If you’ve ever looked into making money online, you’ve probably stumbled upon the idea of blogging for profit. For some, blogging is a fun and creative hobby, while for others, it’s a lucrative business opportunity.
There are countless resources on how to make money blogging, but I held off on adding to the noise until I could prove it was possible. Many tutorials are written by people who haven’t made a cent from their blogs, so why take their advice?
Last summer, less than two years into my blogging journey, I started earning more from my blog than my day job. A few months later, I quit my job to blog full-time! I get a lot of questions about how I did it and how to make money from blogging, so I decided to write this comprehensive guide for beginners.
Interested in starting a blog to make money? Bookmark this page, follow the steps, and most importantly, stick with it! If I can do it, you can too.
By the way, this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!
### Why Start a Blog for Money?
There are hundreds of ways to make money online, so why choose blogging? Blogging is fun, creative, and extremely profitable. It’s a flexible side hustle where you can write about topics that interest you and set your own schedule. This makes it easy to fit around a full-time job or family commitments.
You’ll also learn valuable skills like copywriting, social media management, SEO, and basic HTML. When it comes to earning potential, the sky’s the limit! Some top American bloggers make hundreds of thousands each month. While there aren’t as many professional bloggers in the UK, it’s still possible to make a good income. I currently make over £3,000 a month blogging, and I’m proof that you can make money blogging in the UK.
Blogging is also affordable to start. You can begin for just £2.95 a month plus around £12 yearly for your domain name, which is far cheaper than starting a traditional business.
### How Fast Can You Make Money Blogging?
Before you start, know that blogging isn’t a quick way to make money. It requires a significant time investment. While some bloggers make hundreds in their first few weeks, they are the exception, not the rule. From my experience and that of many bloggers I’ve talked to, it takes about three to six months to start making any money and about a year to make a consistent income.
After the first year, it gets easier as your traffic and income start to snowball. So, if you want to start a blog, commit for at least a year to see returns on your hard work. If you’re looking for quick cash, blogging isn’t for you. But if you want a sustainable, flexible lifestyle business and are willing to put in the work, blogging could be perfect for you.
### How to Start a Blog to Make Money: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. **Choose a Topic**: Pick a niche that interests you and has the potential to be profitable. Topics like home decor, personal finance, DIY, health, frugal living, gardening, fashion, parenting, travel, food, and pets are good options. Choose something you’re passionate about, as you’ll need to spend a lot of time writing about it.
2. **Choose a Domain Name**: Your domain name is your web address, like www.boostmybudget.com. It should be easy to remember and spell. Check that it’s not taken and doesn’t have any weird connotations. Also, ensure you’re not using any trademarked words or phrases.
3. **Choose a Host**: A web host ensures your website is online. I recommend SiteGround for beginners. They offer fast site speed, excellent support, and a free https security certificate. You can start a blog on SiteGround for as little as £2.95 a month.
4. **Install WordPress**: SiteGround offers a one-click WordPress installation, making it easy even for beginners. WordPress is where you’ll write posts, add images, and manage your blog’s appearance.
5. **Write Your First Blog Post**: From your WordPress dashboard, click on ‘Posts’ and then ‘Add New’. The post editor is user-friendly and similar to Word.
6. **Choose and Install a Theme**: A blog theme affects how your blog looks. You can start with a free theme or invest in a paid one. Themes are customizable, so you can change colors, fonts, and layouts as you like.
7. **Get Traffic to Your Blog**: Initially, focus on Pinterest and SEO to drive traffic. Pinterest is great for quick traffic, while SEO helps in the long term. Create eye-catching pins on Canva and use keywords to get your pins found. For SEO, publish consistent, high-quality content and use best practices to rank higher in search results.
### How to Make Money with Your Blog
There are several ways to monetize your blog:
– **Affiliate Marketing**: Promote products you love and earn a commission on sales.
– **Advertising**: Sign up with ad networks like Google Adsense or Mediavine.
– **Sponsored Posts**: Get paid by companies to publish posts mentioning them.
– **Selling Digital Products**: Create and sell ebooks, courses, etc.
– **Other Methods**: Brand ambassadorship, membership sites, freelance services, coaching, public speaking, or even selling your blog.
### Recap
To start making money blogging:
1. Choose a blog name and niche.
2. Set up your blog on SiteGround and install WordPress.
3. Start writing posts and be consistent.
4. Create a Pinterest account and share your posts.
5. Learn about SEO and optimize your posts.
6. Decide on a monetization method and take steps to implement it.
Blog success doesn’t happen overnight. Just get started, and you’ll get there step by step. Enjoy your new blog!