Want to start a blog doing and monetizing what you love, but not sure of the steps or where to start? No problem.
Disclosure: My goal is to recommend products and services that I think you’ll find useful. If you make a purchase, this site may get a small share of the sale from its partners — at no additional cost to you.
One of the best decisions I have ever made was starting a blog. Since then, NWC Digital (formerly Nicole’s Lifestyle Lounge) is more than a lifestyle blog—it’s the cornerstone of my business.
My blogging journey started in January 2012 when I started a blog as an outlet for self-expression. I was already contributing to several local publications, so starting my own blog was not too far-fetched. However, I built it out of necessity while faced with a complicated pregnancy with my second child. After I was forced out of work and into bedrest with mounting medical bills, a blog that she started only a few months before allowed her to stay in bed and help support her family.
I was clueless when I first started but since then, I’ve learned countless lessons (the hard way!). I immersed myself in this newfound digital world, and learned to write good copy, SEO fundamentals, and how to build an audience. I even studied more successful bloggers, to learn strategies to grow my own blog.
Blogging is one of the easiest ways to share your ideas with the world. However, blogging can get really overwhelming with all the unrealistic expectations or things you let trip you up. Rather than celebrating your own passion and creativity, you can find yourself playing the comparison game. Something, I too was guilty of. However, once I stopped comparing my page 1 to other people’s page 10, I was able to make some incredible things happen for myself and my little blog.
Enters my first brand collaboration. I didn’t have thousands of followers but to my surprise, brands started to take notice. To date, I’ve worked with some cool brands and awesome clients including Dreft, Victorinox Army Swiss, Pinnacle Vodka, Target, Johnson & Johnson, Squarespace, and VIP invites to events including New York Fashion Week.
Please do note, while blogging as a business is simple it is not easy. I’ve invested a lot of effort and sleepless nights–and still do before I saw a dime. The business of blogging takes patience, hard work, and unbreakable passion. Not to mention the legalities that come with it. Together with my skills and talent, blogging became the vehicle through which I share my passion and expertise, create income, gain exposure for my business, and sell products and services.
Looking back at my journey, it has not been an easy road but I wouldn’t have done things any differently.
The Steps to Start a Blog
Ready to share your ideas or expertise with the world? Here are a few steps to start and grow a blog.
(Do note that this post has been updated to reflect accuracy and maintain credibility, as well as to keep up with the blogosphere.)
1. Determine what to blog about
I quickly learned, that copying other bloggers or creators and expecting to get the same results were not going to work. First, I had to identify my own skills, experiences, and area of expertise in order to find my niche. In other words, determine what you do well that would help make life better for your intended audience. Next, identify my WHY, then determine what success looked like for me. In other words, you need a strategy.
2. Purchase a custom domain name
When I realized I wanted to turn my blog into a business, I went ahead and purchased a custom domain. I find that GoDaddy makes its domain management simple, plus they have superb customer support. To top it off, I professionalized my email using and running my business like a pro with Google Workspace (previously G-Suite), the productivity suite made for professionals. With Google Workspace you will get all the Google apps you love, including Gmail, Drive, Docs, Meet, and more designed for business.
3. Choose a platform
Choosing a blogging platform may seem overwhelming since there are quite a few free services available. However, the best platforms are WordPress (as in self-hosted WordPress.org NOT WordPress.com) or Squarespace. But if you want to own and have full control of your website and all its data, then WordPress is the platform of choice.
As mentioned, I first started my blog on Blogger, spent some time on both WordPress and Squarespace, and currently reside on WordPress.
4 & 5. Choose a hosting account and install WordPress
If you made the decision to go with WordPress, then you will need to think about reliable hosting. Hosting will be one of the most important decisions you will make since the performance of your site will depend on it. I recommend Bluehost, which is the hosting provider I use and is trusted by many top bloggers. They even offer an easy one-click WordPress install.
If you made the decision to go with Squarespace, you get free unlimited hosting, top-of-the-line security, and dependable resources to help you succeed.
6. Design your blog
Once you’ve selected your hosting provider then want to make it look professional and beautiful. This is where themes come into play. If you opted for WordPress, you can either go with a free or purchase a premium theme. I suggest the latter if you want a unique blog theme personalized for your needs. And if you opted for Squarespace then you can make any of their plug-and-play templates yours with ease.
7. Start blogging
Now it’s time to start blogging. However, once you started the next question should be how to grow. The answer to that is a ‘strategy’ that’s focused on the desires of your intended readers. You’ll want to attract and engage your readers with evergreen posts, ensure your site is mobile and user-friendly, and be sure to include a “Pin It” button to make your images easily pinnable.
You will need certain resources on your blog monetization journey: a content calendar to schedule your blog and social media posts, Canva to design beautiful brand collaterals, and an email marketing tool to encourage your readers to subscribe.
Still, need help with getting your blogging business started? Schedule a discovery session today.
