Business

How to start a blog in 2020

December 21, 2019Rabea

How to start a blog in 2020 is not much different now than it was in the past couple years but I definitely learned a bit in the last year and have a few tips for how you can start your blog the most effective way possible.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Hosting Service

If you want to start a blog you probably want to start it on WordPress like most successful bloggers do. But to use WordPress you need a web hosting service. Tons of bloggers, me included, use Bluehost. It’s a super easy service to use and set up and you can get their service for only around $3 a month (paid in advance, let’s be real, this is something tons of bloggers don’t mention). It is absolutely worth it in my opinion and they also have a few very important safety options that you can book. Wanna read my full Bluehost Review after 3 years of being a customer? Click HERE.

Design

Great, now you have your blog but you need a design that sets you apart from others and makes you look professional. Where do you get that? I got my current blog design on Creative Market, together with a design Framework from WP Engine. I made an entire blog post about great blog designs for beginners. If you are all for supporting small businesses I’ll definitely recommend Hello You Designs to you. They have some really great designs and other services. Take your time to find a good design and never shy away from asking the maker of the design for help. Most good designs have a guide to set it up, in case yours doesn’t there are plenty of guides you’ll be able to find over Google.

Planning

Now all the basics are set up you need a tool for planning out all the content. Blog posts, products, affiliate schedules to synch up with, newsletters, weeks when you batch create, weeks where you concentrate on traffic, weeks where you reach out to bloggers and potentials sponsors. Of course you probably won’t be doing ALL of these in the beginning, but you need a tool to plan at least your blog posts. I use Trello for that. It’s a free tool for creating lists and it has neat features that you can add to your boards. One of them is a calendar and I use that for my editorial calendar and even for private projects like writing a book. I’d definitely recommend Trello to anyone that wants their stuff synched up on every device they have.

Marketing

Based on your want to start blogging directly or prepare a bunch of blog posts before a launch that you can hype up (there are tons of great courses out there on how to have the perfect pre-launch plan), you need a tool to automatically market your blog to get some traffic in. In my experience Pinterest is the main traffic source for most small blogs. The best automation tool for that would be Tailwind. I use Tailwind for over a year now and even wrote a Review recently. I’d definitely recommend it and tell you that the investment is worth it. But see for yourself with a free trial (no strings attached).

Wanna learn more?

Does all of this sound a little bit hectic and you don’t know where to start and what to prioritize? Yeah, I felt that too when I started getting into this field and I created an e-course bringing together all the steps and tips for a successful blog. It’s called “Blogging Bossbabe” and you can check it out HERE. But you need the basics first and this post is just the small peak into the logistics of starting a blog. You want a step-by-step guide for starting a blog the most professional way possible? I have something for you. A free email course called the “Blogger Starter Pack” that you can sign up for down below. It’ll give you all the essentials and the e-course will give you anything you need beyond that.

You’re just starting out? Here are my recommendations.

This is how to start a blog in 2020. You’re just starting out with blogging or simply search for new ways to further your business? I have a few recommendations for you:
Bluehost – my hosting service for the last 3 years, I’m super happy with it!
Grammarly – this tool makes sure my grammar is right in all my social media posts.
Tailwind – Tired of manually pinning every day? This tool helps you get your pins in front of a bigger audience and I’ve been using it for a year now.
ConvertKit – Want to start an email list to generate more sales or just to keep your readers updated? This is a great service to use.
Blogging Bossbabe – a course I made for all the people wanting to start a blog and make it successful. Everything you need to know in one place and affordable if you want to save some $$$.
Blogger Starter Pack – a completely free email course that helps you with the basic beginnings of starting a professional blog- Sign up for it down below and get started now: