Learning how to make money blogging is not complicated.
It’s the knowledge and experience that comes after that will get you to make the type of money that most will never see.
It’s also a skill that will allow you to grow as a person and especially as an online entrepreneur.
I do it, and so do many others.
It’s a great way to make a living and one that has allowed me to do so for the last six years.
But before I even thought about making money online through blogging, I was in the wrong neck of the woods.
I had the get rich quick mentality and fell for numerous “make money” scams and Ponzi schemes.
I made a lot of people rich, and I dug myself deeper into debt.
All the struggling and failing and dumping money into other people’s pockets led me to learn and understand what a blog is.
I didn’t just learn what it is (because that’s too easy), but I learned how the money-making process works.
Correctly.
That alone was enough for me to start a blog and try to make a living with it.
Mind you, I never liked school, let alone writing.
When I did write, it was horrible.
But knowing that you can make money blogging, you can bet that I at least gave it a try.
What I did have is a deep passion for living life on my terms and somewhat of an interest in talking about the million and one topics it provides for us.
With that, I created my first blog.
Well, I started several blogs but only focused on one that catered to busting scams on the internet.
That blog alone took me from $0 – $10k/month, and I couldn’t be any happier.
With that success came the complacency and crazy ideas that led to the site getting hacked and eventually dwindling into the dark.
That site still gets some traffic and makes money, but I have considered it a loss and moved on.
Anyways, I started other blogs and have had success with them as well.
Without that, I wouldn’t be able to tell you how to make money blogging in the first place.
But first things first, let’s see what blogging entails.
What is a Blog?
A blog (short for weblog) is a website with written content that allows a person or company to connect with a specific audience.
Blogs come in many different genres, topics, niches, and ideas, but they all come with the same purpose of serving its readers.
Those same websites you land on when you “Google” something is a blog.
The same website you read about the latest news is a blog.
Blogs are not just a place for you to vent like I used to think but rather a real-deal website that you don’t even notice.
The main thing you need to understand is the fact that they are also a business in itself that can and will make you money.
Do You Need Any Technical Skills?
Most think that you need to be some kind of professional writer or have some mad computer skills, but that’s not true.
Blogging has its style of writing that fits regular people like me.
It does not have anything to do with the APA or whatever it is that you call that college craziness.
I did learn about that in the two years I tried to go to college, but I forgot.
Whatever, it doesn’t matter anymore.
And if you know nothing about computer coding and building websites, that’s great too.
However, you will need to know how to click a mouse.
With technology these days, building a website requires zero skill.
And I mean that.
Blogging requires real people, with authentic voices, and a real passion for a specific topic.
That’s the very start to a blog, but there’s more to it and also why you need to start one today.
Why Start a Blog?
There’s no better place to start than the fact that blogging is a real deal business.
It allows you to make money and a complete living just from a simple website.
You work on your terms, and you answer to no one.
Unless you’re like me, and you have a daughter that controls when you work and when you take breaks.
Besides that, you will not find a better way to make a living than through a simple website that has you talking about things that interest you.
I think you get the point.
Now let’s get into the steps on how to start this blog.
How to Make Money Blogging (7 steps)
Choose a Topic – Name & Domain- Name Your Blog
- Build Your Website – CMS & Hosting
- Design Your Blog – Cosmetics
- Create Content – Content creation
- Attract Visitors – Traffic
- Make Money – The Fun Part
Some bloggers complicate things, but I like the minimalistic approach to anything I do.
And that includes blogging.
With these seven steps, you’ll have a complete website up and running, ready to start making money.
It’s completely free, and I hope easy to understand.
These are the steps on how to make money blogging.
Step #1 – Choose a Topic
I know this sounds simple, but it’s probably the most complicated step to starting a blog that makes money.
Some of you might have two ideas in mind and one that can be a massive problem if you’re just beginning.
You know of (or were taught) two different things when it comes to blogging.
Chase your passion or chase the money.
The only way for you to answer that question is with some good old experience.
And with such experience, I can tell you that you should go with your passion unless you are going to outsource your content.
If that’s the case, then you can create a blog on anything.
For the sake of the new, let’s just go with the fact that you are going to be creating the content yourself.
In that case, you definitely should go with something you are passionate about or at least find interesting.
Pick something because of the money, and you’ll find yourself quitting faster than you started.
EVERY NICHE can make money.
Yup, I don’t care what interest it may be. There is always an opportunity for you to make money.
So yes, go with something that you find interesting.
Some people love art, and some love riding motorbikes.
Whatever the case may be, you wouldn’t be looking to start a blog if you weren’t into anything.
Don’t do too much thinking on this, though, as you are not stuck with your first choice.
You can always change it down the road.
For now, just have that topic in mind as we go into the next step.
Better yet, write it down, especially if you have more than one idea.
Step #2 – Name Your Blog (Your .com)
Remember that idea you came up with in step 1?
Now we’re going to put that into what your future brand is going to be.
I like to choose between two things, usually a person or some kind of company.
If you are going the person route, you can use your name or something that describes you.
If you are going the company route, think of something that caters to your audience.
Coming up with a reliable brand is not the easiest thing, and finding an available domain is even more complicated.
Be creative as this is going to be your future .com.
I recommend only using .com’s, but you can use other suffixes if you absolutely can not find a .com, which I highly doubt.
Now that you have your niche and your domain idea, you are going to need a place to host your website.
There are a kazillion and one hosting companies out there.
I recommend using SiteGround.
They are most affordable and are in the top 5 for website speed, which is a must these days.
Rather than going all over the place, you can grab your domain along with hosting there as well.
I am using WPX hosting for this site, but it costs a lot more and is not necessary.
Trust me, SiteGround is all you need.
Step #4 – Build Your Website
This part is where things get exciting.
You’re about to have your very own website!
Something not a lot of people can say.
Now there are several things you need for that to happen, and hosting is one of them.
The hosting provider you choose should allow you to throw your website on a content management system as well.
That is nothing more than a fancy meaning for your blog’s home.
You’ve probably heard of Blogger or WordPress, and that’s what they are.
There are many free blogging platforms, but if you are looking to make money blogging, you might want to avoid them.
WordPress is by far the best one to go with, and they come with most hosting providers.
It’s effortless to use, and it will make you love what you do.
At this point, you should have a beautiful website ready to add content.
Sometimes it can take a couple of hours before your site goes live but just be patient.
Step #5 – Design Your Blog
Most beginner bloggers make the biggest mistake here, and you can’t blame them.
You want your website to be the prettiest thing out there, and it takes almost all your time.
Although necessary, the design of your website should come at a later date.
Just not within the first month of starting your blog.
When it comes to making money with a blog, it’s going to be the content that makes you that money.
You’re going to need some consistency and some blog posts before anyone can trust you.
Once you get into that blogging groove, then you can go back and work on the design of your site.
You can even hire a developer so that you don’t have to spend hours upon hours trying to make a simple thing look the way you like.
For this step, you want to go with a straightforward theme.
Not one that you like because it looks cool.
It’s those same website themes that will give you a headache.
Keep it simple and focus on other things instead.
There are many free themes that you can get started with, but eventually, you want to go for something on the premium side.
I use the Genesis Framework along with the Mai Lifestyle Pro theme on this site, and I think it looks great.
It isn’t necessary, but it has done great for many other bloggers and me.
Step #6 – Attract Visitors
Traffic is mandatory if you want to make money blogging.
As a blogger (or should I say online business owner), this is what you will be working on the most.
Without any traffic, well, you won’t make any money.
Now getting comes in a few ways that you should focus on without relying on just one source.
I’ve relied solely on one in the past and lost almost all my income overnight.
I don’t want the same thing happening to you, and that is why I mention using more than one.
Some blogging courses will tell you that all you need is one, and that is somewhat true.
I used to think the same thing.
As you grow and things change, there comes the need for you to evolve.
What worked in 2014 does not work in 2020, and that’s just how it is.
This is especially true for traffic, so please don’t rely on just one source.
So how do you get traffic to your blog?
Search Engine Traffic (SEO)
SEO is the most common way that bloggers obtain traffic to their blogs and for several reasons.
For one, it is free.
However, it requires a lot of search engine optimization work that requires lots of hands-on experience and knowledge.
The next reason why SEO is is the fact that it is one source of traffic that can last for a very long time.
Once your blog becomes established and you stick to the basics of how to make money blogging, you can and will be a dominant force in the search engines.
Lastly, organic traffic is as targeted as targeted gets when it comes to website traffic.
The people looking for your posts are going to trust you and ultimately make some better buying decisions.
More money in your pocket is the result, which we will be going over here soon.
That fun stuff.
Social Media Traffic
Most blogging courses will tell you to utilize the free traffic that Google and other search engines provide, but I beg to differ.
Social media is the most underrated source of traffic and only because it costs a dang arm and a leg to advertise.
With not much opportunity to turn a profit, advertising on social media is not for everyone.
However, there is a way to do things, and if done right, social media can take your traffic to another level.
Some of the most prominent bloggers out there make over $100,000/month, all thanks to social media.
Once you get some content on your site, you can look into this and see how much traffic you can get without having to pay a single penny.
Advertising For Traffic
I know I covered this a little not too long ago, but it is very much a great way to get traffic to your blog.
Testing and mastering is a must before you can turn a profit.
If you can do that, then you won’t have to produce much content.
Online marketers have tried to work around high advertising costs by creating high ticket programs.
Some are legit and can make you a nice commission, but you have to be careful as some are nothing but Ponzi schemes disguised as a real business.
Now, if your niche has products that can be worth paying for ads, then hey, this is an excellent way for you to get traffic.
Step #7 – Make Money Blogging
Although exciting, this is the part of the blogging process that you shouldn’t worry about just yet.
However, you do need to know how it all works as you are looking to start a blog to make money in the first place.
Okay, it is exciting and something that you should be aware of right now.
I’ve made some of the biggest mistakes in my blogging career, simply because I didn’t utilize some of these methods.
These days, I don’t leave anything out, and you shouldn’t either.
Here’s how you can make money with your blog and why this business is so fantastic.
They are niche dependent, so let me explain them to you, so you can see if they fit your blog.
Affiliate Marketing
Every website should use affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing is taking other people’s products and selling them to make a commission.
I started my online career doing nothing but affiliate marketing, just to find out that I was selling myself short.
All you need is a company that you can partner with and your affiliate links.
You can then sprinkle them throughout your site.
Voila!
It’s that simple.
Amazon, Walmart, Macy’s, and probably every other big named store has its affiliate program.
You can join for free and make money from products people are already buying in the first place.
Advertising
I have a love-hate relationship with ads when it comes to having them on my site.
On the negative side, they’re pretty annoying.
On the other side, we are pretty much immune to them, so it shouldn’t matter.
What’s excellent about ads, though, is that they can boost your income even with just a little traffic.
On the downside, they can slow your site down.
In conclusion, ads are fantastic, and you should use them once your site starts getting some traffic.
Google Adsense is the most popular ad service, but many others can pay you a lot more.
Products and Courses
In the early stages of your blog, creating your product or course is probably not on the list.
As time goes by, you can develop these skills that others will want and need.
At that point, you can create something and sell it directly to your audience.
It’s a great way to add an extra income, especially when you keep all the profits.
When your blog gains some traction, you can consider that, but don’t forget about it as life will happen.
Consulting
Many people (not just bloggers) do consulting and make lots of money doing it.
They talk to people and tell them how to do something, all while making lots of money.
If you like to talk and you would like to share some knowledge with your audience, consulting is the way to go.
You will need to talk to people in real life, but once the money starts rolling in, you might just become a full-time consultant.
You make money blogging, but I want to give you just a bit more information so you can be that much more ahead of the curve.
Your Blogging Game Plan
Starting a blog to make money online, as you can tell, is relatively easy.
It’s all the other technical aspects that might be the problem, and I don’t mean computer coding or any of that crazy stuff.
Those same problems are what separates those that find success and those that will probably never make it.
It’s a sad truth, but most blogs fail, and Social Triggers has a great post and why that is so.
To prevent you from being in the failing department, here are some tips that will help you succeed with this whole make-money blogging thing.
Your Blogging Schedule
How often should you create content?
That’s a common question and one that doesn’t come with a straight answer.
Some say once a week, others say twice, and others say blog our butt off.
So which one is it?
As a new blogger, your best bet is to post a new blog post at least three times a week since your site is relatively new.
Doing so keeps you consistent and building trust as your site continues to grow and gain it naturally.
Rankings in the SERPs (search engine results page) are not likely just yet.
Being so, you don’t want to overwork yourself to the point where you aren’t enjoying it.
Maybe in a couple of months, you can adjust your blogging schedule and create more content then.
Once you start getting more traffic and are making a consistent income, you can make another adjustment from there.
Keep it manageable, and keep it fun.
Your Blog Post Length
Telling you to make every post a thousand words is absurd.
As much as you want to make money blogging and to please Google, you want to remember that you’re blogging for real people.
Write what is necessary, and don’t limit yourself to just the points for that post.
Take this one, for example.
Even if I’m talking about how to make money blogging, I threw in some tips as I feel they will help you more.
I wanted this post to be short and straight to the point, but it got a lot longer than expected.
Now, if I was to do a post on something less technical, I think a thousand words would suffice.
Use good judgment and be natural when creating your content.
When You Should Monetize
There is no right or wrong time to monetize your blog.
In the early stages, though, there is no point in trying to make any money when you don’t have any traffic.
What good is an affiliate link or an ad if no one is there to see them?
If you are already creating posts that need an affiliate link, go ahead and place them, so you don’t have to do it later.
Now, if you are considering ads, this is not the best time to add them to your site.
They will slow your site down, and it’s pretty pointless if you don’t have any traffic.
And in most cases, advertising networks won’t let you in until your site gets a certain amount of traffic.
That alone tells you that applying to be a part of an ad network can wait.
How to Make Money Blogging Complete
Well, there you have it, folks, your free guide on how to make money blogging.
I hope it was easy to understand, and I hope you have learned a thing or two.
Blogging is, by far, one of the better ways to make a living and one that allowed me to be my boss.
If you follow this guide, you can do the same.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Until then, start your blog, make some money, and maybe one day, you too can work from home.
Hi John,
Great read! There is so much useful information in this post. Have been trying with my own blog, but maybe I will maybe try some of your ideas.
I never realized you could advertise through social media! Do you think they would be more targeted then? Maybe this is why it’s more expensive?
Do you think it’s maybe too crowded now to do affiliate marketing? What’s the point if too many others are already doing it?
Regards,
Alan
Social media is best if you have products that can get you a decent return of your investment. It’s not necessarily more targeted but definitely more expensive.
Affiliate marketing is not and never will be too crowded, as long as you focus specifically on your chosen niche.I have started several blogs in different niches and was able to make money with every single one of them, so obviously there is never too much competition within the online space.
This such an easy to understand article on blogging I have ever come across. It just reminds me of why I started and love blogging. Job well done, John. I am still learning, and this comes in so handy. Thank you for taking the time to write this. It is just fantastic!!!
You’re welcome, Angee, and I’m glad you love things so far. Do let me know if you need any help, and I’ll gladly give you a hand.
Wow John – This is a comprehensive guide, you have crystallized every single aspect of blogging in very simple words. After reading I have understood that with patience and perseverance you can make money via blogging – Thanks for sharing these ideas and tips, will look forward for more such insightful posts.
That is true Satz and you are most welcome.
What a brilliant article to read John. I found it interesting to the point of commenting on how great a read I actually found it and I don’t usually leave comments. Well done and keep up the good work. I have bookmarked this for future reference!
Thanks, Jason
Not a problem Jason and thanks for the comment.