If you have always been curious about blogging professionally but are intimidated by the idea, don’t be. Blogging is one of the simplest ways to start making money online and it’s also one of the less risky. Virtually anyone can start a blog, even if they have little to no tech skills. All you have to do is find something you can write about and find the platform to host it. From then on, it’s all about having a sound and consistent content creation strategy and building an audience. Let’s take a look at how you can start your own blog today.
Find a Niche
The very first thing you have to do is find a good niche. There are so many potential niches you could choose right now, but a good blogging niche needs to have three things. It has to have a lot of demand, not be saturated, and be monetizable. It would also be a good idea to pick a niche that you either know or have an interest in. This way, you’ll be much more credible and will enjoy writing your blog.
The easiest way to know if a niche is potentially profitable is to run a search for your main keywords and see how many people are advertising for it. If you see plenty of ads for it, this means that you could at least make money from ads on your site. It’s also an indication that other monetization methods could work. If people have money to spend on ads, then it means they’re making a profit, so that’s definitely a good sign.
Get a Domain and Hosting
The next step is to find a domain name for your blog and a hosting package. Sites like GoDaddy, BlueHost, and Namecheap will allow you to register your domain for under $10. Most of them will also offer hosting, and we suggest you get both your hosting and domain from the same service to make things easier.
When choosing packages, try to go with a dedicated option like a virtual private server as it will prevent your connection from being throttled by other sites. Also, pick a host that offers one-click WordPress installation, as this is the platform that you’re going to use to host your blog.
WordPress is extremely user-friendly, free, and comes preloaded with tons of different designs. This is the only platform you’ll ever need to blog, so start getting familiar with the platform and what it can do.
Find Monetization Methods
This is where you will need to get creative. Ads can get you paid but you can’t expect to make thousands of dollars with ads alone; you will need to use other methods as well. One of the ways that you can make money is to capture your visitors’ email addresses and make money from your list. Another way is to add plugins and widgets that will allow you to make money from affiliate offers and deals. This WordPress coupon plugin, for instance, will allow you to display coupon codes and get a commission every time someone redeems an offer.
There are tons of different ways that you can monetize a blog, so study them and try to use as many as possible.
Start Creating Content
Now is the time to start creating content. If you need ideas of things to write about, we suggest that you sign up for as many blogs in your niche as possible and inspire yourself from their posts. You could also pin multiple posts on the same subject and create a composite post made of the best ideas you got from them.
From then on, you’ll need to get active in the community and make your blog known. One of the best ways to build a name is through relationships with other bloggers and being visible where your core audience is. So, try to find out where that is and be as helpful as you can.
This is all you need to know to start a career as a professional blogger. It takes time, practice, and patience, but if you find a good niche and follow through with a good plan, you should eventually be able to be successful.