When we started out we couldn’t get our heads around two things. The first thing was how to start a travel blog. The scond wascan we make money from blogging

We soon learnt the answers to the questions were, very easily and yes of course we can.

To help you on your way, we have created this step by step guide to How To Start A Travel Blog. It will take you through every step of the way. If you follow each step, it will ensure your blog is up and running no time.

As a bonus to those who sign up with Blue Host through our link on this blog post, you will be added to the private Unexploredfootsteps Facebook Community. Here we will provide you with the inside knowledge of starting a blog with that all important question. How to start making money through your blog and social media. Ask as many questions as you like and talk among the other members of the Unexploredfootsteps Community. (The link is an affiliation link and we will make a small amount of money if you wish to support us)

Steps to creating a Blog

1. Choose your niche

2. Pick a Host for your blog

3. Choose your plan

4. Decide on a Domain name

5. Select a Theme

6. Get creative and start blogging

1. Choosing a niche

When we were thinking about how to start a travel blog this topic always confused us. So we have come up with these few points to help you out.

Firstly you need to think about why are you starting a blog. What do you enjoy? Our passion as a couple is Photography and Travel, so our niche is designed around sharing this with the world. Wether that be through guides or our images.

Some more examples of Travel Blogging are:

Foodie Travel

Fitness Travel

Solo Travel

Travel Couples

Budget Travel

Luxury Travel

Tricks and Tips

Travel Guides

Once you have decided your niche and why you want to start this blog, you can move onto the next point.

2. Picking a Host

What is a host? A Host is a company that will hold all your files, data and images that you create through your blog.

We use BLUEHOST as they are the top recommendation by wordpress.org.

Not only that, as a new customer to BLUEHOST you get some amazing extras. A free Domain, Free Site builder and 24/7 Support. Which can be super helpful if you are on the move in different time zones.

Click here  to use their hosting services.

3.Choose a plan

Blue host offers 3 plans to meet everyone’s needs.

Don’t forget with all these plans as a new customer you get your domain name for free

Basic – If this is your first time starting a blog then this is a great option for you. With 50GB of storage which will allow you to post lots of pictures and videos. 1 Domain name and all for $3.95 Per Month.

Plus – This option is for people who are taking their blog seriously and will have lots of content to upload. With unlimited storage and $200 worth of marketing offers to help your blog grow. As a new customer you get this package at a heavily discounted rate.

Choice Plus – Our blog Unexploredfootsteps is run on this package. By choosing this package Bluehost throw in a lot of extras such as site backup and domain privacy software included.

What ever package you choose just remember you can always upgrade at a later stage. Therefore starting with the basic package is always a good idea.

4. Time to pick your Domain name!

What is a domain? A domain is the name of your blog. This is really important! Make sure your domain is easy to understand, can be spelt easily and represents you/your brand.

 Once you have selected your plan its time you register your domain. Use the bluehost domain tool to choose from a variety of sites such as .com .co.uk etc.

Payment details

Once you have found the perfect domain name, it is now time to enter you payment details. Don’t worry the transaction won’t be processed just yet.

Confirm Package details and extras

Now this is where you get to choose how long you want your blog for. You can choose the 12 month option and you will be paying the discounted rate for the 12 month period. But once this has expired you will have to renew your package the following year. When renewing it will be at the full price. So we would recommend taking full advantage of the discounted rate and purchase a longer plan. This will save you money in the long run.

Confirm Payment

Once you are happy with your package, complete the payment details.

You will be asked to create a new password for your blog. Once this is completed move onto step 4.

5. Select a theme

Time for the fun part!

WordPress and Bluehost have a number of great free themes to choose from.

There are a few external companies that offer many different themes that can be run through your new blog. We use Pipdig who create beautiful themes for WordPress. Depending on your style, creativity and niche, you can customise your theme to suit you.

6. Start creating content

Now that you are set up its time to start creating content. First of all we would recommend installing the following plugins. These will help you create great content and allow people to find you blog through google.

Yoast SEO – This plugin is a must! It will scan through your blog and tell you how to improve certain areas, such as readability, indexing for google and adding key words.

Akismet – This protects your blog from spammers leaving comments on your blog.

Last but not least..

Once you have these plugins installed, its time to start writing. The most important thing is to start making content as soon as you can. The more content you create and post regularly the quicker your blog will grow.

Don’t forget to link your social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram to your blog. This will allow your audience to easily move across platforms and see all the content you produce.

Here is a link to the WordPress.org site which provides helpful lessons on each topic within WordPress.

If you have anymore questions about How To start a Travel blog guide please leave a comment below.

If you would like tp support out blog, then head over to our affilated links page.

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