I’ve been meaning to share my journey of starting a blog for a while now. Although I’m still new to blogging, I’ve received numerous requests from friends and family in South Africa and abroad asking for advice. With my IT background and basic website creation skills, I feel equipped to share what I’ve learned. This post will cover how to start a blog for free, the best blogging platforms, and what web hosting services are. So, let’s start.

Choose the type of blog

You have to make it descriptive according to my research. Honestly, blogs with vague names make me interested in what the content is. But, try to choose a name that fits with the overall theme of your blog. There are different kinds of blogs but most can be slotted in the following themes.

Hobby blog: travel, knitting, poetry, reading(book reviews), cooking blogs these are a few examples of hobby blogs. You will share your hobby with your readers and draw them in with your passion as you will be writing about something you love doing.

Personal blog– This blog is all about you. Your thoughts and things you do. It’s called a lifestyle blog as well and it gives you the freedom to write about anything that matters in your life.

Life experiences– You might want to share life lessons, maybe you are just divorced, or you are dealing with a breakup, grieving or you are a mom who wants to blog about being a mom these are life experience blogs.

Academic– If you are an expert in a study field, a student or you work for an academic institution you might be interested in writing up an academic blog. This blog will write about academic topics so a political science blogger will write about 9/11 and it impacts on security in the USA for example.

Mixed– This is where you mix two or more of the themes above and blog about it. My blog focuses on travel, but it also provides tips on studying, travelling and I’m planning on sharing recipes etc.

It’s all in the NAME

Now that you know about the kinds of blogs; you should choose what you are going to write about and come up with a catchy name. If you are a hobby blogger who will be writing about food trends and recipes then a name like “Somethings Cooking”, “The Meltingpot” or “Whatsfordinner” will fit with your blog.

Be careful though don’t limit yourself if you are a travel blogger a name like “travelling-on-a-budget” or “budget-travel” is restrictive you will have to take many cheap vacations/holidays and you cannot write about fancy trips or four-star restaurants ever. You should also stay away from blog names with the words Nomadic in them, adventuress, wanderer and gypsy. These names are overused, established travel bloggers are using them such as NomadicMatt and some Romania people find the use of the word gypsy offensive. I changed my blog name because of this.

What blogging platform should I use?

You have to use blogging software to create a blog which you can find online. There’s many options out there Wix, Blogger, Tumbler, Medium etc. I use WordPress blogging software because it is the most popular online with one-fifth of the internet belonging to WordPress, WordPress is customizable, and for me, it’s the easiest blogging platform to use. If you want to learn more about the different blogging platforms click the link:https://www.creativebloq.com/web-design/best-blogging-platforms-121413634

For me, WordPress is the best blogging platform.

What is a Web host?

“A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server owned or leased for use by clients, as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center. Web hosts can also provide data center space and connectivity to the Internet for other servers located in their data center, called colocation, also known as Housing in Latin America or France” (Wikipedia,2018)

What is the most popular Web hosting service?

As a blogger, I follow other bloggers and have researched Web hosting. Bluehost comes recommended by bloggers such as YoungAdventuress who are well-known travel bloggers. The reasons for Bluehost’s popularity are listed below:

• Bluehost will register your blog name for you for free, making sure no one else can take it.
• Bluehost offers a no-cost, simple installation of WordPress blogging software
• Bluehost has been recommended by WordPress since 2005 and presently host more than two-million blogs and sites.
• Bluehost has 24/7 customer service, you can phone or web chat with support staff.
• Bluehost has a money-back guarantee if you are unsatisfied for any reason

Why is hosting important?

If you want your blog to be visible, you need a reliable web hosting provider. A good host ensures your site appears in search results, making it easier for readers to find your content. I’ve noticed that not using hosting has impacted my blog’s visibility, so if you can afford it, invest in a hosting service. For more details on hosting, check this link: Importance of Web Hosting.

How to Log in for the first time on WordPress?

To access your blog, go to http://www.yourblog.com/wp-admin (replace “yourblog.com” with your domain). If you’re unsure about your login details, refer to the email from Bluehost or WordPress for your credentials. For a brief tutorial on logging in, click here: Login to WordPress.

Start with the Free WordPress Plan to familiarise yourself with the platform before making any financial commitments. Read more about the free option here: Why Is WordPress Free?.

How to customise my WordPress Theme?

Once logged in, you’ll be in the WordPress administrator area, where you can manage your blog. To change the look and layout, navigate to the Appearance tab on the left menu to explore various themes.

When starting your blog, you’ll encounter several themes to choose from. If you have a very specific look in mind, you may not find an exact match. However, for beginners, I recommend selecting one of the available themes to simplify the process.

Once you find a theme you like, click on it and select Customize to make adjustments to fit your style. This quick and easy process will help you get your blog up and running in no time!

For more detailed guidance on customizing your WordPress theme, click here: How to Customize Themes.

Alternatively, you can check out the video below for a visual walkthrough:

Start blogging

Now it’s time to start blogging! Follow these simple steps to create and publish your first post:

Navigate to Posts: In the left menu of your WordPress dashboard, click on Posts. You may see a default post created by WordPress; you can delete this by clicking Trash.

Add a New Post: Click the Add New icon to open the post editor screen.

Enter Your Title: In the top box labeled Title or Enter title here, type the title of your blog post.

Write Your Content: In the lower box, begin writing your blog post.

Add Media: If you want to include an image, click the Add Media button. Then, click Select Files to upload a picture from your computer. You can adjust the image size on the next screen before clicking Insert to add it to your post.

For instructions on embedding an Instagram image into your blog, check out my article here: How to Embed an Instagram Image on WordPress.

Create High-Quality Content

Writing good content is essential. Ensure you check for spelling and grammar errors—tools like Grammarly can help. Keep your writing engaging and easy to read by using clear, concise sentences. Use attention-grabbing titles and include subtitles to break up information. Always incorporate high-quality images in your posts. If you need to edit images, consider using apps like PicsArt or Snapseed, available on the Google Play Store. Additionally, include links to other blogs and websites to provide your readers with helpful resources.

Leverage Social Media

Utilize various social media platforms to promote your blog. I link my blog to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ accounts, and I regularly promote it on my Instagram feed. Make sure to include your blog’s URL in your Instagram profile and mention it in your captions.

Share with Family and Friends

Tell your family and friends about your blog and encourage them to read it. Send them links, email invites, or simply ask them to check it out. Their support can be invaluable as you grow your audience.

I employ more than these three strategies and will share more insights as I gain experience. To learn additional promotional techniques from marketing experts, check out this article: 10 Ways to Promote Your WordPress Blog for Beginners.

Understand SEO

To get your blog on the first page of Google’s results, watch this informative YouTube video on SEO (Search Engine Optimization): How to Achieve SEO (42:25 minutes long).

If you’re still unsure about how to start a blog, check out this helpful video that’s only 41:31 minutes long.

I hope this helps you and inspires you to start blogging soon! Thank you for taking the time to read this post and for visiting my blog. If you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback, please feel free to reach out—I love hearing from my readers.

Wishing you happy travels !