Beginner’s Guide To Blogging In Kenya
So after reading the first article in the beginner’s guide to blogging in Kenya series, you decided you are a blogger. And now you want to create a blog. That’s great. In case you haven’t read the article, please read it here. It will give you insights to what exactly blogging entails, why to blog and if you really are a blogger. That said let’s get directly to the next big step in your blogging career. Creating a blog. We will follow a series of easy steps to see your blog created in no time.
Choose your blog’s Name
The name of your blog greatly impacts how readers remember you so choose wisely. I advise that you look at your subject area and the topics that you will be blogging mostly about. Find a name in that line. This name should instantly let the person who sees it know what the blog is about.
Register a Your Blog’s Domain Name
A domain name is a name that a user will type on their browser to open your blog. In Kenya, I advise bloggers to have a .co.ke domain name. For instance, our blog is deepAfrica.co.ke/blog. Having a Kenyan domain name helps the users easily identify with you as a blogger based in Kenya. It also helps you gain mileage with local Search Engine Optimisation.
Click here to register a free domain name with your hosting plan.
Choose a hosting plan
Hosting is simply the computer/server where your blog is stored and accessed from. Hosting plans are normally charged on a per year basis and I recommend you take a look at deepAfrica.com Kwanza hosting plan that goes for Just Ksh3,364. This plan is perfect for hosting blogs and would be the preferred first step. Here is a link to that hosting plan: http://www.deepafrica.com/shared-hosting/
Once you get hosting, you will be given credentials to your account. You normally log into this account through your domain name. Eg. yourdomain.co.ke/CPanel
Install WordPress
WordPress is installed as a software and we have done a short video that takes you through the process of installing WordPress on your account.
The summary of it is that you would need to access the Softaculous installer on your CPanel and then install a WordPress installation on the root domain.
Find a good WordPress theme for your blog
When looking for a good theme for your WordPress account, you will need to consider your topic and style of blogging. This will guide you to selecting a theme that complements your style and is pleasant to your audience.
For this blog, we use the free theme called Hestia from themeisle.com: here is the link if you would like to check it out.: https://themeisle.com/themes/hestia/
Install the WordPress Theme for your Blog
To install a WordPress theme, you follow several simple steps:
Download the zip file of the theme you have chosen
Go to the Appearance tab on the left side of your WordPress account,
select themes,
Click on add new,
Go to upload theme,
Click on Install Now.
Your theme will then be installed.
Go back to the themes section of the Appearance tab
Lastly, Click activate. The theme you have just installed gets activated.
You now have a WordPress theme.
Customize your blog’s the theme
After you have installed the theme, go back to the appearance tab of your wordpress and select Customize. Here you will get the chance to make the theme look and feel as you desire for your blog. You can add a logo if you have one. Customise how the theme will display on different screen sizes (make sure it looks good on the mobile size since most people use their mobile devices to browse the internet.
Start posting on you blog
Now that you have a good looking blog, start the actual blogging. Ensure consistency with your material for you to get a regular audience. Make sure to categorise your blog posts earlier on so that a reader can easily read everything you have written on a particular topic. That’s what we had for you on our beginner’s guide to blogging in Kenya. All the best in your blogging ventures.
