Starting a blog can feel overwhelming—hosting, themes, plugins, SEO, design… But if you strip it down to the essentials, you can get a simple, functional blog online in about half an hour.

This step-by-step guide will walk you through the basics so you can stop overthinking and start publishing.

Step 1: Decide What Your Blog Will Be About (5 Minutes)

You don’t need a perfect niche, just a clear direction.

Ask yourself:

  • What topics could I write about for a year without getting bored?
  • What do people already ask me for advice on?
  • What am I curious to learn more about?

Examples:

  • Budget travel tips
  • Home office productivity
  • Simple recipes for busy people
  • Gadget reviews and tutorials

Write down one sentence:

“My blog will help [who] with [what].”

Step 2: Choose a Blogging Platform (5 Minutes)

Since you’re already using Ghost for your magazine, you can either:

  • Add a personal blog as a section on the same Ghost site, or
  • Create a separate Ghost, WordPress or other install for a standalone blog

For complete beginners starting from scratch, a managed platform (like Ghost(Pro) or WordPress hosting) removes technical headaches.

Key things you need:

  • A domain name (e.g., yourname.com or yourtopicblog.com)
  • A hosted blog where you can log in and publish posts

Step 3: Pick a Simple Theme and Logo (5 Minutes)

Don’t get stuck in design mode for days. Choose:

  • A clean, minimal theme with good readability
  • A simple text logo (just your blog name in a nice font is enough)

You can always refine branding later. At the start, content matters more than design.

Step 4: Create the Essential Pages (5 Minutes)

For a basic, credible blog, you only need:

  1. Home page – shows your latest posts
  2. About page – who you are and who the blog is for
  3. Contact page – simple form or email so people can reach you

On your About page, answer:

  • Who you are
  • Why you started the blog
  • What readers will find here

Step 5: Write and Publish Your First Post (10–15 Minutes)

Your first post doesn’t have to be perfect. Aim for useful, not flawless.

Good first post idea:
“Welcome to [Blog Name]: What This Blog Is About and What to Expect”

Outline:

  • Why you started the blog
  • Who it’s for
  • What topics you’ll cover
  • How often you plan to post
  • What readers should do next (subscribe, follow, bookmark, etc.)

Add:

  • A clear headline with your main keyword
  • Short paragraphs and subheadings
  • At least one image with alt text

Hit publish. That’s the moment your blog becomes real.

Step 6: Add Basic SEO and Sharing Options (Optional but Helpful)

Once your first post is live, spend a few extra minutes on:

  • SEO title and meta description for the post
  • Social sharing image (feature image)
  • Categories/tags to organize your content

If you’re using Ghost, you can set these from the post settings panel.

Step 7: Make a Simple 30-Day Content Plan

To keep the momentum going, list 4–8 post ideas you can write next.

Examples:

  • “10 Mistakes I Made When I First Started Blogging”
  • “The Tools I Use to Run This Blog”
  • “Beginner’s Guide to [Key Topic in Your Niche]”

Aim for 1–2 posts per week. Consistency beats intensity.

Final Thoughts

Starting a blog doesn’t require perfect branding, advanced SEO or technical skills. It just needs:

  • A topic you care about
  • A simple platform
  • Your first published post

Once your blog is live, you can improve everything else step by step. The most important part is getting started.