Do you have an idea, are you interested in a topic and would like to share it with other people on the internet? With your own blog, you create interesting blog posts and pages that captivate your target group. In the best case, you can even earn something on the side, for example by including advertising or products.
In the following post, you will learn how to create your own blog and add content to it. You will receive information and tips that are explained in a way that is easy to understand, even for beginners.
What do you need for your own blog?
Always wanted to create your own blog or website, but the whole thing seems too complicated? No worries! Setting up and running your own blog is not rocket science. After a short training period, you will get used to it and will soon be able to concentrate on the essentials: creating interesting blog posts.
The following checklist lists important points that is required for your own blog:
- Find a suitable topic and determine the target group
- Choose a blog name and register the domain
- Choosing a blog platform or hosting provider
- Setting up the blog with WordPress
- Installation of themes and plugins (for design and configuration)
- Write your first blog post
Find motivation for the blog, target group and the right topic
Every blog newbie has a motivation that drives them at the beginning. For example, he has the urge to share his hobby with other users and blog about mountain biking or hiking, for example. Others, on the other hand, love gardening and would like to share helpful tips and tricks on the Internet on how to plant plants and fight weeds.
Others have the goal of earning money with their own blog. This can happen, for example, with the integration of advertising or the sale of products. In order for this to be successful, you should first think about which target group you want to address. Because only if you know your target group are you guaranteed long-term reach and the associated success.
Here are a few examples of blog topics to use as inspiration:
- pets
- Travel
- Sport
- DIY (Do It Yourself)
- Essen
- Photo
- finance and economy
Tip: If possible, try to be more specific about the topic you choose. For example, you can blog not just about travel, but specifically about cruises. Do you love your own DIY projects? Dig a little deeper into the subject, for example by blogging specifically about DIY or woodwork. In this way, you address certain groups in a more targeted manner and build up expertise.
Find the right name and domain
Even before you start creating your blog, you have to decide on a suitable name and the associated domain. Here you can let your creative streak run free.
The best example is the name of the blog this post was published on: Nerdcore. Accordingly, the domain is named after it.
When searching for a name, also make sure that it goes in the thematic direction. In our case, Nerdcore describes a blog that deals with deals, gadgets and magazine articles for nerds.
Once you have decided on a suitable name, you can continue with the domain search. Domain providers such as Domain-Offensive offer a search function for this. Here you enter any name such as “backpackerreisen.de” and start the search. Immediately afterwards, a multi check tool starts, which checks the domain you are looking for and other domain endings. The right free domain can now be booked and registered.
Tips for domain search:
- Brevity is the spice – the shorter the name and domain, the better
- Simple names are easier to remember and are remembered more quickly
- Avoid umlauts (ü, ö, ä) or eszett (ß). The same applies to special characters.
- If you are planning a German-language blog, the domain ending .de is best. However, possible alternatives such as .com or .net are also fine.
Tip: You will also find modern domain endings such as .sport, .blog or .travel. Ideal if you want to register a thematic domain.
What are the costs of running a blog?
A basic blog system without advanced tools and software costs between around €5 and €10 per month. Here you pay a monthly fee for hosting (the server that stores the website files) or blog platform, and a fee for the domain. Depending on the domain provider, a monthly or annual fee has to be paid.
Some hosting providers such as All-Inkl.com also offer packages where the domain is already included in the monthly fee. Here you only pay the complete price.
Choosing the right hosting/blog platform
Once the topic, name and domain have been selected, the next step is hosting and the blog platform.
A hosting provider like Domain-Offensive is required to store on it all the files needed to run a website. This is where users and their Internet browsers will access it in the future to open and see all the content of your blog. So this is the technical part of a blog.
In addition to hosting providers, there is an option to choose a blog platform. These are providers who specialize exclusively in pure blogs. Classic examples are the blog platforms WordPress.com and Blogger.com.
Pure blog platforms are mainly for beginners:
- Unprofessional domain: Some blog platforms only offer so-called sub-domains. They are integrated into the provider’s domain name and are, for example, “blogdomain.wordpress.com”. Such a domain is not only unprofessional. At the same time, it is not in your possession.
- Functional restrictions: It is often the case with pure blog platforms that you will find a modular system here. If you later want to make special changes or activate certain functions, the system may not be able to offer them. This limits the possibilities.
- Blog and domain ownership: While the blog and domain are reachable, they don’t actually belong to you. So you have no control over it, it lies solely with the operator. In the worst case, it can happen that files or an entire blog are no longer accessible when the service is discontinued. Your work is then over in one go.
It is therefore advisable to use a professional hosting or blog provider right from the start. The resulting costs of, for example, 10 € per month are well invested. In addition, some hosting providers now even have so-called one-click installations. With one click, content management systems such as WordPress are automatically installed and ready to use.
Setting up a blog with WordPress – the all-rounder among the CMS
Creating and running a blog requires a CMS (Content Management System). This is a graphical user interface system that allows you to easily create and manage website content. The world’s most popular CMS for blogs is WordPress. The advantages at a glance:
- Free use of all basic functions
- Many functions and expansion options
- Easy setup and management, clear user interface – therefore suitable for beginners
- Create and manage website content quickly and easily
- Regular release of security updates (protection against malware and attacks)
- Also suitable for large projects should they grow and expand in the future (e.g. with an online shop)
- SEO (search engine optimization) is easy to implement to get more reach
- Large community for exchange with other users
Installing and setting up WordPress is quick and easy with hosting providers (also using one-click installation). You will receive step-by-step instructions in which everything is explained.
In addition to the actual WordPress system, there are extensions in the form of themes and plugins to choose from:
Themes – give the blog a desired design
With the help of themes, you can give your blog the desired design and thus the optical finishing touches. There are now numerous different themes to choose from, which are categorized and cater to different needs of bloggers.
For example, you’ll be able to search for themes that have three or four columns in their layout. Or are you looking for special themes that are suitable for accessibility? These and other filters can be used when searching to find the right theme.
Info: If you don’t find the right theme at first, you can change it later and choose a different one. Nothing changes in the content.
Plugins – add functionality to the blog
It continues with WordPress plugins. These are modules that can also be installed additionally and thus expand the range of functions.
Examples:
- Integrate contact forms into your blog into which users can directly enter and send their request
- Have fully automated backups (backups) of your WordPress installation created
- Keep your blog followers up to date by building an email list and sending them regular newsletters
The possible uses of plugins are almost endless. All extensions are listed via the search function in the plugin directory.
Here we go: create your own blog posts!
The WordPress blog is now set up and you can finally create your first blog posts. But what is the best thing to write about?
There are several ways to start here. For example, you can look around on other blogs and get inspiration for possible blog post topics. A look at the headlines usually helps to let the content ideas for a new post flow.
Content ideas can also be called up via so-called AI generators. These are artificial intelligence tools that you can also use to get inspiration.
Here are a few more tips for creating professional blog posts:
- Write in loose paragraphs and not in large, chunky blocks of text. About 40-60 words per paragraph is fine and not too difficult to read.
- Break a large blog post into multiple subtopics. These are separated from each other by subheadings.
- Expand the content of a blog post with bullets or numbering. Info and tip boxes are also welcome.
- Add images and infographics that fit the content thematically. This is how you create added value.
- Would you like to gain and increase reach and visitors as quickly as possible? Then create blog posts using search engine optimization. The aim is to integrate search terms in a targeted manner and thus be indexed and found in search engines such as Google.
- Do not write texts and blog posts for machines (search engines), but for users
Conclusion: Opening your own blog is not difficult!
If you want to start your own blog, it’s not that difficult! All you need is a one-time setup and training period, and you’re good to go. In addition, you should decide on a suitable topic and know your target group exactly. You’ll soon find yourself enjoying publishing new blog posts on a regular basis and watching your community grow.
Thanks to modern blog and hosting providers, you don’t even have to worry about the technical aspects of a blog. In addition, blog systems like WordPress make it easier to set up and maintain a project so that you can concentrate on the essentials: high-quality blog posts with added value.