How to Start a Blog (and Make Money) in 2025: Easy Guide to Start Blogging Today

Thinking of starting your own blog/website?

You’ve come to the right place!

This guide will walk you through step by step how to start your own self-hosted blog the right way. Starting a blog used to be challenging, but these days, it’s super easy and affordable.

Blogging has helped countless people achieve financial freedom and enjoy more flexibility, instead of being stuck in a 9-to-5 job, waiting for the weekends.

Sounds too good to be true? That’s exactly what I thought, until I decided to start this blog. Now it’s your turn to decide if you’re ready to take the next step.

How I ended up blogging…

Hi, my name is Jim Kollias, and I started this blog with the intention of making it my full-time job. I am a Business Planning and Information Systems graduate who got tired of the 9-to-5 grind and decided to create something of my own.

Not long after graduating, I began exploring different ways to make money. I wanted more flexibility in my life, and I knew I could achieve that by working online.

As a computer geek, I had always been fascinated by finding ways to earn money online. After a lot of trial and error, I finally decided to start this blog.

It was, hands down, the best decision I’ve ever made. Like anything worthwhile, it took some time to take off (less than a year), but now the income is growing steadily each month, and it’s almost passive.

That’s what’s great about blogging. It takes time to build consistent traffic, but if you do it right, work smart, and stay patient, it pays off incredibly well!

Before I started this blog, I was constantly worrying about how to make it through the next month. It was honestly taking a toll on my mental health, little by little.

This blog has helped me:

Escape the 9-to-5 grind
Set my own work hours
Travel whenever I want
Earn more than I was making before
But most importantly, it has helped me live a worry-free life!

And it can seriously do the same for you, too, if you just make the decision to start a blog today. Stop waiting until you feel more comfortable or think you need to know everything about it.

Nothing will prepare you better than diving right in.

Stop overthinking and take action. That’s the best advice I can give you because overthinking won’t help. Honestly, I wish I had started my blog sooner.

You just need to start, and everything else will fall into place. Trust me on this!

Stop believing these myths

Blogging is dead

You may have heard some people claim that blogging is dead, but is it really?

Absolutely not.

Plenty of people, including myself, make a significant income from blogging, and many have even left their 9-to-5 jobs to pursue it full-time.

The truth is, millions of people read blogs every single day. Why? Because the internet is an incredible resource packed with information that educates, inspires, and helps solve real-life problems.

Don’t let anyone discourage you with this myth. Blogging isn’t dead, and it won’t be for a very long time.

You need to be an expert to run a blog

This couldn’t be more wrong. If my mom, who had no prior knowledge of website design or blogging, can set up and manage her own blog, then so can you.

You don’t have to be a tech whiz, just someone who’s ready to learn and dive in. The tools are all there, and there’s plenty of support and resources online, so you’ll never feel alone in the process.

Bluehost is the most beginner-friendly hosting platform out there. If you follow my simple guide below, you can have your blog up and running today. Literally.

Blogging is too expensive

Blogging is far from expensive. These days, you can start a blog for as little as $1.99 per month. Yes, you read that right.

Most bloggers choose BlueHost for their blog hosting because it offers everything you need at a super affordable price.

If you can set aside $1.99 each month, then yes, you can have your own blog.

I’m sure we can both agree that this small investment is nothing compared to the long-term benefits blogging can bring.

Growing a blog takes forever

Many people who think about starting a blog are held back by this myth. They believe that building and growing a blog these days takes forever. But that’s simply not true.

There are many examples of bloggers who quit their 9-to-5 jobs after just six months of blogging. You just need the right tools and a solid strategy to make it happen.

In fact, Pinterest alone has helped many bloggers drive massive traffic to their sites and make a lot of money from their blogs.

You have to be a great writer to succeed in blogging

Blogging isn’t about being a great writer. It’s about sharing value and building a strong relationship with your audience.

You may not be the best writer in the world (I know I’m not), but that doesn’t really matter. What your readers want is helpful, valuable content.

People will choose a mediocre post packed with value over a perfectly written post with little to no value any day. So, don’t let this myth hold you back from starting your own blog.

You need to post every day

In the early days of blogging, posting as frequently as possible was thought to help your blog grow faster. However, that technique doesn’t work anymore.

Today, Google’s algorithm favors quality over quantity.

For example, it’s better to post one long, high-quality article per week than to publish 3 or 4 low-quality posts in the same timeframe.

The best combination for new bloggers

BlueHost is the #1 choice for starting a blog, especially for beginners. It’s the most affordable and user-friendly hosting out there—no wonder it’s the most well-known hosting company on the internet.

WordPress is hands down the best CMS for building, growing, and monetizing a blog. It’s simple, secure, SEO-friendly, and easily adaptable to your needs. What more could you ask for? Oh, it’s FREE too!

Pinterest is by far the best platform for new bloggers looking to drive traffic quickly, without having to wait months. It has helped many people earn between $1,000 and $5,000 per month in less than a year.

Let’s get started

This page contains affiliate links, please read Disclaimer for more info.

1 Choose a niche

The first thing you’ll need to decide is what you are going to blog about. Choosing a niche doesn’t have to be complicated, but you need to give it some serious thought.

There are so many topics you can blog about, but ideally, your niche should revolve around something you have experience in and are passionate about.

It’s also a good idea to pick a niche with low competition but enough traffic to make your blog visible. This way, you’ll have a better chance of standing out and attracting an audience.

I chose to blog about personal finance because I always wanted to find ways of earning money online. I am passionate about this subject, and that’s why I never get bored searching and writing about it.

Below we’ll see some of the most profitable niches you can blog about.

Health and Fitness
Food and Recipes
Blogging and Making Money Online
Personal Finance and Investing
Digital Marketing
Fashion
Hobbies and Activities
Personal Development
Parenting
Lifestyle
Pets
Beauty
Travel

While these niches are super popular and highly competitive, don’t let that discourage you.

Going after low-competition niches that no one knows about might sound tempting, but it won’t bring in the income you’re hoping for.

If nobody is searching for what you’re writing about, you won’t get any traffic at all.

By niching down and focusing on a specific aspect within these broader topics, you can find opportunities to stand out, attract huge traffic, and still make money.

For example, instead of just blogging about general fitness, you could focus on fitness for busy moms or fitness for beginners.

To find the right sub-niche, you can use keyword research tools like KeySearch to analyze search volume and competition.

This will help you identify opportunities within these broader niches where you can make an impact and attract traffic without getting lost in the crowd.

2 Choose a domain name

Many bloggers spend too much time stressing over choosing a domain name for their blog, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated. The key is to think smart, rather than striving for perfection.

Some people use their own names as the domain name. For example:

NicoleArmstrong.com

If you don’t want to use your real name, I recommend picking a domain name that includes one or two keywords related to your niche. For example:

Food niche: foodieblogger.com or thefoodiefreak.com or vegancravings.com

At the end of the day, a domain name means nothing without great content. People will read your blog because you provide value, not because of a cool domain name. So, don’t waste too much time obsessing over it.

You can check if your desired domain name is available on this page.

3 Buy hosting

It’s time for you to buy hosting for your blog. My #1 recommendation for anyone starting a blog for the first time is Bluehost. They’re affordable, beginner-friendly, and offer 24/7 amazing support.

The following guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of purchasing web hosting for your blog. Just make sure to have the Bluehost website open in another tab so you can follow along with each step.

BlueHost Perks
➤ Free domain name for 1 year
➤ Free SSL Certificate
➤ Free professional email
➤ Free CDN
➤ 10 GB SSD storage space
➤ 24/7 Customer Support
➤ 30-day money-back guarantee

The first thing you’ll have to do is go to Bluehost by clicking the button below.

Go to BlueHost

After going to BlueHost, you will see the WordPress Hosting landing page. All you need to do there is click on VIEW PLANS to go to the plans.

Now you’ll have to choose the plan of your liking.

As you can see, the $1.99 price point (normally $7.99) goes with the 12-month plan (1 year).

This is more than enough time for your blog to grow and start making money, so I recommend you leave it that way, but if you want to add more years and take advantage of this discount feel free to do so.

I am partnered with BlueHost and I managed to get this special offer for all of my readers who want to start their own self-hosted blog at a super affordable price.

Choose your desired plan by clicking on CHOOSE PLAN.

Now it’s time to enter your desired domain name. If you have already chosen one write it in the field and click on SEARCH FOR DOMAIN to check for availability and proceed to the next step.

I would recommend leaving the Domain Privacy + Protection option checked.

This is important if you don’t want your personal information to be public and available to anyone that searches details about your domain name.

Specifically, Domain Privacy + Protection hides the following personal information from the public WHOIS database:

Name
Email address
Phone number
Physical address
Company name (if applicable)

In this next step you can see a summary of your order.

In this example I chose 1 year of WordPress Hosting and that includes hosting, domain name, domain privacy + protection, and a professional email.

You can delete the Professional Email if you don’t want one but I would also recommend to include it, if you planning on starting a blog to make money online.

Let’s see an example for my domain name.

Free Gmail: prodreaminvestor@gmail.com

Professional email: jim@prodreaminvestor.com

Some of the advantages of having a professional email include:

Boosts credibility
Better for branding
More likely to get accepted by affiliate programs
Reduces the chance of landing in spam folders
More control over your business communication

After you’ve chosen what you want and what not, click on CONTINUE TO CHECKOUT.

In the following section, you will need to fill in your personal information for your BlueHost account.

First you will have to fill your Contact Information.

Afterwards go ahead and fill out your Account and Billing Information.

For the account information make sure to choose a strong password for extra security.

Under Billing Information you can pay with either credit card or PayPal.

After everything is set and done, the SUBMIT PAYMENT button will be clickable. Click it to buy your hosting and proceed to the WordPress dashboard.

Bluehost offers a 30-day refund guarantee, so you don’t have to worry if you change your mind later.

Once you’ve completed your purchase, you just need to follow some basic steps, which include choosing personal preferences and setting your website’s name. Then you’ll be ready to enter the WordPress dashboard!

4 Choose a blog theme

If you prefer to start with a free theme, you’ll find a wide variety available under Appearance → Themes in your WordPress dashboard.

However, if you’re looking for a premium theme (which I highly recommend), do yourself a favor and go with GeneratePress.

I wish I had discovered it sooner because I’ve wasted so much money on other premium themes, and none of them were as lightweight, easy to use, or packed with as many great features as this one.

GeneratePress has everything you need to create a beautiful blog, and when paired with the free GenerateBlocks plugin, the possibilities are endless.

GenerateBlocks takes your design game to the next level, offering you unmatched flexibility to build a fully responsive, professional-looking blog with ease.

Whether you’re customizing your layout, adding new elements, or fine-tuning your design, GeneratePress and GenerateBlocks make it simple to create a blog that looks stunning and performs flawlessly.

It’s the perfect combination for anyone who wants to take their blog from basic to brilliant, minus the hassle.

This quality theme has everything you’ll ever need when designing your blog, and it will always be my #1 recommendation. And yes my blog has that theme cause it’s simply DA BEST!

5 Start creating content

Hooray! Your blog is finally online. Now, it’s time to start creating valuable content that will help you generate traffic.

You’ll need to develop a content strategy that works for you. This strategy should include things like how many posts you’ll publish each week, how you’ll distribute your content across social media platforms, and other factors that align with your goals.

But don’t just copy someone else’s content strategy. The best approach is one that fits your personal style and lifestyle.

Remember: Content is King.

Rather than rushing to publish as many posts as possible, focus on creating high-quality content. This will help your posts get shared more, which in turn will drive more traffic to your blog.

And one more thing: always do your keyword research before you start writing. If you want traffic, you need to make sure people are actually searching for the topics you’re writing about.

KeySearch is a fantastic tool for keyword research. It helps you find profitable keywords with low competition, giving you the best chance to rank higher and attract more readers.

Don’t skip this crucial step. Research your keywords and write content that people are actively searching for!

Go to BlueHost

Monetize your blog

Display Ads

One of the most popular ways to earn money online is by placing ads on your blog. Once you start getting consistent traffic, you can apply to premium ad networks and begin monetizing your blog.

Here’s a list of popular ad networks for bloggers along with their current traffic requirements:

Google AdSense: Traffic Requirement: No minimum traffic requirement.
Ezoic: Traffic Requirement: No minimum traffic requirement.
Monumetric: Traffic Requirement: Minimum of 10,000 monthly pageviews.
Mediavine: Traffic Requirement: Minimum of 50,000 sessions per month.
Journey by Mediavine: Traffic Requirement: Minimum of 10,000 sessions per month. This program is designed for smaller publishers and allows them to start monetizing earlier.
AdThrive: Traffic Requirement: Minimum of 100,000 monthly pageviews.

Many bloggers view ads as a form of passive income. After you’ve joined an ad network, your main focus is simply to continue writing great content and attracting visitors to your site. The ads will do the rest, generating income while you focus on growing your blog.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is another great way to make money, and it can bring in a lot of income if you know what you’re doing. In fact, most bloggers earn their first income through affiliate marketing long before they join an advertising network.

Here’s how it works: You promote products you like from various companies, and when someone makes a purchase through your affiliate link, you earn a commission.

The more traffic your blog gets, the more people will see your affiliate links, and the more money you’ll make. That’s how affiliate marketing works, and it’s a highly effective way to boost your monthly income.

Selling your own products/services

Once you’ve built a strong connection with your audience, selling your own products or services becomes much easier. These products or services can be either physical or digital.

The key is to create something your audience is genuinely interested in. A great way to find out is by sending email surveys to gather feedback.

You can also use polls to let your audience vote on which products or services they’d like you to offer. This ensures that the product you’re creating aligns with their needs and desires.

If what you’re offering is valuable and your audience trusts you, you can significantly boost your monthly income.

Final Thoughts

Blogging is one of the best and most legitimate ways to make money online. It has helped countless people achieve financial freedom over the years, and it will continue to thrive for many years to come.

Who knows where I’d be right now if I hadn’t started this blog? It has completely changed my life, and I feel truly blessed.

If you’re tired of the 9-to-5 grind and crave more flexibility, give blogging a try. You’ll be amazed at what it has to offer. Start a blog today, work smart, stay consistent, and who knows? It might just change your life too 😉.