How to Start a Blog and Make Money

My name is Billy. I created Blog Outta Debt to track and blog about my journey to blogging out of debt. You will find all kinds of useful information on this blog in regards to how to start a blog and make money. There are plenty of normal people like me that could use some extra side money through blogging and other side hustles to get out of debt. And that is exactly what I wanted to track and share about my journey to doing just that!

Below you will that BOD provides a step-by-step guide to creating a blog in under an hour with even the most basic level of computer skills.

This guide will allow you to have a beautiful blog once you are finished (for the whole world to see). It is made for beginners (with pictures and step-by-step instructions).

How to Start a Blog in 3 SIMPLE Steps!

Choose your great blog name!
Register your new domain and get blog hosting.
Design your blog to be able to start writing your first blog post!

Why you should start a blog

There are many reasons why you might want to start a blog. However, there are also reasons why people may tell you not to start a blog, such as the common misconception that you have to be a “really good writer to start a blog.” That is not at all true. I don’t fancy myself as a great writer.

People don’t read blogs to get the best writers. They read for different perspectives and different information. In fact, that is exactly why so many successful bloggers write about many different topics. You also do not need to be an expert to write about a specific blog niche.

The only real requirement to be a successful blogger is a strong work ethic and some level of passion for your blog topic that you want to learn how to start a blog on.

The reality is, that writing about something you are passionate about makes starting a successful blog much, much easier. That passion you have for your blog topic will shine through and keep your readers coming back for more.

Some of the most common reasons people want to learn how to start a blog:

Share their story: Starting a blog allows someone to share their perspective and their story. People have voices and want to be heard.
Making money online: Some people start a blog solely to make money online. That is perfectly okay and possible for anyone. In fact, most of the blogs that I have designed for myself or others are for that specific reason.
Business blog: In 2022, every business should have a blog of some sort for their clients to visit and learn.
Community: Blogging can be about building and maintaining a community too. It is a good way to connect to people all around the world.

What is a blog?

Basically, a blog is a website that focuses mostly on written content (that content is called a “blog post”). Most blogs we hear about or see are the more popular or celebrity blogs.

However, with this blog tutorial, you will learn how you can create your own successful blog on just about ANY blog topic. Bloggers each have their own personal perspectives, which is typically what keeps the readers coming back for more. From that first visit, that reader was interested in your blogging style and perspective.

This gives you a direct connection to your readers. These readers share your interests and allow you to share with like-minded people through your blog. And this also builds trust with your readers. That is vital if you intend to make money from your blog.

What is a blog used for

You can learn how to start a blog for so many different reasons. This blog tutorial is meant for anyone who is looking to create a blog on any blog topic for personal or business reasons.

Maybe you own a small business and want a blog, or you just want to start a blog to showcase your knowledge of archery or car mechanics. Whatever your reason for starting your blog, we can help you at BlogOuttaDebt.com. Even before COVID, the internet was exploding with growth. There really is no better time than the present to start your blog!

Step 1: Choose a great blog name.

How to choose a blog name and niche

Using a tool, such as dynadot.com, you can easily see what domains are available. If you have chosen your niche, now is the time to brainstorm your domain name. If you have not chosen your niche or don’t know what you want your blog name to be, you will have to do that first.

To choose a blog niche quickly, you can make a list of around 10 things you know that you wouldn’t run out of ideas for writing about. From that list, research the competition and profitability of all 10. Try and narrow your list down and decide on one. From there, you can try and brainstorm some ideas for your blog and domain name. I highly recommend choosing a .com domain name.

You can also draw ideas for a blog from your life experiences, hobbies, and passions as well. Some people even make their blog a personal blog all about them or a portfolio to get freelance writing clients.

Your blog name could be something simple, such as Blogging With Bob. Or maybe you have a more specific niche and want to come up with an idea using that. If you choose Blogging With Bob, the domain name would be bloggingwithbob.com

Step 2: Get blog hosting.

After selecting your blog name and domain name, it is time to learn how to start a blog with Bluehost. If you aren’t tech-savvy, don’t worry. You can still do this!

In order to run any blog online, you will need blog hosting and blogging software. Generally, these come together. Without these, though, you cannot have a blog.

I highly recommend using Bluehost and WordPress. By signing up for Bluehost, you will also be able to then build your blog using WordPress at no extra charge.

I use Bluehost for all of my blogs. Why use Bluehost?

Remember that custom domain name you picked out? Free when you sign up through this link for Bluehost blog hosting.
You also can feel safe with their 30-day money-back guarantee.
Need more help? Bluehost provides FREE, automatic installation of your WordPress blog upon purchase of their hosting.
They host millions of other blogs and websites with 24/7 customer service via web chat or telephone.

Any of the Bluehost links or banners you see on this website come with a free domain. You won’t find a better blog hosting for the price than Bluehost!

Disclosure: Bluehost compensates BOD whenever you purchase through this link. However, this is of no extra charge to you. Also, if you need any help at any time with any of these steps, feel free to contact me here (free of charge).

How to start a WordPress blog on Bluehost

Get your Bluehost blog today!

After clicking the link, you will want to push get started over at Bluehost, as shown below.

You will then need to choose your Bluehost blog hosting plan. I recommend just starting with the basic plan.

You can then put in your free domain that we choose earlier. After that, you will need to fill out your information, pay, and create your account.

Once prompted to create a website, push skip this step at the bottom of the page.

Now you can finish using this tutorial to set up your Bluehost blog. By skipping this step, the system will automatically install WordPress for you! Now, you can just select “Log into WordPress” to get into the admin area of your blog.

Step 3: Design your blog to write your first blog post

Now that you have signed up for blog hosting, picked a domain name, and got everything up and running, you need to pick a WordPress theme.

Log into your website dashboard. You can do this through your Bluehost account that you are already logged into. Or you can just type this into the address bar (replace domainname with your website domain name) domainname.com/wp-admin and push enter. That will take you to your WordPress login every time if it is set-up correctly.

Everyone has an idea of how they want their blog to look. The great part about WordPress is that most changes are pretty simple. It’s all about knowing where to go to find certain things you may want to change.

Once you log into the WordPress dashboard of your website, you can push appearance -> themes to change your theme. There will be a few default themes, but I suggest pushing add new theme.

Once you push add new theme, you can search for one you like and then select that one. You will also need to push activate after installing the theme. Once you find the theme that you like, install, and activate it, now you can get started on your first post!

You can access all your posts and add a new post by clicking “posts” on the left sidebar in your website’s WordPress dashboard. However, you can also push the + New at the top at any time to add a new post:

You can find that + New button at the top of any WordPress website dashboard. For now, I would push the posts on the left dashboard because you will need to delete the same post titled “hello world” that comes with every new WordPress website.

Remember that you want to write about the type of content that you want people to come to your blog for (meaning your niche). Unless, of course, this is just a personal blog that you don’t intend to ever monetize, in which case you can write whatever you would like.

After you have followed all of these steps, you are going to want to produce a good amount of content (30 + articles) over a few months before you monetize. You need to have visitors that become readers before you start trying to sell them everything (unless you already have readers and/or a list).

If you want to learn more in regards to how to start a blog and make money, check the Blogging FAQ below. You can also continue reading this blog to get more tips as you grow your blog to the point you think you should monetize it.

Blogging FAQ

How much does it cost to start a blog?

It really all depends on the blog hosting that you choose, among other things. However, right now you can sign-up for Bluehost shared hosting at just $2.95 per month (free domain name comes with that).

What should my blog niche be?

You should pick a topic that you enjoy talking/writing about. It’s also important that it is something people will actually want to read. The best thing to do is make a list of like 10 to 20 things that you could write about and preferably enjoy. Then, do market research to see which of those are the best to narrow down the list to like 5. Then just pick the one you like the best out of the 5.

How to choose a domain name for your blog?

It is much easier once you have chosen a good niche. Then, you can use a domain availability checker, such as Dynadot, to check what’s available and try to come up with a name. You can also search the top 100 blogs in your niche to get some ideas of great blog names.

How to check if your blog name is taken?

Use a domain availability checker, such as Dynadot. If you sign up for Bluehost hosting, they give you a free domain and allow you to see what is available during that process.

How often should I blog?

I think it is important to blog AT LEAST once per week. Most “experts” will answer the question “how often should I blog” with two to four times per week being the best range to see more blog traffic and increased engagement.

How often should I blog for SEO?

You should always blog for SEO (unless you are running a completely personal blog, not monetized). The reality is, you need a solid SEO plugin, such as Yoast SEO, to help you with your blog SEO. If not, you won’t be able to compete with the best of the best in your blogging niche.

How do bloggers make money?

Bloggers can make money through many monetization methods, including ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, services, and their own products as well. Learn more about how to make money blogging in 2022 here.

Do bloggers make good money?

Some do, some don’t. It really all depends. New bloggers may make close to nothing, but more established and experienced bloggers bring in tens of thousands per month.

How to start a blog and make money?

You can learn how to start a blog and make money by reading a tutorial, such as this one, to set up your blog. Then, continue learning and reading other blogs to help you learn how to monetize your blog through ads, affiliate marketing, etc.

How to promote your blog?

You can promote your blog in many ways, such as social media (Pinterest, Facebook groups, etc.), Reddit, other blogs, guest posting, etc. There are so many free ways to promote your blog. You can also use paid advertising as well. Just make sure it is worth it (you can convert the traffic into sales) and you know what you are doing.

How to Start a True Crime Blog?

You can use this guide to start a true crime blog. You would just choose that as your niche when selecting your blog domain name. You can also follow our true crime blog tutorial here.

How to Start a Poetry Blog?

We actually have a tutorial specifically for learning how to start a poetry blog here!

How to Start a Travel Blog without Traveling?

Did you know you can start a travel blog without actually traveling each day? Yes, learn how now here.

How to Start a Hiking Blog?

I actually saw a really good example of a hiking blog recently. You can create your own just like that with our tutorial.