# Ghost.org Complete Tutorial - Turn Your Blog into a Subscription Business ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YVakhK8UOWs/maxresdefault.jpg) ## Start [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=0s) - [[Ghost]] is a free and open source content management system that focuses on blogging, email marketing, and subscription revenue. [(00:00:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=7s) - There are two ways to use Ghost: a hosted service through Ghost.org or by downloading and installing the software on your own hosting account. [(00:00:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=16s) - This video will cover how to create an account, set a custom domain name, design a website with themes, set up memberships and subscriptions, and important integrations. [(00:00:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=47s) ## Ghost website overview [(00:01:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=69s) - Ghost.org offers a 14-day free trial and then has various pricing plans, starting at $9/month. [(00:02:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=151s) - [[Ghost]] has a built-in onboarding process to help users set up their domain name and other information. [(00:03:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=207s) - The Ghost dashboard provides an overview of members, email open rates, and access to guides and settings. [(00:03:38)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=218s) ## Custom domain [(00:07:03)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=423s) - To set a custom domain, navigate to the upgrade account section in the dashboard and click on domains. [(00:07:20)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=440s) - Purchase a domain from a domain registrar like [[Namecheap | Namecheap.]] [(00:07:45)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=465s) - Set up a CNAME record in your domain's DNS settings to redirect traffic from the subdomain to the custom domain. [(00:10:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=640s) - Optionally, set up an A record to redirect traffic from the www version to the non-www version of your domain. [(00:11:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=669s) - Activate the changes and allow time for them to propagate. [(00:11:56)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=716s) ## Install a theme [(00:12:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=751s) - The domain name is working appropriately, and the website can be viewed. [(00:12:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=751s) - The next step is to design the website using themes in [[Ghost]]. [(00:12:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=762s) - Navigate back to the dashboard and click on the gear icon, then select 'theme'. [(00:12:52)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=772s) - There are options to choose from the theme directory or upload a theme. [(00:13:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=780s) - For those using Ghost Pro, everything is built-in, making it easy to use. [(00:13:21)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=801s) - Themes can also be purchased from ThemeForest, which offers premium themes. [(00:13:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=807s) - To buy a theme, purchase, download, save it to your laptop, and then upload it in the settings. [(00:13:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=822s) - The [[Ghost]] marketplace offers both free and paid professional themes. [(00:13:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=835s) - There are many great-looking free themes available, as well as some expensive paid themes. [(00:14:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=849s) - One of the favorite free themes is 'Massively', which has a subtle design and nice features. [(00:14:41)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=881s) - To install a theme, enter the site's address, click on install, and then activate the theme. [(00:15:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=916s) - The theme 'Massively' is now installed and activated as the primary theme. [(00:15:30)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=930s) ## Hero image and a call to action [(00:15:39)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=939s) - The massively theme is being used, and a custom image will be added to the background. [(00:15:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=940s) - Navigate to the dashboard, click on the gear icon, and work in the general and branding tabs. [(00:15:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=951s) - In the general tab, you can change the title and description, adjust the time zone, and set the publication language. [(00:16:03)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=963s) - The site meta settings allow you to set an SEO title and meta description, including keyword phrases. [(00:16:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=987s) - [[Twitter]] and [[Facebook]] card settings let you customize how your website link appears when shared on these platforms. [(00:16:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1010s) - Social accounts can be linked to your website for structured data and rich card support. [(00:17:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1031s) - You can make your website private if desired. [(00:17:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1047s) - In the branding tab, you can adjust the color scheme, upload a publication icon, and add a publication logo depending on the theme. [(00:17:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1056s) - A publication cover image can be uploaded to enhance the website's appearance. [(00:18:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1097s) - After uploading a cover image, save and close to see the changes, resulting in a visually appealing website with a background image and centered text. [(00:18:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1116s) ## Logo and favicon [(00:18:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1127s) - [[Canva | Canva.com]] is recommended for creating a logo and favicon for a website. [(00:18:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1129s) - Sign up for a free account on Canva and use the [[YouTube]] thumbnail format for designing the logo. [(00:18:54)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1134s) - Navigate to the text section, add a heading, and type in the site name. [(00:19:14)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1154s) - Change the font and adjust the spacing and effects as needed. [(00:19:30)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1170s) - Optionally, add an icon from the elements section, such as a camera image. [(00:20:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1210s) - Download the logo as a PNG file and remove the background using remove.bg. [(00:20:58)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1258s) - Crop the logo using any image editor and save it. [(00:21:44)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1304s) - Upload the logo to the website's branding section, but note that the appearance may vary depending on the theme. [(00:22:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1326s) - For the favicon, ensure it is a square image, ideally 60 by 60 pixels. [(00:22:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1362s) - Use [[Canva]] to create the favicon, download it, and remove the background. [(00:23:02)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1382s) - Crop the favicon to ensure it is a perfect square and save it. [(00:23:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1420s) - Upload the favicon to the website and save the changes. [(00:24:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1451s) ## Menu and pages [(00:24:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1482s) - The main menu bar of the website can be edited by navigating to the navigation settings. [(00:25:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1500s) - New pages can be added by clicking the "new page" button in the pages tab. [(00:25:58)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1558s) - Pages can be linked to the menu bar by adding a label and URL in the navigation settings. [(00:27:03)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1623s) ## Blogging tutorial [(00:27:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1638s) - [[Ghost]] does not include dates in the URL structure of blog posts. [(00:28:58)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1738s) - Ghost allows users to control who can access posts, making content available to the public, all members, or paid members only. [(00:30:24)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=1824s) - Ghost has a built-in feature that allows users to add content to blog posts that will only be visible to email subscribers. [(00:33:44)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2024s) ## Email subscribers [(00:36:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2196s) - Ghost refers to email subscribers as members. [(00:36:39)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2199s) - The email newsletter feature allows customization of the email's appearance, including header, footer, and content sections. [(00:38:03)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2283s) - Users can track email open rates and analytics to assess engagement and manage their subscriber list effectively. [(00:39:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2367s) ## Paid subscriptions [(00:40:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2410s) - [[Ghost]] has built-in features that allow users to create paid subscriptions for their websites. [(00:40:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2416s) - Users need to create a [[Stripe, Inc. | Stripe]] account and provide business information, including a phone number, to set up paid subscriptions. [(00:40:21)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2421s) - Users can customize the subscription sign-up page, including the button text and icons, and manage subscriber accounts, including their names and payment plans. [(00:40:37)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2437s) - Users can create different membership tiers, including free, monthly, and yearly subscriptions, and customize the welcome page for new subscribers. [(00:41:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2478s) - Users can connect their Stripe account to their Ghost website to manage payments and subscriptions. [(00:44:01)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2641s) ## Integrations [(00:45:25)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2725s) - [[Ghost]] has built-in integrations for [[Zapier]], [[Slack (software) | Slack]], AMP, [[Unsplash]], and FirstPromoter. [(00:45:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2727s) - FirstPromoter allows users to create referral programs and track affiliates. [(00:46:01)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2761s) - Ghost provides guides on how to integrate with various services, including [[Google Analytics]], Snipcart, and [[Gumroad | Gumroad.]] [(00:46:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2809s) - Users can add custom integrations using webhooks. [(00:49:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2957s) ## Subscribe [(00:49:38)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2978s) - The speaker expresses hope that the tutorial video about [[Ghost]].org has been enjoyable and valuable for viewers. [(00:49:41)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2981s) - The speaker introduces themself as David from websitecreditpro.com and thanks viewers for watching. [(00:49:44)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2984s) - The speaker bids the viewers farewell. [(00:49:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVakhK8UOWs&t=2989s)