To be totally transparent, this took me many months of learning. I was able to increase that figure to over $700 in July 2018 which I wrote about in my first blog income report here.
Four months later, my blog income increased to $5,532.13 in November! And fast forward another five months, I reached my goal of earning over $10,000 in March 2019 – this number has been consistently growing!
There will be ups and downs each month, but I seriously would have never imagined making over $10,000+ per month today!
The great thing is it’s cheap to get started and you could try it out to see how you like it. If I didn’t take the chance to start my blog, I wouldn’t be here right now. I’m honestly SO glad that I did! 🌟
Overall, I’m slowly learning and I know you can too, but please keep in mind that this is not a “get-rich-quick” scheme. Like Warren Buffett and his investment style, it will require patience and perseverance.
On top of that, you really need to believe in yourself. I admit that I have A LOT of self-doubts about myself BUT overall, you need to have the “I WANT THIS! I GOT THIS!” type of mindset!
As long as you enjoy what you’re writing about, along with solving your readers’ problems, the chances of establishing a profitable blog will likely be in your favor.
“It takes many years to make an overnight success.”
How to become a successful blogger:
Since I started blogging, I noticed that there’s one thing in common among the successful bloggers who became full-time bloggers and are making over $10,000 per month blogging…
They did not give up!
I have to admit that most of my life, I was a Debbie Downer who got discouraged and gave up easily after failing once or twice.
I was also a person with extremely thin skin who was sensitive to literally everything (I still am but getting better after starting this blog!).
So, before starting my blog, I kept in mind that to become a successful blogger, you must train yourself to have the following traits:
1. Thick skin – Not everybody will like you and that’s okay because you’re not here to solve the entire world’s problem. I doubt anyone can do that! No matter how great your content or product is, you will come across haters. Haters are gonna hate and that’s their problem; not yours!
The saying also goes: if you try to satisfy everyone, you will end up satisfying no one!
Remember, you’re here to help your target audience and they will appreciate you. Those who judge, hate, or don’t like you aren’t your target audience! Forget them!
2. Persistence – Blogging is not always going to be rosy no matter how great other bloggers make it sound on their posts that go something like this: “How I made over $5,000 in my second month blogging from scratch!” It’s great that some people are able to achieve such outstanding results in their second month, but don’t lose hope over that.
I admit that I feel like crap too when I see those stories, but you just gotta keep swimming and think about what YOU need to do in order to achieve YOUR goals! The best way to spin this around is to learn from successful bloggers. Instead of feeling like crap and giving up, be inspired by them! Whatever you do, don’t give up!
3. Curious – Be curious to learn. As I mentioned above, be inspired and motivated by successful bloggers! Analyze other successful bloggers’ websites to see what they’re doing right.
Read their blog income reports because they break down where their income sources are coming from. In addition to that, they also talk about how they managed to increase their traffic. Don’t underestimate those blog income reports!
4. Don’t be scared to invest in the right blogging education – I admit that I was SCARED to invest in blogging courses and e-books when I first started. I was afraid of being scammed by what they call it “sleazy online salespeople,” but I took the plunge anyway because there is no such thing as free lunches! To my surprise, the few courses that I purchased made a huge difference in my blog traffic and income results. I actually wish I did this sooner!
🌟 RESOURCES: You can visit my recommendations page here to learn more about the blogging resources that helped me grow this blog.
Thank you for reading this far! I hope you found this information valuable. Now it’s time to actually start your blog…
How to start a blog here:
Whether you plan to monetize your blog or to share your journey with the world, you’re here because you decided to start the blog of your dreams. So, congratulations!
Let’s get started!
Special Pricing For Finsavvy Panda readers!
Here are my step-by-step instructions on how to start your blog along with my easy to follow 6-step tutorial below!
You will instantly get over 60% off plus a FREE domain name ($15 value) when you sign up through this link here when you go with the 36-month plan like how I did. That works out to be only $2.95 USD/month plus a FREE domain name. I’ve personally negotiated with Bluehost to get this special pricing for Finsavvy Panda readers!
To put things into perspective, that’s equivalent to a cup of latte from Starbucks!
Now, let’s dive into the details on how to start your very first and awesome blog, shall we?
Choose Your Niche
This is where you ask yourself the following questions:
– What do you love talking about to your friends and family (or even strangers), that you can’t shut up about?
– What are your strengths, skills, and interests?
– Perhaps they’re not your strengths or skills (yet). But what do you enjoy talking about?
– What motivates you to learn and grow within that niche? For example, I wouldn’t consider myself an expert when it comes to personal finance, but I am confident enough to offer tips based on my experience and what I’ve learned. As you all know, there is no limit when it comes to learning. The best part is being able to learn and teach at the same time!
– Most importantly, is this something you would talk and write about even if you weren’t paid to do it? If you answered yes, you’re definitely onto something!
Topic Ideas
There are so many different topics for you to blog about! Here are some examples:
- Travel
- Food
- Beauty and Make-up
- Personal Finance and Money (that’s me!)
- Frugal Living
- Entrepreneurship and Business
- Career and Personal Development
- Technology and Gadget Reviews
- Healthy Eating
- Health and Fitness
- Crafts and DIY Projects
- Parenting and Mommy Blogs
- Real Estate
- Home Renovations
- Fashion and General Lifestyle
As you can see, the ideas out there are unlimited!
You can blog about almost anything as long as you are sincerely interested in that topic. AND let’s not forget… you need to keep the reader in mind by solving their problems!
Your blog posts need to provide value by solving a problem (or at least entertaining to read)!
This is what I learned within my first year of blogging…
You DON’T need to reinvent the wheel.
You may think articles that solve common problems is saturated and that there’s no point in creating that type of content. This is SO NOT true — there’s a reason why they are common…
Because A LOT of people are searching for them and YOU have your own unique voice and story that offers value! Believe me, there are people who actually want to hear from you!
Some common problem-solving posts could be as simple as the following:
- How to declutter and organize your home
- 25 smart ideas for organizing your kitchen
- 9 simple exercises for women that burn calories fast
- 25 ways to save money without living an extreme frugal lifestyle
- How to plan an amazing trip to Europe without going broke
- 10 ways to look pretty without using a lot of makeup
Tips on Choosing a Domain Name
Now that you’ve got your niche, it’s time to think of your domain name.
Your domain name is essentially your www.yourblogname.com. I know a lot of people overthink this because they want to come up with the perfect name. The truth is, there’s no such thing as THE perfect name.
But you may want to consider some words in your name that will help people search for you. For example, if you blog about frugal living, it helps to include the word “frugal” in your domain name.
You don’t have to rush this part. Sit down and give yourself some time to think, but don’t over complicate it!
Anyway, let’s get you started with my easy step-by-step tutorial below!
How to start a blog with Bluehost (my easy 6-step tutorial)
Step 1: Get Started
Click on the green button, “get started now” when you enter my Bluehost discount page right here.
I recommend choosing the “basic” 36-month plan to get the cheapest price to start your blog — this is the plan I personally purchased when I first started.
This will only cost $2.95 USD per month through this special link here (pay full upfront) when you sign up for the 36-month plan.
The next option available is the 24-month plan, which goes for $3.95 per month.
The third option is the 12-month plan. If you sign up for a 12-month plan, the price becomes $4.95 per month — this is still an extremely cheap option to choose because your investment would cost less than $60 for the whole year! This makes a great choice if you want to try out blogging without spending a lot of money. Plus, you still get a FREE domain name as long as you sign up for the 12-month plan through my link.
Again, the best value would be the 36-month plan because this lowers the monthly rate over the 36-month period (plus, you get a free domain name as well).
You can ignore the “plus” and “pro” packages — “basic” plan is all you need. There’s no need to pay extra especially when you’re a beginner. I personally went for the basic plan when I was just a beginner.
Plus, you can also change any options later down the road if you decide you need more than just the basic plan.
Step 2: Choose and Register Your Domain Name
Next, register your domain name (I went through some tips on choosing your domain name in the section above).
Again, this domain name is included for free as long as you sign up for at least a 12-month plan with Bluehost.
To get the best pricing, I recommend going for a hosting plan that is longer than 12 months because it will save you money in the long run. I personally went for the best value which is the 36-month plan.
Again, if you think about it, this will cost you less a cup of coffee a month.
Follow this step to set up your free domain name. 🙂
If you’re still stuck, don’t spend your time worrying too much about this. You can click on “I’ll create my domain name later” so you can get started on your blog without the stress of picking a name first.
Step 3: Create Your Account
Account information: First, fill in the account information which includes your first name, last name, country, etc. by following the screenshot below.
Package information: Now, make sure you’ve selected the account plan you want to go with. I went through the differences between the basic 12, 24 and 36 month plans with you above.
Package Extras: You’ll see the following options:
- Codeguard Basic
- Bluehost SEO Tools Start
- SiteLock Security Essential
You don’t need any of these extras. You can simply ignore them for now. 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.
Payment Information: Now, follow the next step to provide payment information.
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”.
Already have a domain name?
If you already have a domain name (i.e. you’re not registering for a free domain name), then skip to the next section.
You’ll notice this page where they ask you to choose package extras.
You don’t need anything else so make sure you uncheck that extra features. Plus, if you ever change your mind, you could easily make changes down the road.
Again, I kept things really simple when I started as a brand new blogger. 🙂
Step 4: Create a Password
Next, choose a password for your account, confirm it, and then log in.
Hint: It’s best to choose a password that is NOT the same as your banking or private information. That’s just common sense. 😉
Step 5: Install WordPress on Bluehost
Don’t worry, you’re almost done! This is the most fun part!
Now that you’ve purchased your hosting service and free domain name, the final step is to install WordPress.
As you can see below, Bluehost will ask you to choose a theme. You can choose what you feel fits your personality.
If you’re not ready yet, feel free to skip this step.
The free theme that I’m currently using is the Oslen Light and I haven’t changed it since I started this blog. I’ve been wanting to change my theme for a while now but I just didn’t put it on top of my priority list because I’ve been focusing my efforts on other areas of my blog that would generate higher returns.
With that said, a free theme isn’t going to stop you from making money on your blog as long as it looks modern, clean, and presentable. You can always choose/change your theme later. There’s an abundance of free and paid themes! Once you get the hang of blogging with WordPress, you can get more serious about installing a specific theme you love.
Step 6: Final Steps
Now that you’ve selected your theme, 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. You can even click “I don’t need help.”
Done, and done!
Congratulations, you’re officially a blogger now!
Aren’t you super excited?? Let’s celebrate now!!
You can start your blogging journey now.
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.
For more information about the blogging tools I use to help grow my blog, feel free to check out my resource page here.
Because SO many readers ask me to help them build their blogs, I created a very affordable resource called The Treasure Map To Blogging Success in 30 Days to make things easier for you. You can literally get started RIGHT NOW when you gain instant access to my ebook. This resource is aimed to help beginners like you save A LOT of time and money by laying out the EXACT steps to take in order to build a profitable blog from scratch with NO experience and NO tech skills required.
A lot of brand new bloggers are seeing great results with their blogs right after following my simple blueprint. You can learn more and read what many new bloggers’ are saying about this ebook here. 🙂
As always, I welcome beginners to sign up for my FREE 7-day e-mail course below to learn how to start your blog and start earning from home!
Related posts about blogging:
- Get access to my blogging income reports here
- How I Became a Full-Time Blogger Earning Over $10,000 Per Month
- My First Blog Income Report – $703.57
- How To Make Money With Your Blog By Using Pinterest
Over to you — I know that starting a blog may be overwhelming. But with patience and perseverance, you’ll be ahead of all the other bloggers who gave up too soon and early in their journey! Please feel free to leave a comment below or e-mail me at [email protected] if you have any questions about starting your blog.
I would LOVE to hear from you! I answer all my e-mails! 🙂
Enjoyed this tutorial? Don’t forget to bookmark this page or save it on Pinterest! 🙂
Hi Ling, I’ve been wanting to start my own blog for a long time, but I didn’t know how to start getting paid because just like you, I’m not for a 9-5 job. I read your articles and you inspired me a lot!
Now I got the 36 month-plan on BlueHost, and I finally have a domain!
But I have some questions though: how much does it take for everything to be verified? Because on WordPress it says ‘this site cannot be accessed. I hope it’s normal when you’ve just created a blog! I’m waiting as I can’t claim my website or do anything to start the next steps.
Thank you so much for your help!!
Hi Asmaa
That’s awesome to hear you started your blog! Congratulations!! Yay!! 🙌
You can actually start logging in using your domain name like https://www.insertyourdomainname.com/wp-admin
So, if your domain name is iheartcatsalot.com, you would log in using:
https://www.iheartcatsalot.com/wp-admin
Put in your email you used and password. If you have trouble, reset it.
Once you log in you can install your theme, write your posts and set up your blog.
You don’t need to go to WordPress to log in. That’s not where you log in either. Just follow the example links I mentioned above.
On top of that, I have this ebook called The Treasure Map To Blogging Success in 30 Days for beginners to follow once they’ve signed up for their blogs with Bluehost. I’ve been getting a ton of great feedback from my readers and you can learn more about it here to build your blog with a profitable roadmap:
https://www.finsavvypanda.com/blogging-success-ebook/
Let me know if this helps! I’m beyond excited to see you become a successful blogger!! 😊
Hello ling,
I have this doubt, will I be able to earn money if people are just seeing my blog, like if I make a meme page( ie. in blogs) people just see it and get on with another. Will I be able to generate money just by the number of views and not by those AdSense, affiliates, etc.
Hi Marie
If those meme pages are highly searched on google or clicked through social media and you’re able to bring in a ton of traffic you can make money through display ads like AdSense, Mediavine, etc. In this case, getting more traffic means ad money.
This is something that will add value to your readers in the form of entertainment.
As long as you can either entertain, inspire or help them solve their problem.
I do recommend thinking about a specific topic to blog about and stick with it.
You can also find affiliates to add that you think will be the best fit for your blog topic.
I hope this helps. I am very excited to see you start your blog! 🙂
Hi Ling, Thanks a lot for this tutorial, I am pleased to take your 7-day email course on how to start a blog for beginners. I have been looking for many way’s to start making money online and been discourage by all sorts of scams. You just gave my hope again. Have a good day.
Hi Bernie!
I’m glad to see you in the course! I understand there are many scams out there, so definitely be careful.
Let me know if you have any questions about starting your blog. I am always happy to help! 🙂
Ling, how can I become a good writer like you? Do you have any books you’d recommend on writing style?
Hey Kwa
I’ll be honest. I’m not much of a writer myself and I don’t have experience. When I write, I just carry out a conversational tone no different from how I text my friends or email people. You do get better at it naturally as you start writing more and more!
The key is just being yourself and connecting with people by truly understanding your readers and their struggles!
I hope this helps! 🙂
Hey Ling,
You mentioned that you need to solve the reader’s problem. But I’m stuck on this because I feel that I have to write something life-changing, otherwise, I don’t bother. The problem with that is, I end up not writing at all. Can you help me look at this differently?
Hey Kwa!
It doesn’t have to be life-changing. It can be as simple as a tutorial on how to do something or anything that inspires them. Think about simple quick recipes, home decor inspiration, nail designs, tech gadget reviews, how to sew for beginners, how to paint something, literally anything! I have a blog post here that will help! 🙂
Thank you, Ling. That’s such an awesome blog post! It’s way more helpful than a blogging book I recently bought on Amazon. This is why I’m a regular reader of yours. 🙂
I’m glad you find my blog content helpful! And I’m happy to hear you’re a regular reader! 🙂
Thanks for bringing these tips. It is really helpful for newbies bloggers like me, it helps me a lot in my blogging.
Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you found this guide about blogging helpful! Let me know if you have any specific questions! 🙂
This is the best guide on starting a blog. I’m bookmarking this page now.
I have started your blogging course and I am really interested in starting my own blog. I have so much to talk about and I don’t think the affliate programs to generate money is being offered to those outside of the US. I live in the Caribbean and the few I signed up for like amazon and clickbank is not offering to my country.
Hey Kemba
That’s unfortunate that those two aren’t offering payments to where you reside. I’m surprised that Amazon doesn’t.
The great thing about blogging is there are so many different ways to make money with your website. You can always look for different affiliate programs that will allow that in your country. There’s literally tons of programs out there and I’m sure you will come across many that will work out for you. You just need to find them. You can also create your own digital products and courses and sell them online by setting up a payment system.
Let me know how it all goes! 🙂
Hi Ling! Thank you so much! This is so encouraging and ease the stress that I had about starting a blog. I loved reading about your experience when you were starting out. It helped to bring me my confidence :). I have a question and it might be a stupid question… But I’d like to ask if I choose to set my domain later would I still be able to register it for free later? Because I chose that and it says that I have to purchase a new domain (for the billing Bluehost signed me a domain they created). Thank you so much 🙂
Hey Ling! I’m SO SORRY! Solved it already. It turned out that when I clicked purchase and proceed the registration coupon still applies! I was such a noob that I panicked haha but all good now. Thank you so much and again I’m sorry!
Hi Ara!
Apologies, I just saw this right now haha. I’m glad you were able to resolve the issue.
And yes, domain name is still free even when you “choose it later.”
Let me know if you have any questions about starting or building your blog! I’m excited that you have started one already!! 🙂
Hi Ling,
I am a Professional Organizer and have been wanting to start a blog about organizing, decorating, DIY projects, etc. for a while! I already have a website (see below) and am wondering how I incorporate the blog with that website. Can you guide me on how I set that up? Thank you so much! I am ready to begin!!
Hi Susan
That’s awesome to hear you already have a website about organizing, decorating and DIY projects!
I’ve had many students who asked me the same questions in regards to setting up their site, and that’s why I created this affordable ebook that walks beginners step by step on how to build and set up their blogs properly right from the get-go – you can also check out what my students have said about this resource:
https://www.finsavvypanda.com/blogging-success-ebook/
Let me know if this helps! I am looking forward to seeing you build and grow your new blog! 🙂
I started a blog but still trying to set it all up. I went from Bluehost to siteground since I was following a blogger who I didn’t understand her language (I’m American) and now I want to go back to Bluehost because it seems easier. I also put $20 monthly for siteground. I’m so frustrated about all this and just want to get over the tech stuff so I can start writing and learning how to incorporate my Pinterest into it
Hi Melissa,
I’m sorry to hear what you’re going through. I understand this beginning part can be frustrating especially to people who are new to this!
I personally recommend Bluehost because it’s beginner friendly. It’s the same host this blog started out with! On top of that, it comes with the free domain name too (Siteground doesn’t have this option), so you don’t have to go to a separate place and connect them. Bluehost is just a one-stop-shop approach and is easier for beginners who just want things done in one sitting.
I don’t think it’s necessary for you to switch since you are already self-hosted with Siteground. But I must say that $20 per month is a lot, especially for a beginner. Bluehost plans start as low as $2.95/mo and it’s an upfront payment but saves so much money in the long-run especially when you are on the 36-month plan ($110 for all 3 years). You might want to look into paying upfront regardless of which host you are with.
I also have this ebook, The Treasure Map To Blogging Success in 30 Days, that will teach beginners exactly what to do and where to go immediately once they registered their blog. You can learn more about it here:
https://www.finsavvypanda.com/blogging-success-ebook/
I recommend learning the Pinterest stuff and how to get traffic AFTER you’ve set up your blog, write some good content, and learn the backend of what makes a blog profitable. That is what I teach in my ebook I linked above.
I hope you get this sorted out quickly so you can dive right into writing!
Feel free to let me know how it goes. 🙂
Hi Ling,
Great information for newbies wanting to start a blog! Very inspiring. My question for you is once we complete our blog page through Bluehost, do we then use that domain to publish on our Pinterest business account to make money?
Hi Melissa
I’m happy to hear you find this information about starting a blog helpful and inspiring! 🙂
Once you’ve started your blog with Bluehost, it’s time to build it and create blog posts. This blog setup and content creation will take some time, which is what I teach in my ebook, The Treasure To Blogging Success in Just 30 Days.
If you’re a total beginner who is new to blogging, I recommend completing those steps first before learning traffic and monetizing strategies. I also have a separate post here that teaches beginners how to set up a free Pinterest business account whenever you’re ready to learn how to use Pinterest to get traffic back to your blog. Pinterest is a great way to promote your blog so you can gain readership and earn an income with your site.
I believe you will find these additional posts helpful as a beginner in understanding how making money with a blog works:
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/what-is-a-blog/
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/how-do-bloggers-get-paid/
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/how-to-start-a-wordpress-blog-on-bluehost/
Let me know if you have any follow up questions – I’m more than happy to help you get started! 🙂
Hi Ling! I have been following you for a couple of months now and I must admit that your blog posts are really helpful and very engaging. Thank you for motivating me to start my blog.
I am not sure where to start however I will start SOMEWHERE!
Hi Lebo
I’m glad you find my blog posts helpful and motivating!
You can actually get started here. I created a separate website to help my readers start a blog. You can check it out over here and let me know if you have any questions about starting! I’m always happy to help! 🙂
Hi Ling, I hope you well.
I have some questions here.
Regarding affiliate marketing are you saying if I use a kitchen appliance and talk about it in my blog, it is possible to earn from that??
How does that work or what makes it possible?
How are Bloggers paid? Through the bank or cheque? How to join pairbus?
How to build out blog post?
Please explain more on build out blog post?
Hi Sandrine!
Great question!
Yes, bloggers can get paid through direct deposit to your bank, PayPal and other different ways. Bank, PayPal and checks are very common. I have a post right here that explains the details of how do bloggers get paid. I recommend reading it to learn more.
Yes, you can earn money online with your blog when you use affiliate marketing. You can recommend almost any product in this world and earn an income including kitchen appliances. There are many of the programs that you can join and if you want to know more about affiliate marketing you can read this article here.
If your blog is completely new and you literally just started it, I do not recommend you jumping right into affiliate marketing yet until you have set up your blog set up correctly and you have content ready to be promoted.
About the blog post, I can draft up an article that teaches you how to write a good blog post. I will let you know once it’s done.
I hope this helps in the meantime! 🙂
Hi Ling. How are you doing! I finally got verified on Pinterest. How can I start making money on Pinterest?
Blessings,
Hannah
Good I will prepare my mind to develop and create my blog!
Sounds awesome! 🙂
Hi Ling,
I’m currently going through your ebook Treasure Map To Blogging Success and it’s been very helpful in getting my blog set up. You make everything so easy to follow and understand!
I also just started a new blog and I am using Yoast SEO plugin as indicated on page 43 of your ebook. I noticed my posts are either marked orange or red on the SEO and readability scores. How important is it to be able to check off all the categories on Yoast in order to boost my viewership? And just to build a reasonable expectation, how many page visits were you able to generate in the first month?
Hey James
I’m glad to hear that you find my ebook helpful!
I wouldn’t worry about trying to hit all the green lights for Yoast. I have many blog posts that have orange/red lights but they can still be found on Google searches.
Of course, it would be nice to hit all the green lights, and it does make you feel better, but it’s NOT a true indicator or measure that your post is SEO optimized. I would still take note of it but not go crazy over it lol! Google SEO goes beyond just hitting all the checkmarks of the Yoast plugin.
If you want to learn more about SEO tips and tricks, I recommend visiting websites like Ahrefs and Moz to learn. These two sites have a lot of great information! However, I recommend learning the very basics taught throughout my Treasure Map ebook. It’s more than enough for beginners to draft their blog posts to avoid costly mistakes down the road. The good thing is you can always make these changes later when you are more experienced and want to beef up your Google SEO game.
On page 99 to 104 of The Treasure Map To Blogging Success ebook, I go through the number ONE SEO tip for beginners to avoid making. I often see people make this costly mistake and they hit themselves in the head later (including myself) because it becomes hard to change or fix later. So, be sure to review that section and don’t make that same mistake!
Generally speaking, getting ranked on Google searches is usually a very long term game, and that is why I always steer beginners in the direction of using either Pinterest or a social media platform to get traffic first before learning intermediate or advanced Google SEO strategies.
I hope this helps! 🙂
Hey Ling,
I am obsessed with your writing. Could you explain more about domain name? I am still confused about the domain name exactly. This is something that I was always curious about…
Thanks!
Hi Ojaswi
Domain name is the address of your blog/website. For example, my domain name is “finsavvypanda.com” and when people type this address into the browser, they can find my blog.
I hope this helps. 🙂
Ling was very helpful and she does answer questions and reply back. Thanks, Ling for your time and effort.
Blessings,
Hannah
Hi Nishia – I’m glad you find my blog helpful. I’m really excited for you and I wish you luck with starting your blog. As always, let me know if you have any questions as I’m happy to help.
Great morning Ling you’re very welcome. Will do!
Happy Holidays,
Nishia
Ling, Thank you so much for all your valuable inputs on blogging! I’m super interested in starting a blog. I am most likely going to give it a try. Thanks and keep in touch. Be safe, Chelsea
Hi Chelsea
That’s great to hear that you’ll be giving it a try to start your blog. Let me know if you have any questions! 🙂
You stay safe too! <3
Thank you so much for this post. It really helped me calm down and think about it.
Hi Harita
That’s great to hear! Let me know if you have any questions about starting your blog. I’m more than happy to help and walk with you.
Dear Ling,
In what language do you recommend blogging?
My mother language is not English. If I blog in it, will it be less effective / successful – in terms of monetization – than English?
Hi Iris!
I usually recommend English only because it’s the route I took when I first started my blog and it’s what I’m most familiar with.
On top of that, from what I’ve experienced, when most of your readers or audience are from developed countries like the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., or countries in Europe, your chances of earning with display advertising are higher – because advertisers are more willing to bid higher when these are your type of readers. But of course, I’m not saying another language, or targeting a different area, isn’t possible to make a good amount of income. This is based on my personal experience as well as seeing it from what other bloggers who are doing that are similar.
In fact, I know many people who have started a blog and they write in both English and another language, so you can try that too!
I hope this helps you make your decision!
Let me know if you have any questions about starting your blog. I’m more than happy to help! 🙂
Thank you for the opportunity you have shared to those who would like to learn how to start a blog. I hope I can learn more from you.
God bless you.
Hi Willie – I have a free 7-day email course that teaches beginners how to start a blog and make money here:
https://finsavvypanda.com/StartBlogLandingPage
You are free to join! Let me know if you have any questions about starting your blog! 🙂
Ling
How to start my blog? I signed in.
Hey Ling, thank you for such an inspiring and detailed post. I have, after reading your blogs, decided to start my own blog! Hurray!
I just have one question, after signing up from your link, do they show analytics of the content people are looking on your website overtime?
Thanks to you, I am now going for it now.!!! I am so exicted!
Hi Hiteshy!
I am super excited for you starting your blog too!!
I highly recommend you install a program called Google Analytics – it’s free to use and will help you track your pageviews and analyze all your blog posts. This is something you definitely need to install asap because, over time, you’ll start learning about your readers, their likes and interests, and where most of them are from. By learning this, it will allow you to create content tailoring to what they want.
Are you enrolled in my 7-day e-mail course? I go through this in Day 5 too – feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions about starting your blog.
Let me know if this helps!
Does your course explain the process for creating a Google AdSense account? My sister and I have an agricultural blog together and we want to start monetizing, but I don’t want to do it wrong. I got started with AdSense, but it asks about business or individuals and I don’t know which I need to choose or how to go about doing all of that.
Thanks!
Hi, Ling, really fascinated, as well as inspired by the down-to earth experience that you shared on your blog. I’m looking forward to join your 7-day free blog tutorial. Hope to follow your footsteps as a humble blogger! Thanks…
Hi Juvy!
I’m really happy to hear from you and excited for you to join my 7-day email course.
I hope you are enjoying it so far. As always, let me know if you have any questions about starting your blog! 🙂
Hey ling! How do you do. I just have this question for very long, How do you get paid like how. You get paid just by people getting into your blog and reading facts and stuffs. Or is it because of those affiliate programs and AdSense and sponsorship you add in your blogs. I mean how does even it works. Do you get paid if people enters and sees your blog. I just don’t get it. Thanks
I have a blog post here that will answer that for you! 🙂
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/how-do-bloggers-get-paid/
Hello! And Thank You!
Good Lord, that was inspiring! My family (3 kids, my sister and I) are about to embark on the journey of our lives… acquiring 60 acres a home and a barn, we are opening an enrichment center! This is exactly the kick in the butt I needed to start my blog. My hesitation in starting is: my bio. How do I incorporate where we’ve come from to where we’re headed, without going overboard (into too much detail.)
I’m going to click your link and start with Bluehost in two weeks. Hold me to that 😉
Thanks for being so much more than you ever expected and inspiring others, like me!
Hi Julie!
Thank you for your support! I am so glad to hear that you find my start a blog journey inspiring. I can’t wait to see you build and launch your blog – it’s going to be so exciting!
I often get asked about the “about me” page or bio. I always recommend brand new bloggers to take it easy with this when they first start because most often, bloggers will eventually change up their bio/about me page as they start writing more content and getting more experience over time. Eventually, they’ll understand who their readers (AKA their audience) and what they want according to the type of traffic they get and the e-mails and/or comments they hear from their readers. But despite all of that, the about me page will not always be just about you. Though it’s recommended to add some flare and personality to your bio, it’s essentially about how you can help your readers or target audience overcome their struggles based on your blog niche and what you blog about. Also, how can you inspire them and help them become better versions of themselves, or how can you help them do something.
As you build more content around your niche or focus, you can also link those pages on your “about me/bio” page to direct your readers to them with those specific struggles. For example, I blog about personal finance, save money, and make money, so I would link those types of posts in my bio.
I hope this gives you some ideas! Feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions about starting your blog! 🙂
I am on your journey the free course and I have been reading your blog. I want to let you know that I have been successfully selling things online for a couple of years now and I would like to blog about how I do it and how I find free things to resell online. I make quite a good income doing it and there are many people that have asked me how I do it. do you think that would be a good thing to blog about? I also need to know exactly how much all of this is going to cost me you mentioned different resources that I need to begin to blog and I would like to know the cost of all of this.
I have a post here about how beginners can start a profitable blog on a friendly budget. 🙂
https://www.blogsavvypanda.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-start-a-blog/
Thanks a lot for sharing this! I totally feel you when you talk about the drama and political games at the office. If I start my blog, I am definitely doing it through your link with Bluehost. I´ve read several opinions and some say that by 2020 is an illusion to think it is possible to make a living from affiliate marketing, what are your thoughts on that? I am also thinking about what kind of training I would need, I´ve heard about Wealthy Affiliate and other similar… my budget at the time is limited but I know I will have to invest in my education…. what is your advice about that? Thank you! Wish you the best!
Hi Monica!
I’m really glad to hear that you’re starting a blog and thank you for your support! I believe there are still a ton of opportunities in blogging in 2020 and beyond! It all depends on the person learning, testing and implementing the strategies taught in courses. Plus, you’ll eventually learn who your audience is and that will give you a better idea of what types of affiliates to use on your blog.
For total beginners who literally just started a blog, I always recommend to focus on writing some content first, setting up the blog and learning how to get some traffic before diving full foot into affiliate marketing. Definitely take each thing one step at a time!
Feel free to shoot me an email if you have any further questions. 🙂
Btw, I have heard of wealthy affiliate but I’ve never personally used it myself. I usually go for affiliate networks like shareasale, cj, Awin or impact radius. Tons of programs to choose from there.
So enlightening. I look forward to tomorrow’s start a blog tutorial. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed this how to start a blog tutorial! Let me know how your blogging journey goes!
Hi Ling. I’m a Financial Advisor with the biggest insurance company in Jamaica. I read your story and feel even more compelled to start blogging. This is something I’ve always wanted to do but didn’t know how to start.
Do you think your blogging ideas and tips will work for me here in Jamaica?
Hi Toni!
Thanks for writing in!
That’s amazing to hear that you’re a financial advisor with Jamaica’s largest insurance company. That is really good for you! 😊
Yes, you can definitely start a blog from Jamaica and teach your readers by providing them with tips and valuable information. The best part about blogging is you can start from anywhere and anytime and it’s totally self paced so you can learn at your speed and comfort level.
If you want more information on how to start your blog, I recommend joining my 7-day email course here:
https://www.finsavvypanda.com/StartBlogLandingPage
I go through a lot of details to help beginners on how they can get started. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by and let me know if you have any other questions. I’d love to join you in your blogging journey!
Hi Ling. I have just joined the 7 days tutorial. It sounds to be very interesting and I hope that eventually, I can make some money.
After reading your fascinating information, I noted that you recommend social media which means Facebook and etcetera. I am not a member of any of them nighter want to be.
So do you think that I will not be able to make money?
Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
Kind regards Emanuela.
Hi Emanuela,
It’s nice to have you enrolled in my free 7-day e-mail course on how to start a blog for beginners!
I actually never use social media and I haven’t paid attention to sources like Facebook, Instagram, etc. although I have an account that just sits there.
I usually recommend new bloggers to learn how to use Pinterest to get traffic because it’s relatively easier to obtain traffic with this channel compared to other sources like Google searches. So far, I am using only Pinterest mainly and some Google to get traffic. I’ve been just learning how to use Google searches. I use these sources because I don’t consider them to be “social medias” but rather a search function which can help users and readers find your blog when they are searching for inspiration or ideas on how to do something or achieve something.
Having that said, just because you’re not a social media person (again, I’m definitely not and FAR away from being one), doesn’t mean you won’t make money blogging. I’m still able to earn an income online without being on social media! It all comes down to understanding HOW a blog makes money (not so much of the number of followers or you being on social media), and that’s what I cover in my 7-day email course as well. I also recommend learning about this affordable ebook that teaches total beginners the FULL details of how to start and launch their blogs along with a profitable roadmap before they dive deep into learning traffic and monetizing strategies.
I hope you enjoy the course! Let me know if you have any questions about starting your blog! I’m more than happy to help.
Hi Ling,
Thanks a lot for this tutorial, it’s inspiring and I look forward to starting my blog soonest. I think my major challenge is going to be identifying a niche that best suits my interests and abilities. Any suggestions on how to overcome this? (Your list of possible niches was seen)
Hi Mike!
I am really looking forward to seeing you start your blog and growing it – it’s going to be full of excitement! 🙂
To help my readers determine what to blog about or what niche that will best suit their interests and abilities, I encourage them to ask and answer these questions. This will help you narrow down your choices:
1. What are your interests? What topics are you excited to learn about? List 3 blog topics you enjoy.
2. What do your friends and family compliment you on?
3. How will your topics help your readers?
Here is an example of my personal answers when I started my blog. This will give you ideas on how to answer your questions and determine your niche and what to blog about:
1. What are your interests? What topics are you excited to learn about? List 3 blog topics you enjoy.
– Refurbishing furniture and home decor
– Personal finance tips, frugal living, and budgeting
– Self-improvement, development and self-care
2. What do your friends and family compliment you on?
My mom and dad tell me I’m good with managing my money. My friends tell me the same. They also say I’m creative and that I’m crafty. Some tell me I’m good at flipping small furniture pieces and decorating homes that are small spaces. I have friends who also tell me I’m good at motivating and comforting people around me.
3. How will these topics help your readers?
– Giving inspiring ideas on refurbishing furniture and home decor ideas to people who struggle to make their homes nice and cozy on a budget.
– Help people who struggle with saving money
– Motivate and inspire people who have low self-confidence
I hope this helps you start your blog and determine your niche and what to blog about!