Skip to main content

How to start a blog

how to start a blog shutterstock 114971461
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Hello! You want to start a blog, I hear. Well, you’ve come to the right post! Blogging–or “Web logging,” as it was called in the ’90s–is one of the best things about the Internet. The democratization of culture and information that’s occurred over the past dozen years or so couldn’t have happened without blogs. But, anyway, you’re not here for some grad-school thesis about blogging; you’re here to get started blogging!

The first thing you’ve got to do is pick a platform on which you will build your blog. We actually have a list of the best free blogging sites, so why don’t know click on over there, or make a new tab, or bookmark that page. You do you. The best free blogging site is, in my estimation, WordPress. It’s really user-friendly and you can easily customize it to fit what you want to do. And if you really want to invest in your site, you can throw a few dollars WordPress’s way and upgrade. But you don’t have to pay money to have a good WordPress site. Tumblr’s good too, especially if you’re looking to be a part of a community of bloggers, but Tumblr is like the Twitter of blogging – it’s meant for quick posts, like an image or a link. If that’s what you want to do, go for it.

Okay, so now that we have the easiest part out of the way, it’s time to get down to the brass tacks of blogging.

 Two questions to ask yourself while you’re getting started are: What do I want to blog about? and What’s my blogging style? Some people blog about professional interests, like an astronomer blogging about space stuff, and others blog about hobbies, like a lawyer with a blog about whittling or whatever. Some blog about a wide range of topics; others have a narrow focus, a niche. Still others blog about their lives, using their WordPress site or Tumblr as a kind of public diary.

Talking about blogging styles is a little more difficult. Your style will develop as you keep posting (more on that below). You should try to write as naturally as possible. Just write and see what happens, or write like you talk–maybe even use a speech-to-text program to really give your blog posts a conversational feel. All that said, if your natural writing style isn’t all that conversational or informal, that’s fine. It’s not like a bunch of bloggers gathered and decided on a set of style rules for blogs. Find your voice and use it.

So, you’ve settled on a blogging platform, figured out what you’re going to blog about, and you’ve posted a few times, so you’ve got a discernible style going on. You’re all good, right? Wrong! The key to blogging, especially if you want to gain readership, is to keep blogging. You don’t need to flood your site with posts, but it’s generally a good idea to put up something once a day. Consistency is important, especially if (no, when!) your blog gains a following, and people expect posts from you. Just don’t let blogging become a chore or run your life, unless you start making money from it and blogging becomes your job. In that case, by all means, let it!

But we’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves. After all, if you’re still reading this, you haven’t even started a blog yet! In case you need further inspiration to start blogging, Joshua Becker at the Becoming Minimalist blog has 15 reason why you should start. You have all the tools and knowledge you need, now go forth and blog.

Editors' Recommendations

Jacob O'Gara
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jacob O’Gara is an editorial assistant at Digital Trends, where he writes about everything from video games to…
How to save a webpage as a PDF
A person sitting down and using a laptop.

Everyone eventually comes across a webpage they need to save for offline research or sharing with others. You could just copy and paste the link, but sometimes it’s nice to have the page as an image you can view offline, mark up, or print. The most flexible solution is to create a PDF file you can view or send anywhere.

Read more
How to deactivate your Instagram account (or delete it)
Instagram login screen.

If you’re getting a bit tired of Instagram, you might want to consider deactivating your account. With Instagram, you have two choices: You can learn how to deactivate your account, or you can delete it completely. We’ll review both options, so you can decide if you’d rather take a break or cut ties with Instagram forever. Just be cautious, as deleting your Instagram account removes all of your content permanently, and you won’t be able to get it back.

Read more
A new Best Buy sale just started – our 11 favorite deals
Presidents Day sales with electonic devices packed in open boxes.

If you've been looking to do some shopping recently but haven't found the best time, you're in luck! Best Buy has just started an excellent weekend sale with many different products, but, to help save you some hassle, we've collected our 11 favorite deals from the bunch, ranging from robot vacuums to gaming laptops. So, without further ado, let's dive right in!
Shark ION Robot RV761 -- $143, was $260

If you're looking to dip your toes into robot vacuums without spending a lot, the Shark ION Robot RV761 falls within the Shark Ion 700 range and has a few nifty features, making it a good starting robot vacuum. For example, it has a triple brush mechanism that makes it great for picking up pet hair and does relatively well on carpeted flooring. It also has its own that allows you to schedule and control it to fit your schedule, and it comes with sensing technology that lets it avoid bumping into things. On the other hand, it doesn't have home mapping, which is great for the privacy-minded, but that does mean the occasional bump does happen. The Shark ION RV761 has about 90 minutes of battery life before it takes itself in for recharging.

Read more