People who make money from successful blogs always want to tell you about some “secret sauce.” Like there is some mysterious method you can use to draw traffic consistently. They write like paying them $300 will get you the keys to the kingdom. In the end, all you want are some simple and actionable steps that you can use to create a blog that earns income.
Whether you want to be an influencer or start a small personal blog, earning income feels pretty elusive. This elusiveness can be especially true if you are new to the idea of blogging for money.
But people often forget that those who obtain success in their field aren’t magicians. Instead, they are pretty good at producing consistent blog content.
In the rest of this article, we will dig through five steps that you can follow to start a blog for both active and passive income streams. These steps include the following:
- Choosing your title and niche
- Choosing your website service, site builder, and domain name
- Writing your first blog post
- Promoting your blog and drawing traffic
- Monetizing your blog for passive and active income streams
By the end of this article, you will have a list of actionable methods you can use to start, and grow, a blog that will make money.
#1: Choosing What (and How) You are Going to Write About
Before you sit down and start writing your first set of blog ideas, you need to have a general idea. This idea comes in the form of two different areas: the name of your blog and your target niche.
Choosing Your Blog’s Niche
A niche (in marketing) is your target market segment. In the case of a blog, a niche refers to the overall topic of your blog.
There are a wide variety of things when writing. Food, travel, entertainment, and fashion are some more popular options. However, your niche needs to be more specific if you want a chance at drawing an audience.
Why is Choosing A Narrow Niche Important?
Nearly three out of four bloggers who earn more than $50 thousand focus their content on a specific group. Let’s look into a real-world example so we can make sense out of this.
Problogger, run by Darren Rowse, is a popular site that creates blogs on blogs. This type of content is known as metablogging, a little niche bag in 2004 when ProBlogger started.
He grew by being an early adopter of writing useful, actionable content. Given that Mr. Rowse did this in 2004, he focused on a target that needed attention.
If you want to be a professional in your field, you need to focus on an incredibly narrow target. Below are a few examples that you can take for your blog:
- Instead of writing on general clothes, you can write on vests.
- Instead of writing on football, you can write on your favorite team.
- Video games -> Indie platformers.
- Food blogger -> Review local food trucks.
- Travel blogger -> Your family taking an RV to small towns.
The good news about going narrow comes down to two facts:
- You don’t have to stay narrow. Once you get a following, you can start to expand your topics to include other discussions.
- If you don’t have passion for the subject, you don’t want to write on it.
When picking a niche, your ability to stay passionate about the subject is essential. You don’t want to run out of blog ideas after the first few posts. You also want to be sure you know about the topic.
If your goal is to monetize it eventually, you will want to pick a topic associated with things to sell. Monetization can mean several different things, but we will get into making your blog earn with greater detail later in this post.
Before we do that, we need to look into another important topic, blog naming:
How Do I Pick A Good Blog Name?
The right blog name depends on many different topics coming together. Below is a list of things you could consider when naming your blog:
- Ideal reader (target audience)
- Niche
- SEO potential
- Simplicity
- Creativity
- Blog voice
- A thesaurus search
- Whatever comes to mind
- A million other things not mentioned here
It’s only natural to fret over the name of your blog. Deciding upon something that will be your label forever is complicated. Here are some things that can drive down the anxiety a bit on this topic:
- You don’t have to be married to your first idea.
- You can bounce ideas off of other people.
- This blog may not be your only blog.
Take the following tips in mind when naming your blog:
Think of Your Niche
An easy trick to picking your name comes from inserting your niche. If you write a blog on how much you love food trucks and live in Denver, you could call your blog DenverFoodTruckReviews.com.
Think of Your Tone
The best blogs know how to insert their personality. That personality is typically conversational, offering a fair bit of potential there.
For example, having a food blog specializing in teaching people how to make pizza could be GetAPizzaThis.com/blog. This blog could include laughs and instructions all in one mix. Also, I’m sure it steals Bob’s Burgers’ naming scheme, but people enjoy quirky nonsense. Don’t be afraid to be you!
Think of the Brand
When looking at your brand, one thing that should be in the back of your mind is its expandability. LADBible is a fantastic example of this. They also own the Gaming Bible, Sports Bible, and OddsBible.
If your goal is to expand an overall brand name, try and include some consistency between brands. When done right, branding offers some excellent expansion potential.
#2: Choosing Your Website Service, Site Builder, and Domain – The Best Blogging Platform
Once you’ve decided upon your niche and name, you can now move onto more technical concerns. In this case, you need to choose your web host. There are various hosting websites you can choose from, but you need to prioritize sites based on your needs.
In the rest of this section, we will detail six of the best blogging platforms you can choose from:
1. WordPress.org – The Best For Those Who Want Complete Control of Their Site
WordPress is easily the king of blogs. If your priority is to have a self-hosted blog provider with the ability to integrate your domain easily, this is the ultimate option.
WordPress has a massive community of developers. One of their most popular platforms, Yoast, is a search engine optimization powerhouse. SEO, which we will discuss in further detail later, is a great way to get your site noticed by search engines like Google.
WordPress also has broad support for a wide variety of themes, which are modifications to your website’s design. WordPress is an easy choice if you are a blogger who wants full control of everything on their website.
If your web host of choice is BlueHost, they integrate domain purchase and setting up your WordPress site into a single process. Overall, BlueHost and WordPress combined turns website naming and creation into pure simplicity.
Pros
- WordPress has support for over 50 thousand plugins to customize the offerings of your site.
- There are many themes available for mobile use.
- The platform provides excellent SEO options and has Yoast (a robust SEO platform).
- There is a large amount of community support for people who are new to website creation.
- Web hosting and a domain name are part of the platform.
Cons
- It can be a bit overwhelming for people who look for a simple platform.
- Many of the plugins require additional investment.
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com – What’s the Difference?
If you search WordPress, you will most notably receive two different results. Both of them are under WordPress, but one has a “.com” while the other has a “.org.” You may also notice that we recommend WordPress.org. Here’s the reason why:
- WordPress.com is a simplistic version of WordPress.org, providing you with less control over website creation.
- You cannot install premium themes on WordPress.com, giving you less individuality.
- There are only 3GB of storage under WordPresss.com
- You are stuck with WordPress branding if you choose the “.com” variant.
- Your monetization options are limited under WordPress.com
WordPress.com is alright if you crave simplicity in your website. But if your brand grows, the lack of power behind WordPress.com is pretty evident.
For the best WordPress experience, stick with combining BlueHost and WordPress.org. You will thank us later for taking this advice.
2. Wix – A Great Combination of Power and Simplicity
Wix is a website builder similar to WordPress, given its focus on complete control. The significant difference comes from their drag-and-drop mentality when it comes to building. You can easily approach this website as a person without knowledge of HTML.
Like WordPress, the website also has various themes built around the experience you want for your website. It also offers a free version, making it among options for those who want to start a free blog to make money. However, the free version covers your website in Wix branding, making it less appealing for potential visitors.
Pros
- A simple drag-and-drop interface requires no HTML knowledge.
- Complete control of every website page allows you to create a beautiful experience easily.
- The free version allows you to see how your website looks before you invest in it.
- It offers eCommerce options if you want to integrate payment platforms.
Cons
- Those who want to stick with the free version are stuck with Wix ads.
- It has less application support than WordPress
3. Squarespace – For Those Who Want Simple Control Features
Squarespace targets hip and trendy people with their website builder. They are handy for those who seek to enhance their website with eCommerce options.
Squarespace also offers reliable support for those who are not tech-savvy. Much like Wix, the majority of their platform comes with drag-and-drop features. It does this with a wide variety of beautiful themes, appealing to millions of people.
The biggest drawback behind Squarespace comes from its limited support for third-party development. The apps are minimal when you compare them to WordPress, which offers ample support by comparison.
Pros
- Incredibly simple and easy to include eCommerce features.
- Squarespace includes built-in tools to create a beautiful website in minutes.
- It is perfect for small companies who have limited needs.
Cons
- The support for third-party applications is relatively limited.
- It is not as useful for people who do not need an eCommerce section.
4. Blogger – Secure and Easy To Use
As a blogging platform offered by Google, Blogger is a simplistic tool that works well. Blogger is one of the few completely free platforms available for those who want to start a blog. As you might expect, this free offering comes with some significant drawbacks.
Blogger only offers blogging tools for people who want to start blogs. That sounds like a mouthful, but don’t expect any support for creating an eCommerce platform. You can promote your brand and products using Blogger.
Being offered by Google, you can expect a great deal of reliability and security. However, Blogger doesn’t see a lot of regular updates. Much like other projects, you also run the risk of having them shut down the platform. Be sure to back up your content on another website.
Pros
- Blogger is a straightforward blogging platform that requires no HTML expertise.
- It is easy to upload blogs and manage your content from a single screen.
- Google owns it, creating a firm sense of reliability and security.
Cons
- There is no support for the addition of extra tools and features.
- You are limited to a blog platform without any control of other website features.
- Blogger does not receive regular care and updates.
5. Weebly – A Simple and Expandable Website
Weebly is a return back to modular website creation that requires no experience in website production. Much like Wix and Squarespace, the simplistic design makes this platform excellent for small businesses. It also allows you to design a website before making any purchase.
As the start of your blogging journey, Weebly is an excellent starting point. Just expect some difficulty when trying to export the website if you decide to change to a different host. Weebly also has support for third-party applications, but it is somewhat weak compared to other more detailed platforms.
It does have integration with Google Analytics, which is incredibly useful. While the support for third party software is limited, Weebly is a great overall platform to get started if you want to grow your business beyond a blog.
Pros
- Modular website design similar to Squarespace and Wix.
- It is straightforward to create a website with a beautiful appearance with little effort.
- It expands beyond the limitations of a blog, allowing you to integrate other website features.
- It integrates with Google Analytics.
Cons
- Support for third-party applications is minimal.
- It is somewhat tricky to export your website to other hosting providers.
6. Ghost – Great For Bloggers Who Demand Simplicity
Ghost is a blogging platform that is currently competing with Google’s Blogger. Given its focused competition, you can tell that they don’t offer many features outside of blogging platforms. As a result, they share many of the same limitations as Blogger does, with no support for adding other website integration.
Ghost excels at being a blogging platform with a simplistic clutter-free design that makes it appealing for people who love to write. Compared to WordPress, it is a nice change of pace to type things up in white space. The simplicity also makes this one of the fastest hosts available.
Its simplicity makes it impossible to integrate third-party apps. There are also a limited number of themes, giving you limited opportunities to create a unique website.
What if I Need The Best Web Hosting For Small Business?
All of the platforms above have their preferred hosting platform. When it comes to web hosts, they differ from blogging platforms in that they specialize in allowing you to purchase and maintain your domain.
If you are looking for a web host, you should consider one with expansion potential. Below are a few suggestions:
BlueHost – A Great Platform for WordPress
BlueHost is a web hosting platform that advertises itself as WordPress’s best platform. With plans starting at $2.95 and access to a free domain name and WordPress installer, they are an excellent platform with WordPress integration being at their focus.
Much like those that advertise themselves as blogging platforms, BlueHost has an included website builder. Overall, they have a robust list of features.
DreamHost – 4.7 on TrustPilot
With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, DreamHost has garnered a fair amount of trust. Part of this comes from their transparent and inexpensive pricing, which sits at about $2.59 per month.
Its most extensive complement is a free SSL certificate, providing your website extra security. This certificate will encourage more scrutinizing web browsers to be more likely to trust your website.
Other Solid Web Hosts
While we detailed a couple of the more trustworthy options, there are a wide variety of hosting platforms out there. Check out the rest of this list if you are curious about other options.
- Hostinger
- HostGator
- GreenGeeks
- WP Engine
- Inmotion
- SiteGround
- Nexcess
- WebHostingPad
- Hostwinds
- GlowHost
- HostPapa
- Liquid Web Hosting
- iPage
#3: A Step By Step Process on How to Write Your First Blog Post (of Many)
Once you have decided on your type of blog, the niche, your web host, and your blogging platform, you can produce your post’s actual work.
In this section, you will learn a functional process you can use to produce blog topics. These instructions will apply to a self-hosted WordPress blog or a simple option you can find on Blogger or Ghost.
In this section, we will be going through the following steps:
- Choosing a blog post topic
- Research that topic
- Outline creation
- Creating hooks & closing strong
- Write the body
Step One: Choose Your Topic
While having a narrow niche helps you select blog post ideas, topics still can delve into broad areas. In choosing your blog topic, you have to decide on the depth you are willing to invest here.
In step one, the selection of your topic has to derive from two different major areas:
- Narrow topics
- Broad topics
We will delve into the difference between these topics below:
How Does Selecting Narrow Topics In My Niche Helps?
Let’s go back to that section on selecting our niche and assume that we are talking about vests again. Among categories, vests are already a very narrow fashion target by themselves. You know that vest fashion doesn’t have a lot of interest, so you hope to get in on this area.
Based on your knowledge, you can look at narrow areas of vest fashion that are searchable. To do this, you can go to google and type in your topic. Let’s assume you are searching “tactical vest fashion.”
Scroll down to the bottom of your google page and notice the “searches related to…” section. You will want to play with google a couple of times to get it right, but eventually, you will notice that these searchable terms will come up with limited results.
Because few people are looking in the narrow portion of this niche, you have the chance to write a detailed article. This article will seek to provide value and information that the other pieces can’t. The narrow focus allows you to find an active topic in your niche that may be a natural gap.
If you don’t like the idea of being incredibly narrow to increase your chances of ranking, you have another option.
Content Marketing Strategy Option Two – The Pillar Post
A pillar post is the central hub of content amongst several micro topics. It takes a subject down and breaks it into easy-to-consume bits. Your potential reader must appreciate the level of effort you put into pillar posts.
Your pillar post’s objective is to be a one-stop-shop for any advice that comes up on the topic. Many other writers take this approach, meaning that you have to be more detailed.
Going back to that narrow topic, you can write about the ultimate list of vest trends to keep an eye out for 2021. Someone else has already done it, but you’ve noticed that they missed a few key fashion pieces. You will write about those pieces and include another thousand-word FAQ on vests to beat their topic’s detail.
Other Tools You Can Use As a Blog Topic Headline Generator
If you are still struggling to come up with a topic, below are a few methods you can use to get some ideas:
- Answer The Public – A question generator that allows you to insert the topic of your choice.
- Portent Idea Generator – Insert a topic and watch as Portent’s generator comes up with a headline you can use.
- WebFX Blog Post Idea Generator – It is similar to Portent’s idea generator.
While these are great for generating quick and dirty titles, you have control over the strategies you choose from when picking your title. We will delve into why that is important later.
Step Two: Research
When it comes to producing quality content, research is vital to ensure that you can provide a detailed and accurate answer to your reader. Thousands of readers pass through every day, but it only takes a single person to shame your entire blog and kill your revenue stream.
If you want to avoid thousands of people questioning your authority, keep the following in mind:
Choose Trustworthy Resources
Your followers will recognize your decision of choosing the best type of resources. This decision is vital for external links, an essential part of SEO, which we will be digging into later.
Automatically trustworthy resources include .edu and .gov resources. Taking sourced information from well-known brands also helps legitimize your claims.
You can also consider quoting books, but be careful on oversharing. Many people hold that content behind paywalls, meaning you need to pay before they are shared.
Do Not Link To Your Competitor
External links are a great way to provide some proof of your claims. However, that link to your competitor gives your reader a potential reason to prefer their blog over yours.
Defining your competitors is essential to find meaningful topics. By looking at their blogs and asking yourself, “how can I do better,” you offer yourself some potential topic ideas.
Save Research on Your Niche As You Find It
Good research is sometimes hard to come by. If you find yourself struggling to find decent points on your blog, you must save information down as you find it.
You can save your research using online boards like Trello if you want to share your research with collaborators. You can also use note-taking software like OneNote for easy storage.
On the internet, knowledge is your ultimate source of power. You can also use this saved research for knowledge and ideas down the road.
Step Three: Outline Creation
In blogging, your outline will contain your headers, otherwise known as your H1s and H2s. Depending on your blogging software, or platform, of choice, they will already include labels for these headers.
When creating an outline to focus on your readership, you should consider the following factors:
Make Your Headers Descriptive
Regardless of your industry, first impressions are essential. If your reader knows what’s going on with a descriptive header, it increases their chance of reading out.
Show the header to your friends to see if they can understand the goal of this blog section. This outside opinion will provide you a good idea of your natural skills as a blogger. It will also allow you to address unconscious biases before you let them get out of hand.
If Your Header is a Question, Start With An Answer
Successful blogs understand the importance of being direct with your answers.
If your header post begins with a question, answer that question immediately. The exception is if your article’s title is a how-to article to answer the question after the introduction. We will discuss hooks in your introduction later in this article.
Provide A Logical Progression of Questions
The outline provides you an excellent opportunity to answer questions in a logical progression. Given that many blog post titles are step-by-step guides, you need to think about the next question. Your blog will naturally draw people to read down the article by working from a solutions-based focus.
Use Working Blog Formats
Knowledgeable beginners understand the importance of using what works. Through their initial setup, they may look at various blog formats to build their blogs around. Below are a few examples of what you can use:
- Listicle articles are your top ten or top five lists. These days, people have ridiculous top 100+ lists, which is an easy way to create pillar posts.
- How-to articles are all about informing readers through step-by-step instructions. The next step in the process typically dictates headers.
- Case studies involve gathering real-life examples together to prove a point. You can use them effectively in combination with affiliate products.
- Interviews are a Q&A session with experts in your industry. You can combine them with other types of articles to provide detailed information.
- Current events and news posts work to inform the reader about current trends in your industry. Since they are timely, these kinds of posts won’t work well in the long term.
Many of these do not have strict formats available, but you can choose to build your headers around these blog topics.
Step Four: Creating Hooks in Your Introduction and Conclusion
When reading books, two areas will stick with your readership:
- The introduction
- The conclusion
Your first sentences need to give the reader a reason to stick around. To do this, you need a hook, which draws the reader into continuing how to read. Below are a few examples of blog hooks:
Four Blog Hooks You Can Use To Keep An Audience
- The emotional hook includes stories that have happened to you in the real world. It engages readers by endearing you to them with various situations. For example, a travel blogger may tell a story about them wakeboarding into a faceplant.
- The educational hook provides a surprising statistic that you can start with from the beginning. If I told you that businesses that publish more than 16 posts per month receive three times more traffic, you’d be interested in how that applies to my topic.
- The relatable hook is right in your header, calling out a group of people who are your target audience. These include the “Ten signs you need to upgrade your computer” article if your target audience is those who want to learn how to build gaming PCs.
- The story hook tells people of a real-life event with personal experience. Discussing your success or failures allows people to insert themself into the situation. Bonus points if you happen to have photos.
You can also hook people by referencing current events or relating two uncommonly related topics. Whatever you choose, make sure it is interesting enough to keep people around.
Writing a Strong Blog Conclusion
When it comes to blogs, you have a couple of different options when it comes to conclusions:
A summary of the topic
Topic summaries are the most common options because they take little effort. They are one of the main steps you would take when writing in essay format. They also provide a great way to remind the reader of critical points of the article.
Call-To-Action
CTAs are common for those who are trying to build an email list or work with affiliate programs. They inspire the reader to take any action that further’s the writer’s goals.
Nothing
Nothing is common for blogs that are below 500 words. A “nothing conclusion” is excellent if the article’s general goal is to provide a short guide. However, you risk losing the reader with the potential for a CTA.
For those who blog for an audience, a CTA is typically the most effective form of conclusion. Based on the length of your blog, you decide what’s best for your readers.
Step Five: How To Write Engaging Body Content
Body content is the meat of your blog. Without it, users won’t have much engagement. Below are some tips you can use to ensure you write an engaging body:
Images and Videos Allow Your Blog To Stick Out
The biggest mistake that modern bloggers fail to consider is the lack of images available. Visual content, like Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube, draws enormous audiences.
If you are a travel blogger, include pictures of your travel. If you are a food blogger, take a picture of your food. If you are a marketing blogger, include engaging infographics. Images break up large chunks of text, making your content easier to read.
Use Bullets To Create Impact and Break Up Large Chunks of Text
Significant meaty sections of text aren’t going to be too appealing to your reader. They also make it harder for potential searches to draw out your target keywords, which we will get into later.
Bullet points solve this problem by creating impact and simplifying your content into short sentences. Use these points whenever appropriate.
Stick to Short Paragraphs
Our culture is one of smartphones and skimming. A massive chunk of text that looks alright on your computer will look terrible on a smaller screen.
To solve this issue, you need to produce short paragraphs that will be more readable. This writing style will make your content much more comfortable to read.
How To Write Content Without Fluff
When writing, your initial process is bound to contain some kind of fluff. It’s natural, but it adds unnecessary minutes to your read time, giving them another reason to step away.
To avoid fluff, keep the following in mind:
- Ask yourself if examples are necessary.
- See if the sentence makes sense without unnecessary words.
- Have another fellow blogger look.
- Avoid quotations and try and summarize points if you want to make a quote.
- Write in an active voice.
- Choose simple words
If Fluff is a significant issue with you, consider the free application Hemingway. Hemingway encourages you to omit unnecessary words and tells you the grade level of your writing. For a generalist audience, your goal should be around a 5th- or 6th-grade reading level.
#4: How To Promote Your Blog and Draw Traffic
When starting a blog on WordPress, Blogger, or any other area we’ve discussed, blog promotion is the biggest struggle for these people. Many times, writers may feel that they are a burden for oversharing content. This mentality can cause them to lose a great deal of potential money.
To address this, remind yourself of the value you’ve put into your blog. While it’s essential to have excellent content, hundreds of thousands of people may benefit from your perspective on this topic. Once you’ve reminded yourself of your value, you can take the first step on promotion.
In this case, our first focus of promotion is through social media:
How To Promote Your Blog On The Right Social Media Platforms
To stay engaged with your readers, you need a social media presence. You can start small on simple platforms like Facebook and Twitter, but your eventual goal will be to expand out.
Below are your options and how you need to market on them:
- Facebook is an excellent way to stay connected to family and friends. Many of them want you to succeed, so start by sending them an invitation. They will also share with their family and friends, providing you a great local platform.
- Twitter is a powerful public platform that allows would-be readers to search for your content. Much like Facebook, you can start with local family and friends, but plan to expand out and engage your readers with short-form content limited to 120 characters.
- LinkedIn is a professional development platform you can use to connect with fellow people in your field. You can join groups that provide blogging advice and connect with potential readers and fellow bloggers.
- Instagram is an excellent method to engage people visually. If you have a travel or food blog, post a photo to bring people to your blog.
- YouTube is an excellent platform you can use to provide a different content channel. You can start by reading off your blogs or creating a Podcast. As the second-largest search engine behind Google, you should not forget this content creation option.
Social Media Management
If you feel like continually going on social media is daunting, you aren’t alone. However, you can’t leave it behind with the potential growth opportunity. Instead, you should consider a social media management application:
- Hootsuite is a robust platform that allows you to manage a small number of social media platforms and try it out on the free version. If you want to handle more than three social platforms, you will need to pay for HootSuite.
- HelloWoofy is another social media manager that has received significant interest. It allows you easy to schedule and post on multiple platforms. Given that it is a smaller company, HelloWoofy does have a more complicated UI.
- Buffer is another social media sharing platform. Its included browser plugin also allows you to easily share content that might appeal to you from other sources.
How To Promote Your Blog Using an Email Newsletter
Maintaining readers can be difficult, but one way you can do so is to encourage them to subscribe to your newsletter. By gaining access to their inbox, you have a direct channel to a portal they check daily. This email is advertising space that they have given you that you can respect with more helpful tips.
If you are new to email newsletters, check out Mailchimp. For the first few subscribers, they offer a free trial until you reach a certain level.
How Guest Blogging Can Help Your Blog Grow
Offering to blog on another platform provides mutual benefits for you and the other blog. These benefits include the following:
- You can attract some of your fellow blogger’s audience.
- It provides quality content that they don’t have to write.
- It provides the potential for a long-term mutual relationship.
To reach out to someone on a guest post, you will want to reach out to the blogger. If you happen to have an active domain already, you can direct them to your blog. This strategy is more effective if you already have an audience.
You can also integrate with their community, becoming an active member. If their blog happens to be a topic you are interested in, you can communicate with the blogger through the comments section. The blogger will respect your willingness to communicate upfront. Just indicate your respect for the blogger and your desires upfront.
The tradeoff will be you generating high-quality backlinks to your website. Make sure to ask for a link back to your website from their blog.
Search Engine Optimization – How It Promotes Your Blog
If written by itself, writing blog posts on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can take up another 6000 words. However, obsessing yourself with SEO can sometimes lead to you going overboard. Google will recognize this, as having too many keywords leads to overoptimization.
When performing SEO, keep the following in mind:
Include Keyword Research as Part of Your Information Research Process
Build your research around searchable keywords. When you find research opportunities in Google, pay attention to what you had to search to get to this area.
Utilize Free Keyword Researching Platforms
You can use a couple of useful keyword platforms: Buzzfeed, Moz, Buzzsumo, and a few other options. All of those have great features and opportunities, but they do run out quickly when producing vast amounts of content.
When looking for free keyword-based research platforms, look up the Keyword Surfer extension. It is an excellent app for those who have limited funds to start to search the monthly results of your keyword search.
Place Keywords in Your Headings and Introduction
When you find keywords, they belong throughout the body text. However, they have the most impact on your introduction and later headings.
Other Forms of Blog Promotion
Below are other options you can consider for blog promotion:
- HARO (Help A Reporter Out) provides you with a database of journalists looking for information sources. By looking for those databases, you can offer to be an expert in your target niche.
- There are LinkedIn and Facebook groups that offer post collaboration opportunities. If you are starting, other bloggers of your level will be looking for the same thing.
- You don’t have to reach out to other bloggers to get an expert opinion. If you know someone who works in your niche at any level, don’t be afraid to reach out to them. You may be able to promote their business in exchange for their perspective.
- You can pay for advertising for your blog in a process known as Pay Per Click (PPC). With Google AdWords, you can choose to target specific demographics.
#5: Different Ways You Can Make Money From Your Blog
If you want to make money with your blog, there are many different options you have. Below is a quick rundown of your options:
- Display advertising
- Affiliate links
- Offering an eCommerce platform
- Having a subscription-based blog (other services)
- Sell services associated with your niche or blogging talent
- Flipping your website
Let’s dig into how these options can work out for you.
How You Can Earn Money On Your Blog With Display Advertising
Display advertising is the classic banner ads that you see upon entering various blogs. If someone manages to click them, your blog could earn a small bit of money based on PPC.
Your blog may need to meet minimum viewership requirements. There are a wide variety of advertisement platforms built for bloggers. Below are a few options:
Don’t go too far with this, as your potential readers may move onto less invasive blogs. Also, any person reading your blog has the potential to download blockers, invalidating any earnings you may have.
How To Use Affiliate Links and Sponsored Content For Your Blog
Blogger affiliate programs are everywhere. Companies are always looking for people to provide them with free advertisement. If your chosen company makes a sale, both you and them make some money.
The commission rate varies depending on your preferred company. Below are a few affiliate options you should consider for your blog:
- Amazon Associates – You can start this with no attention to your blog. Their payout varies depending on the type of content.
- eBay Partner Network – This program allows you to promote eBay products (just like Amazon). They offer varying commission rates depending on what you sell.
- DreamHost – They offer an excellent domain service and also an affiliate program. If you like Dreamhost, don’t be afraid to share that experience with others. Commission rates vary depending on what program they buy.
For smaller companies, you can also reach out to their executives directly. A wide variety of companies offer affiliate options with little to no requirements. Don’t be afraid to ask other product providers.
Going From Blog To eCommerce Platform
If affiliate marketing doesn’t go far enough for you, your next option is to take that custom domain and turn it into a brand that can sell. With enough effort (and reasonable enough prices), people will be willing to buy your products.
Given that this is an entire blog by itself, we won’t into too much detail. But if you think this may be an option for you, stick with platforms like Squarespace, Weebly, Shopify, and other full website platforms. Do not purchase anything on Blogger or Ghost.
If you don’t want to make partnerships with manufacturing companies, Shopify is one such platform that will handle the details for you.
How To Convert Your Blog Into A Subscription Platform
To convert your blog into a subscription platform, you will want to offer something of value behind the blog. This strategy is difficult for food or travel blogs and is not appropriate for those who want a writing future.
If you want to go with a subscription platform, you will want to develop that side of the business. Consider these examples:
- Write a blog on personal growth that advertises your consultation business.
- Write a blog on exercise where you offer exercise classes on the side.
- Provide blog content behind a class that teaches others how to blog.
- Write a general blog that links to a more detailed blog on appliance reviews.
While it isn’t common, the idea is that you need to offer something of value to your visitor. If you can do this with a subscription service, look at pre-existing subscription-based services to see how your niche can match it. This strategy can also lead to the sale of products.
How To Use Your Blog To Sell Your Services
If you don’t want to create a blog purely for affiliate content, your “something of value” could be an encouragement to use your services. The most common situation behind blogging comes from proving your ability to blog, thus offering your services to help others reach the same goals.
Being a freelancer blogger is just one option you can choose. Instead, you could choose to link your blog to your crochet services. Blogging sites act as a cover for a variety of services that you may provide.
Website Flipping – How To Sell Your Blog To People Who Want It
A double-sided client means your customers come from a variety of areas. As your website grows, it can work for a variety of different people. In this case, you turn a domain into a valuable commodity.
By turning your domain into something people seek out, you can potentially sell it. The content on your website is also a valuable asset under your ownership.
You can also buy other websites you see potential with, reselling them at a higher price down the road. Given how complicated this can be, you want to be sure to choose a complex platform that allows easy exports. For example, WordPress is a robust platform that would be perfect for this job.
If you do buy a domain, make sure that you use it. Cybersquatting, which is buying a domain to take advantage of the brand name, is morally questionable.
Final Thoughts
The guide above provides you a comprehensive list of things you need to consider when starting a blog. A good content engine gives you the potential for many types of income. It also can provide you with a traffic tool for additional products and services.
Starting a blog at first can be a daunting process. With this article, we hope you will find the courage you need to take the next step. However you want to make money, a blog is a great way to supplement or provide a full-time income to the right people.
If you want some more assistance on making money online for your side (or primary) hustle, we encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter and keep an eye on our blog. Thanks for reading.
