HOW TO START AND SET UP A BLOGGING SITE

I know, I know… starting a blog can be
confusing. When I started blogging
over a years ago, didn’t know a
THING about blogs or blogging.

I kept looking through Google and Nairaland for help,
but all the guides I found were too
technical and difficult to follow.

That’s why I am bringing this guide
to help beginners (like I used to be) do
the same by giving them a super easy
guide that I wish I had when I started.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to
start a blog, including:

Finding a blog topic (in case you
don’t have one yet)



Choosing a blog layout/theme
(with a design you actually love…)

Getting more visitors and couple
of ways to monetize your blog
One last thing…

If you EVER get stuck while learning
how to start a blog – I’m here to help
you. I won’t be able to set up a blog for
you, but I can do my best to answer your
blogging related questions.

Just drop me a line if you hit a snag.

STEP ONE: Choose a Blog topic on what to write about?

To help figure this out, ask yourself a
few questions:

1. Why am I blogging?

What’s your goal – making money?
Showcasing your expertise? Sharing
your life experience? Whatever you
write about should line up with that
goal.
When I start my first blog, I just wanted
to write about educational/career stuffs and inspirational post etc and maybe make a few bucks
along the way, so I started there.

2. What am I passionate about?

You need to LOVE what you write about
or you’ll burn out. Try to pick topics
that you really like talking about.
Blogging should never feel like a chore;
your readers will know if you don’t
really care.

3. What am I an expert in?

Know a lot about a specific field? Been
in an industry for a long time? Chances
are, you’ve got a lot of knowledge to
share that others would find interesting.
The most important thing – just start!
Part of the adventure of blogging is that
you don’t need to have it all figured
out. If you’re stuck, just start writing
about your hobbies or your daily life,
and you’ll soon discover what you like
writing about most.
P.S. If you already
know your blog niche
or topic, you can skip
this step and move
onto Step 2.
Psst...

STEP 2: Finding the Right
Platform

Before you start blogging, you need to
choose the platform you’ll use.
What’s a “platform, anyway?”
Building a blog used to be pretty
complicated. You needed to know HTML
(code), CSS, and a bunch of technical
junk.

Thanks to platforms, none of that is
necessary anymore. A “platform” is just
a system that makes adding and editing
content super easy and code-free, even
if you’re not very technical.
Using a platform like WordPress and blogger is as
simple as using Microsoft Word!

What platform do most people
use?

Most of the blogs on the internet are
made with WordPress and Blogger– in fact,
they are used by many
popular blogs.

Why shouldn’t I just use a free
platform, like tumblr?

I don’t want to go into too much right
now, but if you are serious about
blogging and decide to blog more than
2-3 months it’s strongly recommended
to self-host your blog.
In that way you’ll have no limitations
related to your blog content, images and
videos. Your blog will look more
professional, better looking and has tons
of free features that you can add later
on. Plus, you actually own your blog.
However, if you don’t plan to blog a for
more than a month, free option might
make sense.

How much will it cost to start a
WordPress blog on my own
domain?

Not much! All you need is…
A domain name (web address) –
About $10/year.
A hosting service (connects your
blog to the internet) – About $3 –
$6 per month.
That’s it – less than a movie ticket to use
the best platform on your own custom
domain.

I don’t have a domain name or host
yet. What now?

STEP 3: Setting Up Your
Domain, Hosting & Blog

How do I pick the best domain
name?

My advice? Get creative – but keep it
simple. Make sure your domain name
is…
Brandable – Choose a domain
name that reflects your
style, attitude and subject. You
might even choose to use your
own name, like
Linda ikeji blog, Academicmerit,
Memorable – Nobody will
remember “ www.all-about-latest-
fashion-trends.com ”, but
something like “welldressed.com ”
will stick in their heads.

Unique – Ripping someone else
off is no way to build a brand.
I prefer to pick something that either
ends with .com, .net or .org, but
sometimes the best domain names are
already taken

How do I Install WordPress?

Once you’ve got your domain name and
hosting, you have two options to
install your blog to your own domain:
A) With “One-Click-
Installation” (iPage uses this – it’s
so easy)
B) Manually (A lot tougher)
The One-Click-Installation is better for
beginners or those who are trying to set
up their first blog. If you are internet/
computer savvy then have a look at the
manual tutorial. Either way, you’ll get
your blog online very quickly.
Option 1: Set Up Your
WordPress Blog Using iPage
Hosting (EASIEST)
Click to read the instructions
(expands – you won’t leave this page)

Option 2: Set Up a WordPress
Blog Manually to Any Host
(ADVANCED)
Click to continue reading... (expands)
Once You’ve Installed: How to
Choose Your Design, Write Your
First Post and Promote Your
Blog
Click to keep reading... (expands - you
wont leave this page.

Keep bloggin’!