Starting a blog is easy… if you have a clear blueprint to follow.
This guide walks you through the entire process, step by step. Not just how to set up a blog, but how to set it up in a way that gives it a real chance to grow.
At Smart Blogger, we’ve helped thousands of writers launch blogs, improve their skills, and turn their ideas into something more than a blank page.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- How to choose a topic you won’t burn out on
- How to set up your blog without getting overwhelmed
- How to publish your first post (even if you don’t feel ready)
- What actually matters in the early days… and what doesn’t
If you’re brand new, you can follow this step by step.
If you’ve tried before and it didn’t stick, this will help you do it differently.
Let’s start simple.
The fastest way to start a blog (quick overview)
If you just want the short version, here’s what the process looks like:
- Choose a topic you can write about consistently. Pick something you won’t run out of ideas for after a few weeks.
- Pick a blogging platform (WordPress is the best place to start). It gives you control and room to grow.
- Get a domain name and hosting. This is what puts your blog online.
- Set up your blog (design, basic settings, essential plugins). Start simple so you don’t get stuck tweaking.
- Write and publish your first post. Your goal is to get something live, not something perfect.
- Stay consistent. Progress comes from publishing regularly, not overthinking every minute detail.
That’s the entire process.
Everything else in this guide will walk you through each step, without the confusion most beginners run into.
Before you start… a quick story
Before we get into the details, I want to share something with you.
Because if you’re anything like I was when I started, you’re probably wondering:
Is this actually going to work for me?
Let me show you…
I should be dead.
I was born with a fatal disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). I’m in a wheelchair, and I can’t move anything but my face.
But I’m not dead. On the contrary, I’ve traveled all over the world and become a multimillionaire. Over 200 million people have read my work.
How is that possible?
I write with a speech dictation software called Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I also have a mouse I operate with my lips.
With this set up, I’ve been blogging for over 15 years.
To make money, I sell books and courses. I have over 60,000 customers.
And I’m freakishly good at what I do.
From Medicaid to seven-figure blogger
It was 2008.
I was trapped on Medicaid, living on $800 a month. I couldn’t accept a job or I’d lose my benefits.
You feel stuck in your life? I was literally stuck in mine.
So I started writing for free on the web.
I sucked at first, just like anyone, but I stuck with it. 1000 words a day, every day, even when I didn’t feel like it.
And then one day, my articles started going viral. Lots of them.
Bloggers and magazines offered me my need to write for them. But I couldn’t accept. I’d lose my healthcare.
I asked for favors instead. Introductions. Social media shares.
Soon, I averaged over 100,000 visitors per post. One-third of my posts hit over 1 million.
It was time to cash in.
I moved to Mexico. Accepted a part-time job managing the KISSmetrics blog for Neil Patel.
I started consulting. $300 an hour. Then $500. Then $1000. I was overloaded with clients.
I hired round-the-clock nurses. I launched this blog. It’s now the most popular site for writers worldwide.
Over 200 million people have read my work. It’s changed my life.
I’ve lived all over the US. Now I split my time between Austin, Texas and Monterrey, Mexico.
All my dreams have come true. All thanks to the written word.
If I can do it, so can you.
This didn’t happen overnight. It came from learning what works and sticking with it.
So, let’s get into it.
1. Choose your topic (foundation)
Want to know the big problem with blogging?
Most people don’t know there’s a huge chance of failure, so they spend months or even years creating a blog that has zero chance of succeeding.
Eventually, they give up and start over, but again, they invest months or even years into creating a second (or third or fourth) blog that doesn’t work.
The reason?
It’s not because they’re dumb. And it’s not because they’re lazy.
It’s because they’re choosing the wrong blog topic.
Granted, if you’re starting a personal blog, the rules are different. Do you enjoy the topic? Is it fun? Those are the only two questions that should matter to you.
But if you’re looking to start a blog that will bring in traffic…
If you want to create a blog that will generate passive income…
You need to choose a viable blog topic that has a fighting chance to succeed. Because here’s the part that’s tough to swallow:
All blog topics aren’t viable. Some will fail no matter how good you are or how hard you work.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is we’re going to show you how to pick a winner.
And it’s a lot simpler than you’d think.
How to choose a winning blog topic
Jot down a list of topics that interest you.
These could be your hobbies, topics you suspect are highly profitable, or something random you read in a magazine while waiting to see the dentist.
To be a viable blog topic, you need to be able to answer “yes” to these five questions:
- Do any existing blogs on this topic have a Facebook or Instagram page with more than 10k fans?
- Do any blogs on this topic have more than 50k followers on X/Twitter?
- Does Amazon have any books with more than 30 reviews on this topic?
- When you search for words and phrases related to this topic, are there any Google ads?
- Do any words or phrases related to this topic have more than 100k searches in Google’s Keyword Planner tool?
These questions will let you know whether or not there’s an existing audience for your topic.
Here’s why this is important:
Too many bloggers try to be cute. They hunt for an audience no one else is serving. They think:
“If there’s no competition for this topic, creating a successful blog will be easy!”
Wrong.
If there are no competitors, who will link to you? Where will your audience come from? How the heck will anyone find you?
It’s counterintuitive, but the more competition there is in a blogging space, the easier it is for a new blogger to find success in that space.
So, don’t try to be unique. Don’t try to be too clever.
Pick a blog niche that has an existing audience and popular blogs already vying for the audience’s attention.
2. Choose your blogging platform
We’ll keep this section brief:
There are several free blogging platforms out there, and for what they are, and what they do, they offer solid value.
In fact, we’re big proponents of bloggers starting with Substack so they can test their content ideas and make sure they’re viable before creating a full-fledged blog.
But once you’re ready to build an audience and make money online, there’s only one blogging platform you should consider (and no, it isn’t Tumblr, Blogspot, Squarespace, or Wix):
It’s WordPress.
Or, more specifically, self-hosted WordPress.
Note: A self hosted WordPress blog and WordPress.com aren’t the same thing. Both are content management systems (CMS), and they come from the same company, but they're not the same. If you’re unsure of the differences, check out The 5 Best Free Blogging Platforms (100% Unbiased).As of this writing, 42.4% of all websites use WordPress — including heavyweights like TechCrunch, the Star Wars blog, Mercedes-Benz, and, yes, Smart Blogger.
With virtually unlimited plugins you can install, customizations you can make, and designs you can implement, a self-hosted WordPress blog offers flexibility that free platforms can’t match.
Yes, WordPress is technically free too. It’s open-source. However, there are associated costs.
Because it’s self-hosted, you have to purchase a hosting plan so you can install WordPress on your own web host. That costs money (unless you choose free hosting — more on that later). You also have to purchase your own domain name, which we’ll discuss in a moment.
But don’t let these relatively minor expenses deter you.
If you’re serious about blogging, building an audience, and monetizing your blog content, you need to set up your blog on a rock-solid foundation.
And for that, we like WordPress.
3. Get your domain name and hosting
Before your blog can go live, you need two things:
- A domain name (your blog’s address on the internet)
- A hosting provider (where your blog lives)
Once you have both, you’re ready to set everything up.
Choose a domain name
Put yourselves in the shoes of a visitor.
You’re browsing the world wide web, and you see a headline for a blog post that catches your attention. Maybe a friend on social media shared it with you, maybe it came up on a Google search, or maybe it’s just a link in another article you’re reading.
Regardless, you click the link and, consciously or not, you’re asking yourself a single question as you browse through it…
“Is this for me?“
Within a few seconds, you have to decide whether to keep reading the post or move on to something else, and the only way you’ll stay is if it’s relevant to you.
And not just the post, either. When you’re deciding, you’ll take in the design of the web page, other posts’ headlines, and, yes, the domain name.
For example, consider Entrepreneur.com. Is there any doubt about who the site is for? Entrepreneurs, of course!
How about BeABetterBlogger.com? Obviously, it’s for people who want to become better bloggers.
Neither names are clever, but they help you decide to stay or go by clearly articulating who they are helping. That’s what a good domain name does.
Of course, all the great domain names are taken, right?
Not necessarily.
How to choose a custom domain name for your blog
Here are three different methods for finding the perfect domain name:
- Name the audience. The simplest way to get a clear domain name is to call out the audience in the domain itself. (Examples: SmartBlogger.com, CouchPotato.com, AFineParent.com)
- Name the topic. If your blog focuses on a specific topic, try finding a domain name that describes it in clear, concise language. (Examples: ArtofManliness.com, BudgetsAreSexy.com, PaleoHacks.com)
- Name the benefit. Why should people stick around? If you have a good answer, sometimes you can turn it into a new domain name that really stands out. (Examples: BeABetterBlogger.com, MakeALivingWriting.com, BiggerPockets.com)
Our suggestion:
Use these three strategies to make a list of 10-20 domain names you’d be happy to have. You can write them out in a word processor or, if you want to get fancy, you can use a domain name generator like this one from Namecheap (affiliate link).
Namecheap’s Beast Mode will let you search for up to 5,000 domain names at one time. You can access it by clicking the “Use Beast Mode…” link at the top of the page, or by entering a keyword and clicking “Beast Mode” next to the search button.
Sometimes you get lucky, and one of your favorites is available. If not, you either have to head back to the drawing board for another brainstorming session, or you can go to a premium domain name marketplace like Sedo.
Either way, a few words of advice:
Don’t get hung up on your domain name. While it’s certainly helpful to have a good one, there are thousands of hugely popular sites with terrible domain names no one understands.
In other words, it’s not really a “make or break” factor for your site. Give yourself a few days or maybe a week to brainstorm ideas, and then make a decision and complete your domain registration.
Further Reading: If you’re stuck, How to Choose a Domain Name (+ 30 Blog Name Generators!) has additional blogging tips to help you choose the right domain name for your blog.Get hosting
If you’re not familiar with the term, a “web host” is kind of like a warehouse for websites on the Internet.
You pay a small fee to keep your website on the Internet, handle all your visitors, back up your website, provide customer support, manage the security of your website, and so on.
In short:
Website hosting costs money, but you usually get a good bit for your money.
Note: If you're on a budget, check out 11 Free WordPress Hosting Services That Don’t Suck. None of the free options discussed will be able to stand toe to toe with premium web hosts, but if cost is your chief concern, it may be able to help.There is a gazillion different WordPress hosts out there, but the hosting provider we use and recommend to our students is SiteGround (affiliate link). It’s been our host for years, and while you can find reviews online from people who don’t love it, we’ve had nothing but good experiences with SiteGround.
Other good options include WP Engine, Rocket.net, and Kinsta.
We do not recommend Bluehost, HostGator, or any other hosting optioned owned by Endurance International Group (EIG).
Tip: Though it’s possible to buy your blog hosting from the same place you registered your domain name (in fact, with a GoDaddy or Bluehost account you can get a free domain name for the first year), we don’t recommend it. If you ever decide to switch to a different web hosting company later, the process can be tricky. By keeping your domain registrar and blog host separate, you can save yourself future headaches.4. Set up your blog
At this point, you’ve got your domain and hosting.
Now it’s time to bring your blog to life.
This part might sound technical, but it’s actually straightforward once you see how it fits together.
Install WordPress
Most hosting providers make this easy.
In many cases, it’s just a matter of clicking a button in your hosting dashboard and following a few prompts.
Each host will be slightly different, but here’s how it works with SiteGround.
After logging into your user panel for the first time, the Account Setup Wizard will appear as a pop-up window:
As shown in the screenshot above, click the Start a new website option and select WordPress as the software you want to install.
Next, you’ll create the login details for your WordPress website account:
Enter your preferred email address, a good username, and a strong password.
Tip: Your username will be visible to the public, so keep that in mind. Also, for security purposes, don’t use “admin” as your username. That’s the default username for WordPress installs, which makes it a target for hackers.Click the Confirm button to continue.
Finally, after reading the Terms of Service, you’ll click the Complete Setup button.
And that’s all there is to it.
In just a few short minutes, you’ll be ready to log into your WordPress Dashboard. You’ll get there by appending /wp-admin (or /admin or /login or /wp-login) to the end of your domain name. It’ll look like this:
- yourdomain.com/wp-admin
- www.yourdomain.com/admin
- yourdomain.com/login
- www.yourdomain.com/wp-login
You’ll be taken to your WordPress login page:
Enter the username and password you created earlier.
Click Log In.
Your WordPress dashboard will look similar to this:
This is where you’ll manage everything: your posts, your design, and your settings.
Choose a simple design
Before we begin customizing your WordPress site with themes or templates, we need to be clear about something:
When it comes to design, your website’s speed, functionality, and user experience matter more than its looks.
You can have a site that’s plain or even ugly, but if it’s fast and gives your visitors a great experience, you can still get traffic and earn passive income.
Not the opposite, though. You can have the most beautiful website in the world, but if it’s as fast as a tortoise and littered with obtrusive popups or ads, getting traffic will be difficult.
So, don’t allow yourself to get distracted by pretty, shiny objects.
Focus on making your website fast and functional, and you can always come back and make it unique or beautiful later.
The good news is this isn’t an either-or situation…
You can have a fast/functional website AND one that looks really freakin’ good if you choose the right theme.
We like and use GeneratePress (affiliate link). Astra is good too. Both offer free and premium versions, so don’t overthink it. Pick the one you like. You can always change it later.
Install a few essential plugins
WordPress is packed with features. Plugins add even more.
From the 62,000+ free or freemium plugins in the WordPress.org repository to the thousands of premium plugins available from third parties, there is a WordPress plugin for virtually everything.
And that’s both a good and bad thing.
With so many options available, and with so many articles littered across the web touting “must-have” and “essential” WordPress plugins, most beginner bloggers go overboard.
They install so many plugins, their sites slow to a crawl.
This is why you need to be strategic with the plugins you choose to install. Just because it’s “free” doesn’t mean there isn’t a hidden cost. Too many plugins, especially too many poorly-coded plugins, can and will slow down your site.
Focus on the essentials:
- A performance plugin (to help your site load faster). We like and use Perfmatters (affiliate link).
- A security plugin (to protect your site). Wordfence Login Security and Solid Security (formerly iThemes Security) are both good, free options (with paid upgrades if you need more protection).
- An SEO plugin (to help search engines understand your content). Yoast SEO and The SEO Framework are good options.
Install what you need, and skip the rest for now.
Handle the basic settings
There are a few quick settings worth taking care of before you publish anything.
First, make sure your site is visible to search engines.
- In the left-hand navigation pane of your WordPress dashboard, hover over Settings
- Click Reading
- Confirm “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is unchecked
Next, set your permalink structure so your URLs are clean and readable.
By default, WordPress sets the links on your blog to the following format:
- yourdomain.com/?p=123
Why do they do this? No one knows for sure. “For grins and giggles” is the theory we’re going with.
But regardless of the reason, you need to update this link structure before you publish a single piece of content.
Here’s how you do it:
- In the left-hand navigation pane, hover over Settings
- Click Permalinks
- Under Common Settings, set the option to Post name
Now your links will look like this:
yourdomain.com/super-awesome-idea
Not only is this link structure better for your readers, but it’s better for search engines like Google too.
Finally, make sure your site is secure.
Most hosting providers include free SSL, which means your URL will begin with “https” instead of “http”. If it’s not installed by default, you can activate your certificate with a couple clicks in your hosting dashboard.
5. Write your first post
Now for the fun part… content creation!
It’s time to start writing blog posts. Taking ideas in your head, turning them into words on the screen, and sharing them with the world.
Inside your WordPress dashboard, go to Posts → Add New.
If you’re using the classic TinyMCE content editor (which as of this writing is still supported by WordPress), you’ll see this:
Either way, inside the editor you’ll be able to:
- Add a title
- Write your content
- Format your post
And, when you’re ready, hit publish.
If you need help, Smart Blogger is filled with articles that’ll show you the ropes. Here are a few to get you started:
- 255 Blog Post Ideas (to get you started)
- 17 Writing Techniques (to improve your skills)
- Cures for Writer’s Block (for when you get stumped)
- 317 Power Words (to give your writing some extra oomph)
6. Stay consistent (and what to focus on next)
At this point, your blog is live.
Now comes the part that actually determines whether it goes anywhere.
Consistency.
Most blogs fail because they stop.
If you keep publishing — even when it feels slow, even when no one is reading yet — you give yourself a real chance to grow.
Once you’ve got that habit in place, here’s what to focus on next.
Getting your first readers
In the beginning, don’t try to be everywhere.
Pick one social media platform where your audience already spends time, and show up there consistently.
Which platform depends on where your ideal readers hang out. For some niches, that’ll be Facebook. For others, it’ll be X, Pinterest, or Instagram.
Share your posts. Join conversations. Be useful.
That’s enough to get your first readers.
Starting an email list
If you polled a hundred bloggers who have been around the block or two, and you asked them about their biggest blogging mistake, you’d hear one answer more than any other:
“I wish I started building my email list sooner.”
Learn from their mistakes.
Start building your email list on day one.
If someone enjoys what you write, give them a way to subscribe and come back.
You don’t need anything complicated to start.
Pick an email service (MailerLite is a good one for beginners… so is Kit), add a simple signup form to your site, and invite readers to subscribe.
Over time, this will become one of the most valuable parts of your blog.
Making money
There are a lot of ways to make money from a blog.
In the beginning, the simplest is affiliate marketing — recommending products or tools you already use and trust.
As your blog grows, you can explore other options like:
- Creating your own products
- Offering services
- Building a business around your content
But none of that matters if you don’t have content and readers first.
So focus on that first. The money comes later.
The bottom line on how to start a blog
Starting a blog isn’t complicated.
It’s a series of small steps:
Choose a topic. Set things up. Publish your first post. Then keep going.
That’s it.
You don’t need to have everything figured out. You don’t need the perfect idea. You just need to start… and keep moving.
If you follow the steps in this guide, you’ll have something most people never get to:
A blog that actually exists.
From there, everything else gets easier.
P.S. from Jon: Kevin wrote nearly all of this. Much of it is based on my ideas, but if you want to know who to thank for putting together such an awesome resource, it’s him.
Hii John, I’m a big fan of your writing. I’m planning to jump into blogging. And, this post is really going to help me. Thanks a lot.
Most welcome. 🙂
Hey Jon, We are a web application development company and don’t have blog on website.
Is Blog mandatory for every website to get good number of visitors ?
Same with me.
How i wish i had seen this before I started my first blog in 2014… it could have been easier for me.
But all the same, cos some of the shared tips, I used them often and will add up the rest.
This money must be made in more fold.
Thanks so much Jon ( namesake) for the heads up.
Hi John,
this is awesome article. you have explained everything. thank you for this awesome information.
I hope it helps!
Hi Jon,
Great post as usual and I really like the idea of starting your blog on medium and you can also use the platforms like Quora where you can easily create content to share your thoughts and spread your ideas.
The biggest benefit of using platforms such as medium, Quora is that they already have huge audience who are reading and following content across all topics so if you have really good ideas and if you can create some extraordinary content around them then you can definitely attract more people to read your content and follow you on such platforms.
Once you get the idea of how to create content and how to attract more people to read your content then you can simply start your blog on WordPress also it’s important to figure out a blog sales funnel so that you can find different ways to make money from your blog even before the launch of it.
Most people especially the beginners never make even $100 from the blogs because of one reason they lack clarity and the lack vision. Once you get them right, you can increase your chances of making money from blogging.
The key to making money blogging is that you’ll have to learn from the pros, learn from top blogs that are already generating money so that you get better ideas on how to monetize your site and how to attract more people to read and share your blog.
Wow, really an insightful article! Thanks for all the tips. I already started my own hosted word press site and ain’t getting many visitors now. If i had discover this article earlier, i would have starts from medium first!
It’s never too late. If I were you, I would start tinkering with Medium now.
HI John the two Cashe plug ins you mentioned are not supported by wordpress it says. how can I get your help?
It’s supported by WordPress. If you are using a WordPress hosted site, go to the plugins area(after appearance), click on add new plugins and search for either “wp super cache” or “W3 Total Cache”
Jon, this is incredible. The way you present your ideas so clearly, such that the reader has no more questions to ask after reading, this is a skill I must learn. Thanks a lot for being so plain and generous.
That’s quite a compliment! Thank you.
My biggest problem (other than than my site being wiped out by malware) is I can’t identify my audience. What benefit is there to highly autobiographical art? And equally autobiographical writing.
That should be “autiobiographical abstract art”.
Anita, I follow quite a few Youtube channels and blogs by painters and artists and they demonstrate their knowledge and discuss their intuition as they go along.
If you really think through what Jon is suggesting and are willing to laser focus on what aspect of art, (like pastels or acrylic) with some keyword research, you can surely gather an audience around that and make the artist’s intuition and its development something people can learn to develop.
It really is just a matter of figuring out what people need and then figuring out how to make your solutions clear to them. Even the process of coming up with abstract art and developing this skill has some very concrete steps.
Once you have your core audience, you can wax messianic about all kinds of topics. And all the evidence in the world that artists are doing this wonderfully is all over the net.
That’s not a good topic. It fails several of the criteria above.
The writing I can change, the art I can’t. How do I link art to an audience?
First, define what you mean by art. Do you mean painting, writing, sculpture, dance, etc.?
The answer can’t be “All of the above.” You have to choose one, because the audience for each one is separate.
Next, think about the people who are already interested in that type of art. For instance, if you’re talking about painting, it’s hobbyist painters, interior designers, etc.
I paint with more intuition than design. I was given several unhelpful messages about art growing up and this is my way around them.
I’ve spent seven years working on my personal style so other than evolution my art can’t change.
Amazing writing and great information from you John… Keep it up.
Thanks Isaac.
Hello! This is amazing info that I’m sharing around. I love Medium and the way you use it is perfect. Great work as always, Jon.
Thanks Jewe!
You have a knack for combining hope and honesty, Jon.
I’ll start with my biggest take aways.
Focus on symptoms, not causes!
Consider the overlap of topics between popular blogs and Medium publications.
Would love to see a followup post on common problems for people blogging/ writing on Medium, ie.
criteria for becoming a contributor on an ideal, top publication, connecting with readers.
Thanks for everything you do for those of us striving to grow an online audience via blogging.
~Keri
Yep, those are good ideas. Thanks Keri.
Great ideas, Jon! I had not heard of Medium, but I’m on my way to try it out Thank you for giving us all so much. Sincerely, thank you.
Most welcome.
My audience is literally in your list of bad audiences (teenage boys trying to figure out what it means to be a man). I guess I need to go to my audience and see how THEY define the problem, not how I define it.
Thanks for the great ideas, as always!
Uh oh! I’m sure it’s a painful realization, but yep, you’ll make much better progress approaching it from their perspective.
Thanks for the updated method Jon! I’ve recently joined SBO and I’ve been considering posting on Medium alongside guest posting.
How would you suggest incorporating using Medium into the guest posting strategy?
I would start with Medium, and then switch over to guest posting once you start to have success.
I just found out about SBO and SBO with WordPress. Let me know which option you chose and how you like it? A new acquaintance of mine said he loves SBO because it blocks out all the noise.
Hi Jon, thank you so much for this very valuable post! I also am unfamiliar with Medium and your detailed instructions is very much appreciated. Looking forward to learning all the helpful tips you will be posting throughout the year.
Once again great post jon ,I have been confused from a long time about blogging and I am not getting any kind of idea ,your post help me a lot.
Comprehensive, insightful and honesty.
This post feels like a ton of lectures about blogging distilled into one brilliant summary.
Thanks Jon, for sharing, what I think are, the most important tips, tricks and tools of the trade.
I fall into the category of those looking to restart a blog. Lessons learned.
Thanks and all the best for 2018 to you and the audience Smartblogger.
Same with me,I also fall in the category of those looking forward to restart a blog.I wish i had known all these before starting a blog.
Most welcome, I hope it helps!
Hello! I’ve been blogging for 10 years now and am a colossal failure. It’s taken me years to come up to 600 followers and I’ve taken free advice from many people, paid advice from some others too but still haven’t figured things out…… Will try one last time to follow your steps one at a time and let you know if this works.
Wow 10 years! You’re absolutely right, you can’t give up now. I’m REALLY sure you learned a lot in those 10 years of blogging. Try to reflect and write down everything you’ve learned, what works and what doesn’t and it’s also important to narrow down your niche. 10 years is totally invaluable but maybe you were doing something that wasn’t hitting off. And if you’ve got a bit of cash, why not try signing up for blogging courses to help you a bit? I’m a former student from Jon’s SBO Class and I learn TONS. You’d learn everything from writing headlines to earning and building authority. I think you should go give it a try.
Shoutout to Jon hahaha He just shot down my idea of building a blog for depressed people. In fact, I email him and Marsha about this and they said the same thing to me lol. But great post Jon ???? Really lots to learn from you. I’ve started a mini “instablog” for now to “test the waters” and I still reap from what you taught me. Just glad he stopped nagging us to call him “His Royal Awesomeness” in 2018 ????
unstoppable.me ROCKS.
I am scared to invest money because I’ve already spent a great deal and got nothing in return. I now only want to do things that are doable and for free. ( sorry for sounding so cheap but that’s the truth)
Hi Haruna, I’m a half-newbie in Jon’s guestblogging course, so sort of in the same club 🙂 . Would you mind kindly sharing how Martha & Jon shot down your blog idea for depressed folks? 🙂 I was thinking of something similar, and, if I’m understanding Jon’s point, is it a bad topic because “depressed folks/people” is too general?
–So, would the solution be to “niche down and make it very specific” (e.g. divorced women aged 30-40 with 2 children who are grieving but not diagnosed with depression…or even more specific than that) .
Or was the depression blog idea completely destroyed by Martha & Jon? If so, what were the key reasons?
Thanks!
I understand that feeling. It took me three years to figure things out, and part of it was just learning which people to pay attention to and which people to ignore. Sadly, there are a lot of folks out there giving bad advice.
Thanks so now should I re-start on Medium focusing on just one topic? Mine is a personal blog where I talk about travel, food and lifestyle…. almost journalling but not quite. Also I am a senior citizen but not many older women in my country are online or net savvy…..any ideas on how I can target my audience?
Your problem might be that you haven’t properly defined your topic/audience. Your blog seems to be about a number of things, targeted to a lot of people. It’s hard to get a lot traffic doing that.
Thanks I will try and focus on a target audience. But I find many blogs like mine which are general and still have a large audience….
Wish I can read this advice a few years ago when I start to blogging for the first time 🙂
Best advice I ever read,
thank you, Jon
Thanks Try! I hope it helps.
Hi Jon,
Great article full of insightful information. It is no surprise that I subscribed to your newsletter.
When I saw this article in my inbox late last night, I decided to read it right away, and I’m glad I did.
Honestly, I started with Medium where just after 3 post on the platform, I was contacted by the editor of a publication to become a writer for his publication. I accepted and write a couple posts to him.
Then other publications accepted my articles and began publishing them.
Just 2 months ago I decided to launch my new WordPress blog. I haven’t started monetizing, but with the insight from this article, I need to start now.
Thanks for sharing Jon!
That sounds like a great start. Congrats!
Different question: Is it worth posting on medium when you already have a wordpress set up?
Yes, because your posts can get featured, and you get exposure.
Thanks. I have an account I just need to use it.
Great points! You explained blogging about as well as anyone that I have read thus far. Good stuff and Thanks!
Jon, being on your newsletter list consistently proves to be one of the smartest decisions my blogging butt ever made. Thanks again for your brilliance and generosity. You deliver with actionable, important and up-to-date information about this sometimes very frustrating world of blogging every single time. And having been your workshop student a couple times now, same goes for those, but like a million times over. Thanks.
That’s a great complement. Thank you!
Killer post man, thank you.
Of course! Glad you liked it.
In the post, you mentioned several topics that are doomed to failure as a blog. Two of them caught my attention – “women who are planning their wedding” and “guys struggling to understand masculinity.” I’m sure you’ve heard of “The Knot,” which gets over 12 million visitors a month (according to SimilarWeb). And later in the post, you casually mention The Art of Manliness, which get 9 million visitors a month. Those sound like pretty successful numbers. So what am I missing?
Yeah, good question. I’ve actually been wondering when someone would bring that up.
The Knot isn’t really a blog. They do have some content, but my guess is it’s driven far more by the collection of tools they offer, the photos, and so on.
The point: I’m not saying the audience can’t work. I’m saying it can’t work for blogging.
The Art of Manliness is a great example of the point I made about self identification. It targets men who take pride in being manly. It probably seems like an insignificant difference, but it’s not. His branding aligns with the perception men have of themselves.
Jon, this is enormously valuable, thank you. I’ve written every week for two years. This article encouraged me to revisit my hypothesis from a fresh perspective and ask myself some tough questions. Thank you so much.
Wonderful! I hope it’s been helpful to you, Peter.
Wow excellent write up! I appreciate your information on ‘spying on others’ and following that up with Medium first…not Wordpress. Totally realizing content marketing is the way to go these days, I have started writing my own blog articles for my business site. Guest blogging is the next step.
I have you all bookmarked and will be a frequent visitor as there is a plethora of great articles here…thanks!
Most welcome, Brad!
This was by far one of the best articles I have read about blogging. Ever. You didn’t simply give out-in-the-air advice that sounded good–you gave links and recommended sites (even free ones!) that are actually practical and helpful. Thank you for taking the time to share this – I have bookmarked this page and will be coming back to it often!
Most welcome! I hope it’s useful to you.
Starting a blog was one of the worst issues to me back in 2014 when I had no payment method to choose but Thanks to our local hosting provider that helped me give domain name & hosting.
Now I have started blogging and it’s been 3 years I’m doing it with great Passion.
Here’re a few tools that helped me in Blogging:
1. Payoneer (Best Online Payments Transfer Solution)
2. HosterPk (Local Hosting Provider in PK)
3. AspirePro – Genesis Framework
4. Yoast SEO (SEO Toolkit for WP)
5. UpdraftPlus (Backup Solution)
6. Online Mentors & resources like SmartBlogger etc.
BTW, Thanks a lot for the awesome guide.
On a daily basis, people rush in to create blog and rushed out due to lack of proper testing and analysis. Thanks for this wonderful post
To succeed in this line of work, one has to want to do this No money will be earned for quite a good while. If you love to write and build relationships online with people and companies, this is definitely it for you.
Great Post.
Perfect start to 2017 🙂
Really motivated me to do something big this year 😀
Excellent!
Hi Jon
I like your blog post. It’s very informative and interesting!
Just one question regarding to publish my post in Medium before become live is it considered a duplicate content when I do publish in my site?
The idea is to move your posts from Medium to WordPress. That way, there’s no concern about duplicate content. They only exist in one place.
What about those of us who already pay for hosting etc? Should we cancel those accounts?
This article is absolutely fantastic!
I’m thinking, why didn’t I find this article before I started my blog. If I did, I think, I could see a clean domain name. So, I felt happy and sad at the same time while reading this article.
Blog – Daglega (I found an Icelandic word as a domain name)
Niche – Social Media Marketing
I have already set up. What do you think about my domain name and niche sir.
Thanks anyway.
Hey Jon,
Really good and informative post on starting a blog. I enjoyed it.
It seems that the world is being digitalized in every way possible. I think we all should have a presence online anyhow.
However thanks for sharing the post.
-Liton
Thanks again Jon, always the best info from you. Your posts always get my attention.
Thanks, I have found my answer.
Hey Jon,
This is really nice to read this guide and i have started my blog. Thanks For sharing 🙂
My question is if i redirect 3 expired domain with
1. DA/PA 20/30
2. DA/PA 20/1
3. DA/PA 8/20
Wow. That’s a complete guide for sure. I’ve had my blog for years now, but I wish I’d seen this back when I started.
Me too, Richard. It would’ve saved me years, but I suppose some of us have to learn the hard way so the rest don’t have to. 🙂
Thanks so much for your straight up blogging know how talk!
Fantastic post!!
Best fit for this topic. It’s really helpful for everyone who want’s to start a blog. The way you describe this blog is really amazing. Once again you did a great job by sharing such a great post with us. Before reading your post I am not aware of the medium platform. But now I can easily use this to write band share some awesome blogs. Thanks for making and sharing such a great post with all of us. Keep sharing. I am waiting for your future posts.
Nice article, keep up the good work!
Thank you for such a detailed guide for starting a blog but here i am finding the best free theme for wordpress. Can you suggest it?
This was a great article!
Seem easy, but quite difficult. I have to bookmark this article and look back when needed. Great work, Jon.
Interesting! Seems interesting but i don’t see so many changes of 20X faster thing. 😐
That’s great, Many of things are amazing bloggers will get helped with this.
Great infographic with all the research data! Thanks for this guide!!
Hello, Jon!
Brilliant! Just brilliant!
This is indeed the new method I got to know of.
I am into the blogging since long and will definitely employ this new method to 20x my blogging ability.
Thanks for that, Jon! 🙂
~ Adeel
I’ve only just ‘found’ you Jon, and I’m so impressed already! I have a ‘how to fix it’ kind of blog and experience high churn because folks come, fix their stuff and then disappear. Hence I’m struggling to build a community as such. I get regular visits each day (around 1000) but they are new people each day.
So, thanks for the valuable insights above 🙂
Stay well Jon
Wow! What a great guide about starting a blog in 2018. Really the post is very informative. It will definitely help newbies.
Hi Jon,
I’m a big fan of the way you connect your audience with your content.
In this post, I’ve got some motivational messages, especially, from the last part where you’ve mentioned the time-frame to make $1000 and $100,000 per month.
Yes, it’s true that making money blogging takes some time, but once it starts making money, it can break your expected boundary.
Finally, thanks for letting us know the latest way to create a site.
Regards,
SMN Zaman
Jon,
Do you recommend starting all new blogs on Medium? I already have a few Wordpress websites under my belt and can set up a blog in 30 minutes. The only initial cost would be the domain as I can use my existing hosting until the site grows.
Are there any other benefits to Medium other than it being an easier entry point for beginners with Wordpress?
>If you were to ask a group of men, “How many of you have trouble understanding your masculinity?” no one would raise their hands.
Well, that’s not true. There are plenty of guys who are well aware they’re struggling to figure out what it means to “be a man”, and aren’t in some kind of denial about it. The idea that guys like this are just these of sniveling beta male “why do girls always ‘friendzone’ me?!” type of guys (who also apparently believe they’re the pinnacle of masculinity) is just wrong.
That’s not to say that there aren’t guys out there who believe they’re doing everything right (with women and in life in general) but just keep getting “friendzoned for literally no reason!!!” and if you want to target that audience, go for it.
Interesting, the fact is you have made things easy! I will follow from the next blog i create!
Very Informative article. This upgrades my some skills.
Thanks for Upgrading me.
Let’s create new blog that make good $$$$ in 2018.
After Reading This Page, I am really feeling myself very bad. If I can get this information 2 years back that will really be helped me because I am already wasted one year on Blogspot website. Anyway Thank You John, This is Really cool stuff for Beginners. I Will definitely Referer it to the people who want start their own blogs.
After looking at a handful of the blog articles on your blog, I honestly like your way of writing a blog. This site really has all the information and facts I needed concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask. Your article has really peaked my interest.Thank you for providing these details.
A must guide for a newbie blogger.You have covered everything.
Thanks Jon Morrow..
Very lengthy post but the presentation is awesome. I loved the post.
Thanks:)
Hi John, it’s a nice post which gives better clarity and insghting for blogging platform and a successful blogger.
Thanks for sharing
Hello Jon,
Thanks for bringing a new perspective to it.
Of course, starting a blog is easier today than it used to be in the past. A lot of things they told me back in the days are now as simple as ABC to me.
Cheers.
Emenike
Hi Jon! Great post. I am also a starting blogger. Really want to learn from this. By the way, I am also trying another site like this one here below, as I also would like to start monetizing my blog or earn money online. What’s your opinion about it? Thanks. https://tinyurl.com/y9mq8emz
Dude, I don’t have words to thank you.
This is article is a live saver.
God bless you 🙂
Hi Jon,
Thanks, for valuable information regarding blogging and explaining it bit by bit with beautiful infographics it’s really helpful to me.
awesome blog, got all related and required information from this blog.
Hello, John,
I have interest in writing blog, but my vocabulary is weak, How I prepare?
Hi John
Considering the fact that I am just starting a new blog, your article landed up perfectly.
The internet is full of articles that do not go deep into the subject, which is why I love this.
Very inspiring, Jon! I have been following for a while and I’m doing exactly what you said here. It’s taking time but I’m doing it step by step.
One thing that I don’t understand is about exporting from Medium to WordPress. What’s the point? I mean, even if you do all the work for exporting the content (from the link you provided) to your WordPress site, you have to delete the Medium one.
What’s the difference between doing that and just writing a new blog post on your blog after deleting the Medium one? It’s exporting comments or what?
Hi Nicolas, medium is less likely crawl by google, Wordpress is great CMS, I am using for my own website. If you have published one article on medium you can publish it on your own but for this, you have to give one reference link to your published article on medium. These tactics stop duplicity
Hello John, thanks for finally opening my eyes, I wish I knew all this before my first blog. However, my question, is it possible to re-focus to another topic along the way, must I begin a new blog with a totally new niche?
Changing audiences usually means you have to start a new site.
Great post Jon. There are some really useful tips in here. Thanks!
This is such great information! I’ve been blogging since July 2017, and still struggling to crack traffic rates of over 50 visitors per day. It is very discouraging at time, but I won’t give up! I wish I had found your site sooner, but I plan to really dig in and use your tips!
Great article, Jon. Many people jump into blogging thinking that it’s easy. It’s extremely hard to capture an audience, and you explained the new way of blogging that will make this step easier. Thanks.
awesome article but this game is just getting harder
getting traffic …ranking your site…monetize it are difficult now and it might take longer time than expected to start having some results
Bad advice telling people that small shops is a waste of time. We had a small sewing center in Northern Wisconsin with a customer base that spread across a 50+ mile radius.
We had over 800 names in out customer data-base that we mailed a quarterly. But it was through our email and blog that we could contact regular costumers on a regular basis in ‘real time’.
We would video sewing tips on the blog which always stimulates, inspires, and improves sales. Not everybody is out to make so much money to run a business from the beaches of Cancun… some of us are just regular people makin’ a living the old fashion way.
Hey John,
I will give you 10/10 for your content writing. Really this blog is clearly understandable and quality content. However, after reading this blog, I got to know the differences in WordPress.
Thank you so much.
Wow!
Thank you very much.
I have been blogging for 8 months and earned a little traffic. Umm… Its around 500-600 visitors per day.
I made a few mistakes (i hope I would have found smartblogger before) and improvised. Mistakes do play a big part. I just make sure I don’t repeat the same mistake again (like starting a blog with lousy intro ????).
This blog post is really a new motivation for me.
I’m planning for something new and interesting on my blog. I think I found a MEDIUM to test it before applying it.
Let’s see how well it plays.
I love your posts.
Keep Blogging ????
Great post, Dear. I especially like how you highlighted and linked to all of your recommended resources. Very helpful. Extremely easy to scan for quick reference.
I especially appreciate the blogger outreach suggestions and link to Brian Dean’s article. I’ve been thinking that there must be a science to and skills to effective outreach. You’ve given me a plan and steps to become proficient. I can do this – priceless! Thanks for your generous sharing of what you’ve learned.
Thanks, Jon. It was worth reading for a second time. I set up my Wordpress site before Medium came along, and – as a complete novice – it took forever. But in a funny way, I’m glad I spent all those hours at weekends and long into the night working it all out. At least I now have a basic understanding of how the backend of a site works and I feel more in control. But, you are so right. . . If I’d spent those hours writing on Medium instead, I’m sure I’d be much further ahead of the game today. As ever, I continue to learn from you.
Cheers, Mel
Hi Jon, what a great idea to start folks off on Medium. You are so right about the learning curve with Wordpress. When I started years ago I did it on blogger and then moved to WP. What a nightmare! It was a lot of time and effort. Today I have a techie I use from time to time with my site issues.
But I do like Medium and have written a little one it, I wanted to do more this year with it. How is the $5 /mo membership working? I’ve been thinking about it to comment more there and read more as well. Thanks!
Great information Jon, thank you! I recently started a blog (six months ago), and wish I would have seen this article before starting. I am generating a little over 100 impressions a day, with very minimal clicks. The blog centers around the health and welfare of both dogs and cats. Any help would be appreciated!
I just like the helpful information you supply in your articles.I will bookmark your blog and take a look at again here regularly.I am somewhat certain I’ll be informed many new stuff proper right here! Best of luck for the following!
Thank you so much Jon. Wish I read your post sooner.
I knew about Medium but always thought using it is a waste of time. Now I know better.
I will be going back to the drawing board. I really need to fix my blog. With your step by step process mentioned in this post.
Thank you Jon!
Thanks, Harsh, really informative and useful piece of content and it clearly show how much efforts you have made to create this content.
Keep it up!
Can I earn some money by blogging on Medium by putting links to my site?
Or do they disprove or block that?
That’s a really good point, this Article is very helpful and informative. Thanks for sharing
Can’t wait to start my blog. Good Article …
John-
Just wow man. I started a blog in March 2018 and as many have already expressed here – wish I had seen this but better late then never.
I am starting a second project and yep, Medium first!
There’s so much fluff and misguided info out there that’s so far from what it actually takes to get one of these bad boys off the ground and get readers.
Anyway, thanks for bringing the heat.
CK
Absolutely man. Every time. 🙂
Hi Jon,
This is awesome! I learned a ton from this post!! My question though is can a blog in the Diabetes space work?
I have some experience in this area and have been trying to figure out the best way to tackle it. This post definitely has my wheels turning.
Thanks for the amazing content!!
Yep. Some health spaces are tough, but diabetes is so common, it can work.
Thank so much Jon
Thanks alot for such a great post, its really gonna help me as guidence as i m a new blogger and keep on looking for such helpful stuff.
Thank you
I am very thankful to you as your article has given me lots of ideas. I enjoyed a lot by reading this post. Thanks for sharing your blog. – dentist in springfield
Hi Jon! It’s an insightful post. I feel lucky to be stumbled upon this post. Thanks for sharing
Hi Jon, great content as always, but I beg to differ in one of your points.
Medium.
As a Medium writer myself, I don’t think it’s a platform for traditional blogging as we understand blogging. The usual tactics that most blogging gurus teach (yourself included) do not seem to work on Medium.
Take crafting headlines for example. The methods you teach for writing stellar headlines work for traditional blogging, but if you check Medium’s stats and headline trends, you’ll notice that traditional methods will not work.
Medium is a platform for story-tellers, and blogging isn’t always that. It can be, but for most average bloggers it isn’t. And I believe platform matters. You may get away with some how-to or X-number-of-ways posts on Medium, but for a lot of other, popular niche, this tactic will fall flat on Medium.
I could be wrong, of course, and if I am, I’d love to be corrected!
Cheers!
Hi Maliha, Thank you for sharing I think you are spot on.
Hi Jon,
What traffic source do you recommend for the spirituality niche?
Great information about “To start a blog”.
Truly appreciate the manner in which you composed.
I am truly going to apply this to the future.
Great work..!!”
Hi Jon,
This is very helpfull for us ! Ibecause i want to promote of my blog site… learned a ton from this post!! My question though is can a blog in the Diabetes space work?
This is the one of the most helpful tutorials. I really appreciate your work, please keep it up and help others in such a unique way.
Thanks
Hi Jon
Thank you for such a helpful post. It must have taken a long time to put together. It’s a great idea to use Medium to test out ideas. I’ve always struggled to get much traction on Medium. Guess I need to try harder or change my topics!
Hi jon, I am a new blogger, when I read your article, it feels different what I have gotten all this time, whether for beginner bloggers like me just make the latest articles, thank you Jon
Hi Jon. I’m new to your site but I am a student of Carol Tice. I have a Writer’s Website built on Wordpress (and the tech stuff is hard). My niches are activewear, gyms and skincare for my writer’s site. My question is would it be profitable to create a content marketing blog for these niches (or is that too broad). Also, since I already have something built on WP should I stay there or create a second site on Medium?
Great Post!
This is best article for newbies! Thanks for sharing the great knowledge!
how blogging help to rich poor people. how much time consume to get first earning on blogging field. i use it blogger but i dont get visitors so my earning is still hold. what to do please help
Very superb and informative blog , which are more helpful to learn about starting phase of a blog.
Thanks for this nice sharing
what is the best method to creating bundle of backlinks, what is your method and how do you make backlinks for single article, how much needed to rank article on top 10
Amazing strategy! Makes perfect sense and not all the other mambo jumbo.
Heads up! The images on “#2. Spy on Popular Blogs…” are missing.
Thought you’d like to know.
Peace & Love
Young El – Thanks for letting us know. Not sure what happened there, but they’re fixed!
Hi Jon, Thanks for the heads up on Medium.
I want to know if one can repurpose content from his WordPress blog to Medium without attracting Google penalties
Hey Jon, Thanks for this great content! I am bookmarking your for future reference. Thanks for these great tips.
I felt that this is a very informative article for people who are looking to start a blog. And I like the fact that you had given a brief explanation about why a mature business should start a blog.
Nice post.
Thank you for sharing a informative information with us.
Visit my links to find best Industrial Training Institute in India.
Hi Jon,
I just finished reading your article. Very helpful and informative. You’ve given me the bit of courage I needed to get started.
Thanks!
Hi Jon,
Great articles on starting a blog! I’ve been looking to do this for a long time as I am the one responsible to market my husband’s art. We already have a website
(Wordpress) so do you still recommend starting with Medium if we determine we have a viable blog subject? I have no experience with website right now but need to learn to do so…rank beginner.
Thanks for your time!
Cynthia
Jon,
I heard that the changes to the Google algorithm bloggers to lose over 70% if their traffic over the last week. Did that happen to you?
Great articles on starting a blog! I’ve been looking to do this for a long time as I am the one responsible to market my husband’s art. We already have a website
(WordPress) so do you still recommend starting with Medium if we determine we have a viable blog subject? I have no experience with website right now but need to learn to do so…rank beginner.
Thanks for your time!
Mathew Hayden
Hi Jon,
I am a new blogger and very most interested to become successful blogger. Here I got lots of valuable information and you blogging guide always help me learn new thing’s. Thanks
Hi Jon,
I enjoyed the post greatly. I’ve found mixed information on the viability of book review blogs. Do you think they have much chance of being profitable? Maybe it would depend on the genre.
Thanks,
Tim
Awesome article, thank you. I am a budding health coach and would like to start a blog around health, fitness and weight loss for women over 50. I visited alltop.com but couldn’t find relevant categories. All I got was three blogs in the health category and five or six in fitness, none catering to my audience. Also, I didn’t see the search box that is clearly visible in the included image. Have they updated the site? Am I missing something?
I would like to know your opinion about launching and boosting Blog’s Facebook Fanpage at the same time when starting the Blog itself. Would it give me kind of double impact? Should I do some elementary SEO and can Facebook Page be helpful for that?
Great article with very useful information!
Once you get to the stage where you are confident in your topic and content, must you migrate your posts from Medium or can you just upload them from scratch onto your self hosted blog? For what reason is migrating them beneficial?
Hi John,
Thanks for the article. The article and comments are very informative. This is a good read for those who aspire to be a blogger someday. Maybe I should start my own blog too.
Bookmarked! Thank you
Starting a blog looks like it is an overwhelming step to take
It is not, it is the mindset that turns it into a complicated tasks
If you have the will to succeed, you will be able to overcome all the challenges that you can endure
GREAT blog! Just wanted to mention this stat will soon be outdated – if not already is:
“Content marketing, which includes blogging, is now a $300 billion industry.”
Per a Technavio study, content marketing is projected to be worth $412.88 billion as soon as 2021. More explained here:
https://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/11/06/content-marketing-industry-be-worth-412bn-2021-following-four-year-growth-spurt
Jon, I don’t know how you do it! Another outstanding, comprehensive virtual encyclopedia on blogging in 2019. The resources, detailed instructions, and wisdom you provide are priceless. And you literally give it away for free. No wonder you’ve built an audience of three million!
Your critical thinking, data-based marketing savvy, and remarkably excellent writing do not go unnoticed. I appreciate your generosity SO much. You deserve all of the gratitude and kudos you get.
Hello Jon. Thanks for this useful post. Are there any good free opt-in forms to use? (because ConvertPro is not free).
This is really an amazing article to get a clear idea before starting a blog. I am a frequent reader of smartblogger, and I always get motivated to do better.
Hey Jon,
You have selected most frequent asked questions by readers as well newbie. Domain name for your business is crucial to give start because several points lay on it.
This time I got a content which is very genuine on this topic because you have pointed every thing very clearly in simple manner.
Thanks for exploring all the significant keys with us and it really going to help many beginners.
With best regards,
Amar Kumar
Hey Jon,
Glad to see your post. This is so far the comprehensive post with all essential resources on ‘How to Blog in 2019’. Thanks you so mush for the awesome share. And yes I will be following this in 2020 and look forward to my association with SmartBlogger.
Thanks & Regards,
Rajat C
as per speed concern for only blogging, can I use google blogger instead of Wordpress?. blogger server is 100% uptime as well as no speed issue. please suggest me.
Wow! I think this is all I have to learn, I’ve been searching for complete guidance and thanks to you for sharing such an informative article great post I’ve enjoyed your post.
On point! find a good blog topic on hobbies and passion and life experiences.
Wow! This post was so informative! I am just starting out and I just finished reading “Six Figure Blogging Secrets” and your blog post beats that book by A LONG SHOT! I think I’m going to take my very first step and pick a domain name and hosting website ASAP. You’re post inspired me so much that I can’t wait to get started ! I do have a question tho? How do you pick your topics? Because I believe that I have a good idea on what I want to talk about but im not entirely sure yet. The “Six Figure Blogging Secrets” had some suggestions but I’m not too sure on what niche I should go into. Any suggestions? You’re opinion would mean the world! Again thank you for this great piece of informative content you gave us I’m going to take action and start IMMEDIATELY!
This article is amazing, and I have shared it with a friend who is just as stumped as I was when I started 5 months ago. The wealth of info has overwhelmed her. Thank you again, I am so sad that I cannot afford your masterclass. My blog will be there to aid in my new online pewter embossing course and there is not much out there on the subject that I could find. I am busy redoing my website again as I have done a lot wrong. Sumo only works on a .org Wordpress site, is there anyone else who has a free plugin that you would recommend?
Wow, What a helpful guide, I appreciated the post incredibly. I’ve discovered blended data on the suitability of book survey web journals. Do you think they have a lot of possibility of being gainful? Possibly it would rely upon the class.
Please share more detail about how to find low competition keywords.
Thanks
Hi Jon,
I was told by a friend to reach your blog and I must thank him because your blogs are so huge and full of information. All the questions pop up in mind are already answered here. These are great techniques to start writing a blog. Thanks for your valuable tips.
Hi Jon,
This article is a grand tutorial, and although I have been blogging longer than now, I just learned a new trick which I can also use when creating content for my blog and clients. The idea of evaluating a chosen topic across social media, including Amazon to know whether the topic already has an audience, is out of the box. I’m impressed.
Hi Jon. From a student from the CMC, I’ll say this mammoth post is a great example of how even a huge post can be perfectly organized with Text, screenshots, tweet boxes. Thanks Jon and Kevin.
Thank you very much, Arijoy. 🙂
Hello John and Kevin,
That’s great content for a newbie to start their own blog. Also, the post is well optimized. The Best thing about the content is that it explains the things in correct order. I am going to share this content with my friends who are interested in starting a new blog.
With best wishes,
Arumugam Rangasamy
Awesome post that will become the world reference for blogging I’m sure.
What is your take on how to acquire a list suitable for a product (because I already have one) and how to promote the product to the list versus creating a product for a list which is mentioned here as your preference.
Thanks guys.
This is very in-depth explained article to create a blog. This will help any newbie blogger to create a blog instantly. Thanks a lot for sharing your great efforts.
I think the only thing you left out of this article was the kitchen sink. Great post!
Many thanks for the detailed tips – much appreciated.
Hey john and Kevin You guys Boomed!!!!
What a Great Explanation specially for Newbie like me , It was More then worth reading ,thank you so much and hands off to your that Effort you are putting to sharing this.
Find the best details about how to start the blog .. get information share with us.
Thank you So much, Author
This is some brilliant advice. I seriously wish I’d had this wee guide when I first started blogging. Spent most of the time struggling to do it myself instead of asking for help as well, which I am sure didn’t help – haha.
That’s really a great article for the newbie’s out there. I am just amazed by the blog insight. It will surely help me in creating my own blog. Thank you Jon & Kevin for sharing this article with us!!
Please do mention some good free hosting for beginners. Most beginners may not be able to have a paid hosting for their blog.
Hi Jon, I have a business website and I want to take your advice about it. I have around 1500 pageviews a day, Is it the right time to add google adsense as a way of advertising or not yet?
thank you for help
I read it to the end. this is the first time I have read such a comprehensive article. very valuable sharing. Thank you.
Deep content! I started a blog without following such a nice guide. After reading this guide I went back and addressed a few things. Thanks for all the great info.
Dear Jon,
The first thing, i really want so say thank you a lot or all the thing you give to this world.
I started with smartblogger for months and learn huge ton of useful knowledge about blogging.
also recommend my friend to read or blog.
Here my question :
i working on my blog about solar power, share the knowledge about technology, how to design and installation… but it’s seem like choose the wrong niches when i read your post, not so much people enjoy this niches
so what is the true important to let it go or keep going with this blog, i build this blog for a year so much of effort to this one….
And now i worry about building a failure blog,
Thank you and your smartblogger team.
Perfectly crafted to-do list for newbie bloggers… thanks for sharing it.
Hi Jon,
Thanks for this informative post. I want to start a new blog on cyber security and after reading this post my mind having a point of view to design and organize the content for the blog.
Hi SmartBlogger Team,
A very helpful article on how to start a blog especially for new bloggers like me.
It is very easy to get in mind.
Thank you for sharing this kind of useful information for free.
Regards,
Jay Panchani
Thanks a lot for writing this. Great article. I’ve just come across smartblogger and like the site already! will be reading all your other stuff in the upcoming weeks.
Very helpful article for newbies and to start a passive income.
Thanks for sharing it.
Hi Jon
I have been on your email list for years now, I read every email but always move on, never delete it though … in case I need the info one day !! , well today is one day !! I came over to try to find which theme to use, I keep changing it and can’t decide which is best, going to give Astro a go and see how it turns out. Thanks for the info over the years 🙂
Thanks for sharing great information on how to start a new blog. I will definitely try your methods in my Blog.
Outstanding blog. The information you have shared is really good and helpful.
But there is one issue which I am facing while selecting and writing blog and that is my blog not getting index by google.
Can you please share some good blog posting sites on which my blogs will get indexed soon.
Jon what do you think about the idea of leading people to your blog and getting them to subscribe to a free offer – then sell them on a product, VS leading people to your blog and getting them to subscribe to the blog itself – to monetize via Adsense, affiliate programs, etc?
I think the process for starting a blog remains same for 2018, 2019, 2020 and even next year. Thanks for sharing this.
Outstanding post, thanks for the hard work! These are great steps to get started, although I’m not familiar with SiteGround. been with WordPress for many years, and grown rather addicted to the use of plugins.
Hi Jon,
Great article full of insightful information. It is no surprise that I subscribed to your newsletter.
When I saw this article in my inbox late last night, I decided to read it right away, and I’m glad I did.
Honestly, I started with Medium where just after 3 post on the platform, I was contacted by the editor of a publication to become a writer for his publication. I accepted and write a couple posts to him.
Then other publications accepted my articles and began publishing them.
Just 2 months ago I decided to launch my new WordPress blog. I haven’t started monetizing, but with the insight from this article, I need to start now.
Thanks for sharing Jon!
I have installed wordpress but I couldnt find to change theme , some blank page appears . What I need to do ?
Wow. So much information here! Do you mind sharing what is the BEST Wordpress theme and what are the must-have plugins for a new website?
Thanks so much in advance!
Hi Jon,
This is a great post! Thanks for that! I hope it’s okay to ask this since I’m sure it’s covered in your courses…I am thinking of doing a personal finance blog targeting 18-25 year olds. As you know, there are tonnes of personal finance blogs and quite a few focusing on Millennials, though mostly on the middle or older end of that generation. In terms of validating the market, would you say that the number of personal finance blogs targeting older Millennials, in general, is proof enough that there might be a market for 18-25 year olds? Or is the lack of blogs targeting that age group specifically evidence that the market isn’t viable? Thanks Jon!
Blogging combined with affiliate marketing is truly the way to financial freedom. But it has to be something that a person wants because this line of work has no guarantees of financial security. What you put into it as an aspiring blogger is what you get out of it. And you must think long term because getting rich overnight online is null and void. Who agrees with me? 🙂
I took inspiration from this guide and just started my first blog. Thanks for the great tips and game plan.
Same with me.
How i wish i had seen this before I started my first blog in 2014… it could have been easier for me.
But all the same, cos some of the shared tips, I used them often and will add up the rest.
This money must be made in more fold.
Thanks so much Jon ( namesake) for the heads up.
I’ve seen so many blogging guides from the popular bloggers and I must say it’s the best of them all.
John you are a legend and I am truly inspired.
This was the best article I’ve read about Blogging. It covered almost all things.
Thank you for sharing it.
Hi Jon,
Such a significant instructive blog!! I started my blog a while ago but I didn’t understand much about WordPress but now thanks to this information I know more. These steps are really helpful, thanks for sharing this article!
Cheers!
You really did a great job to share this post and share the basic thing deeply with right details.
I completely agree with you, Most people think on-page SEO is just placing keywords on a page, There are many things to consider in ON-PAGE SEO, I like those you shared in shortlist but wish to see more points.
Yes, getting sucess in blogging require lots of hardwork, consistency and patience. All the points you mentioned above are very important and following them properly we can easily achieve success. There’s an ongoing argument nowadays whether web directories are still relevant or not. Some people strongly believe that it’s already a thing in the past or a “dead” strategy. Though, you have shared useful insights here that somehow debunks that theory about web directories. Indeed, it can help in building quality backlinks and I can’t wait to try these sites you’ve mentioned. I hope others will find this post useful just like I did. Thanks for posting, Jon.
I have started my blog and these tips will definitely help me a lot. Thanks
This is the best post for Bloggers. Almost all items were hidden.
Thank you very much for sharing it. 🙂
I have started my blog recently and I am going to incorporate some of the tips you have mentioned. Thank you.
Hi, Jon!
Thanks for sharing the detailed steps and the effort put into it. I found this to be extremely informative and helpful, thank you.
You probably won’t recognise my name, but I’ve tweeted you a couple times 🙂 anyway, I just wanted to ask, what is a logo? I’ve never heard of that before. I seem to be having some issues with my domain name registering, but once its sorted, (fingers crossed it will be.) I’ll be moving on to personalising my blog. how do you pick a theme? There seems to be thousands of them! As someone who doesn’t have a clue or anyone to ask, I feel like i need to be walkeeen at this for 2 days and I’ve still not got my blog! Please help!d through by baby steps! I’ve already been derailed twice, please help! haha
Blogging is certainly not an easy task to achieve and maintain in the infancy of a side hustle online career. The beauty of blogging as a digital nomad side hustle millionaire in the making is your thoughts that others consider as weird may turn out to be the avenue for you to earn passive income in longevity. Agree? 🙂
This is the first time I am reading your article. For anyone who is just planning to start his blogging journey, this article can be a full guide. I am bookmarking your blog to improve my knowledge of blogging.
Great content sir. Keep motivating the newbies with this kind of article. Thank you sir.
Hello,
Thank you so much for sharing this very informative article. This will help me and many others also. thanks a lot.
Hi Jon,
This is one of the longest article I’ve read! This post will definitely help beginners to get started…
Thanks for sharing!
Wow. This is a very detailed article and I am going to use as many of these tips as I can. I am a new blogger and I need all the help I can get. Thanks for this information.
quite lengthy but informative soon gonna use these tricks on my own blog
After 10 years of working on my blog and making it successful, Now I am planing to start a business with multiple blogs. Do you think it is a good idea? Let me know. Thanks!