My Success Story- why I’m so passionate about showing you how to start a lifestyle blog.
Blogging began as a hobby and has transformed into so much more than that for me. For more than 13 years, I’ve been able to come here, share bits about my life and connect with so many others! I started out sharing mainly my life, then incorporated fashion, then pregnancy, motherhood and parenting. Essentially, the blog has grown with me!
That’s the biggest reason that I want to show others how to start a lifestyle blog. It has opened so many doors and presented many opportunities that wouldn’t have been there without this blog of mine. Blogging has allowed me to do what I love and to stay at home with my babies. It has allowed me to create my own schedule and express myself in ways I never knew were possible before.
I had no idea at the time, but blogging has now set me up to be able to homeschool my kids, which I am so thankful for!
I know what you’re thinking- “I don’t know how to start a lifestyle blog” and “it just seems so hard to do” or “it’s too late to start a blog”- well I’m here to show you that a blog can be created easily by just following a few steps! And starting is the KEY to blogging! I had no plan when I started, other than to just share my life.
How to Start a Lifestyle Blog
1: Choose Your Blog’s Topic
2: Choose Your Platform
3: Get URL and Domain
4: Get Hosting
5: Install WordPress
6: Install a Theme
7: Publish Your First Post
What is a lifestyle blog?
A lifestyle blog is simply a blog where you write about things going on in your life! It can be very general, or can focus on one aspect of your life (like motherhood or fashion) with some other content mixed in every now and then. It’s really a wide-open option, which is why I recommend it!
You can start a blog related to anything though! Some of the most popular blogging categories are: food, lifestyle, parenting, fitness and finance.
This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to launch your own blog.
I created this one-page PDF printable with an 8-week launch checklist. If you do everything on this checklist, you’ll be well on your way to your first profitable month!
Before We Begin: Why create a lifestyle blog?
There are so many great reasons to start a blog today! Let’s talk about the obvious one first – money. Yes, you can earn money blogging. Within just a couple of years, I was making a notable income from the blog, after about 5 years I was making a full-time income and was able to leave my job! The good news for you, is that it’s easier to build a blog FAST in today’s world. I didn’t have Instagram, or even really Facebook at the time I started. Now, you have so many avenues to build a blog audience quickly! The best part is that because I make a living from my blog, I am able to stay home with my babies and work from here!
Don’t let anyone try and tell you blogging is an easy, get rich quick thing. It takes a LOT of work, but I still believe it is one of the BEST businesses a stay-at-home-mom, student (or anyone!) can start because of the LOW startup cost and unlimited potential.
I’ve been able to live a life I only dreamt about when I was waiting tables at a restaurant 12 years ago. I am able to wake up every day and do exactly what I want to do!
So, are you ready to start your blogging journey?
Print this pdf checklist to help make sure you complete all of the steps!
Step 1: choose your blog topic
What are you interested in?
Blogging about what interests you is very important. If you like the topic, and are interested in what you’re writing about, your readers will pick up on that. You’ll also enjoy doing it more and that is especially important if you’re going to stick with it.
Even if you’re blogging as a business, it should still be fun and something that you enjoy. If you start out writing for the sole purpose of making money, people will see straight through that.
What are you good at?
If you have a particular skill that you think should be shared with the world, a blog is the perfect place to do it! Do you excel in the kitchen? Start a food blog! Are your friends always asking you for fashion advice? Perhaps fashion blogging is the way to go.
If you can offer tips and generally help people out, they will flock to your blog.
Step 2: choose the proper platform
WordPress all the way
I won’t even discuss other options because I am so passionate about WordPress as a blogging platform. Here are a few reasons why WordPress is the best platform for blogging:
- Great for beginners
- Tons of free themes available
- Easily customizable, even if you have no coding knowledge
- There are tons of free plugins that make just about everything easier
- WordPress is the most commonly used platform, and therefore there are tons of resources out there providing help, should you get stuck
Why not a free platform?
There are many reasons why you should avoid using a free platform for your blog. Among them are:
- Some free platforms put their own ads on your site
- Most free platforms restrict your ability to put ads on your site or make any money at all
- There is virtually no support available and even something as simple as a design change warrants a cost (thus becoming not free)
- You will have an ugly URL, such as www.yourblog.blogspot.com
- Most importantly, you don’t own your blog when it’s on a free platform – it’s literally like building your house on land that you don’t own
Let me address that last point again. If your blog is on a free platform, you do not own the blog, or the URL. This means (and it has happened before) that your blog could be shut down at the drop of a hat, for any reason they see fit. Some blogs have been shut down because the blogger was working with a company that the platform owners don’t like. You don’t want to put your blog in someone else’s hands just to save five bucks a month.
Step 3: snag your URL or domain name
If you already have a domain name, click this page to see how to get HostGator hosting set up for your existing domain.
Ok, now that you’ve got your blog topic and are ready to set up your WordPress blog, it’s time to get a domain name. This will be your website’s address, or what goes here: www.YOURSITE.com.
Tips on choosing a domain name:
- Make it as short as you can. The shorter it is, the easier it is for people to remember and type.
- Make sure it conveys your blog’s message. While trying to keep it short, be sure to include something about yourself or your blog’s message in the URL.
- Don’t steal. It’s best not to copy someone else’s idea when it comes to your blog. I also don’t recommend using brand names in your URL.
Step 4: Get hosting
It’s time to click right here to head over to HostGator to get your domain and hosting.
I am a HostGator affiliate and get a commission when you use my links to save up to an extra 60% off your plan. I could be an affiliate for any company, but I choose HostGator due to their incredibly low costs and awesome 24/7 customer support. Their one-click WordPress install is perfect for people who are starting new blogs.
When you use the exclusive links on this post, plans start at under $5/month $3/month!
Note – I have an exclusive 40% off code up to 60% off deal for HostGator plans. Normal affiliates get a 25% off code to offer their readers, but I asked for more and you get to reap the benefits!
Choose a plan and you’ll be at this screen:
Next, you’ll enter the domain name aka your blog’s web address. The first couple you enter might already be taken. Don’t get discouraged! There are still great, unclaimed domain names out there!
Upon entering an available domain, you will see that it is available and it will be automatically added to your cart (as shown above).
You will then be given the option to add the .net and .org versions of your domain. I generally do not do this and only buy the .com domain.
You’ll also see a checkbox for “Domain Privacy Protection”. You want to keep this checked. It’s $10/year, but it prevents your registration information from being public information. This keeps your email address, phone number and even physical address from being public information. Instead, they will see HostGator’s company information.
Scroll down a bit to see this screen:
Confirm your hosting package and billing cycle length and then create an account username and password.
After that, scroll down and enter your billing info. Their site is 100% secure.
Note: if at any point during this process you get stuck, feel free to contact me (info at the bottom of post) or jump on the phone and call HostGator at 1-866-96-GATOR or click the “live chat” button in the top right portion of their page and they’ll be happy to help you out.
Scroll down a bit more for some extra options. You don’t NEED any of these, as they can all be achieved outside of HostGator. For example, there are plugins to back up your blog and to improve security. Basically, I’d take note as to what these add-ons do and look for ways to do them yourself. It’s cheaper and more effective.
If you used any of the links in this post, the next section will have code KDW60 already entered to get your 60% discount!
Underneath of that, you’ll be able to review your order. It will look something like this:
Check the box that you agree to their terms, move forward and complete your payment.
Whew!
Step 5: install WordPress
Once payment is complete, you’ll receive an email within a few minutes confirming your purchase and containing important information. I recommend forwarding this email to another email address that you own so it is in two places just in case.
Note: check your spam folder for the next couple of days to make sure nothing lands there. I am hearing that the email from LaunchPad (who HostGator uses to register your domain name) is ending up in spam folders. You’ll want that email to finalize your registration!
In the email will be a link to your control panel aka cpanel. You’re going to want to click that. You’ll have to login. The login and password will be in the email as well.
Now that you’re past that screen, you should get to your cPanel. This is the “back end” of your site and where all of the key technical matters will take place. It will look like this:
DON’T click the Build a New WordPress Site icon! We’re going to Install WordPress from a different location.
In the cpanel, you’ll see a LOT of icons. Ignore them all for now. You don’t want to spend a lot of time here unless you really know what you are doing. What we will do here is install WordPress. With HostGator, it is actually very easy to install WordPress on a domain. In your cPanel, scroll down and look for a “Software/Services” section. It’ll look like this:
Click QuickInstall to move forward.
Then choose WordPress:
Choose your domain from the dropdown and leave the directory box blank:
Next, you’ll be at the WordPress install screen.
Fill out the boxes on that next screen and click install. Install will take a couple of minutes and then you’ll see this screen:
From there, copy your password and click “login” use your username and password from the previous screen and login!
Note: While most blogs will be able to be accessed right away, this process could take up to 48 hours. A very few amount of blogs will have to wait up to 48 hours, due to their location in comparison to the HostGator data servers. Feel free to use the HostGator chat support found right on their site to ask them for updates on this process.
This is what your WordPress dashboard will look like:
Aaaaaaand that is how to start a lifestyle blog that is self-hosted on WordPress.
Whew! We made it! Was it easy? Do you have questions? Leave a comment below, email me [email protected] or catch me on Twitter @RealZackReyes. I’m happy to walk you through this process!
Step 6: find a theme that you like
At this point, you might want to take a look at our How to Set Up a WordPress Blog course here.
Hold your mouse over “Appearance” and click “Themes” to browse the hundreds of free WordPress themes available.
Look for a theme toward the top (probably the top 20 or so) of the “popular” themes section. You’ll find that by hovering on “appearance” then clicking “themes” then click “add new” and you’ll see the top themes.
The free themes have gotten really good and you should be comfortable picking one of those to get you started.
Step 7: publish your first post
When you’re ready to post, hover over the “Posts” option and a new dropdown menu will appear. Click New Post and you’re off and running! Congratulations- you have just started your own lifestyle blog!
To delete the original post that they put there, click all posts and you’ll see an option to trash that “Hello World” post.
Visit MoreFromYourBlog.com for tips on gaining traffic, increasing your social media following, making money from your blog and much, much more.
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Tips for Blogging Success
-Write about what you love. What are you passionate about? What makes you excited and really makes you you? If you write about things that you truly love, chances are your writing will be better and others will love reading it!
-Be consistent. Whether you’re blogging once a day or once a week, consistency is key!
-Be ethical. Disclose properly for products and payments received in return for posts, and also don’t plagiarize or steal ideas and images.
-Make your blog beautiful! Spend time (or money) making the small design details of your blog perfect for you!
-Be active on social media. Don’t automate all of your accounts. Rather, be present on each platform that you’re trying to build. People like you for you and your personality should sine through!
-Take pride in the pictures that you put on your blog. This is all yours- own it!
-Steer clear of any blog drama! It is not worth your time. If you don’t have anything nice to say, just don’t say anything at all!
-Most importantly: HAVE FUN! If you’re not enjoying what you are doing, you are more likely to give up. Plus, it will come through in your content, and others will be able to tell that you aren’t enjoying it, too.
To give you an idea of lifestyle blog content, some of my favorite posts are about my daughter turning one, what I did on a recent weekend and a list of things that make me happy. You see, lifestyle blogging truly can simply be all about you and your life! Document it all on a blog and see where it takes you!
Now go on with your blog self! ;)
Did you have any questions on how to start a lifestyle blog? Comment below and I’ll try and answer!
xo
Rabbane
Love this post! It really got me going on my site as I’ve reached a point in my life where I need to be doing something. And This was amazing advice, I’m loving WordPress over Blogger.
Candace Garcia
Thank you for this amazing blog. I am SUPER new to blogging and was inspired over the weekend by meeting with a few upcoming bloggers. I already have social media background but feel that blogging will help boost me to the next level and most importantly become more confident in my writing overall which I currently lack. Thanks again for all your help. -Candace @inspiredbycandace
Cathy
Your post about blogging has helped me build my blogging site. Thank you so much for sharing your passion to assist others build their blog and to share their voice.
The information posted on your site has helped me. I am now just waiting on the website to clear.
Aloha,
Cathy
Julia
Thanks for the great tips! Super helpful! I’d love for you to pop over to my new blog for fashion for women over 40 with mid-life bodies at http://www.whenthegirlsrule.com.
Amanda
this was so helpful.. being a beginner I am constantly looking for tips.. thank you so much
Jenna
Hi Katie!
I follow you on Instagram as jennaeostrowski at the moment but I followed your awesome tutorial and now I can go on with my bloggin’ self! Thank you so much! I really hope you check out http://www.thatmamalove.com sometime!
Question though! IF I purchase a Genesis theme how do I access that to my theme on WordPress? I am fumbling around at the moment haha
Thanks!
Katie
Hi Jenna! So happy to hear that you’re going to start blogging! Even better that you’re considering a Genesis theme!
Ok, so if you purchase a Genesis theme, you would have access to the theme files. Then, you’d just follow these steps:
1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance > Add New Themes.
2. Just below the headline, you will see a link that says “Upload” – click that.
3. Click the browse button and find the genesis.zip file from your local machine (or if using a child theme find the child theme’s zip file) and then click the “Install Now” button.
I hope that helps and feel free to email my husband if you get hung up on anything else: [email protected]
Melonie
Thank you for the awesome advice, Katie! So excited to get started. :-)
Katie
Aw you’re so welcome, Melonie! Best of luck!
xo
Katie R.
Great post, super helpful! Also, I LOVE your blog title! ;)
Vanessa Faulkner
HI!
I’m tempted to set up a blog but I have a few questions. What I want to do is market my idea, give a free trial, then set up something where customers can purchase my product. Does making a blog allow me to do all that? I just have no idea how to do all the technical things, like make active links, track the people who use my free trial, set up a pay pal account so people can purchase my product… Is this something that I would be able to do all on my own, having no experience, or should I get a website developer to help?
Thanks!!
Katie
Hi Vanessa!
That sounds like a great idea! A blog would be helpful in promoting most products, so I would have a blog to go with your ecommerce site. I would definitely recommend hiring someone to take care of the setup of the site for you unless you have a lot of time and patience. To learn everything involved in setting up an ecommerce site with a checkout system would be pretty intense. Just make sure you shop around a bit and don’t spend more than $500 or so on setup. There are plenty of people out there who would be able to get it done for that price or less.
Good luck with the setup!
xo
Jenn Barrer
Thank you so much for all of this. Quick question though, wordpress premium offers a domain registration for free, so is there really a need to register and pay for a domain registration with another company?
Katie
Hi Jenn!
WordPress does offer a premium option, however it’s $8.95/month and HostGator is around $5 if you use my code.
What’s more important is that you still don’t have access to the back end of your site, which is very important for certain things. I also believe you don’t have access to the full library of WordPress plugins, which is a tremendous loss. I use plugins to automatically back up my blog, to help with SEO, to reduce image file size and much more.
I’d really consider using HostGator with WordPress as opposed to WordPress Premium.
Jenn Barrer
So what you’re saying is host thru Gator, use the free WordPress and then upgrade to a premium template?
Jenn Barrer
So what you’re saying is to use the free wordpress option and then pay for a premium upgraded template?
Queen
Hello Katie,
I created my blog since 2008, though it was not in use for a long time until recently, when I decided to use my blog to enhance my writing skills. Can I change the template without any problem in order to save my blog because I think i’m on the free platform in the moment. I get to see lot of free adverts on my Blog… Thanks
Katie
Switching from a Blogspot blog to a self-hosted blog through HostGator is easy! There is a tutorial here about how to do just that: http://support.hostgator.com/articles/hosting-guide/website-transfers/how-can-i-transfer-my-blogger-site-to-hostgator-hosting
If you do make the switch, remember to use code KATIEDIDWHAT when signing up to save 30% on your hosting plan!
brittany
Hi Katie! This was very helpful! I have a Free WordPress account and have been blogging only a few months. Can I keep my blog name and use the HostGator? Or do you have a step-by-step for that?
Katie
Hi Brittany! You can definitely switch and keep your blog name. See this page for a step-by-step on how to switch from a free WordPress acocunt to HostGator & WordPress. Don’t forget to use coupon code KATIEDIDWHAT to save yourself 30% too!
Mary
Thank you for the awesome information, Katie! I’m setting up a free WordPress blog and now I’ll know what to do when I want to switch it!
Kirstie Hakanson
I didn’t go to WordPress because I already had a different host for my school portfolio. I already invested, but I’ve been thinking about WordPress. That one is kind of hard because mine seems to be okay but I’ve stuck to what I’m comfortable with. I use Weebly but I have a hard time with creating a website in and of itself. Although, regardless of recommendations, I can’t afford all of the recommendations made from other bloggers like installers, etc. This sucks but I’ve gotta start making money before I can consider anything else. Is there a good way to get this going before I start anywhere else? I think my host is good for a beginner, but perhaps that’s because I already had a set up with them. I don’t know what to do for my blog as far as getting it out there. This is something I’m really struggling with :(
Katie
Hi Kirstie! I definitely recommend checking out my email list for bloggers. (find out more here: https://www.katiedidwhat.com/free-social-media-course-and-blogging-email-series/ .) It’s got a ton of info about growing an audience and monetizing. If you can’t afford to go the HostGator/Wordpress route right now, try to build your audience with what you do have. You can grow your social audiences and point them wherever you are. Once you’ve grown enough, you can move to WordPress and pay for the things necessary to set up there. I hope that helps!
Jennifer
Hi, Katie. Thank you for sharing your blogging knowledge. I am a little confused about HostGator. I tried seeking help via the chat support but the wait was really long.
My questions are: I paid for my blog domain through WordPress. Will I still need HostGator? If so, why? What does HostGator do differently than WordPress?
Next question: I noticed on HostGator it says $5.95/month plan, but at checkout it states a price of $100+ I must pay upfront. So if I pay the larger fee of $100+, will I still be charged a monthly rate? Or do I have the option to do a monthly rate?
I am really confused and I am trying to understand. I really appreciate your help. Hope my questions are not too confusing! Thank!
Katie
Hi Jennifer!
Ok so you don’t NEED HostGator to run your blog. I recommend HostGator because using the free WordPress.com hosting is very limiting. You are not allowed to edit the css file of free WordPress.com hosted blogs, meaning you don’t have flexibility in changing visual things on your site. There are also a limited number of themes which offer support there. Additionally, they don’t allow plugin use. I use plugins for things like social sharing, backing up my blog, SEO, design things and more. I wouldn’t recommend blogging without plugins to anyone.
As far as the price. I think the monthly price you see is being calculated a year or two at a time at checkout. You can change it somewhere to monthly, but the price per month goes down the more you pay for up front.
To clarify, if you pay the $100+ amount and it’s for one or two years, you don’t pay anything monthly.
I hope that helps!
Erin
Hi Katie! I have my blog set up exactly how you walk through in this tutorial. How can I edit the css file and add plugins to my site? I keep running into WordPress telling me I need to have the premium plan even though I am hosted through HostGator?! I am so new to this and super confused! Thanks!
Katie
Hi Erin! I’m not sure why that’s happening. If you are all paid through HostGator, it could be that you just have to point your WordPress URL to the HostGator servers. See if this page helps: http://support.hostgator.com/articles/specialized-help/technical/wordpress/transfer-wordpress-from-wordpress-com-to-your-self-hosted-wordpress
If not, their support should be more than happy to help you out. They’ve walked a few of my readers through the process. Let me know if you still have problems with this!
Erin
Thank you! You are so helpful and kind :-)
Skully
Love this! Very helpful since I’m new to the whole blogging thing and had no idea where to put my ideas into reality! Thank you for the information!
Erin
Hi Katie,
Thanks so much for this post! It’s incredibly helpful! I finally bit the bullet and started my own blog after saying for years (!) that I should do it.
I follow your instructions/advice and went through Host Gator, then installed WordPress.
I then purchased Genesis and installed it, but now I am very confused. I see a lot of references to installing a “child theme.” I read all about why this is important and the benefits of doing this, but I can’t seem to find an answer to the (what I think is) simple question – where do I get a child theme? Do I have to purchase this separately? I see a reference to some being free, but it there are only a few that are free, is there a reason why you recommend purchasing Genesis?
Sorry for all the questions. I feel very old suddenly and very un-hip not knowing anything about this! LOL
Thanks in advance for your help!
Katie
Hi Erin!
I recommend Genesis themes because they are beautiful, well coded and easy to work with. I think what happened is you clicked the link and only bought the framework. All of the themes there should be around $59.95-$99.95 and will include the framework. If you’ve already bought the framework (which it sounds like you have) login and come back here to click the link again. Your pricing might be lower if you’re logged in with the account that you bought the framework from.
If not, I would try and cancel the transaction. Just explain that you meant to buy a child theme and the framework together. They should give you no grief, but if you have trouble there, let me know.
Once you have done that, you can browse the themes (any of them except the first one (which is the framework only) and buy the one you want.
That was a lot, I hope it makes sense!
Erin
Thank you so much for your reply! This definitely makes sense. I’ll give it a go and let you know what happens! :)
Thank you again!!
Erin
Update! Huzzah! It worked! This makes SO much sense now! :-D
Thank you again, Katie! I have been reading your blog since before you announced your second pregnancy – I love reading everything you share!
Thank you again for helping wannabe bloggers like me! It can be really confusing to start this, and I wanted to “do it right,” and I really feel you have given me to tools to succeed (or at least, giving me the motivation to finally do what I’ve wanted to for years). :)
Brittany Harris
Thank you so much for this post! It was so helpful in while I’ve been working to get started!
D Moore
Oh my goodness, Katie, i did it!! Your blog is the ultimate life saver! I would have never known what to do if it weren’t for this blog! You will get MAJOR kudos on my NEW blog! ;) HonestlyMoore.
MiLinda C Taylor
Hello! I’m super confused. I’m knew to all this blogging stuff. I have attempted to set it all up once before but couldn’t figure it out. I bought a year with HostGator and then installed wordpress for free. Next, I clicked on your link for Genesis theme and bought it for$59.99 and then here is where I get so lost and frustrated. How are HostGator, wordpress and my Genesis theme all connected? Why do you need all 3? Does my Genesis theme somehow get connected to wordpress? Sorry, I just don’t get it.
Katie
Hi MiLinda!
Glad to hear you’re starting a blog! Ok so your WordPress blog is hosted by HostGator. You can’t have a self-hosted Worpdress blog without hosting. The Genesis themes are premium WordPress themes that you install in your WordPress dashboard. If you bought Genesis, you should be able to access this page, which shows you how to install the theme: http://my.studiopress.com/docs/install-genesis-child-theme/
I hope that clears it up a bit! Feel free to email me if you have any other questions – [email protected]
MiLinda C Taylor
Hi Katie! Thank you so much for all your help. I’ll let you know how it goes.😬 I’m determined to make this work. The technical side of blogging scares me a little though. Haha! Talk to you soon.~MiLinda Taylor
Jamie
Hi Katie! As everyone else has said, this was such a helpful post and exactly what I needed to take the first step it start blogging! I am so excited to begin a new adventure in the blogging world! Thank you for being an inspiration to us all!
-Jamie
Monica
Hi! I love this post! It’s been super helpful in trying to figure out what/how I want to blog. I’m due with my first child in December and have always wanted to learn how to share the wonderful things in life as well as making money at it. I have a question though that may be so simple it sounds stupid but I just can’t quite figure it out. As far as hosting, what is the difference between paying someone like host gator or godaddy as opposed to paying WordPress for the domain? They seem about the same price in the end and I can’t figure it out. I get that you have to spend money to make money, especially in the beginning. But I don’t want to have to spend money I don’t have to. If I go with an “outside” host will I still have to pay for a WordPress site to be able to put my own ads and make money? Thanks for you help!
-Monica
becomingmamab.wordpress.com
Katie
Hi Monica,
Thanks for the kinds words!
Ok, so you can buy just the domain from WordPress, but that is not the same as a self-hosted blog. Your blog will still be hosted for free by WordPress and therefore, you don’t own the rights to the content. You also won’t have as much flexibility with editing or running your blog, as plugin use is very limited. When you go with HostGator, GoDaddy or WordPress domains are not needed. You get the domain and hosting in one fell swoop. Again, this is what I highly recommend to people starting out.
I hope that clarifies it!
Brooke
Hey Katie,
I’m a bit confused. On the last few steps i have installed word press and got my login/password details emailed to me (i got the little pop up you point out that says the install was completed). When i get redirected to my site to actually login to wordpress, i don’t get the login option. It just shows me the front page of my site? I’ve tried this several times and I’m not sure what the issue it. And it has been over 48hrs since i downloaded it and started the process. I don’t have access to see my wordpress dashboard at all? Id reaaaaaally appreciate any help you could offer!
Katie
Hi Brooke! So when you go to http://www.YOURBLOG.com/wp-admin it redirects to your homepage? Feel free to email my husband for quicker replies – [email protected]
Hailly
Hi Katie –
Thanks so much for this post! I’m in the very beginner stages of trying to set up a blog, actually we are a group of 4 trying to come together for one blog. Any advice on how not to overwhelm the world with 4 writers and still get our messages across?
THANKS!
Katie
Hi Hailly! Wow, that’s quite an undertaking! The best advice that I can give for that is to get on a schedule and keep a tight editorial calendar so everyone can see what the other writers are working on. Keep it flowing and avoid duplicate content. Perhaps each writer could be an “expert” in one certain area?
Best of luck with everything!
Elle
Hey Katie,
Thank you so much for this blog post. I am very new to the whole blogging scene, but am super excited about starting my own blog soon. All of your tips were super helpful!
Sharon
Hi Katie,
I really enjoyed your post and have wanted to start a blog for several years. I have allowed many things to stop me from starting; however at this point money is a major factor for me. I had to leave my job 6 months ago due to a medical condition. Not to make this too long and to pitiful I wanted to find out from you how would you suggest I start my blog with no income at this point? I really need to get income coming into our household and until now I have really not been in a state of mind to where I could really put forth the time to it. My friends and family tell me I give the best advice when it comes to life and relationship problems. I am a realist and see things from the outside in. I know that relationship and lifestyle blogs tend to do well. What are your thoughts? Thanks
Katie
Hi Sharon, I would recommend maybe starting out by trying to build an Instagram account or other social network. Once you have an audience there, you may be able to start making money from a blog pretty quickly after starting one. I still only recommend starting with HostGator, as they are a great combination of being inexpensive and reliable. If you’re worried about spending the money, I’d start on a (free) social network and see if people are responsive to your writing. I hope that helps!
sheena
Hi Katie,
I followed your instructions and installed wordpress in hosgator but now I’m stuck when trying to upload the genesis theme. I followed your link and purchased the genesis framework ( first option) but I can’t add any themes in wordpress, nor can I install genesis onto my computer. I’m a bit confused. On my download screen in studio press I have genesis framework and genesis sample available for download, but once I download both, there aren’t any zip files for me to open. Did I purchase the wrong one and do I have to purchase one of the listed themes instead of the genesis framework itself? Sorry if this is confusing.
Katie
Hi Sheena, I just edited the post to be more clear. Yes, you have to purchase one of the Genesis themes (not the framework only) for it to work. I believe they will refund your purchase and allow you to buy a theme/framework bundle, as this is something that has happened to my readers before. Again, I apologize for the confusion!
Jenna
Hi Katie,
I was wondering if you had any advice about whether your personal Instagram page should be combined with your blog, or if the accounts should be separated? What has worked well for you?
Katie
Hey Jenna, I think it depends on what you’re going for! For me, my blog is lifestyle- I share my personal life, struggles, family, as well as fashion and beauty- every thing that interests me and that I love. Therefore, it makes sense that my Instagram is combined with my blog. It’s seamless that way. But if you’re wanting to blog only about a specific topic, or you just want to separate personal from blog-related stuff, then by all means make two! Totally up to you! :)
xo
Kirsten
Thank you so much for this post! I’m so glad you actually helped and went through the process of setting up HostGator and WordPress. You’re awesome!
Katie
No problem! Glad it helped!
Norine
Thanks for this blog post. I love blogging and it’s always nice to get a fresh perceive when you need inspiration either to start a blog or update the current blog you run.
Nicole Roongroj
Hi Katie! Thank you so much for this blog! After reading this (and many others), I’ve decided to start my own! Your post was especially helpful and gave me a lot of tips and insights. I don’t plan on making money on my blog or anything but I just wanted to me in a community when we can all share parts of our lives!
Nicole
Katie
Nicole, that is a PERFECT attitude to thave when starting a blog! Just wanting to do it to be a part of something is amazing. In the future, if making money becomes an idea, you’ll be great!
Poonam Walid
Great post I’ve just started blogging x
Olivia Engleman
This is such a great post! If you wouldn’t mind, I would absolutely love it if you could look at my lifestyle blog, https://lifeaslivblogs.wordpress.com/ . Thanks so much!
Haley Jackson
ok So i have a blog with blogger.com. I want to switch to wordpress per your recommendation. How do I do this and make sure all of my content is switched over??
Haley Jackson
Also I signed up for you blog email list for tips and advice, and it has been a little while and I did not save the social media package. Could I get that resent to me? Also some questions:
Media kit. What is it and how do I get one?
Best place to purchase a “template” “theme” not sure what you call it but basically I want my blog to look pretty and work well and be user friendly without breaking the bank since I am not currently making any profit.
Also, for example, I plan to do lots of posts about Old Navy because it is my favorite for kids clothes as well as mine and my husbands. How do I make money if people click my links and purchase what I have linked??
Sorry for all of the questions, but I honestly do not know anyone else to ask! Very new to blogging if you can’t tell.
Stella
Love this! Thank you so much. I just posted for the first time and it was terrifying! I am freaking out with all of the information I have to read about building and maintaining my blog, but I’m also really excited to start this journey.
Katie
So exciting that you started! Best of luck on this new journey!
arhasan
Hi Katie! As everyone else has said, this was such a helpful post and exactly what I needed to take the first step it start blogging! I am so excited to begin a new adventure in the blogging world! Thank you for being an inspiration to us all!
Katie
Awesome!! I’m so happy to hear that! Best of luck with all things blogging! :)
xo
Lauren @ Smiles Between Sets
This blog post is just what I needed – thank you!!! I recently started blogging and have been feeling so overwhelmed with all of the info out there. It is incredibly helpful to see the big picture broken down into manageable steps. Thanks again, Katie! You are truly an inspiration!
Katie
Ahhh that is AMAZING! I’m so glad this was so helpful. :) Thanks for your comment- you are the reason we wrote this post!!
xo
Nicole
Hi Katie,
What a great article! I’ve put a lot of thought into starting a blog lately and this post has given me everything I need to know to move forward :)
I do have one question though- when you say, “If your blog is on a free platform, you do not own the blog, or the URL,” is that referring to using the free wordpress plan without a host gator plan?
I just want to be sure that if I sign up for a free wordpress plan and then buy a host gator plan, I will own the blog and the URL and the blog can’t be unexpectedly shut down!
Thanks for your help!
Katie
Hey girl, so glad this is helpful to you! I’m not 100% sure if I understand, but can say that if you go through my link and purchase hosting from host gator, wordpress will be free and you will own your content and your blog can never be shut down.
xo
Nicole
Exactly the answer I was looking for :) Thanks again!!
Tiffany
I am in production right now with my blog and am debating to host or leave it on WordPress. What would be some of the benefits of hosting it?
Katie
Hi Tiffany, not sure if you read the post, but I talk about some reasons why hosting it is a good idea in the post!
Carol
This is a super helpful post. I am just about to begin my blog.