How To Start Your Own Cooking Blog

So you want to start a blog, huh? Well, that's an excellent idea.

Starting a blog is the greatest decision I ever made in my life.

Today I am going to walk you through 9 easy to follow steps to start your own blog

Blogging does not require any expertise; anyone from anywhere can start one.

Yet it has many benefits, let me just mention a few:

You can do it in the comfort of your home.
Blogging has the potential to become the primary income source for you, my favorite part.
It provides a platform to express yourself and articulate your opinions.

Pretty cool, huh?

Not to mention that creating a blog and maintaining it does not require a fortune.

Now you can start your blog on Bluehost for as little as $3.95 per month, and you also get a FREE domain name.

Today you are going to learn precisely how to start your blog!

You will learn the exact steps from scratch:

How to install and design your blog so that it looks exactly the way you want.
The unwritten rules of being a responsible and ethical blogger; so that you will have a steady flow of loyal readers following your every word.
How to make money with it; it's not as difficult as you may think.

This is a step-by-step guide so you can bookmark this page, and always return to it for reference if you can't finish everything today.

Here are the 9 easy to follow steps to learn how to start your own blog:

Pick a niche
Pick the right domain name
Get web hosting
Building your blog on WordPress
Design your blog
Setup Pages
Write your first post
Promote your blog
Monetize your blog

Are you ready to learn how to create a blog that sucks in thousands of visitors every month and make your first bucks with it?
Let's jump right in

Step 1 Choose a niche

Choosing a niche is the first step for starting a blog.

A niche is a topic that you major in when writing your content examples traveling, pets, technology e.t.c

A niche blog is profitable, and it can grow a loyal and engaged audience. Most successful blogs focus on a rather exclusive niche that draws a unique set of visitors.

When starting, I recommend you to select a niche that you are knowledgeable and usually read.

Here I have listed niches that you can pick from to start blogging.
Health: Weight loss, Fitness, how to get a six-pack, Wrinkles and Skincare, Diet and Nutrition, Supplements

Dating and relationships: Proposing, gifts, flirting, divorce

Wealth: Making Money Online, Entrepreneurship, Financial advisor, Investing, Credit Cards management, Entrepreneurship, Bitcoin, crypto-currency, Real Estate, Dropshipping, stocks

Electronics and Gadgets: Drones, Headphones, Smartphones Specs, Computers, Camera Gear, Lenses, Photography, Graphics, Gaming Accessories

Hobbies: Cooking, Pets, Sewing, Travelling, Programming, Airlines, Hotels, Music, Cars, Gardening

Fashion: Sneakers, Athletic Wear, Watches, Sunglasses, Smartwatches, and much, MUCH more…

Don't be limited by this list. It's just for helping you brainstorm.

Step 2 Pick the right domain name

When starting a blog, choosing a domain name can be stressful because you don't want to make a mistake. But don't worry, the name will get recognition and acceptance by the traction that your blog acquires.

But having a memorable name is crucial.

Here are tips to help you create the right domain name:

Choose a Brandable domain name.
Always choose a .com domain extension.
It should be short and easy to remember.
Avoid hyphens and numbers.
It must be easy to spell and to pronounce.

A domain name costs between 12-18 dollars per year, but in step 3, I'm going to show you how to get it for FREE! Using Bluehost, you can set up your blog for as little as $3.95/month, and also get a FREE domain name!

In this 7-Day FREE email course, I show you how to create a blog, attract readers, and earn your first income. You don't need any technical skills it is simple. Join now!

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular updates and get access to the free course.

Step 3 Get a web hosting

To get your blog on the internet, you need web hosting.

A web hosting is a server that puts your website up on the internet where everyone can access it. This hosting keeps your website data that is images, design, content, etc.

You can take web hosting as storage on the internet where your blog is saved.

Selecting a reliable hosting will be one of the crucial decisions you make as there are tons of them
You need web hosting, which is safe and secure.

The wrong web host can cause many problems with your blog. The functionality and performance of your site depend on your hosting provider.

I recommend Bluehost, and it is the one I'm going to show you how to use in setting up your blog in this guide.

It is probably one of the cheapest hosting providers out there. It costs $3.95 per month. A domain name that costs between 12-18 dollars with Bluehost, you get it for FREE!

Here are the reasons why I recommend Bluehost and why you may want to choose it for your hosting services:

It has a clean and easy to use interface for beginners.
Bluehost is extremely affordable, just $3.95 per month.
You get a free domain name (saves you 12 -18 dollars for a domain name).
Using WordPress through Bluehost is free (WordPress is the best blogging software that I'm going to use in this guide. WordPress is responsible for over 30% of the websites on the internet).
Free SSL
Unlimited bandwidth
Unlimited storage
24/7 support through LiveChat and phone calls, you choose the one you prefer.
30-day money-back guarantee

Bluehost is the hosting provider officially recommended by WordPress.

To start your blog for a special price, use my link here, Grab Bluehost hosting services, for an extra special price.

Click on 'Get Started now.'

Select a plan. I propose starting with a basic plan. It is more than enough. You can upgrade in the future if you want.

On the next screen, register your free domain name. If you have not decided on your domain name yet, don't worry, just click on 'choose later.'

On the next screen, put in your contact details.

On the next screen, choose your packages. Uncheck everything except for 'domain privacy protection,' to save up money.

Note that if you have selected the option to choose a domain name later, you won't see the domain privacy protection option. You can pay for it later when you register your domain name.

Next, all you have to do is to put your credit/debit card details and submit. If you want to pay using PayPal, you just can click on 'more payment options.'

Upon making the payment, Bluehost will set up your blog in a few minutes.

Pretty simple, right?

Step 4 Start your blog on WordPress

The good thing about using Bluehost, WordPress is automatically installed for you.
Once you complete the steps I have walked you through above, you will now need to create a secure password.

Then Bluehost will walk you through the process of starting your blog on WordPress.

First, you will have to choose a theme for your website. You can pick any unless you have one in mind, don't worry, you can always change in the future.

start your own blog by picking a theme in Bluehost

You will come to this screen with a button that says "Start Building" click on that button.

Once done, you will come to the next screen where you will have to pick a blog type.

starting a blog pick type options Bluehost

There are two options "personal" or "business." You just pick one of your choices, or you can just click, "I don't need help."

It's not a big deal; they ask this to suggest suitable tools to help you build your blog.

After selecting your blog type, HOORAY! You have just created a website where you can start blogging!
Before you, it is a WordPress dashboard where you will design and produce high-quality content for your blog.

Step 5 Design your blog

Your blog design is the first impression for your visitors. The first impression needs no telling; you already know its importance.

From design alone, readers will know whether to trust your blog or not. Good design builds trust.

So you need to be careful with the theme you install on your website.

NB Theme is what controls the entire design of your blog.

You access themes by clicking on the "Appearance" tab on the left menu. There are thousands of themes there.

You need to install a responsive theme. By responsive, I mean a theme that is optimized for mobile and tablet layout.

Mobile searches are now more prominent than desktop searches, so your site must be mobile-friendly.

I recommend Astra, and it is a free theme. Astra's theme is clean, lightweight, and beginner-friendly because it has ready-made templates.

You just search for Astra theme in the search box and click "install" then "activate."

Once you install and activate Astra's theme, you can pick any ready-made templates relating to your niche (there are templates for each niche). Astra is a perfect theme for any new blog.

WordPress Plugins

Other than the theme, you need to pay attention also to plugins

WordPress plugins are software that you install to help your website's functionality, performance, etc.

Just like themes, there are thousands of WordPress plugins. Here I'm just going to list the ones you need when starting a new blog.

Askimet
Yoast SEO
WP Rocket

You access plugins by clicking the "Plugins" tab on the left menu then "add new"

WordPress Settings

Permalinks: Out of all the settings, this is one of the most important. Permalinks are the URLs that WordPress generates for your content.

For example, when you publish a new blog post, WordPress might assign it a URL such as this one:

https://www.yourblog.com/?p=9. These types of URLs are bad for SEO rankings.

You would want to change it to https://www.yourblog.com/post-name.

Change your URL structure by going to the Settings > Permalinks screen, and check out the options within.

There are six permalink structures you can choose from, choose "post name" using post name permalink is SEO friendly

Step 6 Setup pages

Pages are the essence of your blog. Let's just face it; it is tough to picture a website without any pages on it.

You access pages on the left menu >> Pages>> "Add new".

Homepage – is the first page that your visitors see when they go to your website.

A typical Homepage should have a short explanation of your blog and how it can help potential readers. Always keep in mind that it should be brief.

The design must be on point.

Examples of good homepages.

About page – is a page explaining to the world what your website is about.

Who you are.
What matters to you?
What do you do?
Contact page is often the go-to for a new visitor to your blog. It's where they go when they have a question and genuinely want to speak individually to you.

Install the plugin "Wp forms" to access 'contact us' forms that look professional.

Blog page – The good news is that the blog page is already created for you. It is created when you install WordPress.

Step 7 Write your first blog post

When writing your posts, write engaging content. Google recently emphasized on user engagement, and the blogs with more engaging content are the ones that rank on top.

You must write content relevant to your niche this ensures that your audience will remain interested in your blog.

You must take your time to plan out posts ahead, do not rush.

Write your articles on specific keywords to rank high in search engines.

Do proper keyword research as you strategize content, looking for data to help you decide what to write.

Tips on writing a good blog post:

It should be relevant to your niche.
It should be useful and interesting enough to keep your readers engaged.
Write introductions that grab your readers' attention.
Write in short paragraphs.
Use visuals example images.

Step 8 Promote your blog

You may have the best content in your niche, but if you don't get traffic to it, no one is going to know about your blog.

That sucks, right?

One of the key elements to maximizing the money you earn on your blog is driving greater traffic to the blog.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Ranking high in search engines has the potential to drive the most significant volume of traffic to your blog for free

Choose the perfect keywords and optimize them with your post. Consider the following things:

When you are starting a new blog, don't go for high volume keywords.

It is difficult to rank high for those. You will need a considerable amount of backlinks to rank high, which is not easy to tell you the truth.

Instead, you need to pick a fight you can win. There are so many 'lonely' keywords in an awful lot of niches. How easy it is to rank for some of these keywords may surprise. You just have to do your research to find them. Just head over to Google keywords planner.

When you have chosen them, don't just target one in your article, put a bunch of them throughout your blog post. The amount of organic traffic, those 'lonely' and small volume keywords will bring, will surely amaze you!!

Leverage social media networks

Social media can be a minefield. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, and TikTok are some of the biggest social networks.

There is no point in trying to promote your blog on all social media networks.

Choose at most two that best fit your niche and become an expert at leveraging them to help reach your goals.

A secret you can use to succeed on social media networks is to study what your niche leaders are doing on social media and the platforms they're putting much of their concentration.

Be active in forums

Niche relevant forums are an excellent source of traffic, but this will depend on your niche and your reputation on the forum.

I have managed to do some excellent promotions in many forums. My favorite is Quora.

Quora is a question and answer website where people can ask any question, and others reply with long-form answers.
You can leave a link where people can find more of your content, and that's your blog, of course!

You can find a question asking what you wrote in your blog post, exciting right.
Always remember to write relevant and engaging answers; if possible, include visuals in your answers.

There many forums out there including Reddit, Quora, etc

You have to observe rules, though; every forum has its set of rules you must obey.

Guest Posting

Find websites that allow guest posting. Create a blog article related to your niche and get published; this will enable you to engage with new audiences.

Grow an email list

I can't emphasize enough on the essence of an email list.

When it comes to promoting your blog, an email list is of sentimental value. Studies show that email subscribers are the most engaged type of followers.

Your email list is the asset that you cannot lose whatsoever changes might occur to the internet.

I use GetResponse; it is the one I advocate for email list management. Getresponse is an autoresponder service.

An autoresponder is a software service that allows you to collect and automatically send out emails to a group or several different groups of people. You will need one to start growing your email list.

You can use GetResponse for free for 30 days.

Step 9 Making money with your blog

Blogging can be a deal of fun for some bloggers, but to most, it is a source of income including me.

Below I have listed seven ways you can start making money from your blog:

1. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is essentially the act of promoting other people's products or services in exchange for a commission whenever your endorsement leads directly to a sale. In my opinion, it is the best way you can monetize a blog; that's why I have put it on number one. It has the potential to generate significant amounts of passive income.

2. Display advertising

This is a great way of earning passive income online.
You sign up for a Google Adsense account, and Google will be displaying ads relevant to your blog topics. You will be paid per impression or per click. Probably the most natural way you can monetize your blog.

3. Sponsored content

When your blog starts getting traffic, the industry in your niche can contact you to write sponsored content related to their products. You will be are paid per post.

To get this Sponsorship, either the sponsor contacts you, or you reach out to the sponsor, asking to review their product in a sponsored post.
But before you contact them to make your blog look professional and check you got the target audience for the advertisers.

4. Sell eBooks or courses

EBooks and courses are trendy choices of 'passive income' for bloggers these days, and it seems like almost every established blog is offering either one or both. Once you have the experience, gather your content, case studies, strategies, and tips into a course or eBook which people can pay for access. Courses can be in the form of videos.

5. Sell Coaching or Consulting

If you are in a niche where people can seek advice on, plus you have decent traffic coming in, place a "get consultation" slot for starters. Selling Coaching and Consulting is something that might not cost you a lot, but may cater consultation requested or even leads.

6. Paid Membership

Paid Membership is a great way to monetize your blog. You can show your premium content and give access to your community to those with the monthly membership subscriptions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about starting a blog

What exactly is a blog?

A blog is like a digital journal where you talk about your passions or interests. It is a place where you share and help others with your expertise and talk about what you love.

Can anybody start a blog?

Absolutely! Blogging is one side hustle where you don't need any expertise to start, and you get paid for doing what you love. It doesn't require an investment to start one.

How much money can you make from blogging?

It depends on several factors, but it is possible to make an excellent income from blogging. I know bloggers who make over $45k every month from blogging. If you just use the right strategies, making money with your new blog is entirely possible!

In this 7-Day FREE email course, I show you how to create a blog, attract readers, and earn your first income. You don't need any technical skills it is simple. Join now!

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