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These blogs are a waste of time. You’re just talking about your day to, what, like 3 people?”
Many of us had similar lines when we first started our blogs. And now, many of the people who were “just talking about their day” make thousands of dollars per month. Many online-based jobs or businesses were frowned upon until the numbers kicked in.
And it’s not too late to join the wave! In this guide, we’ll discuss how to start a blog on any topic and make money with it.
Wanna start a mom-blog? Or maybe you want a fashion or food blog? Maybe book review blogging is your thing? Look for a crisp idea because you’ll need it from step 1!
Step 1: Find Your Blog Idea
The initial and most important step of the journey is the idea of your blog. Design theme, partners, readers, and your eventual success all depends on the topic you choose.
You should get answers to two questions before making the final decision:
- What do I like?
Are you a foodie? A food blog, weight loss tips, fitness, and lifestyle topics will be the best choice. Are you into tech? Or maybe you want a source with every classic book review? Remember, every theme has its reader. If you have no idea, think about your:
Expertize;- Natural talents;
- Job;
- Hobby, etc.
- What do people want?
People want stories and expertise. They want to benefit from your blog in one way or another. Getting makeup and beauty tips from a pro blog is going to draw more readers than personal stories only (you’ll incorporate those later). Think about the use your source can bring. Here are some themes that usually work out great:- Self Improvement;.
- Personal finance;
- Investment;
- Productivity improvement, etc;
Pro tip: Write a list with at least 10 topics that resonate with you and seem to be in high demand. The right theme will be the highlight of that list.
Step 2: Choose a Domain Name
The con: Many catchy names are gone.
The pro: There are thousands of words and ways to play with them.
Here are short yet working tips for a perfect domain name:
- Keep it laconic – short means catchy, and not many people will bother to type in several words before the .com. Up to 15 characters are OK;
- Keep it simple – easy spelling and pronunciation are the keys to people’s attention;
- No hyphens and numbers – they confuse people;
- Consider using your name if it’s catchy enough – chances are such a domain is available.
Step 3: Choose a CMS
A content management system (CMS) allows you to manage your posts and media content. WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems there are. It helps 30% of all blogs and other sites on the Internet to control what they post.
Due to its popularity, most web hosting services offer a quick installation. No hassle, only benefits of the best CMS.
Step 4: Choose a WordPress Theme
WordPress uses themes for the design and layout of your website. It’s super-convenient because, in the future, you can change the theme without rebuilding the website completely.
All posts will stay the same, but the design will evolve. When choosing a theme, think about:
- The color you love;
- The colors that suit your theme;
- The convenience of your layout;
- Reading comfort;
- Your budget.
The latter is very important. You can buy a gorgeous theme for $20 or $130, depending on the amount of money you’re ready to invest at the moment. Cheap designs can also be amazing.
Step 5: Choose Helpful Plugins
To make your website one of a kind, download helpful plugins from WordPress.
These small additions make the whole process very customizable and allow for creating a really unique, authentic blog.
Add about 5 to 10 plugins, don’t go too extra. You want people to be focused on your posts, after all. Besides, some add-ons by different developers may conflict with each other, causing your website to glitch, load for eternity, and lose people’s attention.
Here are some examples of good plugins:
- Yoast SEO – to make the SEO part of your blog very easy;
- A contact form – any of your choice and with good reviews, for easy contact;
- Popular posts – the add-on shows your most popular posts in a separate section.
Step 6: Learn How to Write Engaging Posts
Along with the questions like “How to start a blog and make money?” and “Why start a blog?”, you should ask “How to improve my writing skills?”.
You may have amazing ideas, but are you good at putting thoughts “on paper”? Here are some tips:
- Observe favorite bloggers and their writing style;
- Learn about the intricacies of SEO;
- Learn writing techniques and structures;
- Learn to write engaging titles and intros to catch attention.
With time and practice, you’ll get much better.
Step 7: Learn How to Use Google Analytics
Google offers a plethora of free tools for analysis, and Google Analytics is one of the best. This tool will help you:
- See the traffic flow of the website;
- Catch demographic information about your readers;
- See what posts on your blog get more attention (if you have a travel photo blog but touch a political theme and it shoots, it’s a sign).
Many functions will be confusing and unnecessary at first, so focus on the statistics.
Step 8: Create Social Media Accounts
To support your blog and promote it in the future, create social media accounts for the source. Here are some tips that will help (taking Instagram as an example:
- Choose your aesthetics and stick to it (color palette, tone, etc.);
- Balance expert and personal information;
- Fewer posts, more stories; The latter is where the party is going on nowadays on the good-old Insta;
- Follow similar blogs and interact with them;
- Engage in giveaways and similar events, but only if they’re organized by a reliable blogger or company.
Step 9: Consider Guest Posting to Get More Traffic
One of the best ways to promote your blog is to get backlinks from other relevant sources. People often do this through guest posting. It’s been around for ages and can bring you large flows of traffic, given your work with a reliable guest blogging service such as Adsy.
On adsy.com/guest-blogging-service, you can learn more about backlink opportunities by the company. It’s easy and pleasant to cooperate with a reliable service, especially if you’re a beginner blogger and want to avoid common mistakes.
Pro tip: Always work with trustworthy services and have experience in blog promotion, guest post writing, and SEO.
Step 10: Monetize!
One of the reasons to start a blog is the ability to monetize it. Here are the best working ways to do it:
- Info products.
Online courses, ebooks, podcasts, webinars can get you a lot of money. After you build a loyal audience and give certain recommendations for free, it will naturally occur to you that it’s time to monetize your content and knowledge. - Freelance, consultations, etc.
Present your skills on the blog and open online consultations or other services you can perform as a freelancer. You’ll find many clients if you have a strong blog base. - Affiliate programs.
At times, promote partners’ products and services, and earn a commission from every purchase made with your link or promo code.
This is a long way from thinking about the topic for your blog and getting the first $100 from it. But the experience is worth every second!
