I get many, many reader questions on find out how to begin a weblog and earn a living with it. There are already lots of articles about running a blog posted right here, however I believed it will be a good suggestion to create a web page to get you began down the appropriate path.
In my fifteen years of running a blog I’ve realized loads, however I’ve additionally made a lot of “beginner” errors you could keep away from! So, talking from private expertise, under is an outline of what I recommend if you wish to weblog professionally.
Understand that running a blog professionally would require an funding of money and time, and it is also not a quick approach to earn a living. That mentioned, it is very rewarding and may repay nicely should you simply keep it up.
Can You Make Actual Cash With a Weblog?
Completely. Running a blog is my full-time job and greater than pays the payments. Nevertheless, I wasn’t capable of declare “full time blogger” as my job title till round 2013. It was then that my running a blog earnings lastly surpassed what I ever made working outdoors the house.
So sure, you positively CAN make actual cash! However do not stop your day job till you see that you’re, and it proves to be a constant earnings stream.
Running a blog is a type of issues you must work at and work at, experiment continuously, and by no means cease studying about earlier than you see actual outcomes.
And, not everybody likes a problem, nor does everybody take pleasure in placing laborious work in for a very long time and never seeing a lot return on their efforts. So you actually need to benefit from the course of.
What Can You Weblog About?
Earlier than entering into find out how to begin a weblog, you have to do some considering. You must have a normal concept of what you need to weblog about.
You possibly can weblog about something you need! However, if you wish to get site visitors/earn cash, your weblog must cowl a subject persons are really all in favour of and likewise a subject you have an interest in.
For instance, my weblog is about distant jobs, home based business concepts, and methods to earn further. Individuals are all in favour of that. I am all in favour of that, too. It has been an ideal match!
You can additionally begin a meals weblog. Or a crafts weblog. Or perhaps a money-saving weblog. The sky is really the restrict.
Many individuals are initially tempted to simply begin running a blog about their everyday lives. That is advantageous should you simply need to weblog as a pastime, however it’s not advantageous in case your final aim is to earn a residing together with your weblog.
It’s important to keep in mind that whereas your everyday life could also be fascinating to you, your folks, and your loved ones, it’s not fascinating to individuals who do not know you. Subsequently, you will doubtless by no means get a lot site visitors nor make very a lot cash with that form of weblog.
Today, most profitable blogs are value-driven. Meaning creating useful, partaking content material in a distinct segment individuals care about—one thing that both teaches, conjures up, solves an issue, or saves time/cash.
If persons are all in favour of the subject material, you may get site visitors, earn cash, and work remotely by yourself phrases. However once more, it takes time and persistence.
Do not Set Up Your Skilled Weblog on a Free Website
If you happen to plan to weblog professionally, it is best to not use a free running a blog platform.
Whenever you’re arrange on a free running a blog platform, you do not actually personal your weblog. You are simply establishing on another person’s property and also you’re at their mercy in the event that they determine they do not like your weblog (and generally they do delete blogs after they determine that).
So, I would recommend avoiding Blogger, WordPress.com (totally different than WordPress.org), Weebly, and so on. to your skilled weblog.
It is sensible to be arrange with a self-hosted WordPress.org weblog if you wish to be knowledgeable blogger.
When It is OK To Use A Free Platform
If running a blog is a totally model new idea for you and also you simply need to mess around a bit first, it is OK to arrange a weblog on a free website. There’s nothing fallacious with studying the ropes and getting a really feel for what running a blog really is on a website like Blogger, the place there isn’t any cash funding required.
However once more, should you discover you actually like running a blog, transfer your weblog, or begin a brand new one, to self-hosting.
Already Set Up On a Free Running a blog Platform?
Is your weblog already arrange on a free platform? Don’t be concerned — you may get moved. You possibly can both try to maneuver your self by merely Googling find out how to do it, or you possibly can let knowledgeable do it for you.
This would possibly not be free, however it would prevent lots of headache and time.
How To Begin a Weblog – First Step, Get a Self-Internet hosting Account
You will must host your weblog someplace. The concept of “internet hosting” is complicated to new bloggers, however mainly your internet hosting account is only a approach so that you can make your weblog/web site accessible through the web. In case your area is not related to a bunch, nobody will be capable of go to it.
I personally use BigScoots. I pay $34.95 a month, and their service, pace, and assist are completely price that should you’re critical about rising your weblog. As your site visitors will increase, you will be glad you invested in high quality internet hosting that may scale with you.
For brand spanking new bloggers, BigScoots gives managed WordPress internet hosting with nice uptime and lightning-fast website efficiency. Their assist is extraordinarily responsive and useful, even should you’re simply beginning out.
You possibly can all the time change your plan later should you discover that one is not working for you.
Set up WordPress On Your Area
As soon as your area title and internet hosting account are set on BigScoots, you are prepared to put in WordPress and begin constructing your weblog!
BigScoots makes this gorgeous simple for you and walks you fully by the method of establishing your weblog step-by-step.
As soon as WordPress is put in, it is best to be capable of kind yourdomain.com/wp-admin or yourdomain.com/login within the deal with bar of no matter browser you employ and put within the credentials you arrange once you put in WordPress.
In case you are seeing your WordPress dashboard once you kind in your area title adopted by wp-admin or login into your deal with bar, meaning your weblog is on-line!
Choose a WordPress Theme
If you happen to’re simply getting began together with your host, they may stroll you thru the method of establishing your theme. Nevertheless, ultimately, you could need to buy a very nice theme to make your website look unimaginable! However to begin out, the theme you arrange initially is okay to simply get your self on-line and begin creating your content material.
Your WordPress theme may have a direct impact on what your weblog seems to be like.
There are many nice free themes and there are additionally some very smooth, skilled paid ones.
Like most individuals, I began with a free theme and upgraded to a paid theme. I personally use GeneratePress, which is among the quickest and most customizable themes obtainable. It really works nice with web page builders and is straightforward to study, even for rookies.
One other nice choice many bloggers use is Kadence, which additionally gives a excessive stage of design flexibility and efficiency. Each themes are constructed with pace and website positioning in thoughts.
Set up Some Plugins
Plugins are issues you need to use in your WordPress weblog to assist it perform in several methods and do various things.
Some are essential, and a few usually are not. Some are free, and a few usually are not.
Do not get too loopy with plugins as a result of too many will sluggish your weblog down. However, listed below are some I take advantage of that I couldn’t do with out:
- Damaged Hyperlink Checker
- Yoast (for website positioning)
- Wordfence Safety
- WP Optimize
Getting a Emblem and Graphics
In order for you a customized emblem to your weblog, you possibly can try to make your individual utilizing PicMonkey or Canva, or you possibly can pay somebody on Fiverr to do it for you for simply $5.
AI instruments like ChatGPT also can create fairly spectacular logos now.
Cowl Your self And Your Weblog Legally
If you are going to earn a living together with your weblog, you want an affiliate disclosure to remain compliant with FTC guidelines. You additionally want a privateness coverage and phrases and circumstances web page.
I just like the templates from The Contract Store, created by Emory Regulation Faculty graduate Christina Scalera. They’re skilled, simple to put in, and designed particularly for on-line enterprise house owners.
Getting Weblog Site visitors
There are three most important methods your weblog will get site visitors:
- Natural search (Google, Bing, and so on.)
- Social media (Fb, Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok)
- Your e mail e-newsletter
Today, many bloggers use AI instruments like ChatGPT to brainstorm weblog subjects, draft outlines, or repurpose content material into newsletters or social captions. Simply you’ll want to add your individual voice and expertise. Readers need connection, not simply info.
Whereas Pinterest nonetheless works for some bloggers, it’s grow to be more durable to get constant site visitors until you’re very lively. Many new bloggers are actually seeing extra traction from Instagram Reels, TikTok, and even YouTube Shorts.
Once I began this weblog, social media was in its earlier days, so I used to be fairly depending on search engines like google selecting up my content material to get any site visitors.
Now social media makes up a big portion of the site visitors I obtain, and I am not depending on simply search engines like google for getting individuals right here.
Do not waste time — as quickly as your weblog is on-line, create a social media presence through Fb, Instagram, and so on. and begin utilizing these accounts.
You additionally must arrange a e-newsletter as quickly as attainable, put an opt-in type someplace in your website, and begin accumulating the emails of people that have visited your weblog.
Emailing them at the least as soon as per week is one of the best ways to get them to come back again! I take advantage of Flodesk. It is among the cheaper choices for newsletters and total it is a good service.
For extra concepts on getting weblog site visitors, learn my put up — 8 Methods to Get Site visitors To Your Weblog.
Test Your Stats Commonly
Talking of site visitors, you will must hold tabs on it so you will know the way many individuals are literally visiting your website. I take advantage of Google Analytics for this. It’s totally simple to put in and offers you glorious perception.
Making Cash With Your Weblog
Identical to site visitors, earnings takes time. There are various methods to monetize:
Many bloggers at this time use a mixture of the entire above. That’s the fantastic thing about running a blog—you get to decide on find out how to earn out of your content material.
For extra concepts, learn my put up — How Does a Blogger Earn Cash?
To Sum Up …
So that is simply meant to be a normal overview of running a blog and the way it works. It isn’t a quick, simple approach to earn a living (particularly not in 2025), however in case you are affected person, persistent, and decided, you are able to do it!
Good luck!
Anna Thurman is a work from home blogger and mother of two. She has been researching and reviewing distant jobs for over 14 years. Her findings are revealed weekly right here at Actual Methods to Earn.
