There is more to blogging nowadays but do you know how to start a profitable blogging business? Do you know how to run blogging as a business?
Blogging is no longer a hobby; it is an online business and a powerful source of consistent passive income. But do you know how to start your own blog and make money online?
However, being able to turn your hobbies into a business is not as straightforward as you may think. It’s not as easy as ABC in most cases.
How To Start Your Own Blog?
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Blogging is great but it requires a great deal of commitment, consistency and you will have to be patient too. Please read Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Start Blogging. Professional bloggers who have been in the industry for a good number of years know exactly that it takes a lot of effort to be successful bloggers.
New bloggers need to note that there are several blogging mistakes that they should always avoid if they truly want to be successful at what they do. As a matter of fact, new bloggers and those struggling to get going can learn from top bloggers as they have an ocean of experience to tap from.
Therefore, as a new blogger planning to make blogging a source of income, have you got the right resources to make it in the industry? Are you ready to learn new things and improve your blogging skills?
#1]. Getting started as a new blogger?
If you have finally decided to start your own blog and you are looking for a headstart, I say congratulations! It means you are ready to learn, build your very own online brand and possibly make yourself an expert.
Not only that, but it also means you are ready to create or build a profitable online source of income for yourself. The analogy of blogging is like that of a plant because when you plant a seed, the more you water it, the fast it will grow. The water your new blog will need is the new content you will regularly post to engage your audience.
#1a]. Don’t know how to start your blog?
It’s natural, and to be honest with you, every top blogger used to be in your shoe before they climbed their ways up the ladder in the industry.
The fact is that nobody usually knows anything until they learn about it. So, it’s nothing new. However, don’t let the anxiety of not knowing what to do get into you because it can make you quit before you even start.
#1b]. Deciding on what to blog about
For new bloggers, making the right decision on what to blog about is one of the most common issues when it comes to blogging.
“Blogging requires a great deal of commitment, consistency and you will have to be patient too!”
This is where a lot of new bloggers get so confused that they sometimes quit and say this thing is not for me. However, it’s not really hard to figure out what to blog about.
There are so many niche markets that you can blog about to make money online. Actually, you can blog about anything and everything, but make sure that passion comes first before the money.
Being a passionate blogger is the secret to success in blogging. Did you ask why? Well, it’s because being passionate about what you do is the main push that can drive you to success.
#1c]. Web publishing platforms to use
As a new blogger, there is always an issue about deciding on which web publishing platforms to use to power your blog. New bloggers can use free hosting platforms such as Blogger.com or WordPress.com to power their blog.
SEE ALSO: Best Web Publishing Platforms And Tools Bloggers Can Use
However, most of these free hosting services usually come with some kind of restrictions. Alternatively, you can use self-hosted WordPress, it’s arguably the most popular web publishing software. WordPress power over 28% of all websites online which include some of the biggest brands in the world.
This free, open-source website builder gives you the freedom and support to customize your site’s functionality and design. With no configuration required, you can quickly and easily build a beautiful, secure, SEO-friendly site. You can get quality and easy-to-configure WordPress themes and plugins here.
#2]. Domain name and webhosting
Registering a domain name is an important aspect of blogging. A domain name is like your online shop or office address and every blogger will need at least one. Your domain name is your website name which is also known as a URL. It is what people will type into their browsers to access your website.
There are two kinds of domain names; a full domain name such as www.yourblogname.com, and a half-domain name like yourblogname.wordpress.com or yourblogname.blogspot.com. Luckily, most of the web hosting companies now offer a free domain name with their hosting plans. This means that you don’t need to worry yourself about where to register your domain name.
#2a]. Web hosting for bloggers
Web hosting is arguably the most crucial aspect of blogging you must get right. There are so many web hosting companies out there claiming to be the best. However, as a new blogger, don’t just take the words of these hosting companies.
The best thing is to do your own research to find out the best ones you can use. You can host your blog free through Blogger.com or WordPress.com but there is always a limitation to what you can do with free hosting platforms. But if you choose to go the self-hosted WordPress route, here some recommended web hosting companies for bloggers.
#2b]. HostGator
If you are looking for a reputable web hosting company, HostGator is one of the best alternatives for bloggers. This is one of the leading providers of web hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers. The company currently powers over 9 million websites across the globe. Get cheap web hosting deals from HostGator here.
#2c]. BlueHost
BlueHost has been around since 2003 and it presently powers over 2 million websites and blogs across the globe. is another good web hosting company that makes it easy to set up a new website. Their hosting plans deliver a powerful, proven platform that’s perfect for hosting any website. Get the cheapest web hosting plans from BlueHost.
#2d]. DreamHost
This web hosting company powers over 1.5 million websites across the globe and it offers affordable plans for bloggers. The company offers VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, WordPress hosting, cloud storage and cloud computing.
Read more about DreamHost plans here.
#2e]. A2 Hosting
This is another great web hosting service provider you can try out. A2 Hosting is one of the fastest shared web hosting providers and it’s currently powering over 200, 000 websites worldwide. Get one of the fastest shared web hosting from A2 Hosting.
#2f]. SiteGround
SiteGround is officially recommended by WordPress.org as a great hosting solution for all your WordPress projects. Are you new to blogging? Don’t worry because this company offers an easy-to-use 1-click installer and free transfer. Sign up for SiteGround’s best WordPress hosting.
#3]. Marketing and promoting your blog
Marketing a new blog is not as easy as you might have thought. This is an essential aspect of blogging you can’t joke with. In short, marketing is where you will put much of your energy if you want to succeed as a blogger.
#3a]. Content matters
So how do you market or promote a new blog? How do you drive web traffic to a new blog? First of all, content is extremely important in blogging, and the more valuable they are, the better for your blog. You must have high-quality content before you should be thinking of driving web traffic to your blog.
This means that you will need to come up with valuable content that will be of great interest to your readers. This is why you will have to learn how to write content with interesting headlines for better traffic.
#3b]. Networking matters [online forums]
Bloggers don’t just write new blog posts, they also join various online groups and communities for networking. This is why a lot of people believe that networking is the major factor behind being a successful blogger.
In other words, networking is what makes bloggers successful. Networking is one of the best ways to drive web traffic to your blog, and the more you network, the best for your success as a blogger.
No doubt about it, social media platforms offer you one of the best avenues to market your blog to the world. However, you will need to learn how to leverage social media to be able to really benefit from it.
From Facebook to LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, the potential is huge for you as a blogger. Join the platforms, open an account, create your profiles, and start using them to promote your blog.
But mind you, it’s not just about creating your social media profiles, it’s also about using the right social media tools to manage your accounts. This is arguably the best way to get the best out of the platforms for your blog.
#4]. Monetising your blog
Now we want to talk about money, arguably the most important reason why most people blog. No doubt about it, blogging is one of the best means to make money online. It’s easy provided you can put in the efforts and most especially, you must be patient too. So, how do you monetize your blog? As a blogger, how do you turn your hobby into a profitable online business?
#4a]. Make money by selling ebooks
Not all bloggers are creative writers, however, if you are a good storyteller, you stand a better chance to make money online. You can write an ebook just about anything (either about your life experiences or about others). There are thousands (if not millions) of potential readers out there who will be glad to read your book.
However, if you are not so sure of your ability and creative writing, you can still make money selling ebooks written by other good authors. Head over to Amazon.com to find some really good books you can sell on your blog. This is one of the best ways to monetize your blog.
#4b]. Make money as an affiliate marketer
Affiliate marketing is arguably the best way to make money online through blogging, and it’s easy if you can find the right products to promote. If you blog about a particularly popular niche market, there is no limit to the income you can generate with affiliate marketing.
I recommend you learn more and research how affiliate marketing works and how bloggers can maximise their affiliate marketing earnings with ease. There are so many affiliate programmes out there to join, and in fact, most of the popular brands have their own in-house affiliate or partnership programmes you can join.
SEE ALSO: Best UK Affiliate Marketing Agencies For Bloggers
Looking for an affiliate to promote? You can join ShareAsale, Clickbank Affilorama, FlexOffers and JVZoo. Other platforms such as VigLink is also good for bloggers to monetise their blog. You can also try Wealthy Affiliate – it’s an online community that offers so much when it comes to affiliate marketing.
#4c]. Make money through sponsored posts
Accepting sponsored posts is another great way to make money from your blog. However, you will need to grow the blog and at least have a considerable amount of audience. Depending on the popularity of your blog, you can be generating up to $1000 or more a month from sponsored posts.
You can charge as little as $10 or more per article but you will have to be very careful when taking sponsored posts. Don’t let money be the main factor that motivates you; be wary of the quality of the articles too. This is where most new bloggers usually get things wrong.
The fact that you want to make money doesn’t mean that you should accept just any post. Not just about the quality of the content, you should also be aware that the sites you are linking to might hurt your blog SEO. You can join Cooperatize, IZEA, Valuedvoice and other good online communities to get sponsored articles to post on your blog.
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