How do I start my own blog and make money? It’s a question you may have asked yourself a 100’s of times over and if you are reading this are asking it again.
The fact is blogging is one of the best ways to create an income stream online these days and has been so for some time.
Let’s get one thing straight though, making money online via blogging is more than possible but it’s not easy.
There are plenty of places online that will tell you it’s easy as signing up to their course or just a matter of doing it. But it’s not that straightforward; if it was everyone you know would be doing it.
The likelihood is though you’re in a minority. This is mainly because people fear they simply wouldn’t know where to start.
Starting your own blog and making money is not easy but it is definitely SIMPLE.
How Do I Start My Own Blog and Make Money: 6 Steps
To see how simple it is, let’s walk through the 6 (six) steps we’ve followed to start our blogs and what you’ll need to do.
Step 1 – Select A Topic
The first step is critical – selecting a topic. There’s plenty of advice which suggests it’s a good idea to pick a topic you’re “passionate” about. Whilst this is all well and good, the topics you’re passionate about won’t necessary be the topics that will drive visitors to your website and allow you to monetise that traffic.
If you can find a topic that you find interesting and is also popular with readers than great otherwise aim for a topic that you wouldn’t mind writing about and is popular.
Ultimately at this stage you need to decide if what you’re after is a passion project or a business. While it is quite possible to have both, if this is your first blog you may want to think about what is likely to keep you motivated more; writing about your passion or making money.
A great way to find out how much interest there is in your potential topic is by seeing how many people are searching for it on Google. This is particularly important if you’re hoping to drive the majority of your traffic from search engines. Head over to Ubersuggest.com which is a great free tool for doing high level keyword research.
Step 2 – Select A Platform
Once you have your topic, it’s time to think about which blogging platform you want to use to actually build and write the blog.
This platform is sometimes termed as a Content Management System (CMS) is the place that will be the hub of your blog.
Possibly the most popular CMS in the world is WordPress and it’s what we use to build our websites and also recommend to anyone who asks.
We’re big fans because it’s so simple and intuitive to use when you’re beginner but has a ton of depth that you can use to grow your blog as your level of expertise and experience increases.
WordPress is automatically installed when you sign up to Bluehost (step 4) which also another plus.
Step 3 – Pick A Domain Name
To get to your blog, readers will need a unique and catchy address to be directed to. Your domain name (URL) is your blog’s address on the web and what your brand will be based on.
It is a big decision but it shouldn’t be daunting a task if you follow some simple recommended best practices:-
- i – Keep it short (ideally 15 characters or less)
- ii – Make it easy to remember
- iii – Make it easy to pronounce
- iv – Keep it relevant to your topic
- v – Avoid hyphens as these are more associated with spamming
Step 4 – Pick A Hosting Provider
Now you’re ready to make another big decision; selecting a web host for your blog.
A web host provides you with a place to store all of your blog’s data that’s needed for it to run and keeps it online. They typically rent out server space to you and lots of other websites. Think of the web host as providing you with the land and all the utilities you need to build your house (your blog).
There’s a whole bunch of choice out there when it comes to selecting a hosting platform for your blog.
We recommend Bluehost which is one of the most popular options on the market. It’s what we’ve used to create all our websites and enjoy the simplicity of the setup process as well as the friendly pricing. The 24/7 tech support that Bluehost also offers is a a real must if you’re a beginner or don’t have more of the technical background you might need for some issues. I’ve often used the chat function at midnight on a weekend!
Whichever hosting provider you choose make sure you pick one that gives you the right level of technical support, guarantees good uptime and suits your budget.
Step 5 – Get Writing
Once you’re all setup on your new hosting platform, it’s time to get writing!
If this is your first blog or even if it isn’t, you might be worried about making your first articles perfect. For now don’t worry so much about that as much as you should just focus on writing regularly.
If you can commit to writing every day especially in the first 90 days you’ll give yourself a much better chance of sticking to it.
Step 6 – Find A Reason To Keep Writing
Whilst the first few days and weeks will seem like fun there may come a time early on where you’ll be discouraged for one reason or another.
When that inevitably happens, try to remind yourself of why you started your blog in the first place. Stick with it through those early rough patches and give it a chance to grow.
Keep reminding yourself of your goal and that should see you through any early obstacles.
Conclusion
To wrap it up – we’ve seen what you need to do to get your blog up and running towards making you money.
If you’ve made the decision to start your blog already or just now; do not wait. Sign up right away whether that’s with Bluehost or somewhere else. Don’t let another week, month or year go by without you taking the action you’ve been dreaming about for so long.
Lastly, good luck and enjoy it!
How Do I Start My Own Blog And Make Money?