Amateur blogging has become popular in recent years, thanks to free platforms like WordPress. Individuals now have a chance to express their thoughts, share knowledge, and connect with others who share similar interests.
This step-by-step guide is designed to help you navigate the world of amateur blogging. I will provide you with all the necessary information you need to start your blog successfully.
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What is Amateur Blogging
Amateur blogging is simply the practice of creating and maintaining a blog as a hobby or personal project.
Unlike professional blogging, amateur bloggers typically do not rely on their blogs as a primary source of income. Instead, they use it as a creative outlet or a platform to share their experiences, opinions, and expertise on a specific subject.
Amateur blogs can be about anything, from personal experiences to hobbies to current events. They can be written by individuals or small teams sharing a common goal or interest. They are often more informal and personal than professional blogs, and they may not be as polished or well-edited.
How to Start an Amateur Blog in 8 Steps
1. Choose a Niche
The very first step into any sort of blogging is to choose a niche. How do you do this?
1. Identify Your Interests
Choose a niche that aligns with your interests and expertise. This is even more important in amateur blogging because, here, you blog about something you are interested in.
2. Choose a Specific Topic
Choosing a specific topic in your niche will attract and engage your targeted audience. For example, if you are passionate about photography, you may want to choose a niche in that sector like Nature Photography, Vintage Photography, Urban Photography, or Sports Photography.
Someone interested in fashion could also start blogging about men’s or women’s fashion, contemporary fashion, or kids’ fashion.
Let your heart guide you to your desired niche so that you will be able to transmit your excitement to your audience!
2. Choose a Blog Name
Next, find a name for your blog. Your blog name should be attractive and unique enough for it not to create confusion and for your readers to find your blog more easily. These tips will help:
1. Hint at Your Niche
Even though amateur blogging is not completely focused on the target audience, your blog name should show your audience what you will be talking about (your niche). You shouldn’t just choose a name you find unique but that doesn’t hint at your niche.
2. Make it Scalable
You may want to start your blog as a hobby, and then depending on how successful it becomes turn it into a lucrative business. If you plan to do this, a scalable blog name is a must. A scalable name is one that can accommodate a change or an upscale in the profile of your blog.
For example, if you are passionate about tech reviews, particularly mobile phones and you want to blog about that, you can decide to name your blog “Phone Zone” but this name is not scalable; instead use “Gadget Zone” or “Techno Zone”.
Now you can scale your blog up whenever you’re ready and discuss not just mobile phones but all sorts of technological devices.
3. Use a Blog Name Generator
If you get stuck, trying to figure out the perfect name for your amateur blog then you can use a blog name generator. A blog name generator will simplify your task by proposing excellent names for your blog.
One of such tools you can use is Business Name Generator. This generator will give you suggestions after you enter keywords that describe the idea you have of your blog.
3. Purchase a Domain Name
Finally you have a blog name! Now it’s time to secure your domain name. A domain is the web address your blog will have. You can purchase a domain name from a reputable domain name registrar like A2, GoDaddy, Namecheap or Google Domains. Ideally your domain name should be the same as your blog name to make it easier for people to find your blog on the web.
When you land on the domain name registrar, run a domain search by keying in the domain name you want to buy to check its availability. Next you can select the domain if your preferred domain name is available or you select an alternative option if it’s already taken.
Remember to purchase a domain you can afford and that will suit your blog perfectly to enhance your amateur blogging experience.
4. Host Your WordPress Amateur Blog
After finding a blog name, you must find a reliable web hosting service. Web hosting is a service that allows your blog to be accessible on the internet.
Choose a hosting provider that offers a user-friendly interface, excellent customer support, and reliable server uptime.
WordPress is a popular platform for amateur bloggers due to its user-friendly nature and extensive customization options. Many hosting providers offer easy one-click installations of WordPress, simplifying the setup process for beginners.
One of the best hosting platforms is Bluehost. Let me take you through a short tutorial on how to host your WordPress blog on Bluehost.
1. First go to bluehost and select WordPress Hosting from the home interface
2. Choose your preferred hosting plan. It’s best if you take the basic plan for amateur blogging. You can still upgrade if necessary
3. Enter your domain name under “Create a New Domain” and click next.
4. Enter your account information
5. Scroll down and enter your package information
6. Then enter your payment info and press submit
From this point you can follow instruction to install WordPress.
5. Install a WordPress Theme and Choose a Template
Once your WordPress blog is set up, it’s time to choose a theme and template that suit your niche and personal style.
WordPress offers a wide range of free and premium themes that can be customized to create a unique look for your blog. Browse through the available themes, and choose one that is visually appealing, responsive, and optimized for search engines.
Some impressive themes out there are Astra, OnePress, and GeneratePress. These themes are free and can make it easy for you to customize your blog to your preferences. But if you want a more robust option you may want to pay for a premium theme.
Additionally, select a template layout that showcases your content effectively and enhances the user experience.
6. Install Essential WordPress Plugins
WordPress plugins are tools that improve the functionality of your blog. There are numerous plugins available to enhance the performance, security, and user experience of your amateur blog.
Some essential plugins to consider include Rank Math SEO for optimizing your content for search engines, Akismet for spam protection, and Jetpack for site statistics and social media integration.
Make sure to only install and activate the plugins that you will need for your blog according to your strategy or goals.
7. Publish Your First Post
With your blog all set and looking nice, it’s time to start creating and publishing content! You can use tools like MS Word or Google Docs to write your content before uploading it.
1. Research and Brainstorm
Begin by brainstorming ideas for your first blog post and outline the main points you want to cover. Conduct thorough research on your chosen topic to ensure accuracy and provide valuable information to your readers.
2. Write and Proofread
Write your post clearly and engagingly, using headings, subheadings, and bullet points to make it easy to read. Proofread your content for grammar and spelling errors before hitting the publish button.
8. Promote Your Blog
Promoting your blog is crucial to attracting an audience and increasing traffic to your site.
1. Use Social Media
Take advantage of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share your blog posts and engage with potential readers.
2. Be Active in Online Communities
Participate in online communities and forums related to your niche. You can also provide valuable insights and advice to people.
3. Network and Collaborate
Collaborate with other bloggers and influencers to cross-promote each other’s content.
4. Install SEO Plugins
SEO plugins are a must if you want your blog to have much visibility. If you optimize your posts with SEO tools they can rank higher on Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).
9. Monetize Your Blog
While amateur blogging may not be your primary source of income, there are various ways to monetize your blog and generate some extra income.
Consider including the following monetization methods:
1. Display Advertisements
You can display ads on your blog and get paid when visitors click on them. There are several different advertising networks that bloggers can use, such as Google AdSense and Mediavine.
2. Sponsored Posts
Post content about products or services of another entity and get paid for it.
3. Affiliate Marketing
This is where you promote a product through your blog and get a commission on each sale that you helped generate. You can sign up for an affiliate program with a company of your choice.
You will then be given a unique link you can include in your posts. When someone clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission.
4. Sell Your Own Products
You can produce and sell items like e-books or online courses on your blog. This works particularly well if you have a loyal audience.
5. Membership
If you have a lot of valuable content that you want to share with your audience, you can create a membership site where people can pay a monthly or annual fee to access your content. This method secures a recurring source of income for you.
You can experiment with different monetization methods and determine what works best for your blog and audience.
Time Management and Consistency
Balancing Blogging with other Responsibilities
As a beginner blogger, it’s essential to strike a balance between your blogging activities and other responsibilities.
1. Set Clear Priorities
Prioritize your time effectively, allocating specific hours each day or week for blogging tasks.
2. Create a Content Calendar
Create a content calendar to plan and organize your blog posts in advance, ensuring a consistent posting schedule.
3. Set Realistic Goals
Your goals and deadlines should be realistic to avoid burning out and getting overwhelmed.
Remember that if you have a job, it shouldn’t be overtaken by the time you spend on your blog. Of course, this will change if you decide to take blogging to the next level and aim to turn it into your main business.
Creating a Content Calendar and Sticking to a Posting Schedule
A content calendar helps you maintain consistency in your blogging journey. You can plan your blog posts, and consider important dates, events, or trends related to your niche.
Outline the topics, keywords, and main points for each post to make it easier to write and publish on schedule.
Stick to your posting schedule to build trust and reliability with your audience.
Avoiding Burnout and Writer's Block
Being consistent with blogging can be a challenge, and it’s common to experience burnout or writer’s block at some point. To avoid burnout,
1. Take Regular Breaks
Find time to rest and engage in activities that recharge your creativity.
2. Set Realistic Expectations for Yourself
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to produce perfect content every time. When you experience writer’s block, try freewriting, brainstorming, or seeking inspiration from other bloggers or books.
3. Let AI Help You
The introduction of AI tools is a plus. These tools can boost your creativity and help you overcome writer’s block.
4 Ways Amateur Blogging Can Change Your Life
1. It Can Help with Self-discovery
Through the process of writing and sharing your thoughts, you can get to understand yourself better.
Simply starting a blog is a mark of courage, while maintaining it is a mark of self-discipline and resilience especially as you will face difficulties. You may discover qualities you never thought you had.
Exploring different topics and engaging with your audience can also lead to new perspectives and insights.
2. Amateur Blogging can Generate Extra Income
While amateur blogging may not be a guaranteed source of income, it can provide the opportunity to generate some extra money.
By applying various monetization methods, such as advertisements and affiliate marketing, you can earn a passive income stream from your blog. Your blog can become a valuable asset that contributes to your financial goals.
3. Improved Writing and Critical Thinking Skills
Regularly writing and publishing blog posts can significantly improve your writing skills. As you research and organize your thoughts, you’ll develop a more coherent writing style and learn to present ideas in a clear and engaging manner.
Blogging also helps you think critically as you analyze various viewpoints to form well-supported arguments. Those are practical skills you can apply in different aspects of your life.
4. Amateur Blogging for Networking Opportunities
Amateur blogging opens doors to networking and connecting with like-minded individuals.
You can engage with your readers through comments and social media, creating meaningful relationships. Collaborations with other bloggers or industry experts to share knowledge can also expand your reach.
The connections you make through blogging can lead to exciting collaborations, new friendships, and even potential career opportunities.
10 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Amateur Blogging
1. Blogging Without a Goal (for way too long)
One of the biggest mistakes amateur bloggers make is starting a blog without a clear goal in mind. Without a goal, you may find yourself aimlessly writing and publishing content that lacks direction.
While you can start blogging about a variety of topics, as time passes by you should have a clear idea of what you want to blog about.
How to Avoid This Mistake
Take some time off to define the purpose of your blog. You can do this by asking yourself the following questions:
- Am I looking to share my knowledge in a specific niche?
- Am I hoping to monetize my blog and generate income?
Once you have a clear goal in mind, you can create a content strategy that aligns with it.
2. Going too Narrow When Choosing a Niche
Choosing a niche is a good thing. It helps you target a specific audience and establish yourself as an expert in a particular area. However, going too narrow with your niche can limit your audience and make it difficult to generate consistent traffic.
How to Avoid This Mistake
Strike a balance between specificity and broad appeal. Consider choosing a niche that allows for various subtopics and provides enough content ideas to sustain your blog in the long run.
3. Unrealistic Expectations (not being patient)
Amateur bloggers often have unrealistic expectations when it comes to the success and growth of their blogs. It’s important to remember that building a successful blog takes time and patience.
How to Avoid This Mistake
Stay committed and consistent with your efforts. Set realistic goals and focus on steady growth rather than immediate results. Overnight success is rare, but with persistence and dedication, you will see your blog flourish over time.
4. Poor Quality Content
The quality of your content is crucial for the success of your blog. Publishing poorly written or uninteresting content will drive away readers and hinder your blog’s growth.
How to Avoid This Mistake
1. Don’t Rush the Writing Process
Take the time to craft well-researched, engaging, and error-free content. Invest in improving your writing skills and ensure that your articles provide value to your readers. Remember, quality over quantity is key.
2. Routinely Review Old Content
A routine review of your content will help you correct mistakes that may have escaped you before or judge the quality of your older posts to see if they need improvement and how you can make future posts better.
5. Not Optimizing Content
Optimizing your content for search engines is vital for increasing your blog’s visibility and attracting organic traffic. Many amateur bloggers fail to optimize their content, missing out on valuable opportunities to reach a wider audience.
How to Avoid This Mistake
Research and implement basic SEO techniques such as using relevant keywords, creating descriptive meta tags, and optimizing your website’s loading speed. SEO plugins like Rankmath can help you craft well-optimized posts.
By doing this, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results and driving more traffic to your blog.
6. Inconsistent Posting
Posting irregularly or infrequently can make it difficult to retain readers and grow your blog’s audience.
How to Avoid This Mistake
Set a realistic posting schedule and stick to it. Whether it’s once a week or once a month, consistency will help you build a loyal readership and keep your blog fresh and engaging. Remember, regular posting also signals to search engines that your website is active and relevant.
7. Being too Afraid to Delegate Work
As an amateur blogger, it’s natural to want to do everything yourself. However, trying to handle all aspects of your blog single-handedly can quickly lead to burnout and hinder your blog’s growth.
How to Avoid This Mistake
Delegate tasks such as editing, graphic design, or social media management to others. By leveraging the skills and expertise of others, you can focus on creating quality content and growing your blog strategically.
8. Not Creating Backlinks
Backlinks, or incoming links from other websites to your blog, are crucial for improving your blog’s authority and search engine rankings. Many amateur bloggers neglect the importance of creating backlinks, missing out on valuable opportunities to increase their blog’s visibility.
How to Avoid This Mistake
Actively seek out opportunities to guest post on other blogs, collaborate with influencers, or participate in relevant online communities.
By building a network of backlinks, you can improve your blog’s credibility and attract more organic traffic.
9. Overlooking Content Promotion
Creating high-quality content is important, but it’s equally important to promote your content to reach a wider audience. Many amateur bloggers make the mistake of solely relying on organic traffic, missing out on opportunities to amplify their reach.
How to Avoid This Mistake
Actively promote your blog posts through social media channels, email newsletters, and online communities. Engage with your audience and encourage them to share your content. By actively promoting your blog, you can increase its visibility and attract new readers.
10. Forgetting about Indexing
Indexing is the process by which search engines discover and include your blog posts in their search results.
Many amateur bloggers don’t know the importance of indexing, assuming that search engines will automatically find their content.
How to Avoid This Mistake
Proactively submit your blog posts to search engines or use plugins that automatically notify search engines about new content.
By ensuring that your blog posts are indexed, you can improve their visibility and increase your chances of attracting organic traffic.
Start Your Amateur Blogging Journey the Right Way
Amateur blogging is a fulfilling and rewarding hobby that can provide a platform for self-expression, and personal growth, and even help you generate extra income.
By following the step-by-step guide outlined in this article, you can confidently embark on your amateur blogging journey.
With dedication, consistency, and an interest in your chosen subject, amateur blogging can become a transformative experience that positively impacts your life.
Start your blogging journey today and see where it takes you!
FAQ
Yes, it is possible to start a blog with no money. There are free blogging platforms like WordPress.com that allow you to create and host a blog without any upfront costs.
However, keep in mind that free platforms may have limitations in terms of customization and monetization options.
If you’re serious about blogging, consider investing in a self-hosted blog with a custom domain name for more control and potential monetization opportunities.
The frequency of publishing new blog posts depends on your goals and resources. While consistency is important, quality should never be compromised for quantity.
It’s better to publish high-quality content less frequently than to rush and publish mediocre content more often. Set a realistic publishing schedule that you can stick to and focus on providing value to your readers with each post.
Yes, it is possible to make money from amateur blogging. However, it requires dedication, strategy, and patience.
Some common monetization methods include display advertising, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and selling digital products or services.
Build a strong readership, establish your credibility, and explore various monetization options that match your blog’s niche and audience.
Running out of blog post ideas is a common challenge for bloggers. To overcome this, consider conducting keyword research to identify trending topics or frequently asked questions in your niche.
Engage with your audience through comments, emails, or social media to understand their needs and interests. Additionally, explore other content formats such as videos, podcasts, or infographics to provide variety and keep your blog fresh.
Another method of refilling your bag of ideas is to use AI tools to identify new blog post ideas and areas that are trending in your niche.
Having a niche is generally recommended for blogging, as it helps you target a specific audience and establish yourself as an expert in a particular area.
However, it is possible to write about various topics on your blog if you can find a common theme or angle that ties them together. Just be mindful of maintaining consistency and providing value to your readers.
There should at least be one particular topic you post about frequently, this will help build your readership and make your readers faithful.
There are several key metrics you can track to measure the success of your blog. These include website traffic (number of visitors and page views), engagement metrics (comments, social shares), conversion rates (email sign-ups, sales), and search engine rankings.
Analyzing these metrics regularly can help you identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to grow your blog.
