Margin Notes › Guides › How to start a blog
How to start a blog or newsletter: a plain guide
You do not need a plan, a logo or a following. You need a topic, a place to publish that you control, and three posts written before you tell anyone.
1. Say what it is about in one sentence
Finish this sentence: “I write about ___ for people who ___.” “I write about sourdough baking for people who are tired of dense loaves” is a blog. “I write about life” is a diary, which is fine, but harder to grow. The sentence does not have to last forever. It only has to get you through the first ten posts.
2. Decide where it will live
The most important choice is whether you own your blog or rent an audience on someone else's platform. Social media is good for finding readers, but it can change its rules overnight, and a post disappears from view in days. A blog on a site of your own stays findable by search engines for years, and an email list is yours to keep.
| Where | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Social media only | Quick posts, finding people | You own nothing; posts vanish; the rules change |
| A free blog platform | Trying it out | Adverts, limits, and moving later can be painful |
| A newsletter platform | Writing straight to inboxes | Rules and fees are the platform's; see Substack alternatives |
| WordPress | Very flexible sites and shops | Plugins, updates and security take regular upkeep |
| Ghost | Writing, newsletters and paid memberships in one place | Needs hosting; fewer add-ons than WordPress; see managed Ghost hosting |
3. Choose a name and an address
Pick a name that is easy to say and spell. Start on a free subdomain such as yourname.marginnotes.me if you are not sure; you can move to your own domain later. A domain of your own usually costs about 10 to 20 € a year. Do not spend a week on this.
4. Write three posts before you launch
Three posts show a new reader that there is something here, and they stop you giving up after one. Write about problems you have solved or questions people ask you. Use clear titles that say what the post is about, because that is how search engines and readers find it.
5. Add an email signup from day one
Followers on a platform belong to the platform. Email subscribers belong to you. Put a signup form on every post, and send a short note when you publish. Even ten subscribers are ten people who asked to hear from you.
6. Set a rhythm you can keep
One good post every two weeks beats a burst of five followed by silence. Pick a rhythm for the next three months, put it in your calendar, and write it down where you will see it. Search traffic takes months to build, so the early gain comes from people you tell directly.
7. Tell the right people
Share each post where the people you write for already gather: a forum, a group, a mailing list, a colleague. Do not post a link and leave. Take part in the conversation, and mention your post when it answers someone's question.
8. Think about money later, but build for it now
Most blogs earn nothing for a long time. If you may want paid subscriptions later, choose a platform that supports them, so you do not have to move your readers later. On Ghost, memberships connect to your own Stripe account, and the platform takes no cut.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for the perfect design before writing.
- Writing for everyone instead of for one kind of reader.
- Publishing only on social media, with no site and no list.
- Stopping after a month because there is no traffic. This is normal; keep going for at least six months before you judge.
Questions
How much does it cost to start a blog?
You can start for nothing on a free platform. A blog you own typically costs a domain, about 10 to 20 euros a year, plus hosting, which can be under 10 euros a month.
How long until a blog gets readers?
Search traffic usually takes months to build. Early readers come from people you tell directly, so share each post where your readers already are.
Do I need technical skills to start a blog?
No. With managed hosting you sign in, write and publish. Someone else handles the server, updates and backups.
Should I start a blog or a newsletter?
You can do both. A blog is found through search; a newsletter reaches people who signed up. Ghost does both from one place.
Questions first? Write to hello@marginnotes.me. A person answers.
Last updated 2026-10-30.