HOW TO START A BLOG FOR FREE!

Alright so here we go, talking about the most discussed topic nowadays ? BLOGGING and how to start a blog for free and make money!

I have been into blogging for around 2 years and I can say that, I love doing it. I was so hesitant to start my own blog and to even invest my money in my blog but trust me, it’s all worth it. I am loving what I do and enjoying it even more.  

If you are thinking same and you are confused, and cannot decide whether you should be starting a blog or not, let me help you. I am gonna tell you exactly how to start a blog of yours for FREE. So that you can have a blog of your own and without even paying a single penny, you can run it.  

Just clarifying that I don’t have a free blog and I am using Siteground and Self hosted Wordpress. But if you are beginner, and you don’t want to pay right now, don’t worry, still there are so many ways to do it.  

So the first step is; 

1. START YOUR BLOG FROM THE BASICS! 

Always start from the basics.

CHOOSE A NICHE FOR YOUR BLOG

So the first thing you should do after you decide that yes, I want a blog, is to choose your niche. You should choose about what do you want to write. Your readers should know what they are going to find at your blog. Stay focused and write down everything that inspires you. Then choose the topics that you think are interesting and you want to write about them. For example, I love writing about motherhood so when I started writing for my own blog, I chose to write about kids and mothers. My readers know that they will find all about motherhood and childhood on my blog. I do write about other stuff too. But in the starting, don’t choose too many topics or you will end up losing your focus.  

There are several steps that I will cover under this point. Read on to learn more about them.  

CHOOSE A NAME FOR YOUR BLOG 

Almost all of the free websites out there allow you to choose a personal blog name for you. If you don’t know whether the blog name you like is taken or not, google it. Add some personalization so that people can relate to your blog. You can pick your name or any other name that reflects perfectly what your blog is all about. Write down all the names you like and mix and match and then pick one. Choose wisely! 

WRITE DOWN YOUR BLOG STRATEGY 

Okay so this is very important because writing down a strategy will help you in getting focused and consistent. Before you launch your blog, you should have a content list for around few weeks. So that you can just post and share consistently even if you don’t get time. Your readers must know that you are posting and not disappearing anywhere.  

WRITE DOWN THE KEY TOPICS YOU WANT TO COVER IN YOUR BLOG

Write down the topics you want to cover, how many times you want to share a blog post and how you want to share it. After you pick the topics, make a list of the blogposts that you would be writing in the future. Just write it all and follow it so that you don’t lose your track.  

SIGN UP TO A FREE WEBSITE 

There are a lot of free website options from where you can choose one. Here are some of them I know about. But don’t forget to do your research first and then pick one. 

WORDPRESS.COM 

WordPress.com is the website when I started my first ever free blog so I would say I loved it. Its simple to use and so easy to work on. But there are limitations like you cannot get a custom domain name for free, you have to sign up for their premium plan for a name. But if you are not looking to monetize your blog, you should consider this.  

WORDPRESS.ORG 

I am using this right now and it is one of the most popular blogging platforms in the world. It is a self hosted way to blog that ofcourse comes with a lot of perks but it is not free unfortunately. I added this here so that you can get to learn the difference between wordpress.com and wordpress.org. Both are different in so many terms so don’t mix them up.  

BLOGGER 

I have heard a lot of good reviews about Blogger. You can get a domain name ending with blogspot.com and you can make money by displaying advertisements too. For more information, just check out their official website and find out more about their plans.  

WEEBLY, WIX, MEDIUM, TUMBLR 

These are all different options if you are looking for more. All of them have their own limitations and perks. I would recommend check out all of them in detail and then decide which one you want. Some of them have beautiful interface, some are good for photos, some are good for writing, so every website is different. Make sure you do a proper research before you pick one website. 

2. DESIGN AND LAUNCH YOUR BLOG OFFICIALLY! 

So now it’s time for the next step. I am happy that you are reading this, that means you are liking it ? thank you. Alright coming back to the topic, now when you have picked your website, a domain name and your niche, you should design your blog and launch it.  

Check out these following steps here; 

DESIGN YOUR BLOG SO THAT IT REFLECTS YOU 

Your blog should go with the flow of your niche and your domain name. If you are blogging about fashion, choose a chic design that is appealing to eye and looks attractive. Choose the color combinations, menus and everything accordingly. For example if you have a mommy blog, you would want it to be pleasant to eyes and with cute colors.  

ADD A LOGO 

A logo gives your site an identity so creating one should be on your top to do list. People are gonna see your logo first and when you will share your posts on your social media channels so pick it wisely. Make it relatable. There are many ways to create a logo online. Canva is my favorite so you can simply make a logo for free from there. Choose the color, choose the text and the design and simply download it.  

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CREATE A MENU 

A menu is a way to show your visitors what do you have for them. It makes it easier to search and navigate through your website. You can create drop down menu, add categories, add pages and links. Don’t forget to add an ABOUT page, a PRIVACY POLICY page and CONTACT ME page so that people can get to know more about you and can contact you easily.  

CREATE BLOG POSTS SO THAT VISITORS HAVE SOMETHING TO ENGAGE WITH 

I suggest before officially launching your blog, write down few blog posts. So that when a new visitor opens your website, he can have something to read. Make it appealing and interesting so that the readers return to read for more. Just don’t leave the blog empty. 

3. SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND PROMOTE 

I believe social media is one of the most powerful mediums to promote your blog yourself. You can find like-minded people there and people engage more on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  

CREATE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS FOR YOUR BLOG 

After you launch your blog, you should have your social media accounts so that you can share your posts on your page or profile. You can interact better and this will definitely help you gain more followers and their trust.  

START POSTING YOUR LINKS TO YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS 

This is very important because nowadays, social media promotion is a real thing. Whenever you write a blogpost, share it with your social media audience with an attractive and relevant image. 

ENGAGE WITH YOUR READERS AND VISITORS 

Start a discussion with your followers and ask them anything related to the post. You will be surprised to see how many people will engage. People love to discuss and share their opinion so get benefit from this trend and always share your blogpost links on your social media.  

BONUS POINT: Don’t forget to add a catchy and appealing bio or about me section so that your readers love your personality and want to read more of what you write.  

Well, this is HOW YOU CAN START A NEW BLOG FOR FREE. I am sure you all would like it ? here is an infographic I created especially for my followers.

If you like it, and you know a friend or even that’s you, struggling with starting up a blog, do share it 🙂 and Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog so that you don’t miss any important post from now on.  

It would mean a world to me ? thank you for reading till now. <3 

Do come back again ?  

Saima Nadeem