How to Start a Blog in 2025 (The Right Way)

This post contains affiliate links.

Starting a blog can feel overwhelming, but trust me, it’s not as hard as it seems once you break it down into simple steps.

I started blogging in November 2022, knowing absolutely nothing about what it took to become a blogger. The thought of creating and building a website felt overwhelming, but I couldn’t shake the feeling: if so many others were doing it, why couldn’t I?

As an introvert, I wanted a side hustle that didn’t require me to be on camera, and blogging seemed like the perfect fit. Plus, I’ve always loved writing! My dream was to turn this into a full-time income so I could stay home with my daughter, and I was determined to make it happen.

The journey hasn’t been easy. I spent two years fully immersed in blogging, learning, researching, and figuring out what works (and what doesn’t). There were plenty of mistakes along the way, but each one taught me something valuable.

If I can help even one person avoid the headaches I’ve faced and start their blog the right way, then it’s all been worth it. In this post, I’m sharing my best tips and tricks for launching a blog and building traffic to your website.

Blogging changed my life, and I hope it inspires you to start yours, too!

Pick a Niche

Before getting into the technical steps, it’s important to choose a niche for your blog. A niche helps define your blog’s focus and attracts a specific audience. Here’s how to pick the perfect niche:

Passion and Expertise: Write about something you love and know well. Blogging about your passions makes it easier to create content consistently.
Market Demand: Research what people are searching for in your niche. Use tools Google search bar, Pinterest search bar, and other social medias to get an idea of audience interests.
Monetization Potential: If you plan to make money from your blog, ensure your niche has income opportunities through ads, affiliate marketing, or selling products.
Longevity: Choose a niche that has staying power. Avoid overly trendy topics that might not be relevant in a year.

Here are the top 10 blogging niche ideas that I think will perform the best:

Personal Finance
Focus on budgeting, saving, investing, and side hustles. Popular for high-demand topics like financial independence and debt repayment tips.
Health and Wellness
Covers fitness routines, healthy recipes, mental health tips, and self-care practices, including niche areas like yoga or home workouts.
Food and Recipes
Offers dietary-specific ideas, quick meals, cultural cuisines, and meal prep guides. Great for creating visually engaging content.
Travel
Includes destination guides, travel hacks, family trips, and budget-friendly options. Topics like sustainable travel are increasingly popular.
Parenting and Family
Focus on parenting advice, kids’ activities, homeschooling, and family life hacks. Sub-niches include raising teens or balancing work and family.
Nail Art
Focus on nail art tutorials, seasonal design ideas, and product reviews. Popular subtopics include gel nails, acrylics, and DIY manicures.
Fashion and Beauty
Covers style guides, makeup tutorials, and skincare tips. Popular subtopics include sustainable fashion and capsule wardrobes.
DIY and Crafts
Tutorials, home projects, and seasonal crafts for all skill levels. Subtopics include upcycling and eco-friendly projects.
Education and Skill-Building
Offers study tips, online learning guides, and career advice. Popular for niches like language learning or certification prep.
Lifestyle
If you want to keep it broad, like me, then consider a general lifestyle blog. It can include productivity, home organization, personal growth, and fashion to name a few.

These topics also tend to do well on social media, such as Pinterest (I will get in to Pinterest Marketing later in this blog)

Pick a Website Name

Choosing the right name for your blog is one of the most exciting and crucial steps. Your website name will represent your brand, so make it memorable and easy to spell. Here’s how I approached it:

Avoid Similar Names: Before you settle on a name, search online to ensure there isn’t a similar one already. You don’t want to compete with an established site or confuse your audience.
Make It Memorable: Choose something catchy but not too long. Ideally, your blog name should be under three words.
Check for Trademarks: Make sure the name isn’t trademarked. This can save you from legal trouble down the line.
Social Media Availability: Check platforms like Instagram and Twitter to ensure the name is available. Consistent branding across platforms makes a big difference.
Avoid Dashes and “The”: Names with dashes or starting with “the” often come off as less professional or harder to remember.

Buy Your Domain

Once you have the perfect name, it’s time to buy your domain. I recommend Cloudflare because it’s the most affordable option I’ve found. Domains are typically renewed once a year, so there’s no need to worry about monthly fees.

Here’s how to get started:

Search for your desired domain name on Cloudflare’s website.
Complete the purchase process.
Keep your login details handy for future renewals or changes.

Get Hosting

Hosting is the backbone of your blog, and choosing the right provider is crucial. While many recommend Bluehost, I’ve had a better experience with Cloudways for a few reasons:

Monthly Payments: Unlike Bluehost, which locks you into a yearly plan, Cloudflare offers a monthly payment option.
Scalability: As your blog grows and traffic increases, you can easily upgrade to a higher tier. You only pay for what you need.
Customer Service: Cloudflare’s support is top-notch. Whenever I’ve had an issue, their team was quick to resolve it.

WordPress

If you are serious about making money with your blog then you need to ensure that you are using WordPress and avoid any other hosted platform like blogger. WordPress is the platform where you’ll build and manage your blog. It’s a powerful option that gives you complete control over your website.

THIS IS IMPORTANT: Avoid using WordPress.com if you want full control over your website. Instead, use WordPress.org, which is a self-hosted platform.

The key difference is:

WordPress.com is a hosted solution, meaning your website is managed and hosted on WordPress’s servers. While it’s easy to set up, your customization options are limited, and you don’t fully own your site.
WordPress.org, on the other hand, allows you to self-host your website. This means you choose where your site is hosted (e.g., with hosting services like Cloudways) and have complete control over your site. With this setup, you truly own your website.

With WordPress.org you:

Have Full Ownership: With WordPress.org, you own your site and its content entirely.
Limitless Customization: You can design your blog however you like, using themes and additional tools.
Monetization Freedom: You can run ads, use affiliate marketing, and sell products without any restrictions.
Scalability: WordPress.org grows with your blog, making it ideal for long-term success.

Cloudways makes connecting to WordPress quick and easy, even for beginners. After signing up, you can choose WordPress as your application during the setup process. Select your preferred server and Cloudways handles the installation for you.

However, if you choose a different hosting provider, it’s important to keep this distinction in mind to ensure your setup is through WordPress.org and NOT WordPress.com. Don’t make this mistake!

So to wrap it up in a nice bow:

Register a domain (e.g., via Cloudflare or another registrar).
Choose a host (e.g., Cloudways or similar)
.Ensure you are using WordPress.org as your blogging platform

Choose a Theme

Once your hosting and WordPress are set up, it’s time to make your blog visually appealing by choosing a theme. WordPress provides a default theme, but I highly recommend Kadence. Here’s why:

Customization: Kadence allows you to customize your site exactly how you want it.
Starter Templates: If you don’t want to build your blog from scratch, Kadence offers beautiful starter templates to get you up and running quickly.
Alternative Options: If Kadence isn’t your style, WordPress has plenty of free themes, or you can purchase unique ones from sites like Etsy.

Should you decide to use Kadence here is a fantastic tutorial to watch. I can’t tell you how many times I have referred back to this tutorial. It’s a lifesaver!

How to Monetize

Once your blog is set up and looks great, it’s time to start thinking about how to make money from it. Here are three popular monetization methods:

Ads: Sign up for ad networks like Journey by Mediavine to display ads on your site once you meet their requirments. As your traffic grows, you can switch to premium networks like Mediavine for higher payouts.
Affiliate Marketing: Partner with companies to promote their products. You earn a commission for every sale made through your unique affiliate link. Platforms like Amazon Associates, AWIN, and CJ Affiliate are great places to start.
Digital Products: Create and sell your own digital products like eBooks, printables, or online courses. This is a fantastic way to monetize your expertise and keep 100% of the profits.

I monetize my blog in these different ways, which provides great diversification and reduces reliance on a single income source.

Start Writing Your Blog Posts

Now that your blog is set up, it’s time to start writing! Aim to publish at least two blog posts per week to keep your site active and engaging. Focus on:

Relevant Topics: Write about things people are searching for. Use the search bar of any engine and you can find ideas. Google search bar and Pinterest search bar are my go to!
Quality Content: Ensure your posts are well-written and provide value to your readers.
Use Images: Images break up the sections and prevents fatigue. They also make your blog post longer which is great for ad revenue.

How to Get Traffic

Getting people to visit your blog is the next big step. While Google can bring organic traffic, it’s unpredictable and often slow. That’s why I recommend focusing on Pinterest and let Google do its thing.

Why Pinterest?

If you’re looking to grow your blog FAST, the only platform that I recommend is Pinterest. After only 6 months of posting consistently with my strategy, I grew my website traffic to 30k. Incredible! With this, I was able to get into Journey by Mediavine and begin serving ads on my site.

Pinterest is a highly visual platform that works like a search engine. It’s seasonal, meaning you can grow quickly if you create timely content. This is the key!

Steps to Drive Traffic with Pinterest:

Create 5-10 pins for each blog post to start (ramp up as you go)
Use Pinterest’s native scheduler to schedule your pins.
Focus on seasonal topics to align with Pinterest trends.

Using Canva to Create Pins

Creating eye-catching pins is essential for success on Pinterest, and Canva makes it incredibly easy. I use Canva every single day! I don’t know where I would be without it. Here are my top tips for using Canva to design pins that drive traffic:

Engaging Titles: Use bold, engaging titles on your pins to grab attention. Titles like “Top 10 Tips for Beginners” or “How to Start a Blog in 2025” work well.
Bright Colors: Choose bright, contrasting colors to make your pins stand out on Pinterest’s busy feed.
Readable Fonts: Stick to clean, readable fonts. Avoid overly decorative fonts that might be hard to read at a glance.
Templates: Use Canva’s Pinterest templates for a quick start. They’re designed to look professional and perform well on the platform.
Consistency: Create a cohesive style for your pins by using the same colors and fonts across all your designs. This builds brand recognition.
Call-to-Action: Add a simple call-to-action, such as “Click to Learn More” or “Save for Later.”

After creating your pins, save them as high-quality images and upload them to Pinterest with a link to your blog post.

Managing Expectations

Blogging is not a fast game, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. To truly see the fruits of your labor, give it an entire year. Consistency is key, and there will undoubtedly be ups and downs along the way. However, if you don’t give up, you’re guaranteed to see results over time.

If you focus on posting consistently on Pinterest, you can start seeing traffic growth as soon as 4 to 5 months. Once you hit 10,000 monthly sessions, you’ll be ready to apply to Journey by Mediavine, a premium ad network that can help you monetize your blog even further. Remember, every small step forward counts, and with persistence, you can achieve your blogging goals!

Final Thoughts

Starting a blog in 2025 is easier than ever with the right tools and guidance. By following these steps, you’ll be on your way to building a successful blog. Remember to stay consistent, experiment with your content, and keep learning along the way.

I can’t wait to see what you create!