Starting A Blog
Starting A Blog
A blog is a site run by a person or group written to evoke conversation and education its audience.
Before the term “blog” was created, a blog was referred to as a “web log.” A web log is essentially an online diary of information organized chronologically with the latest “logs” appearing at the top of the page. Blogs became more prevalent in the late ’90s and were used by many businesses and individuals to promote products, provide reviews and disperse information on a wide variety of topics.
Since blogs are written from an individual perspective, it immediately creates a connection between the blogger and the reader. Comment sections are often seen below the blog post, opening the door to further contact.
This casual, open dialogue is one of the most significant benefits of starting a blog. You can bounce ideas back and forth with others and connect with those who share the same interests. Your readers will likely trust you more, seeing you as a person and not just a business. More trust leads to more potential sales, whether it be your services, an affiliate lead or product.
Anyone with a computer and a web host can start a blog. The start-up cost is minimal, and if you learn how to do it right, you’ll make your money back in no time.
At first glance, starting a blog can seem overwhelming. But breaking it down one by one, it’s not so difficult. Here are 5 steps to help you walk through this process seamlessly.
How to Start a Blog in 5 Steps
- Choose a name for your blog. Check the availability of potential domain names here.
- Get your blog online. Choose a hosting provider and purchase the domain name. Check out this article about GreenGeeks and why we recommend them.
- Set up your blog setup on WordPress.
If you are using GreenGeeks, click here are step by step directions - Choose a theme (free or paid).
A theme is the basic design of your site (layout, fonts, background colour, etc). Click the blue ‘activate’ button and you’re ready to start designing! - Write your first Blog!
You’ve got your website set up—now start writing!
On the left menu panel, click “Posts.” A default post will appear.
Add the title of your blog in the top text box.
Type up your blog post content in the main text box.
To the right of the window, you’ll find a place to add categories and tags. Use these to organize your posts. Create your own unique categories and tags, which appear in the sidebar or below the blog title.
At the very bottom is the featured image link. Click this and it will pull up your media library. Select an image and it will appear on the main blog post feed as well as the blog post itself.
Once you complete the blog post, go ahead and click publish! And just like magic, your post will appear at the top of your website.
You can schedule the blog to be posted at a specific time if you’d like. Want to add to it or fix a typo? You can edit it at any time. Now get ready to write your next blog post!
