If you already have a WordPress website for your company and just want to add a blog, you may do so from the dashboard. A nice primer on how to achieve this may be found here.

Adding a blog to a non-WordPress site is a more complex procedure that may require the assistance of a web designer or developer.

If you’re beginning from scratch, here’s a step-by-step guide to getting your own small business blog up and running now.

1. Choose a platform for your blog

This is a critical choice. While selecting the incorrect platform will not make or destroy you, it will make things more difficult than they need to be.

There are many different blogging platforms to choose from, but WordPress is the most versatile and user-friendly. There are two sorts of WordPress sites, and picking the appropriate one is crucial. There’s WordPress.com, which allows you to set up a blog and its domain in minutes (e.g., www.yoursite.wordpress.com). For reasons that are outside the scope of this essay, I do not advocate utilizing this version for your business blog.

To build your own self-hosted blog, I recommend utilizing WordPress.org. Even though non-techies might need help setting up the site for the first time, it is easy to use.

Both versions are available for free. It will cost money to host and register a domain, but more on that later.

If you want to expand your options, there are numerous more systems, such as Weebly, Joomla, and Drupal, that are absolutely free and allow you to set up your site in just a few clicks. However, you should be aware that most of these sites will not be suitable for a long-term business blog. In the future, it will be hard to run a successful business blog because of rules about design, functionality, and SEO.

2. Select a WordPress theme for your site

One of the finest benefits of WordPress is the ability to use themes to effortlessly alter the appearance and feel of your site. The WordPress Theme Directory has a lot of free themes, or you may go to a site like ThemeForest and look for premium (paid) themes.

Keep the following in mind while picking a theme:

Is it adaptable? Does it look good on a range of platforms, such as desktops, tablets, and smartphones?

Is there any kind of customer service and/or a help forum included?

Is it possible to customize it (for example, by altering the colors, the navigation menu, buttons, widgets, and so on)?

3. Get a domain name

Choose a domain name after you’ve determined the blogging platform you’ll use. This is the URL that will be used to visit your website (e.g., www.yoursite.com). This may be done via a domain registrar such as NameCheap, 1&1, or GoDaddy.

Your domain will cost you roughly $10 each year; if you pay for more than one year in advance, the price will be lower. If feasible, use the a.com domain (rather than.net,.biz, or other extensions) and utilize your trademarked business name if it’s accessible. Make sure your domain is simple to remember while still being unique enough to distinguish you from other websites or enterprises with similar names.

4. Purchase web hosting

While your WordPress site is free, you’ll have to pay to host your blog, which is more expensive than the domain rental. You may get your web hosting service from a variety of businesses, but GoDaddy, Hostgator, Bluehost, and 1&1 are among the most popular.

5. Create a strategy and begin writing!

This is the part you’ve been looking forward to, the reason you started a business blog in the first place. However, before you get started, you should consider the aim of your blog.

What is your primary goal? Is it to generate leads, grow your email list, or establish yourself as an expert in your field?

How frequently do you plan to blog? It’s preferable to blog two to three times each week, but even once a week is better than nothing.

What is your blog’s “voice”? Are you looking for something casual and enjoyable? Authoritative? Academic?

How are you going to get your followers to take action while they’re reading your blog? Is there an email opt-in box? Is it possible to provide a link to a sales page? Or is it a call to action to fill out a quotation request form?

Go ahead and write once you’ve made a plan. Concentrate on themes where you have unique perspectives to offer or where you may make a significant contribution to the discussion. Don’t merely repeat what others have said. Be unique and write about issues that your readers would like.