So you want to start a blog?
Cool, then you’ve come to one of many resources to lend you a hand.
I’ve run a handful of blogs through the years.
Nowadays it has become exponentially easier to start and I don’t see why anyone wouldn’t.
Indulge your passion, enrich lives, and there’s a lot to be said about making a ton of money from the process.
The part I find most enriching is sharing information I feel is valuable, or by simply freeing up my time by creating FAQ-styled posts.
Whatever you decide to do is up to you.
As with everything on this blog, all I produce is information.
It’s up to you to use or it lose it pal.
Also of note, There are affiliate links in this blogpost.
Anything I recommend in here is products and services I CURRENTLY use or have used to launch things WITH success.
I’ll outline failures and difficulties so you don’t make the same mistakes I did.
Let’s start with the ground floor.
Define Your Niche
Pinpointing your niche in the world of blogging is like finding your balancing point on a tightrope.
It may seem nerve-wracking at first, but when you nail it, your blog begins to transform from scattered thoughts into a structured sanctuary.
I mean, the best way to really figure it out is to say
“Okay, WHAT do i want to do and how?“
MindlessAndEasy.com ORIGINALLY started out to just be a
“This is a series of questions I CONSTANTLY get and I just want to link people to my answer, ASAP”
I would spend, without exaggeration, 30-40 hours a week typing out responses to people, for free.
I got sick of spending the time to do so with no reward for people to ultimately waste my time.
Now, people can buy the supplements I recommend and take, use the exact same processes as me for projects or my pages.
I do all of the work upfront, ONE time (obviously revising as needed) and earn money while sleeping!
Stellar, that payout is much nicer than answering
“Okay, but how much creatine do I SPECIFICALLY need for GAINZ?!“ a dozen times.
Or
“Well, if you are looking for some books to read for exponential growth, check out my recommended readings on that exact topic“
The “Niche” for this website is essentially just “Self-Improvement”
To further buckle down on that, I’ve curtailed away from hardcore bodybuilding topics as much and things that dilute away from general “Self-Improvement”
Bodybuilding doesn’t always correlate into being better.
I’ve also since branched more into general topics like reading, general fitness, and a ton about supplements that will potentially help with improving every aspect of life (and also some to avoid/not waste money on)
How To Get Started and what NOT to do!
I can NOT Stress this part ENOUGH.
I have a distinct LOOK that I want to have, I didn’t do much for emails or much integration with socials.
Since I pretty much only blog and post Youtube videos here, my perfect mix is uniquely MINE.
If you want to have a massive email list and and all the bells and whistles, it will probably cost more money than initially expected.
Want a blog about woodworking where you upload lots of images and videos?
That might need more of a custom built theme you change around and barely any backend stuff.
If you just want a massive affiliate store or review page, then maybe social media is better for you!
Don’t just come into this thinking you need to mimic the first google post in your niche.
Be yourself.
Now let’s get into laying down the foundation.
1. Getting your Domain Name & Where I Get My Hosting.
I use Siteground.com to host my domain and email and anything else on the web.
The theme that you see is powered by WordPress for Mindlessandeasy.com to have it’s distinct layout.
Why emphasize these two?
Because this is what has worked best for me after spending (and wasting) HUNDREDS of dollars.
Real world example of a recent failure to start a blog
My newest blog (philosophyforme.com) only has TWO posts on it as of currently creating this article.
Why mention that? I mean, it doesn’t sound like i’m doing a good job with that blog, right?
I mention that because I tried to publish most of my drafts after doing my revisions to most of the content.
As I transitioned into getting ads on the website I was hit by a roadblock.
I did all of that work only to find out the hostinger will not let me have Ezoic’s nameservers for the website to run ads.
So, that website will either need a NEW host, or be monetized via some other route instead of getting ad revenue!
(Hence why you guys are getting this post! Don’t make the mistakes I did!)
I took a chance listening to a “seasoned” blogging channel only to find that they “randomly” switched hosts.
The reason was likely to make more money and I made the mistake of blindly following.
I took the bait of “a deal that sounds too good to be true.”
Womp Womp,
Bluehost was good for awhile, but felt very clunky for me to run on my other blog back in 2018.
Siteground makes running this website and features within wordpress, MINDLESS AND EASY.
You can see the layout here hasn’t changed much if you look back at old youtube videos.
How to save a few dollars on your blogs domain name
Additionally, you CAN use something like namecheap to purchase a domain name.
if you REALLY want to be frugal and do that, feel free.
I did a few years ago just to save another $15 a year (like a dollar a month, it adds up)
OR you can let siteground do it for you, it’s just easier.
Buying the domain name then transferring it is extra steps.
For some people that will make it more likely to hit roadblocks.
If you have ZERO idea on starting off on starting a page, it might be too much work.
Sometimes siteground has deals on hosting and will give you a free year with your domain.
Search around and assess your startup budget and go based off that.
Blogging has the cheapest barrier to entry compared to almost anything.
Creating your own world (Make your blog look nice)
Just use WordPress.
Start a blog with WordPress.
I’m not affiliated with WordPress, I don’t have any themes i recommend or have made.
It’s just unbelievably fantastic and will make your life incredible.
There is a million different themes, WordPress will even suggest some when starting out.
Like I mentioned earlier WP has blocks to type, add code, add images, videos and more.
Customize it as much or as little as you see fit and flourish.
That’s literally it, use WordPress and get to writing.
Also, pro-tip most hosts will integrate seamlessly with WordPress as well.
Monetization
There are countless ways to make money when you start a blog.
I will outline these strategies in detail in a different post.
This is just to give you a few ideas on what you could do.
- Affiliate Advertising (Recommend Other Peoples’ Products For A Commission)
- Ads (Get with an ad agency to run advertisements on your site)
- Sell Your own Physical Products (T-Shirts, Art Prints, etc.)
- Sell Your own Digital Products (Make eBooks, Record Video Courses, Design Meal Programs, etc.)
- Expand A Current Business (Inform your audience of services you provide already.)
Tons of options.
Pick your favorite flavor and run with it.
