How To Start a Blog (And Actually Make Money For Beginners)

easy steps start blog / how to start your blog / benefits of blogging

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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. 🙂