How to start a Blog and make money, let’s get right into it!

Let me start of by saying that it is absolutely possible to start a blog and make money, you just need to follow these steps, get started and have the faith that this is completely within reach for you. Okay? Let’s do this!

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase. I only recommend products I truly stand by.

Step 1: Set up your blog the right way from the start

If you want to make money from your blog, you need to set it up on a self hosted platform. I learned the hard way when I started out on Google’s free blogging platform and later had to transfer all my hard work over to WordPress.org – so let’s set up your blog the right way from the beginning and get professional hosting. (you need to be self hosted in order to monetize your blog, that’s why this step is key!)

When you are starting your blog I highly recommend Bluehost for your hosting service, they are the most affordable for new bloggers and offer great customer service AND they will set up your WordPress blog for you! (saving you time to focus on the next step)

You can get started with Bluehost for only $3.95 a month (and you also get a FREE domain name for your first year, saving even more money)

I want to make sure you are spending as little money as possible in the beginning of your blogging journey to set you up for success so you can increase your profit much faster.

Why you should get started with Bluehost:

• Most affordable hosting (click here to start for just $3.95)
• 24/7 customer service which is great for helping you with any technical support
• Get a FREE domain name for your first year of blogging
• Your blog will look a lot more professional which will help you set it up for monetization (which is what we are here for!)
• They automatically install WordPress for you
• You will be self-hosted! This is super important to make money from your blog (something I wish I knew when I started out)
  
  

You can start your blog in minutes after getting Bluehost hosting as they automatically install WordPress for you, this is the platform where you will be writing your posts and doing all the blogging. The reason WordPress is so highly recommended not only by me but by most people in this field is the fact that they are super user friendly, they have a ton of plugins and themes making it easy to customise your site too. Trust me even with no technical skills you will be writing your blog in no time!

Now you have your blog set up the right way from the start, let’s get onto the fun part; brainstorming what you will be writing about.

Step 2: Choose your niche

The most important piece of the puzzle; what will you blog about?!

It’s important to have a niche in order to attract readers, your audience will know what to expect when they come to you and you will find it much easier coming up with new content when you know exactly what topics you want to include.

Plus, monetization is a lot easier when you get specific on the content you want to provide on your blog!

Here are some examples of popular blogging niches:

• Health and Wellness
• Home Decor
• Mom Blogs
• Fashion and Style
• Fitness
• Beauty and Skincare
• Travel
• Finance
• Crafts and DIY
  
  

 

Take the time to think about your interests and have a look at other blogs out there, what do you enjoy reading? What are your passions? Do you already have some knowledge on a particular topic?

I do want to state that you absolutely don’t need to only write about your one biggest passion. Choose a niche that suits you and that you wouldn’t mind researching more about, then let’s get onto the next step!

Step 3: Write 10 evergreen blog posts

Now let’s get you writing! You can absolutely launch your blog without any content but, should you? I would recommend at least having 10 evergreen posts ready and published so that when visitors view your blog, they can keep on reading which increases the time they are spending on your site meaning they are more likely to engage with your content and eventually turn into loyal readers.

So what are evergreen posts?

Evergreen content is content that is always relevant, regardless of the time.

An example of an evergreen blog post title could be:

“10 ways to start your morning the right way”

An example of what’s not evergreen:

“5 Best Living Room Design Trends of the season”

In the last example, your content is only relevant for a few weeks until it is out of season. Readers won’t be coming back to that article over and over again in the next few months or years because it’s not relevant anymore. Whereas the first example, “10 ways to start your morning the right way” will always be relevant. You won’t have to keep updating this and once it’s out there, people can come and read it any time of the year for many years to come.

I recommend you write 10 amazing evergreen posts and then get onto the next step!

Step 4: Gaining traffic to your blog

So now you have your new blog set up and launched, it is time to get eyes on your content right away!

I want to make it clear that it doesn’t have to take years of blogging to get traffic to your website, this myth is simply not true and I am here to show you how you can get your page views up right from the start.

The secret sauce; Pinterest.

Well, not so secret but still incredibly undervalued by many! This social platform tends to get overlooked as it has the reputation of it just being good for looking up recipes on the go, not anymore!

Pinterest is a powerful traffic source for all the successful bloggers out here and the best thing about it is that it doesn’t take years to see results unlike other platforms. Pinterest focuses on SEO rather than followers, it LOVES fresh content so let’s get your blog posts on there asap!

I recommend creating your pins on Canva. It is free and super easy to use, remember you want to keep your costs as low as possible when you’re starting out. Canva has so many templates to choose from and you can easily make your own unique designs.

Here are some tips for ultimate Pinterest success:

• Set up a Pinterest Business account, you can easily chance this in your settings and gives you access to all the insights of your account.
• Pin around 25 pins a day and follow the 80/20 rule, 80% being your own fresh content and 20% of your fellow pinners.
• Create multiple images (pins) for each blog post, this will count as a new pin and gives you more chance of exposure on the platform.
• Make sure your pins stand out! Use quality photos, graphics and add text to all your pins so potential readers instantly know what your content will provide for them.
• Stick to long vertical pins, they perform much better!
• Use Tailwind (this link will give you a free month of Tailwind plus) as your Pinterest scheduler, I love using Tailwind as it saves a lot of time each week and they are official Pinterest partners.
• Stay consistent in your schedule and keep adding fresh content!

 

Step 5: Monetization

• Ads placement. You can get started with Google Adsense and later switch to a higher paid platform such as Mediavine once you gain a certain amount of traffic to your blog. Just be careful by the amount of ads you place on your website as it can look messy and overwhelming for your readers.

• Affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is where you promote a certain product or service and a company pays you a percentage of the sale when someone purchases through your link. For example, as a fashion blogger you can link back to all the items of clothing and accessories you write about (Platform recommendation: RewardStyle). If your blog is about healthy eating you can link to certain stores you use such as Thrive Market and get paid for every new customer you refer. Affiliate marketing is huge and one of the best ways to make money blogging! Try and search for the 5 top affiliate programs within your niche and create content around these products or services.

• Sponsored content. Brands will often pay good money for blog posts that talk about their products whether it is a tutorial or a review, once you gain traffic to your blog using the steps you learned in this post you can get in contact with brands that are within your niche and write sponsored content. Tip: Be sure to mix this up with enough non-sponsored content so you build more trust with your audience.

Also Read: How to effectively manage your time as a creative entrepreneur