Chapter 1: The Beginning of My Blogging Adventure

Starting a blog and building an email list can be an exciting venture. I found it particularly rewarding to create a space that reflects my ideas and interests. Additionally, I wanted the opportunity to potentially develop and sell products or monetize my content in the future. Although I am still relatively new to writing, I decided to take the plunge this weekend by establishing my own blog and email list. Here’s a detailed account of the steps I took, the service providers I selected, and the costs involved.

1. Acquiring Hosting and Domain from BlueHost

After some deliberation on a brand name and logo (using Canva—an endeavor that could be another post), I settled on a name that resonated with my vision. I purchased my domain name through BlueHost, which is well-regarded in the WordPress community. Reviews indicated that it is user-friendly, making it a suitable choice for someone without coding or web design expertise. My initial payment was £153.32 ($213.84) for three years of hosting, which is the most economical option for their mid-tier plan. This also included a year of domain registration, which will renew at approximately £12.99 annually. You can check their current pricing here.

I opted for the basic shared hosting package (Choice PLUS version) rather than the pricier WordPress PRO package, as the basic version met my needs perfectly.

2. Creating a Domain-Linked Email Account

I took advantage of BlueHost's 30-day free trial for Office 365, which provided me with an email address linked to my domain. After the trial, the cost will be $2.99 monthly. I had several motivations for this choice:

• Outlook is often recommended for reliable email sending through Email Octopus.
• Having a custom email address looks more professional.
• Since I write under a pen name, my existing free email addresses were not suitable.

3. Setting Up an Email Octopus Account

I discovered Email Octopus through recommendations and found it to offer an attractive free plan that allows sending up to 10,000 emails to 2,500 subscribers. You can view their pricing details here. Initially, I created a list using one of my own email accounts for testing purposes. I also set up a landing page using one of the five available templates, which sufficed for my needs.

4. Configuring My WordPress Site

The BlueHost and WordPress interface guides you through the setup process, but I found it quite a learning curve. After some experimentation, I managed to create a site that I was pleased with. The first task was selecting a theme; I chose “X Blog.” Although themes can be changed later, it might require additional effort to rearrange everything to your liking.

I linked my Email Octopus account to my WordPress site by installing a plugin, allowing me to embed a subscription form anywhere on my site. I opted to place it in the sidebar, along with a search bar and a categorized post index.

Another crucial decision was whether to display all blog posts on the homepage or to use a static page. I decided on a static homepage featuring a brief welcome message and links to my social media, with a separate page for blog posts.

5. Adding Content to My Blog

Medium allows users to download their data in a zip file. Inside, there's a folder labeled “posts,” which contains HTML files. I discovered that by saving these files in Google Drive, I could open them in Google Docs, making it easy to copy and paste content into the WordPress editor. After editing as needed, I published the posts.

By default, the posts appear sequentially, but I learned how to create excerpts to make navigation easier. This is done in the post settings under “Excerpt,” where you can summarize your story.

6. Launching Your Blog!

You are now ready to share your blog with the world! Remember, you can always return to make edits, so don’t feel pressured to achieve perfection before going live.

7. Continuing Your Learning Journey

There is so much more to explore than I could cover in this guide. The best way to learn is by diving in and experimenting. Make it personal and enjoy the process!

If you're curious to see how my site looks, you can check it out here. I expect it will evolve as I become more familiar with various features, but this is what I've managed to set up in just a few hours over the weekend. To stay updated or to visit my Email Octopus landing page, feel free to join my email list here!

Chapter 2: Boosting Your Email Marketing Skills

To effectively grow your blog and email list, consider the importance of email marketing.

This video titled "How To Start And Grow An Email List For Your Blog" offers valuable insights into building your email list effectively.

Another essential resource is the video "HOW TO BUILD AN EMAIL LIST FOR FREE: Why you need to start today!" which emphasizes the urgency of starting your email marketing journey now.