By starting a blog, you can embark on a journey that can bring both satisfying and profitable experiences while providing new and thrilling prospects. Blogging allows you to build your reputation as a knowledgeable authority in your area of expertise, generate a supplementary or primary source of earnings, and foster connections with individuals who hold similar interests and passions as you do.
Regardless of your experience level, we will guide you through the process of starting a blog and earning money in this article.
Steps to start a blog
If you’re unsure of where to begin with starting a blog but are prepared to dive in, following these steps will ensure that you are on the path to success, regardless of the objectives you hope to achieve.
1. Define your topic or niche
Discovering a niche may prove challenging or restrictive, yet it enhances your long-term credibility. Although discussing multiple subjects is possible, ensure your primary focus remains consistent and sufficiently specific to captivate readers and motivate them to continue reading your content.
2. Do competitor research
After determining your chosen topic, conduct some preliminary research to identify the major participants in your field. Is your specific area already filled with a substantial number of individuals? Or does your intended subject have a scarcity of writers?
Regardless of the situation, conducting research beforehand will enable you to comprehend the methods of developing content that is superior to or distinct from existing content.
3. Define your audience
In addition to defining your niche, it is important to also take into consideration your target audience. Who will be the intended recipients of your blog?
Before you start writing, it is important to have the answer to this question as it will enable you to produce articles that are both valuable and relevant to your readers. Therefore, it is advisable to assess the following details about your target audience before beginning the writing process.
- How old are they?
- Where do they live?
- What do they do for work?
- What other forms of media do they already consume?
- Do they read any other blogs?
- What do they do in their free time?
- What issues or problems do they face on a regular basis?
- What do they wish they were more of an expert in?
4. Plan your first blog post
After you have identified your niche and target audience, you can begin to strategize your initial blog post. It may be necessary to conduct some research in order to produce content that appeals to your readership.
To begin, enter your preferred topic into a search engine and observe the articles appearing in the results. If the existing results fail to accurately or effectively describe the topic, this signifies an opportunity for you to create a superior piece of writing.
5. Name your blog
When naming your blog, it is essential to consider its relevance to your niche or brand, its memorability and catchiness, as well as its ease and quickness to type.
To ensure that the name you have in mind is available, conduct a thorough search on the internet and social media. If the desired name is already being used, you have two options: create a new name or reach out to the website owner to inquire if they are actively using the name. If you want maximum protection for your business, consider trademarking your chosen name.
6. Create branding elements for your blog
Once you have chosen a name for your blog, you will also have to choose a font and color scheme. These choices will be incorporated into your website after it is built. You have the option to either do this yourself or hire a graphic designer. If you are interested in having a unique logo for your blog, you can create one using a free platform like Canva or collaborate with a designer.
7. Claim a domain name
Once you have decided on a name for your blog, the next step is to choose a domain name. To check its availability, you can simply enter your desired domain name in the browser and see if a live website is displayed. Additionally, most domain registrars offer a tool that can assist you in finding available domains.
Once you have selected an available domain, you will need to purchase the rights to use it from a domain registrar. The process of owning and setting up a domain is distinct from choosing a hosting site and web builder, which will be your next steps.
8. Choose a hosting site
Selecting a web host is a crucial undertaking when establishing your blog as it is indispensable for building a website. A host serves as the means to effectively secure a virtual presence on the internet by allowing you to “rent” it.
Certain platforms offer free hosting for your blog, but in return, they will append their brand name to your web domain. For instance, your website address may appear as thefancyblog.squarespace.com or thefancyblog.wordpress.com. To eliminate the mention of “squarespace” or “wordpress” from the URL, you would have to pay for web hosting in addition to purchasing the domain name thefancyblog.com.
The cost of web hosting can vary between 50 cents and $10 per month, depending on the desired speed and storage capacity. There is a wide range of hosting options available, however, it is advisable to choose one of the top web hosting services that aligns with your budget and requirements.
9. Build your website
The method you choose to create your website depends on your budget and preferences. If you have no experience in web development, you can still design and build an attractive website using a no-code web builder like Blogger or WordPress. While certain templates or themes are free, others may cost between $10 and $200.
When considering designing your blog, it is important to read the specifications of each website builder to understand their individual customization and flexibility capabilities, as certain web builders offer more options in these areas than others.
10. Upload and publish your first article
Once you have finished creating your website and are happy with its appearance and design, you should proceed to upload your initial article. Although you have the option to type and modify your content directly from the backend of your website, it is advisable to generate all your content in a separate editor hosted on a cloud platform like Google Docs. This approach ensures that you possess a protected copy of your blog content in the event that your website encounters any technical difficulties.
It is advisable to preview your blog post before publishing it to ensure it appears as desired. However, if you wish to make any changes or updates, you can always go back and edit it at a later time.
11. Promote your blog
After you have posted content on your blog, you have the ability to distribute your links. Utilizing social media is a widely used and efficient method to disseminate your blog content. You have the option to share links on your current social platforms or establish new accounts to supplement your blog.
12. Track your analytics
Once you have published and promoted your blog, it is crucial to monitor metrics such as views, visitors, and clicks. While your hosting platform may provide a pre-installed analytics dashboard, we highly recommend integrating your blog with Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a cost-free tool that enables you to track your website’s traffic as well as significant demographic and conversion data.
In order to obtain brand sponsorships and/or advertising revenue, you will need to utilize your analytics.
How to make money with a blog
1. Sponsored product reviews
All companies desire social proof as a means of persuading buyers that their products are valuable investments.
A method they can utilize is by sponsoring accomplished bloggers to generate product reviews. Begin the process by reaching out to the brands you frequently use and inquire if they are interested in sponsoring you to review their product on your website. This approach allows you to earn income by expressing your views on a product you are already using.
When restructuring the text, it is important to maintain the same meaning, without adding or removing information. You must also strictly adhere to ethical guidelines by explicitly stating that you are being paid to write the post. Moreover, it is crucial to provide both the positives and negatives of the product to offer your readers an honest and unbiased review.
2. Add Google AdSense ads
Google AdSense is a service that enables the display of advertisements on your blog. These adverts are specifically inserted by Google to match your blog’s niche and appeal to your visitors. When these advertisements receive views or clicks, you are financially rewarded.
You can determine the ad sizes, shapes, and placement according to your preferences, which can help increase the likelihood of clicks and views while ensuring a user-friendly viewing experience.
3. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing enables you to earn a commission by promoting and generating sales for a brand’s products or services. Consequently, it is considered a relatively simple way of generating passive income. All you need to do is incorporate affiliate links into your blog posts, either through affiliate banners or embedded relevant links.
You can conduct an online search for affiliate networks that are relevant to your blog’s niche. A few of the widely known affiliate networks are:
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4. Sell sponsored content
In addition to small businesses or individuals like entrepreneurs, brands might also be interested in compensating you for writing a blog post about their brand, products, or services. It is not unusual for brands to approach successful blogs within their specific field, but you can also proactively approach brands you admire and inquire if they are open to collaborating in this manner.
This sponsored content has the potential to either be a one-time blog post or a series of blog posts that occur regularly during a specific timeframe. It aids in generating income through online means and ultimately results in continuous revenue for your blog.
5. Offer services
Having a successful blog can provide you with the necessary knowledge and platform to offer and sell relevant services. This, in turn, enables you to generate a higher income and secure a substantial amount of money through your blog.
Here are a few of the services that you might want to consider offering through your blog:
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Services for graphic design
Services that assist with social media tasks
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Services that provide assistance in a virtual manner.
Depending on the specific area you specialize in, there can be numerous opportunities available that can generate significant income in the long run.
6. Sell digital products
In addition to providing services, your blog can also be utilized to sell digital products to your intended audience.
Even though it will require time and effort to create a digital product, it ultimately becomes a source of passive income. This is because it can be sold repeatedly without any additional effort, as long as your online store effectively attracts visitors with quality content.
Consider the challenges of your target audience and devise a product of your own that can assist them in addressing these issues.
Some examples of digital products that are popular to sell include:
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Online courses are designed to be convenient and flexible, allowing individuals to access educational materials and complete coursework remotely through the use of digital technologies and the internet.
Templates are pre-designed formats or layouts that can be used as a starting point for creating various types of documents or designs. They provide a structured framework that can be customized and edited according to specific needs and preferences. Templates are typically created by professionals or experts in their respective fields and are made available to others to help streamline the process of creating high-quality and consistent content. They are commonly used in industries such as graphic design, web development, and content creation to save time and effort by providing a foundation that can be easily modified to suit individual requirements. Templates serve as a valuable resource for individuals and businesses looking to create professional-looking materials without starting from scratch.
such as planners, worksheets, or artistic prints, can be printed and used.
Digital workbooks are to be thought about in a step-by-step manner.
Masterclasses or workshops that have been recorded
7. Speaking gigs
Establishing yourself as an authority within your niche through your blog enhances your chances of securing speaking engagements at events like industry conferences. These opportunities not only bring in significant income through your blog but also provide the opportunity to travel to various cities or countries as part of your professional obligations.
In order to increase your chances of getting more speaking opportunities in the future, it is important to thoroughly prepare your material before giving your speech.
8. Start selling physical products
Once your blog becomes widely known, you can take advantage of its success by selling your merchandise, which will help to strengthen your brand and increase awareness, recognition, and traffic for your blog even more.
Some of the most popular types of merchandise are those that are branded.
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Posters
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You have the option to use a print-on-demand service like Society6, Printify, or Redbubble. Another option is to have the merchandise made by a manufacturer and handle its sale and distribution by yourself.