Blogging is a lot of fun, and you can make money doing it.
The first thing you have to do is NOT to blog for money. If you are blogging only for money, then it is hard to build your visitor base. Blogging is a community and you have to share your views and you should be unique in it. You should not copy or imitate anybody and if you do publish your views and share your ideas, then you will get some considerable amount of visitors and subscribers who will help you to earn money step-by-step.
Just give what you can and share your expertise with your readers and there are multiple simple ways to earn money. To earn big money, your primary aim should not be money itself. It should be your readers and supporters.
You can work for others to make money blogging as well (which will be another post for another day), but in this post I’m focusing on making money with your own blog. Let’s go!
Step 1: Choose Your Blog Topic
Choose your blog topic. What will you write about? The ideas are endless. There are blogs about celebrities, pets, starting a business, floral arrangements…you name it – there’s a blog about it somewhere. There are even blog from pets. Yes, people who write blogs from the perspective of their pet or pets. Just an interesting fact I thought I’d throw out there. Anyway, back to you. What do you love to do? What do you love to learn about? You don’t have to know a lot about it already, but that can help. Brainstorm some ideas and choose a blog topic.
Step 2: Choose Your Blog’s Host
You can host your blog on Blogger or WordPress, the two most popular blogging platforms, or you could host it on a less popular blogging platform such as LiveJournal. There are many out there.
Here’s a whole list of blog hosts from Mashable. I know Blogger and WordPress are free, and those who use them love them. I love Blogger so I stick with it. It’s a personal decision. Check them out and pick one to host your blog.
Step 3: Pick a Domain Name
Right now you might stick with the subdomain, for example, FreelanceWriting4Beginners.blogger.com, but if you’re serious about making money blogging you should chip in a few dollars to buy a real domain (FreelanceWriting4Beginners.com). Go Daddy is the go-to domain and website hosting company for me. It’s affordable and easy to use.
However, you buy your domain from anyone, but you have to have the server point to your blog host in order for it to work. I’m no techie, so you’ll have to call the place you bought the domain from to have them help you do this. Go Daddy walked me through the whole process over the phone.
I know on Blogger you can simply go to the settings and buy a domain right from there.
Step 4: Create a Content Schedule
Brainstorm as many ideas as you can about the topic of your blog. Get inspiration from other people’s blogs, websites, magazines, TV, books, and your own life. Keep a content schedule running so you never are stuck without an idea of what to write. In your schedule you also need to choose how often you will post in your blog. You can post weekly, daily…you’re the boss! When making money blogging you will need to post a blog on a regular basis. Your readers will come to expect your blogs on a certain day or days of the week.
Step 5: Monetize Your Blog with Affiliate Advertising
Advertisers and affiliates will help you make money from your blog. Here are a list of advertisers for your blog –
Affiliate marketing can be quite effective in making money blogging. Most companies today have incentives for you to sell their products. It’s essentially earning a commission for each product you sell.
If you have a favorite brand or store look it up and search their page for an “affiliates” page. Sign up and put their ads on your blog. It’s best to advertise products you believe in, and ones that are related to what your blog is about.
Step 6: Create Online Products to Sell
Make more money with your blog by creating products to sell. Depending on your blog topic you could create tangible products (knitted scarfs, pet toys, jewelry, etc.), or non-tangible products (eBooks, reports, seminars, audio programs, video programs, etc.). Create ads for your own products and list those first.
You’re ready to start to make money blogging! Share your experiences, questions, worries, or successes blogging in the comments below.
