How to earn money through blogging

We'll be honest: earning money through blogging isn't the simplest task. But the best part is that it's doable by everyone and looks fantastic on a resume.

All you need to gain traffic and a following is something engaging to say, along with the necessary persistence and commitment. However, how do wealthy bloggers get paid? We spoke with a few of them to learn their money-making techniques.

Our manual offers you a step-by-step strategy to launch your blog and turn it into a successful side hustle from home.

ways to launch a blog

When it comes to actually setting up a blog, you have two major choices: you may use a free blogging platform or build your own website. We'll go over both, listing the advantages and disadvantages of each.

free platforms for blogging

Best for: Novice bloggers and those who don't care to monetize their blogs.

Pros: Free and really simple to start up.

Cons: You typically can't add advertisements or utilize affiliate links, you can't establish a custom URL, and the platform retains the right to terminate your blog. Limitations on customization and video/image uploads are other drawbacks.

Many platforms let you create a blog for no cost, and they're very simple to use. This can work for you if you initially only want to blog informally.

Free blogging sites, however, might be highly constrained. Only a little amount of customization will be possible, and your blog will have a storage cap, which may make it more challenging to upload large videos and photographs.

The fact that your blog's URL will include the branding of the platform, such as "www.yourblog.wordpress.com," is another disadvantage.

Additionally, the majority of free blogging systems don't let you add affiliate links or banner ads to your website, which are important sources of income for most bloggers.

Here is a quick list of the top free online blogging platforms if these issues don't bother you.

most effective blogs

WordPress.com is a basic blog hosting service that is free and user-friendly. If you don't pay a monthly charge, you'll have to put up with WordPress branding and advertisements. Additionally, unless you purchase the Premium, Business, or eCommerce plan, it is impossible to generate ad money. Additionally, there are few alternatives for growth and customization.

Google's free blog hosting service, Blogger, is incredibly user-friendly. However, there aren't many options if you want to add additional features, and the customization and design possibilities are extremely limited.

Medium - With Medium, the writing is prioritized over the visual appeal. It is a terrific way to share your work with a specific community and is utilized by many journalists, writers, and professionals. You cannot run any advertisements, and developing your own distinctive brand is challenging.

Make a personal website.

Ideal for: Serious bloggers and those who want to monetize their blogs.

The flexibility to use advertisements and affiliate links wherever you want, complete control over design and customization, and your own custom URL are all advantages.

Cons: The cost will apply. First, you need a domain name (URL), then hosting, however we have advice on inexpensive web hosting.

Making your own website may seem pretty intimidating if you are not particularly tech-savvy. However, creating one only takes 20 minutes and is actually rather simple.

Owen, the founder of Save the Student, has created a simple, step-by-step manual that will teach you how to launch a website.

With your own website, you'll be able to develop distinctive personal branding (with your own URL), and there's no chance that the platform would erase your blog because you'll be the site's sole owner and in charge.

Take your time selecting a design or "theme" that fits your personality and the subject of your blog from the absurdly large selection WordPress offers.

Choose a layout that is straightforward and clear, with room for huge photographs and readable fonts (Comic Sans and Courier fonts are no-nos).

Choosing a blog topic

The process of creating your blog might either be the simplest or the trickiest after this.

Choosing a specialty in which you can establish yourself as an authority is crucial at this point. In such a crowded blogosphere, the largest error new bloggers make is beginning a blog without attempting to accomplish something novel or distinctive.

For instance, if fashion is your thing, why not combine your passion for fashion with your deep concern for the environment by writing a blog post about ecologically conscious designers?

The greatest techniques to come up with a topic for your new blog are as follows:

Look at other blogs; this ought to be your initial step. What has already been a success? What's missing, more crucially, though? Identify the market's gaps.

Utilize Google What do people look for online? Use Google's autocomplete and suggested searches to find out what people are looking for. There must be a need if they are looking for it.

Look for common FAQs on forums - People turn to forums when they can't discover the answers to their queries. What do they inquire? On what do they require advice? This will reveal what topics people are interested in and where there is a dearth of knowledge.

Follow current trends What news stories are currently trending? It's advisable to choose a topic that will last, but if you can capitalize on a trend before anyone else, you can become an authority on it before they do. On Twitter, a search for #journorequest reveals the topics that journalists are currently covering.

Consider several content kinds. Could you write tutorials or how-to guides? Reviews? Interviews? Lists? The thing that makes you stand out might not be what you write about but rather how you write.

Determine your own passions and interests - All of the aforementioned are crucial, but there is no purpose in writing a blog post about something you have no interest in. People will instantly notice your lack of excitement and you'll fast become bored. Write about a subject that actually, deeply interests you.

How to get more people to visit your blog

The main question is: Where are all the readers once you've made your website, selected an awesome blog topic, and published your first posts?

You can't just expect readers to stumble into your site and immediately begin reading it. You must advertise it!

The finest and simplest techniques to increase blog readers are listed below:

Use social media to advertise your blog.

You won't likely get seen if you don't have social media accounts in today's world, as with any business.

For your blog, we advise creating pages or accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and even LinkedIn (since you're effectively running your own business, right?). Design these accounts using a color scheme or theme that complements your blog so that your brand is consistent and clear.

Use them to share fresh content and tag other bloggers, influencers, and businesses who could help your work get seen by more people.

To assist your blog reach a larger audience, you could also experiment with paid advertising. You could even hold a contest to increase the number of likes. Keep your fans interested after you get them by posting frequently (not just for new blog posts).

Message other bloggers

Identify yourself to other bloggers who write about related subjects. Despite the fact that you are technically a rival, you can be pleasantly surprised by the community of bloggers' helpfulness.

Many bloggers even have a "links" page on their website where they list all of their community friends in exchange for links on your blog. This will significantly improve your SEO (search engine optimization; i.e., the likelihood that your blog will appear in Google searches).

Other bloggers will probably reciprocate your kindness if you interact with them and share their work. You might even work on some partnerships!

Comment on news articles from your blog.

Get involved if a news story relates to your area of expertise. This practice is known as "newsjacking," and it may be very effective in gaining you some excellent publicity.

Keep a look out for items like the release of our most recent Student Money Survey, for instance, if you blog about inexpensive student cooking. You can teach students how to spend less on groceries (while also consuming better food!) even if they may spend an average of £116 per month.

You can use relevant hashtags on social media to express your opinion, participate in debates, and even contact journalists to offer your availability for comment.

Journalists might approach you if you excel at owning your niche.

producing viral content

You may expand your readership and reach a new audience by producing viral content.

Though it may be simpler said than done, the secret to producing material that goes viral is to focus on hot-button issues or themes that generate a lot of discussion in your particular sector of blogging. As you can expect, newsjacking is frequently used in this, as was already mentioned.

Since this is your area of expertise, you will be enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and knowledgeable enough to post an opinion that others will want to read, share, and discuss.

How to monetize your blog

When your blog is up and running, you can (at long last!) begin considering how to monetize it.

The greatest and simplest strategies to monetize your blog are as follows:

On your blog, use affiliate marketing

The way affiliate marketing operates is by incorporating monitored affiliate links into your blog's material. Every time a reader clicks on to one of your recommended websites and makes a purchase, you can earn a small commission.

The links will direct visitors to a brand's website, and you will be compensated as a "thank you" for directing some of your devoted readers to their website.

A lot of online retailers including Amazon, ASOS, and Apple have affiliate programs of some kind.

Join Affiliate Window now. You can advertise thousands of well-known international goods and services on our vast affiliate network.

When it comes to affiliate marketing, authenticity and sincerity are crucial. Write reviews and articles that reflect your genuine beliefs, and only recommend a product or service to your readers if you believe it will benefit them.

Include banner ads on your website.

You can offer brands that relate to your audience banner advertising space on your blog page as a more visually appealing kind of advertising.

Advertising can be placed anywhere, although it's usually in the sidebar or at the top of blog pages.

There are two ways to make money. CPM (cost per thousand) implies you'll negotiate a set payment for every 1,000 'impressions' the ad receives, whereas CPC (cost per click) means you'll receive a set payment for each reader who clicks the advertisement.

The CPC and CPM may be low due to the expansion of AdBlocker plugins, but this depends on your sector, so there's no risk in experimenting.

Making a Google AdSense account is an easy way to begin going.

Write sponsored content and editorials

One of the best methods to monetize a blog, in the opinion of the bloggers we spoke with, is by providing chances for sponsored material (or advertorials). In essence, these are advertisements disguised as paid articles or blog posts.

For instance, if you run a blog about women's athletics and Adidas launches a new swimsuit line, they can offer to pay you to write a post about it. Additionally, you might be able to add some top affiliate connections.

When you have a sizable niche audience, this kind of monetization typically works well. After your viewership increases, brands will frequently contact you to talk about sponsored content.

Costs associated with sponsored social media posts

A good social media presence will make you highly appealing to brands. Some people rely only on paid social media postings to support their blogging businesses. The costs might be very large and you can charge per post or re-post.

Simply put, you'll need to put in a lot of effort to gain followers first. Brands view your "social proof," or the number of people who follow you on social media, as proof that readers will enjoy the things you write about them.

Publish guest blog entries for media websites.

If you're an expert on a particular subject, occasionally the press (or even brands with their own blogs) can contact you and ask you to make a brief cameo appearance on their website.

For instance, if you have a lot of experience cooking on a tight budget, a newspaper may contact you and ask you to contribute some recipes to their cuisine magazine.

Don't be afraid to submit ideas to publications. A short email introduction is an excellent approach to introduce yourself if editors don't already know you.

Engage a company to help you create your blog.

Unbelievable as it may seem, blogging has gained such traction in the advertising sector that there are even firms dedicated solely to connecting bloggers with major companies.

Working for an agency can be extremely profitable and secure, but in order to be taken on, you'll need to have a sizable fan base.

Due to the exorbitant agency fees, only the largest businesses will be able to afford working with you, and smaller independent firms will be turned away.

This may or may not benefit you, depending on the type of blogging business you're looking for. Again using the ethical fashion blogging example, agency fees can make it difficult for you to collaborate with the tiny independent designers you really want to support.

On your blog, provide digital products.

You can also charge for access to eBooks, video tutorials, seminars, or workshops if you have knowledge to share or counsel to impart.

You must be able to demonstrate your exceptional skill in your field or the high value of your content in order for this choice to succeed. This is not simple.

Online communities tend to believe that everything should be free of charge, therefore it might be challenging to persuade them to pay up. But it's worth a shot, right?

Sell the newsletter space on your blog.

You can also charge a brand for either advertising space or a mention in your (if you have one!) weekly or monthly newsletter. You might earn a respectable sum for doing it, and it won't take much time.

However, before businesses will take this into consideration, you must amass a sizable mailing list.

As a blogger, attract employers' attention.

Another (although indirect) strategy to increase your blog's income is to use it to market your own company or even help you get work.

Your blog is the ideal venue to advertise what you have to offer if you're one of the many students who sell items online (but don't push it too far or you'll turn people off).

Your blog might serve as a virtual resume as well. It's a location where you can establish credibility, demonstrate your abilities, and perhaps land a nice job.

Consider your blog as your own little business all on its own. You may demonstrate to potential employers that you have an entrepreneurial mindset and know how to be successful with it by demonstrating that you can do this.

The biggest obstacles to blog monetization

Nothing worthwhile is achieved without some effort and difficulties.

Do not think that blog monetization happens overnight. Even after working on their sites for some time, many bloggers barely make pennies each month from monetizing them.

Again, you must have several income streams from a variety of sources in order to have a chance of making a living from blogging. It takes time to monetize a blog, and you need some visitors to do it. You are more appealing to advertising as your readership grows.

Early in their blogging careers, many bloggers decide to make money.

Competition is another major issue bloggers must deal with.

The blogging industry is oversaturated with wannabe bloggers competing for readers' attention. But it is doable if you put in the effort and are consistent about it.

Can blogging actually earn you money?

The answer is yes, as we have seen! However, the amount of money you can make through blogging varies. Starting a blog and making money from it has this inherent character, but with patience, bloggers can succeed greatly.

It takes time to monetize a blog, and you need some visitors to do it. You are more appealing to advertising as your readership grows.

Think about having many streams of revenue coming in from various sources and through various channels if you want to earn a respectable living from blogging.