How to write a Blog For Money: A Simple, Step-by-Step Guide - 2021 Edition
Have you always wanted to start a blog?
If you're a writer, it makes perfect sense - you can use a blog to serve as your authoring platform, market your work, or find new freelancers who write. Blogging is also a great way to experiment with your writing style.
This is the age of content - people are always looking for more to absorb, and your unique voice has a place on the expansive, boundless interwebs too.
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Our Guide to Starting a Blog
Starting a blog can be overwhelming. But the truth is, it is doable for anyone with the right guidance.
We're here to help you navigate every step of the way so you can start a blog stress-free - from choosing your domain name to publishing your first post.
This is a long post, so here's a quick summary of what we'll cover:
- Choose a domain name (URL) and see if it's available (to shorten the chase, check URL availability here)
- Buy a hosting package and install WordPress
- Choose a theme and blog heading
- Write your blog pages
- Install plugins and widgets
- Promotion, including building an email list
Ready to dig in?
Here's how to start a blog.
1. Choose a domain name (and get it for free)
First of all: choose a domain name. Where are people going to find you online?
This can be one of the most fun parts of getting started with a blog; It's such a rush when the URL you want is available and you can buy it right away.
But if your first choice isn't available and someone else is already using that URL, coming up with another domain that feels right can be stressful. After all, this is a permanent home on the Internet that you are creating!
However, the truth is, you can always change this if you decide to go in a different direction with your URL. The most important thing is not choosing the perfect domain, but choosing a domain and getting started.
One of the best places to start is to use a variation of your name. Especially as a writer, because you are your brand. Your name will never go out of style, no matter how your interests change over time.
Search to check availability in this handy domain name checker:
If you feel good about your choice, you can visit Bluehost and buy directly there your domain. The company offers a $ 2.95 / month subscription
Even if yourname.com is not available, it may have a different ending, such as yourname.co or yourname.io. If you're really committed to this whole writing thing, you can also try putting a 'writer' at the end of your name, like in susanshainwriter.com.
You can also opt for a creative blog name, but keep in mind that your interests and audience can change over the years. When I started blogging in 2012, I focused exclusively on adventure travel and called my blog Travel Junkette. After expanding my niche and services, I switched to susanshain.com because my name won't change no matter what I blog about.
While it wasn't a huge deal, I wish I started using my name as a domain, and would advise you not to make the same mistake I did.
Once you've settled on your domain (or domains, if you're like many of us writer preneurs!), Don't wait to buy it. Even if you're not ready to start a blog, domains are cheap - and you don't want to risk losing the one you want.
If you are having a really hard time choosing a URL, check out our more detailed post on how to choose a domain name.
Before you actually click "buy", you may want to read the next step first; we are going to tell you how to get a domain name for free.
2. Buy a hosting package
Now is the time to choose a web host.
What is a web host? Your hosting company does all the technical magic to ensure that your site actually shows up when people type your domain name in their browser. In other words, it's quite important.
While we use MediaTemple to host The Write Life, it is generally better for high traffic blogs. You probably don't need that if you're just starting out, so opt for a cheaper option instead.
For a new blog, try Bluehost. It is used by top bloggers around the world and is known for its customer service and reliability.
The Write Life has a partnership with Bluehost through which they allow our readers to purchase hosting for $ 2.95 / month. The nice thing is that your domain is INCLUDED.
Oh, and professional freelancer money tip: put your purchase (and any purchases listed in this post) on a corporate credit card and keep the receipts; as investments in your business, they are tax deductible.
3. Install WordPress
We're almost done with the technical stuff, we promise!
You have several choices for blogging platforms, but we like WordPress the most. Not only is it completely free, but it is also easy to learn, offers a wide variety of themes, and has an online community and a plethora of plugins that make blogging accessible to everyone.
You can read detailed instructions on how to install WordPress on your new blog here . Once you complete that, you can officially log into your blog and make it look nice.
4. Put your site in "maintenance mode"
As you work on the look and feel of your blog, you may want to post an "under construction" sign to greet visitors.
You don't want potential customers or readers to Google your name and find a half-finished site. (You may think you'll be done setting up your blog tomorrow, but we all know how writers procrastinate when there aren't any impending deadlines!)
To set maintenance mode Download this plug-in. On your maintenance page, you can even include a link to your email newsletter or social media profiles so that visitors can contact you in an alternative way. When you are ready to share your blog with the world, deactivate and uninstall the plugin.
5. Choose a blogging theme
Now we get to the fun stuff! Your theme determines how your blog looks and you have many options to choose from. Yes, there is a wide variety of free themes, but if you are serious about blogging, the customization and support offered by paid themes cannot be beat.
Here at The Write Life, we use Genesis, one of the most popular premium themes available. Another popular and flexible theme is Thesis. On my first blog, I used Elegant Themes, which has a wide selection of beautiful themes for a reasonable price. All of these themes come with unlimited support - essential when starting a blog.
If you want your blog to be a marketing tool for your writing services, maybe look for a theme with a static homepage (like mine). That way, your site will look professional and attractive to everyone, whether they are there to read your latest post or hire you on a project.
Whatever you do, make sure your theme is 'responsive', which means it automatically adjusts to look good on any device. Since more than half of website visits are on cell phones, this is critical to the aesthetics of your blog.
6. Create a blog header
I think it's always worth getting a custom header for a new blog.
Ask your favorite graphic designer, create one with Canva, or order one on Fiverr. I've been very lucky to design headers and other images in this online marketplace, where thousands of people offer their services for $ 5 per gig.
7. Write your blog pages
Although you are starting a blog and not a static website, you still want a few pages that don't change. ('Pages' are different from 'posts', these are the daily / weekly / monthly posts that you publish on your blog.)
Here are some pages you might want to make:
About
The about page is often touted as one of the most- pages viewed on blogs, so don't forget it. Include a professional portrait photo and short biography, explaining why you blog and why the reader should care. What makes you an expert? How can you help them?
Don't be afraid to let your personality shine through; blogging is a personal matter!
Contact
Don't you want your readers to be able to contact you? Then you need a contact page.
It doesn't have to be anything special; just tell your readers how best to reach you. Avoid entering your full email address here, as spam bots can get hold of it. To get around that, you can use a contact form plugin, which we'll link to below, or just write something like "your name AT your site DOT com."
Portfolio
It's your blog, so show off what you got! Show your prospects and readers that you deserve their time and attention with examples of your past and present work.
You can see examples of great writing portfolios here; personally i love Sara Frandina.
Resources
Do you have a list of favorite writing aids? Or maybe books that have inspired you? Readers love resource pages, and for bloggers, they can also be a smart way to monetize affiliate sales.
Check out The Write Life's resources page for inspiration.
Start Here
You probably don't need this at first, but a "start here" page is smart once you have a decent amount of content. It's a great opportunity to express your mission and showcase your best work so your readers can see the value of your blog without wading through months or years of posts.
Joanna Penn is doing well on hers, encouraging readers to download her ebook and then pick a topic that interests them.
Partner With Me
If you are using your new blog to sell your writing services, this page is essential. Be clear about how you can help people and how they can get in touch with you. You can even list packages from different services, as Lisa Rowan does on her site.
After setting up all your pages, make sure they are easily accessible from the home page. If they don't appear, you may need to adjust your menus.
8. Install Plugins
Plugins are great for everyone, especially those of us less familiar with the technical side of things. Think of them as apps for your blog; they are free tools you can install to do a variety of things.
While having many plugins can undermine the functionality and security of your blog, there are several that we recommend that everyone check out:
Contact form 7: If you want to avoid posting your email address on your contact page, use this plug -in, which is updated regularly and gets good reviews.
Hello Bar: Would you like readers to sign up for your free newsletter? Or do you want to announce the release of your latest book? With this plugin you can create a banner for the top of your blog.
Mashshare Share Buttons: These are similar to the ones you see here on The Write Life. Another minimalist option is Simple Share Buttons Adder. It doesn't matter which plug-in you choose; it's just important to make social sharing easy for your readers.
Google Analytics Dashboard: This plugin tracks your site visitors so you can see what people are interested in and how they find you.
Akismet: One of the headaches of blogging is the abundance of spam comments. This plugin will help you reduce the number of spammers sneaking through.
WP Super Cache: Another plugin that's not sexy, but it's important. Caching can make your blog load faster, which is pleasing to both your readers and Google.
Yoast SEO: This all-in-one SEO plugin will help you optimize your posts so you can get organic traffic from search engines.
9. Install widgets
If your blog has a sidebar, you may want to spruce it up with a few widgets, which are small boxes of different functions. That said, the minimalist look is in - so skip this step if you want to keep your sidebar simple.
Here are some ideas:
About box
You've probably seen this on many blogs; it's a box in the top right corner that welcomes you to the site. ForThe Write Life ,'s editor-in-chief blog Jessica Lawlor a good examplecheck out.
Social Media Icons
Make it easy for your readers to follow you on social media by including links to your profiles in the sidebar. Your theme will likely include this feature, but if not, here's a simple tutorial.
Popular Posts
If you've been blogging for a while, you may want to highlight your most popular posts in the sidebar, which you can do with a simple text widget. We do this here at The Write Life so you can find our most popular content quickly and easily.
10. Buy Backup Software
Don't forget this important step just because you don't have content yet! It is better to install this software early than to blog and forget about it until it is too late.
There are free options, but I've never had much luck with them - and for something as important as my entire blog, I don't mind paying a little extra. (It's a business write-off, remember ?!) Popular backup options include VaultPress, BackupBuddy, and blogVault.
11. Start your email list
I know, I know, you haven't even started blogging yet and I already want you to put together an email list. Believe me; you will be so glad you did.
Alexis Grant, founder of The Write Life, agrees. “If I could go back and do something else for my business, I would be more likely to start a newsletter,” she writes. "My email list is SO important to my business as it brings traffic to my website, buys my products and opportunities that I never could have expected."
Even if you don't have to send anything, just start collecting email addresses. The best way to entice people to sign up is to provide a free ebook or resource. For a great example, check out The Write Life Freelance Writer Pitch Checklist.
My favorite email newsletteris platformMailchimp. It's intuitive, fun, and free for up to 2,000 subscribers.
Many creatives also use ConvertKit. It also offers a free plan, and some people say it's easier to use than MailChimp. If you want more options, browse our list of news on email list building tools.
Once you've created your list, encourage your readers to sign up by adding a subscription window to your sidebar and maybe even installing a plugin like PopupAlly too. Or, if you're using ConvertKit, they have built-in popup options.
12. Write!
If you really want to start a blog, you have to ... start writing.
We recommend creating an editorial calendar even if you are not coordinating with anyone but yourself. It doesn't have to be fancy; it can even be scribbled in a notebook.
What's important is that you plan your posts in advance so you can keep up with your ideas and stick to a schedule. It's also an opportunity to review and adjust your content strategy. What do you want to write about? How do you attract readers?
Remember that you are writing for the web, so your style should be different than when you are writing for print. Keep a conversational tone, use "you" phrases to speak to the reader, and divide bulleted and subheaded text.
Images are important to grab attention and spicethe text, so look for aUnsplash upsplit or feature photoPexels to make any message shine.
13. Promote, promote, promote
You're almost there! Now that you have started writing, it is time to get readers. And I hate being the bearer of bad news, but for many writers, this is the most surprisingly time consuming aspect of blogging. While it would be nice if we could just write (that's what we love to do, right?), It's better if people actually read your work.
You can try guest posting on other blogs, reposting on sites like Medium and LinkedIn, or including links when writing comments in forums, Facebook groups, or on Quora. Make sure you add value - and don't spam people with your URL.
Social media is another great way to get more traffic and more followers. Rather than just staring at your own horn, you should also interact with editors, writers, and bloggers. Share their content with your community, respond to their posts, and support them whenever and wherever you can. Hopefully they will return the favor!
Ultimately, creating a successful blog is all about hard work and consistency. Keep posting useful and engaging content, optimize it for SEO, and share it with your networks - and you'll soon see your new blog start to thrive.
Congratulations, you have now officially started a blog as a writer. Time to write!
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you buy through our links, you support The Write Life - and we thank you for that!
This is an updated version of a story previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to make sure they are useful to our readers.
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