Blogging is a powerful tool for sharing your ideas, opinions, and expertise with the world. But did you know that blogging can also be a source of income? How to start a blog? Starting a blog can be an exciting and rewarding journey, but it can also be overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the online world.
The good news is, creating a blog that makes money is easier than you think. With a little bit of effort and the right strategy, you can turn your passion into a profitable business.
In this blog, we’ll take you through the steps to start a blog that makes you money, from choosing the right niche to building your website to creating content and promoting your blog to your target audience. Whether you’re looking to monetize your blog as a side hustle or a full-time career, let’s get started on your blog journey today!
Your cheat sheet for a 2-minute quick start
Looking for barebones, quick start guide to get started as fast as possible? In this section, we won’t cover everything, only the essential steps. Everything is covered in way more detail later, so jump down if you hit a snag.
Before you begin, it’s important to understand the principles behind starting a blog.
Choose a large enough niche: Choose a niche that is larger than “vegan Caribbean recipes” but smaller than “nutrition.”
Don’t limit yourself to a single platform:I know I’ve told you that you should use WordPress as your blogging platform, but that shouldn’t be the end of it. Why not experiment with Medium, Tumblr, or even LinkedIn?
Control your destiny. Post in many locations and always link back to your site to improve traffic control.
Blogging is about both “you” and “I.”. People enjoy reading stories. They want to participate in a dialogue, and the simplest way to do so is to include the words “you” and “I” in your blog entries.
Always be asking questions. Always ask a question at the end of each blog post. People won’t know what to do if you don’t ask a question.
You must stand out. You must go above and beyond the call of duty. Unfortunately, there is no single answer because each sector is unique, but normally, infographics, visuals, and diverging from everyone else in your space will help you stand out.
Your content must be portable and easily digestible. Making a video or audio-based material is an easy method to make your content portable.
Unless the content is excellent, it is not king. Writing substandard material is insufficient. It won’t work, and you’ll be wasting your time. So, unless it’s really, really, really good, don’t write stuff.
You must produce both quality and quantity. To maximize your chances of success, you must be willing to create outstanding material in large quantities.
It is not always the best spot to blog on your own blog. Consider publishing your finest material in areas with more visibility and higher domain authority, such as industry blogs and huge sites like Entrepreneur and Business Insider, especially in the beginning.
Useful content outperforms viral content. Instead of focusing on developing viral material, concentrate on creating helpful information. Useful content is typically evergreen, which means it may produce consistent traffic over time.
A personal blog is easier to create than a business blog. People are more likely to connect with other people than with corporate brands.
A blog cannot function without a community. Blogging is about starting discussions. But there is no conversation without readers and communities.
A true island does not exist. Make it a point to respond to every comment. Make sure to respond not only on your blog but also on your social media platforms.
People skim rather than read, so write your content with this in mind. Using headlines and even adding a conclusion at the end of each piece will help your visitors obtain value from your information even if they don’t read it completely.
The headline is everything. Only 2 out of every 10 people will click through and read the remainder of your headline. So, if you don’t create outstanding headlines, you won’t receive a lot of visitors.
Show off all of your cards. When establishing a point and providing evidence to back it up, make sure to do it early in each blog article. It is an excellent technique to pique your readers’ interest and entice them to read the rest of your content.
Consistency will determine your success or failure. Start a blog only if you are committed to being consistent. Not just for a few months or a year, but for years.
Never rely on a single traffic channel. You must take an omnichannel approach, utilizing all of the available channels that are relevant to your niche.
Don’t overlook Google. Always write for humans rather than search engines. However, this does not mean you should disregard Google. Include Ubersuggest keyword research and incorporate it into your content.
Understand that not all content is intended to last indefinitely. Your obligations will increase as your blog matures. One of them is your readiness to destroy some of your content. Not all of your content will be useful in a year or two.
It is not possible to set it and forget it. You’ll want to maintain your content fresh when it becomes outdated, or visitors will find it useless and leave.
People will not return to your blog until you ask them to. People will not return unless you ask them to, no matter how wonderful your content is. Emails and push alerts are the most convenient way to accomplish this.
Don’t put off monetization for too long. People will assume your blog is free if you wait years before attempting to monetize it.
Have a variety of monetization strategies. Having several monetization strategies is not only a safer strategy, but it also results in more money.
Be prepared to pay the price. If you want to be successful, you must be willing to put in the time and effort. And if you can’t, you must be willing to invest money. If you don’t, no matter how talented a writer or marketer you are, you will struggle.
Now that you understand the basics of running a blog, it’s time to break it down into concrete actions so you can start making money.
The following are the next steps:
- Release the Ideas You Have
- Decide On a Name For Your New Blog
- Use Hostinger to Get Web Hosting
- Acquaint yourself with WordPress
- Put a WordPress theme in place
- Individualize Your Blog
- List potential blog topics
- Write Your First Great Work
- Make an editorial schedule
- Profit from Your Blog
Step 1: Release the Ideas You Have
Stop. Do not become overwhelmed by the circumstances at hand. Take a normal breath. You are capable of completing this. You don’t need to reinvent blogging in order to succeed.
Being specific about the topic you wish to address is all that is required.
The best way to do it is to get inspired by motivation in the same industry or sector of work. Do they have a blog?
Considering that, read it. Start allowing your ideas to come to you after that. If you don’t have a specific individual in mind, find someone you admire. Then let the concepts grow.
Speak in your own voice about your unique experiences. Avoid overthinking things and instead, use your own language and attitude. Follow its lead.
Your tribe will join you if you remain consistent.
When choosing the niche for your blog, there are two crucial questions to ask yourself.
1. Am I Interested in This Topic?
If you don’t enjoy the subject, it will come out in your writing. If you don’t genuinely enjoy writing about what you do, don’t even start a blog.
Whatever subject you choose, you must be passionate about it and naturally fascinated by it.
If not, you’ll quickly run out of creative ideas. Any momentum you had at the outset will be lost.
You won’t be able to continuously provide material that will grow your following, which is the most critical disadvantage.
If you’re still confused, consider the subjects on which people ask you for your opinion. Do your loved ones or friends ask you for fitness advice? Ideas for meals? Career guidance? You may rapidly ascertain your areas of skill with a little thought.
2. Are There Similar Interests Among Others?
If you’re a 20-something who is infatuated with knitting, you could feel alone. However, there are still others.
Over 1 million results will come up if you conduct a quick Google search for persons who are similar to you.
You might be considering whether your concept is too peculiar. Maybe it’s too broad? Getting as centered as you can on a subject that piques your attention, is my advice.
Step 2: Decide On a Name For Your New Blog
Now comes the fun part—naming your blog.
It’s yours to own. You’ll be remembered for it by people.
But don’t worry too much about it. A brand becomes more appealing over time. If you believe you are trapped, keep moving.
Finding the perfect name is best accomplished by beginning with brainstorming. In the last phase, we talked about letting all of your ideas flow and figuring out your specialty.
At this stage, we need to take those ideas and give them names.
So, start a fresh spreadsheet or get out some paper and a pen. then jot down every word that comes to mind for around 10 minutes.
Start putting words and phrases together after that until you find something that stands out. Write down 5 to 10 potential names as a goal.
Check to check if those names are available as domains right now. Your blog is housed on a domain on the internet.
Here are some additional suggestions for selecting a great domain name:
- Always go for a.com when it’s an option.
- Do not use hyphens, digits, or homophones.
- It should be as brief and clear as possible and be simple to speak and understand.
- Avoid using terms that are difficult or frequently misspelled.
To add a name to your cart right away if you land on a name that is available, click next.
Don’t purchase it just yet. The following stage will be where I walk you through getting your domain for free.
Step 3: Use Hostinger to Get Web Hosting
Your blog should now be online.
At first, it could appear difficult, but don’t be concerned. It is lot simpler than it appears.
A domain name and web hosting are required to get started. The good news is that both are available as a package deal from Hostinger, my preferred web provider.
Step 4: Acquaint yourself with WordPress
A blog must be started with blogging software. WordPress is my platform of choice since it’s easy to use, free, and robust.
You’ll discover that creating a blog that isn’t on WordPress is substantially more expensive. There are a tonne of free plugins available for WordPress that let you change your site whatever you see fit.
It’s convenient that Hostinger will handle your WordPress installation during setup. To make it ready for usage, nothing needs to be done.
You’ll be welcomed with a screen where you may connect your domain, browse your site, or access the WordPress dashboard or the Hostinger control panel after the Hostinger setup wizard is complete.
You’ll be directed to that area of hPanel by clicking “Manage WordPress.” The version of WordPress that is currently installed can be seen on the right when you scroll a little bit down.
By hitting “Install” all the way at the bottom, you may always perform a clean installation of WordPress if you ever run into a problem.
Step 5: Put a WordPress theme in place
The term “themes” refers to pre-made WordPress site templates in the blogging community.
Your WordPress blog will appear something like this right out of the box:
You begin with that straightforward base. Nevertheless, you’ll need to look for something that complements your name, business, and the experience you want readers to have.
There are countless themes available. But it can be simple to fall victim to “shiny object syndrome,” looking through a tonne of lovely images and designs but failing to find a theme that works for you.
Instead of worrying about finding the ideal theme, pick one that will suffice for the time being. You may change your theme at any time. Your WordPress blog’s theme will likely change over time as you learn what functions and appears best in real-world situations, similar to how your brand does.
If you can’t find a theme you like, you can purchase premium themes from websites like:
- Themeforest
- Elegant Themes
- StudioPress
- Thrive Themes
Your theme ought to be active and ready to use by this point. Let’s continue by modifying your theme.
Step 6: Individualize Your Blog
You may customize almost every aspect of a WordPress blog. We’ll stick to the fundamentals solely.
The themes encompass the core components of your design. WordPress also provides plugins that can dramatically improve or extend the functionality of your blog.
WordPress plugins can be used for a wide range of functions, including adding contact forms and e-commerce functionality to your website, checking your content for SEO improvements, and improving site security and performance.
Start by choosing “Customize” from the menu of the active theme.
There will be several menu options on the sidebar depending on the theme you choose. The main category that has to be changed is “Site Identity.”
The name and tagline of your blog are available here if you’d like. Click “Save and Publish” when you’re done.
Optimize for Search Engine Traffic
The search engine optimization (SEO) market is worth many billions of dollars.
The practice of optimizing your website for specific keywords and phrases allows it to be found in search engines.
I credit a significant chunk of my success to the fact that I was quickly found online for pertinent search keywords, which aided in the development of my networks and financial standing.
This could appear intimidating if you’re new to SEO.
Having said that, WordPress makes optimizing your blog’s technical features ridiculously simple.
Creating interesting content for actual people will be the main emphasis of your SEO efforts. As a blogger, it is your responsibility to establish a connection with your audience, whether through words, videos, or photographs.
XML Sitemaps
It aids Google and other search engines in indexing new pages and posts on your website. Fortunately, Yoast offers a built-in tool that updates your sitemap automatically, allowing you to click it once and forget about it.
Set Up Permalinks
Permalinks are fixed links that go to a certain blog post or web page. When you write a post, WordPress by default creates permalinks for you, placing the post ID number after your domain.
We are now getting to the core of blogging. What will you cover in your blog post?
Let’s investigate.
Step 7: List potential blog topics
Your blog is already set up and ready to go technically. The world is your oyster when it comes to topic ideas.
Your blog posts will primarily be based on your own interests, experiences, mistakes, and new learnings.
People type questions into search engines, such as:
- What topic should I choose?
- What shall we blog about?
- Do I need to start blogging?
So it only makes sense that you start by asking some questions of your own. To generate ideas for blog posts, I follow a methodical process and ask myself a number of questions.
No cause for concern. It won’t take very long and isn’t difficult.
You should be able to generate roughly 50 workable subjects using this method in a half-hour period of uninterrupted time.
Open your preferred word processor or get a pen and paper ready.
To gather 10 responses for each question is the objective of this practice. Write down any further ideas you may have.
Step 8: Write Your First Great Work
WordPress employs an easy-to-use editor that is comparable to your preferred word processing programs. Direct blog entry creation is possible from the WordPress admin panel.
The “Posts” link is in the left sidebar.
This will generate a list of all of your blog posts in alphabetical order. You won’t notice anything here because we’re using a brand-new installation.
Click the “Add New” button in the sidebar or at the top to add a new entry.
When you reach the editor, you may start blogging.
You may add headings, media, quotations, and a tonne of other features to your blog by clicking the + in the right corner of the WordPress editor.
Put one of the titles you came up with during your brainstorming session in the title text box first.
WordPress will generate a permalink based on the keywords in your title whenever you save this post as a draught.
You can begin composing the article’s body in the roomy text box and keep going till you’re satisfied with the material.
You should also include visual elements in your blog postings. Images fascinate readers and frequently do a greater job of conceptual illustration than words.
Make sure your text cursor is where you want the new image to go before adding it. Select the “Image” block after clicking the blue Plus sign.
If the image has already been uploaded to your website, select “upload” or pick it from your Media Library.
Using the icons at the top of the image, you can resize your image after you’ve submitted it and add links.
Your post will immediately include your image.
You’ll need to use the Yoast SEO plugin to do a few last-minute improvements after you’ve finished writing your post.
At the bottom of the main text field, Yoast offers settings that are post-specific.
The “SEO title,” “slug,” “meta description,” and “focus keyphrases” are the four essential settings.
When these settings are finished, a preview of your post’s appearance in Google’s search engine results will be generated.
Make click-worthy SEO titles and meta descriptions that describe the content of your post.
As you start to optimize your title and description, the Yoast SEO plugin will provide you with immediate feedback.
Try to get as many green lights as you can, but don’t worry if you don’t succeed. You’re making progress if you can attain an 80% green light.
You can see your blog post before you publish it by clicking the “preview” button at the top of the page.
Make sure your entry looks and feels the way you want it to before pressing the publish button.
Before clicking “Publish,” examine the following quick list:
- Use a conversational tone of voice.
- The text must naturally flow.
- For easy reading, leave enough white space between words.
- To divide sections, use headers.
- Use lists and bullet points to segment content.
- Verify your work for typos and grammar mistakes.
You are now prepared to post your first blog entry if all goes according to plan.
If you want your post to go live immediately, scroll to the top of the page and click the publish button, which is direct to the right of the preview button.
Step 9: Make an editorial schedule
I frequently observe bloggers make the fatal error of only posting when they “feel like it.”
They neglect to fulfill the demands of new fans for more content.
There will be unforeseen occurrences. You’ll forfeit the time you could have spent blogging in favor of watching a new Netflix series.
Whether or not you start blogging, life will still throw you curveballs.
Since consistency is underrated, you should give it a priority.
The way editorial calendars operate is comparable.
They help make ambitious goals achievable in tiny increments. They help you stay structured. They streamline your use of email marketing and social media.
You’ll be astonished to see how an editorial calendar can even assist you to develop your moral character.
We are accustomed beings.
Your audience will expand more quickly the better you are at keeping your dates.
How much would it cost and how do you start?
Nada.
Simply launch a fresh Excel worksheet. Google Drive can be used to share the sheet if you have numerous writers.
The Publishing Date, Title, Keyword, and Notes columns should be your first four. Since your requirements can differ from mine, feel free to add more columns as necessary. Persona, Category, and Author are frequent additions.
It will be simpler to understand and follow if you keep it that way.
View your calendar on your iPhone, Android, or the one that is attached to your refrigerator. When can you post again?
Monthly? Weekly? Daily?
Because regularly missing deadlines can result in giving up, be cautious while setting your goals.
Next, enter the solutions you identified during your brainstorming session in the “Title” column.
You don’t need to have great titles just yet. Include a draught headline that you can polish before publication.
The best headlines occasionally appear after you’ve finished writing your piece. You’ll be able to clearly see the subject and audience of your story.
For SEO purposes, the “Keyword” column has been included. Add those in if you’re aiming for particular keyword phrases that you want to rank for.
If nothing comes to mind right once, you can look for some keywords later.
The last column is the “Notes” column.
This section is the ideal spot to jot down any very fantastic thoughts that may occur to you. Taking notes is an excellent way to maintain concentration and approach a subject rationally.
You ought to be able to come up with a list of 25 blog post themes with due dates that you know you can meet.
That’s over half a year’s worth of blog posts for a writer who posts once every week.
Okay. The editorial is present, but the calendar is still absent.
Create a new calendar by going to Google Calendars. You can do this by selecting “My Calendars” and then click the downward pointing arrow.
Enter a name, description, and time zone after clicking “Create New Calendar.” This calendar can be distributed to other team members.
Share it with your spouse or a close friend who is ready to hold you accountable for your goals if you don’t have team members.
Once you’ve entered all the necessary details, click “Create Calendar” to meet your new best friend.
In the left sidebar, make sure your calendar is selected, then switch the schedule view to weekly.
Your blog post title should be entered as the “Event Title” after selecting a time window under a day. You should schedule a notification for a few days before the publication date, in my opinion.
You are on a risky path if you just write when it is convenient.
Eventually, you’ll run out of inspiration, become demotivated, and lose the motivation you previously had for starting your own blog.
A fast remedy for a blogger’s procrastination is an editorial calendar.
Step 10: Profit from Your Blog
The final step is to earn money from your blog.
It’s not necessary to launch your blog with the goal of making money right away. If it describes you, it’s advantageous.
Let me explain.
Traditionally, selling was done in a manner similar to this:
- Consider a concept
- Develop a product
- Try to sell the item
- Declare bankruptcy
Many people and businesses have tried this strategy without success since they didn’t first develop an audience before making a sale.
They used intuition to predict market demand.
Because of this, blogging is the ideal revenue method. Through your blog postings, email newsletters, participation in the comments, and social media platforms, you’ll develop an audience.
Do you need some advice on how to make money from your blog? Read on.
Do Audience Research
Through interaction, blogging introduces individuals into your life. You might feel as though you know your favorite bloggers personally if you think about them.
Even better, conducting market research gets a lot simpler. At the end of each blog article, I leave a question that receives hundreds of responses.
As an alternative, you may send out email blasts with a survey attached using a programme like Google Forms to learn more about the preferences of your target market.
You can engage in conversation with potential customers by creating a blog. People who will be honest with you about what they expect from you.
What do you believe your survey respondents want if 90% of them say they want formal training on digital marketing?
They would gladly pay for a digital marketing course.
Earn Money Through Advertising
Anyone may place an ad on their blog using Google Ads. However, the actual money is made through private sales of ad slots on your website.
If you have a blog with a large following, you can support yourself full-time by selling ad space on your website.
Talk about passive income!
Put their banner there and keep writing about what you do best, which is your area of interest or skill.
Monetizing is the last step in creating a successful blog because your initial efforts shouldn’t be driven by money.
By discussing their needs with you as you develop strong bonds and a feeling of community, your audience will guide you in the proper direction.
If you want to make money blogging, it’s up to you to meet those requirements.
Offer exclusive content, such as e-books
Adding extra content beyond what you already give for a fee is another straightforward way to increase the revenue from your blog.
The free ebook may draw visitors to the website who will then download and read it.
After reading the entire article, the Writers Den appears to be a much more intriguing idea.
Affiliate Marketing
Utilize your presence to promote someone else’s goods. The simplest method to achieve this is through affiliate marketing. When you advertise other things on your blog and can link a sale back to your site, you are earning money.
How then does this function?
Finding a network or programme for affiliates that you enjoy is the first step. Choose the one that works best for you among those that cover different products and handle payments differently.
After that, all you need to do is write content using the unique links that your affiliate network offers.
Marketing via influencers and sponsored content
You can find that you start to build yourself as an influencer as your site becomes more established in its field and you start to market yourself. An influencer is anybody who works with a brand to market goods or services to their audience in the marketing industry.
The majority of the time, people think of social media influencers, but you can also gain a following as a blogger and use it as a way to make money. Usually, this is accomplished through sponsored material.
In this instance, a blogger collaborates with a business to develop a blog that advertises the business. In many cases, an affiliate link is also present, but in this instance, the blogger and the corporation worked together to create the complete piece of content.
Additionally, sponsored content isn’t just for bloggers. Companies can invest in quality content, infographics, paid tweets, and anything else that makes sense for their audience.
At first, this could appear a little unusual, and some might even call this tactic deceitful. No, not always.
Even when sponsored content is paid for, readers might still find value in it. In actuality, this is the main idea behind the tactic’s success.
Think about crowdfunding
In other circumstances, you might want to monetize a blog in order to keep it going but may not necessarily be trying to generate a big profit. In other situations, you could wish to monetize the blog and generate as much revenue as you can while still using it to further a good cause. Crowdfunding is a wise choice in this situation.
I have some knowledge of crowdfunding thanks to my startup experience. But it also has use in the world of blogging.
Here, transparency is crucial. You can utilize the same popular crowdfunding websites, such as Indiegogo or Kickstarter, and your blog’s CTA’s will link to those websites.
To maintain the trust of your readers, be prepared to describe and demonstrate how the money is being used.
When creating material, concentrate on attracting readers who are more inclined to support the cause you are crowdfunding for.
Have a plan for how your material will alter once the crowdfunding campaign is over.
You should be aware that if you choose this course, your cash flow will be based on the following you develop and how much money you can provide over time. It can therefore be challenging if your blog is your only source of income.
Conclusion
In conclusion, starting a blog that makes money is a great way to turn your passion into a profitable venture. To achieve this goal, it’s important to choose a niche that you’re knowledgeable and passionate about, establish a clear target audience, and create high-quality, engaging content. Once you’ve built a following, you can monetize your blog through various methods, such as advertising, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and selling digital or physical products.
However, starting a successful blog takes time, effort, and patience. You’ll need to be consistent in creating content, promoting your blog, and engaging with your audience. Additionally, you’ll need to be open to learning and trying new monetization strategies as your blog grows.
Ultimately, the key to starting a successful blog that makes money is to approach it with a long-term mindset. Building a successful blog takes time, but with dedication and hard work, you can turn your passion into a profitable business. Don’t get discouraged by setbacks and remember that success is a journey, not a destination. If you stay focused, stay true to your niche, and never stop learning, you’ll be able to achieve your goal of starting a blog that makes you money.
