This step-by-step guide will show you how to start a blog and make money in the most straightforward way ever.
You will learn
✨ How to set up your blog to be successful,
✨Strategies for blog traffic
✨How to make money with your blog so it can give you a full income in no time.
✨How to build an email list
Plus all the tips you need to start and run a profitable blog.
First of all, I want to say that learning how to start a blog is one of the best decisions you can take, so congratulations on your interest in this path.
I was once like you, searching and soaking up loads of information on how to start a successful blog that will at least make me $500 a month as a side hustle.
It seemed like everywhere I looked, there was one blogger or the other who was killing it with their blog making six figures in some cases.
So I started this blog and I must say in a few months I successfully exceed my $500 target ?.
And that was just the beginning…..
Honestly, starting a blog is not as complicated as you may think. It is quite easy, and I am here to show you how.
However, what i consider to be the hard part about blogging is being committed and consistent to grow your blog.
You will need to put in the work, especially in those first few months.
But be rest assured that If you commit to putting in the work and using the right strategies, it will pay off.
Just be consistent and patient, and you will certainly make money with your blog in no time.
Apart from the money you can make from starting a blog…
Blogging has provided impressive financial flexibility, you become your own boss, you can pick how many hours a week you want to put into blogging.
This frees up your time to spend with your family and friends while making money passively .( More on this later on )
Most importantly, it has given me the time to be there for my family while still making a full-time income.
The best part about blogging is you do not have to be a techie.
Trust me, I am not a techie either, but I successfully set up a blog in no time.
I started my blog with Bluehost using the word press platform, and it took me 10 mins from start to finish.
Yes!!! i am so serious, it is that straightforward.
Dont worry ill run you through the steps in just a little bit.
But before i get into that i just need to mention again that blogging is the best way you can make money from home.
It could seem very overwhelming at first, but just decide to take one day at a time, take one step at a time and hang in there even on the bad days.
And i assure you that if i can do it you can too.?
This is a step-by-step, in-depth guide, so I recommend bookmarking it so you can refer back to it later.
You can also email the link to yourself to have access to it easily whenever you need to refer to it.
*This post contains affiliate links. This means I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase through one of my links
This comprehensive guide will walk you through how to start a blog, step by step.
Let’s get into it!
In This Post
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO START A BLOG?
Good Question!!! ?
After all this talk about how great blogging is, let’s get down to the money matter, AKA what is it going to cost you.
I come as a bearer of good news to say this is another great reason to love blogging.
Blogging is very easily one of the best sources of income you can have that requires minimal investment.
It is so inexpensive that the tools you really need are basically just your laptop, a good internet connection, and a good host + domain name.
I am serious, that is all !
As your blog grows, you may decide to invest in premium and fancy tools, but you can absolutely do without any of those as a new blogger.
The only expense you have to pay for when you’re just starting a blog is an excellent host.
Spoiler alert: My number one recommendation is bluehost.
I will give you a lot more deets on why i love blue host later on in this post.
I started my blog with blue host, and I must say it is the best inexpensive way to start your blog.
Especially if, just like me, you dont want to invest so much upfront into your blog, at least until it makes you some money to cover your blogging expenses.
The go ahead and SIGN UP WITH BLUE HOST HERE.
This is the host i use and i recommend to all my readers and friends.
Not only is blue host affordable, especially for a new blogger ( you will be saving up to 60% by using my special link ? )
So go ahead and sign up today with my ? SPECIAL LINK and start your blog with Bluehost for just $3.99 a month for 36-months (all paid once and upfront).
And that’s not all…
You’ll also get a FREE domain name ($15 value) when you use THIS LINK to start your blog.
This is seriously one of the most inexpensive ways you can make money and have a lot of flexibility today.
So go ahead and take advantage of this low pricing while this offer still last…
It’s essential to start with a paid host; this means your blog will be self-hosted.
One of the benefits of being self-hosted is that you have complete control over your blog, and you can easily monetize your blog.
Paying for a host also makes your site look professional, your domain name would read as www.yourdomainname.com and not www.yourdomainname.wordpress.com.
So if you are serious about monetizing your blog, it advisable to start with a good host right from the beginning.
Besides, choosing a reliable host will also ensures that your blog is secure.
We won’t want your blog crashing after all your hard work.?
That said, let’s look into how you can start your blog the right way.
Let’s dive right in…
HOW TO START A BLOG AND MAKE MONEY (THE STEPS)
- DECIDE ON YOUR NICHE; Your Niche should be about topics you are passionate about. Focus on areas you are knowledgeable on and a field you love; this will make blogging more comfortable and help you stick to it in the long run. A subject you can’t stop talking about. Your niche sets the ground for what you should blog about.
- NAME YOUR BLOG: What name will you call your blog?
- SIGN UP FOR WEBSITE HOSTING: Pick a fast and reliable hosting company. ( Site ground or Bluehost)
- INSTALL WORD PRESS & LOG INTO YOUR BLOG: This is a tried and tested platform, and all the successful mom bloggers I know, use word press.
- INSTALL A THEME: You can start with a free theme from word press. I started with a free word press theme that was so easy to customize. WordPress has a lot of incredible free themes. You can pick one and customize it to suit your style.
- WRITE YOUR FIRST BLOG POSTS; Write 3-4 posts in your niche.
- GET AND INCREASE TRAFFIC TO YOUR BLOG
- MONETIZE
Let’s get into it !!!
1. DECIDE ON YOUR NICHE
Deciding on your blog niche is very important for your blog to be successful and Profitable.
Your niche is simply the core topic of your blog.
So you’ll need to pick a profitable niche to increase your chances of succeeding.
It is great if your niche is about a topic you are passionate about, a topic you can talk about all day without getting tired.
Why do i say this?
Frankly, blogging can easily get frustrating for you if you are not interested in the topic you are blogging about.
Dont get me wrong, you can easily choose a niche on a topic you are knowledgeable in, even if you are not crazy about the topic per se.
But in my experience, picking a niche on a topic that you have a passion for and that is at the same time marketable or in demand will make your blog super profitable in no time.
It’s easier to enjoy the blog growth journey or process when you enjoy writing about the blog topic; if not, you will dread writing and may eventually just give up.
Most importantly, to keep your readers engaged and coming back, you should strive to write blog posts to help your readers.
Please give them a reason to keep coming back.
Your blog posts should aim to solve a problem or help them in some way for instance
- How to make a meal in less than 10 mins,
- How to start a blog ?,
- How to save $300 in a month.
- How to make an extra $1000 from home.
If you do this, it will help you build steady blog traffic over time and make money using the different ways I will be showing you further down in this post.
The good news is there are a lot of profitable niches that you can choose from.
Here are a few examples of profitable niches where bloggers are making six figures every month.
POPULAR BLOG NICHES THAT DRIVE TRAFFIC AND MAKE MONEY
Here are a few examples of popular blog niches that drive traffic and make money.
If you have a skill in any of these topics, you could also consider it as your blog niche.
- Personal finance
- Food and meal planning
- health and fitness
- Mommy blogs
- Parenting
- Travel
- Arts and DIY crafts
- Minimalism
- Home renovations
- Productivity and time management
- Beauty and makeup
- Lifestyle blogs
- Fashion
- Gadgets and technology
- Self-development and personal development
- Career
- Frugal living
The list goes on….. but i hope this gives you an idea.
2.NAME YOUR BLOG
The next thing to do is to choose your blog name.
Basically, this is the name of your blog and the name you will be registering your domain with.
However, a word of caution, please try not to spend so much time deciding on your blog name.
I’ve seen so many new bloggers spend weeks and even months trying to come up with a blog name.
wasting so much precious time that they could have spent writing amazing posts.
This should not be you.
CAN’T COME UP WITH A DOMAIN NAME?
Thankfully you have an option of registering your blog with Bluehost and deciding on a domain name later.
Yes!! Bluehost has an option to chose your blog name later.
Super convenient right?!!!
Now, If you have a name in mind, go ahead put it in below to check if it is available.
If it is available, you should register the name asap before someone else comes and snatches it up.
It happens, you could go back the next day, and your blog name is no longer available.
I know how hard it can be to come up with a blog name; it is easy to spend hours and days looking for the perfect blog name.
But try not to stress too much about it, as you could get stuck in this stage for so long.
I know this because it happened to me.
My sincere advice is just start.
?Tips: Pick a blog name related to your niche, use your name for your blog name, choose words that are easy to remember.
Again dont get stuck on your blog name phase, because in my honest opinion, what your blog has to offer to your readers is more important than any name you choose for your blog.
3.SIGN UP FOR WEB HOSTING.
Picking a reliable host is one of the significant steps to setting up a successful blog, and in my opinion, it’s a crucial step.
Frankly, when starting up, this is the only expense that you need to incur.
The good part is you can go ahead and sign up today with Bluehost using my ? SPECIAL LINK and start your blog for just $3.99 a month.
I currently use and love Bluehost.
I started with the Bluehost basic plan.
It was affordable as I didn’t want to spend a lot up front, and it has worked perfectly for me.
I still use and love bluehost.
✨I also want to point out that if you are really serious about making money with your blog, start it the right way from the beginning.
It is a no brainer!!
Honestly, just avoid a free blog and use a self-hosted blog instead so you can have full control over your blog and make money with it.
Invest in yourself, especially because this is the only expense you will be making as you are just getting started.
A few more reasons to use bluehost.
What you get with blue host;
- Blue Host Cost: $3.95 per month ($7.99 per month after the first year)
- Free Domain: You get a free domain with your hosting. This easily saves you $15 on domain costs.
- Free SSL: This helps with online security.
- Free Backups: You need to be able to back up your amazing content. Blue host provides this service free.
- 24/7 Chat Support:
- SiteLock Security offers monitoring and business verification for your site. If you’re selling and providing services on your blog, this is a great feature to have!
- Codeguard Basic keeps multiple backups of your site. If you ever break anything, you’re a one-click backup away from a previous version of your blog.
- Bluehost SEO Tools – I love this SEO tool feature! It’s super cheap and gives you a lot of great tips to help increase your organic traffic from search engines.
Get Started with Bluehost here
Now I’ll walk you through how to set up your blog. ( the somewhat techie stuff- Dont worry, it is pretty easy?)
First of all, click on this link and open up a new blue host tab, so you can start your blog set up while referring to this post as we set up step by step
.
It’s a really straight forward process, and we can do it step by step together.
✨Now on the new tab, where the blue host screen opens up, go ahead and click ‘Get started.’
✨That action will take you to a page where you can choose a hosting plan.
✨You can choose the “basic” plan because it comes with everything you need to start a successful blog.
When I first hosted with blue host, I chose the basic plan, and it worked excellently.
If you do decide to go for the prime plan, it provides more features.
For example, domain privacy is included, and you can host an unlimited number of websites, unlike just one website with the basic plan.
Domain privacy is a great feature because it hides your personal information from appearing online and saves you the extra cost if you decide to add it later.
But if you are just starting and want to reduce cost, just stick to the basic plan.
?I will, however, recommend you pick the 36 monthly packages because that saves you money in the long run, and you get a free domain name.
That was what i did and i was glad that i chose that.
After you click “select” on the plan you want, you are going to be taken to a screen like the one below:
If you know the domain name you want to use, you can enter it in a “new domain” if you already bought a domain name, enter your domain name in the “I have a domain name.” column.
After you fill out any of the options I mentioned, proceed to another screen where you can enter your contact information for your account.
Be sure to use an email that you’ll remember.
It is better to pay for your hosting as a bulk one-year or 36 months plan instead of month to month.
It is cheaper so you can take advantage of the discounted price.
I signed up for the 36-month “account plan” because it leaves you with the most savings.
The 12 months plan is totally fine too.
I strongly recommend that you add the “Domain Privacy Protection” package extra.
This is crucial so that no one can access your personal information.
After you’ve picked your plan and package extra, proceed to make payment.
- Now you should be taken to the ‘Sign up successful’ page.
- Here you’ll be prompted to create an account.
- Click on create an account and then create a password.
Be sure to use a password you remember but one strong enough to protect your account.
- After you are done with creating your account, you’ll be taken to a screen where you can log into your blog.
Yippee!!! you did it !!!
After you click “Go to Login,” you’ll be taken to a log in page where you can enter your login information that you just created.
4.INSTALL WORDPRESS
You did it. Pretty easy, right?
WordPress is free with any of the hosting plans above.
Let’s recap.
You’ve purchased your hosting, and you have a domain name, so the next step is to install word press.
Installing WordPress with Bluehost is very easy because they have a one-click word press installation.
So all you have to do is click to install wordpress.
After you click on ‘go to log in’ , you’ll be taken into your Blue host dashboard.
To get started with installing word press, click on the column that says ‘My Sites’ and then click the button that reads ‘CREATE SITE.’
- Install WordPress,
- Name your site.
After installing word press, Log into WordPress, and you’ll have access to the back end of your site.
You can always access your site by navigating to http://www.YOURDOMAIN.com/wp-admin.
If you go through this route, It’ll take you to a log in screen that looks like this.
Ok, so back to your word press dashboard.
After you log in, at the back end of your blog, you’ll have access to your word press dashboard, which has different tabs, where you can add posts, add themes, plugins and customize your site.
This will be a frequently visited part of your blog, so get acquainted with it.
Please, please, please, whatever you do, do not use a free platform for your blog.
Examples of these free platforms are Weebly, Blogger, and WordPress.com.
To grow and monetize your blog, you need a dedicated blog that is self-hosted so you can have total control over your website and content.
I just had point this out again, because it is really important.
And another thing.
I will also like to point out that there is a big difference between wordpress.com and wordpress.org.
Hows that?
Put simply, Worpress.org is the self-hosted, version while wordpress.com is the free platform.
It’s very easy to confuse the two platforms.
With WordPress.com, there are also usually ads placed on it that do not bring any income to you, which could also make your website look unappealing.
But if you self-host with WordPress.org and a reliable host, you have control of your site and can put ads if you decide to.
It is also impossible to customize your site with wordpress.com and trust me; you will need to make your site beautiful and user-friendly.
Thankfully WordPress.org lets you do all that.
I had to point this difference out to you because it confused me when I just started.
5.INSTALL A THEME
This was the part of setting up my blog that I enjoyed the most.
Installing a theme involves personalizing your blog and making it look professional & pretty?.
HOW TO INSTALL A WORD PRESS THEME.
- From your WordPress dashboard click Appearance » Themes
- This takes you to the word press themes vault.
There are many good free themes there
I started with the Astra free theme provided on the WordPress.org dashboard, and I also love the ocean WP theme.
The Astra theme was very customizable and worked perfectly for me. You can move on to a paid theme later on as your blog grows.
I, however, suggest investing in a premium theme if you are really serious about building your blog to a full-time income.
I currently use the Victoria theme from bluchic and i absolutely love it.
This WordPress theme is incredibly easy to set up and comes with detailed instructions, lifetime access & updates, customer support.
The features are amazing.
You can check it out here>>>>>
If you’ve decided to invest in your blog from the start, consider purchasing the premium themes.
A premium theme will supercharge your blog.
Another recommendation for an awesome paid theme is DIVI from Elegant themes.
Investing in the Divi theme is definitely worth it.
The purchase also gives you access to other beautiful themes in the library too!
Needless to say, a Premium theme has better features without any restrictions on customization.
A premium plugin I will also strongly recommend is the Elementor Plugin.
Elementor is a famous theme builder.
It has free and premium options that you can use to create beautiful websites pages and forms without writing a single code.
It also has many widgets, plugins, and page templates that you can customize to suit your style.
Elementor works excellent with a lot of word press themes.
You can start a blog or build a site that is impressive, professional, with high-end designs, using the Elementor theme builder.
6.WRITE YOUR FIRST POSTS
Write, write, write!
Now that you have set up your blog and made it professional, you can proceed to share your awesome ideas with the world.
Write content that provides value to your audience to keep your readers coming back.
For starters, you should aim to write 4-6 pillar posts before launching your blog.
But before I go into more details about that, I will like to draw your attention to the vital pages you should have for your blog.
Vital Pages for Your Blog
- An ‘About Me’ page:Your About page can easily be the most popular page on your website. Bloggers want to know the blogger behind your posts.
- A ‘Contact’ page
- Disclosure page – tells your readers about your affiliate links policies
- Privacy page – outlines how your website uses cookies, what you do with the emails addresses and personal info of your readers
7. GET AND INCREASE TRAFFIC TO YOUR BLOG.
After writing those superb blog posts, it will not be helping anyone if no one gets to see and read them.
This is why getting traffic to your blog is crucial.
You’ll need to work on gaining visitors to benefit from your fantastic content.
I get most of my traffic from Pinterest, Facebook, and my email list.
But how do you actually get people to visit your blog?
To be able to monetize your blog, getting traffic is important.
This is because, once you can build an audience, you’ll be well on your way to make money on your blog.
Traffic =Money.
Unfortunately, this is, the hardest part of blogging.
Because seriously, how do you make people know about a brand new blog?
I will get into how you can drive traffic to your blog shortly.
However, bear in mind that you will need to put in the work to implement these strategies.
As soon as you are able to successfully drive traffic to your blog, you will be well on your way to making money with your blog.
PROVEN STRATEGIES TO GET TRAFFIC TO YOUR BLOG
.
1.Get Traffic With Pinterest
Pinterest is the easiest and quickest way to get traffic to a new blog.
Before I started blogging, Pinterest was my go-to source for almost everything I wanted to know.
Whenever i wanted to try out new recipes or a new DIY project, i always go to pinterest, and i still do.
So certainly, there are also millions of people like me constantly on Pinterest.
This makes it perfect as a new blogger to get eyes on your blog.
Pinterest alone can quickly bring in more than 50% traffic to your site.
With the right Pinterest strategies, you can quickly boost traffic to your blog, so it is my go-to option for getting new traffic to your blog as a new blogger.
The truth is majority of my blog traffic currently comes from pinterest.
This makes it such a great platform to grow.
It can be a bit confusing at first, but when you get the hang of it, you’ll do very well.
So how does Pinterest work? How do you get your blog post seen from Pinterest?
It is quite easy. Here are the steps to guide you.
- Begin by creating a Pinterest Free Business account
- Setup your profile
- Set up Boards
- Create 1-2 pin images for each of your blog posts
- Pin those images to your Pinterest board regularly
- -You can pin manually
- -You can pin using a scheduler (Tailwind)
- Join Group Boards and Tailwind Tribes to get your pins seen
In my early days of blogging, I manually pinned my blog posts to the platform.
But as my blog grew, I needed to free up time to work on other things, so I invested in Tailwind to automatically pin for me.
Now I only spend about 30 minutes per week setting up my queues. (Tailwind is terrific, and I strongly recommend that you invest in Tailwind)
With Tailwind, all you have to do is schedule your queues, and it will get posted for you. This will free up a lot of time for you to focus on writing amazing content.
The best part is when you sign up, you can schedule 100 pins for free.
This way, you can try out all Tailwind’s features to be sure it is the right fit for you.
Tailwind has given me more time to focus on writing.
Sign up with Tailwind for free here.
Pinterest is a visual platform so you will need to make great pin images in other to get your pins noticed.
The fact is, nobody is going to click on an ugly pin or a pin that is not clear enough or clickable.
So you’ll really need to make your pins clickable.
Canva has really made this easy.
Canva is the best tool to build beautiful pin images easily, and the best part is canva is FREE.
Canva is one of the most popular photo editing programs with bloggers because it is so easy to use.
It is free!!! although power users may wish to upgrade to the subscription-based Canva for Work version, which costs $12.95 per month.
The good part about upgrading to the pro version of canva is, you can have acces to beautiful, unique stock photos that you can use for your blog and pin images.
This is a plus because good photos will make your pin stand out hence driving traffic back to your blog.
? Get started with Canva here . Start making great pin images.
2. Traffic From SEO
SEO other wise know as search engine optimization is a long term goal.
What do i mean?
Basically, SEO means you are trying to get your blog post to rank at the top of google search for a specific keyword.
What this does is, when someone searches for that keyword, your blog shows up, and they click through to your website =Traffic.
This is one of the best ways to get organic traffic, and it is great because you can get traffic to your website without making pins or hoping that the Pinterest algorithm doesn’t change.
However, as much as this is a great way to get traffic to your blog, you must bear in mind that SEO is a long-term game.
It takes months to get steady traffic from Google
So this where Pinterest comes to the rescue because pinterest is quick .
That being said, I believe that combining both traffic sources and not relying on just one source is the best way to build your blog and set it up for long-term success.
3. Traffic From Facebook
Facebook can be a great platform to connect with and build an audience. I’ll be honest with you; it’s not my favorite platform for consistent traffic.
However, some niches do very well on Facebook.
My advice, however, as a new blogger, is to focus on two sources for traffic so you dont get overwhelmed.
Focus on Pinterest and SEO for the majority of your traffic.
8.MONETIZE YOUR BLOG
Now the part we’ve all been waiting for, how to make money!!!!
So how do you monetize a blog?
When I first started blogging, I thought having ads on my blog was the only way to get paid.
I was so wrong there are a lot other ways to make money from your blog.
It turns out that monetization is easy.
The hardest part about blogging really is building an engaged and loyal audience.
Now, that takes time.
It can be disheartening if you completely focus on making money initially and you are not successful at first.
The truth is, it can get so frustrating that you may even think about quitting.
The point is this.
When you are just learning how to start a blog, you should focus on
-building your blog,
-growing, and
-providing value to your readers.
HOW TO MONETIZE YOUR BLOG
Here are the top methods to monetize a website;
- Advertisements: Placing an advertisement on your blog and getting paid for it
- Affiliates: recommending products you use and love to your readers and get a commission on purchases made through your affiliate link.
- Sponsored Posts: You get paid a flat fee by companies for writing a review about their products on your blog
- Products: Selling your products to your readers
- Services: Offering your readers services, for instance, offering coaching or virtual assistant services to your readers for a fee.
- Ebooks : Writing and selling ebooks to your readers.
1. Advertising
Monetizing with an advertisement is a common monetization route for many bloggers.
In fact, I thought this was the only way to make money when I started.
But the thing with advertisements is unless you get thousands of page views and web visits regularly, then the money coming in will only pay for your coffee.
Thats right!!!
When i tried to monetize with google adsense it was such an epic fail and completely not worth it in my opinion.
In my first month with adsense i didn’t even make up to $1 ?♀️
By now, you’ll have realized that unless you have a lot of traffic, monetizing with ads is not the most profitable.
You’ll need to generate a lot of traffic to reach $1,000 in ad revenue per month.
It also clutters up your site.
Fact is, I don’t particularly recommend putting ads on your website when you are just getting started, but i am also not entirely against it.
You may have to test it out for yourself and see if it works for you.
Below are popular ad companies to use on your blog.
- Google Ads
- Monumetric
- Media.net
- Mediavine
- Sovrn
- AdThrive
But as soon as you start getting up to 50,000 page views you can apply for high paying advertisement companies.
Bear in mind that each company has their minimum page views and strict requirements.
For instance, mediavine, a popular and well-paying advertisement company, requires 50,000 sessions for you to get accepted.
As a beginner, if you are interested in monetizing your blog with ads, monumetric is a great option because they require just 10000 page views.
Achieving this might be easier as a new blogger.
Note, however, that you will also need to pay a setup fee of $99, but this will be deducted from your ad revenue after you’ve been approved.
2. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of my favorite ways of monetizing a blog.
I love affiliate marketing because I can recommend products I use and love to my readers and make money in the process.
Its a win win for everyone.
But I am jumping ahead.
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is promoting a product and getting a commission if you send a buyer to the affiliate company.
It’s free to sign up for most affiliate programs, and each company has its program and set of rules.
A few key things to remember when doing affiliate marketing is that you have to disclose that you’re using affiliate links at the top of your blog posts.
You’ll also need a disclosure page on your blog.
?When it comes to blogging, especially if you are trying to make money from your blog, the most important thing is providing value to your readers by giving them quality and honest information.
As a rule, you want to provide excellent content to your readers, with information about products that will be relevant and helpful to them.
In addition, its best to only recommend a product that you use, or love.
I have had the most success with affiliate marketing because i genuinoy recommend products that i use and love.
To make money with affiliate marketing, you have to create honest blog content with relevant and helpful product information that will build trust with your audience.
Building trust is crucial in any business, and your blog is no different!
Dont make your blog one big advertisement filled with all sorts of affiliate links plastered all over and not related to your niche or content.
Making a full-time income with your blog requires your commitment and hard work.
Soon enough, your hard work will start to pay off and the results will begin rolling in.
At that point, your blog will be the best passive income source you ever have.?
HOW TO GROW YOUR EMAIL LIST WITH A BLOG
As a blogger, your email list is a precious asset.
My advice is to start an email list as soon as you possibly can.
Having an email list is very good for boosting your income because they will also be the first to hear about your product or your first direct reach with your content.
HOW TO BUILD YOUR EMAIL LIST.
The easiest ways to build your email list is by using landing pages, pop up forms, or call to actions.
My Favorite method is by offering your readers a freebie by having a clear call to action where your audience can exchange thier email address for your printable, checklist, or free course.
Starting a blog is a fantastic way to share your knowledge with the online community.
I strongly recommend both Convertkit and optinmaster to grow your email list, easily.
They are the two email marketing services I’ve used that I’ve had a smooth and seamless experience.
More importantly, thier platforms are are easy to use especially for a beginner.
Converkit offers a FREE option so you can get started without paying for any subscriptions.
That’s it! You created your blog. Congratulations!!!
Can you believe it was that easy ?
Taking the leap and starting a blog is a great decision, and there are so many bloggers out there killing it.
The potential for making a full time income from your blog is HUGE!!!
So my honest advice is just start.
You can do this!
Phew! That’s A Lot Of Info… But its all worth it, starting a blog is a terrific opportunity.
*Final Thoughts*
Remember, the best investmet you can make is in yourself.
To keep growing, you need to keep learning and investing in yourself.
Blogging is a continuous learning process.
Strive to learn more and implement these strategies, and soon enough, you will be making money with your blog.
Here is a resources list with all you need to start and grow your blog.
Dont forget to Bookmark this page so you can always refer to it later.
ill love to check out your blog when you set it up.
Please let me know by dropping the link in the comments section so I can check out your blog.?
BEST RESOURCES FOR BLOGGERS
These are the tools and resources I use and love that will help you immensely in your blogging journey.
Dont hesitate to try them out!
✔️Where To Start A Blog
- WordPress: WordPress.org is free but requires you to have Webhosting, which runs somewhere between $3-5 a month.
✔️Recommended Hosting Companies
- Bluehost: Bluehost is a hosting company that you can use on WordPress.org. They offer some of the lowest rates for hosting at just $3.95/month. You also can get your domain name free for the first year when you use this coupon link. here
- SiteGround: SiteGround is one of my favorite hosts. They are slightly more expensive than Bluehost coming in at $6.99/month, but they have incredibly responsive customer service. I’ve always had a positive experience working with SiteGround.
- >>>Sign up for site ground here <<
✔️How To Build A Blog
To build your blog, the two main things that you need are
- a WordPress theme and
- a page builder.
There are free and premium versions of each of these. I recommend starting with the free versions of Astra and Elementor.
You will need to upgrade to a paid theme as your blog grows.
If you want to start with a paid theme, my suggestion for an awesome paid theme is DIVI from Elegant themes.
If you are serious about growing your blog and business,
Investing in the Divi theme is worth it.
The purchase also gives you access to other beautiful themes in the library too!
✔️Web Page Builder
- Elementor: Elementor is a great free tool that can help you build gorgeous pages with so much ease. My blog pages and home page was built with elementor.
They have a free version, or you can upgrade to their pro version for $49 a year.
✔️Recources Bundles
✔️Affiliate Marketing Networks MARKETING NETWORKS
- ShareASale: The Shareasale affiliate program is an easy and free program that is great for those looking into earning extra income with affiliate marketing. It’s free to join and has a lot of great products you can promote as a blogger in any niche
- Ultimate Bundles
- Awin
- Flexoffers
- Amazon Associates
✔️Tools For Blog Traffic
Pinterest is the best platform to get traffic to your blog as a beginner blogger, and Tailwind is the Best Pinterest scheduling Tool.
Tailwind takes away the hassle of manually scheduling pins.
The best part is when you sign up, you can schedule 100 pins for free.
This way, you can try out all Tailwind’s features to be sure it is the right fit for you.
Tailwind has given me more time to focus on writing.
Sign up with Tailwind for free here.
✔️Tools To Build An Email List AN EMAIL LIST
Get started with ConvertKit for Free
✔️Tools To Build An E Course For Monetization
- Teachable: Teachable is the platform you use to sell and host online courses. They handle the sales page, hosting the content, collecting payments, your affiliate program, and more! GET STARTED WITH TEACHABLE HERE
✔️Tools To Sell Your Ebook Or Products With Ease
Sendowl: This is the easiest platform to collect payments for your products or printables that you can sell on your blog and make money.
The sendowl platform is easy to use and makes adding your products super simple.
✔️Tools To Write Better
- Grammarly – is the tool I use to edit my blog posts. It’s the best proofreading tool I have ever come across, and it is worth your while to sign up for it.
- Blogging is all about writing, and Grammarly has been a HUGE help on this front!
- They offer a free version that works amazingly. It corrects spelling mistakes, punctuation placements, and grammar and works on all web-based programs (word press, Facebook, Twitter, et.c) as well as word documents and emails.
- No matter how good your writing skills are, this tool comes in very handy. GET STARTED WITH GRAMMARLY HERE
✔️Photo Editing Tools
· CANVA
Canva is one of the most popular photo editing programs with bloggers because it is so easy to use. Canva is free, although power users may wish to upgrade to the subscription-based Canva for Work version, which costs $12.95 per month.
- Canva also has the best stock photos that you could use for your blog.
Thank you for sticking with me through this step-by-step guide, I know its lengthy, and there is still so much I want to share with you.
But i wouldn’t want you overwhelmed.
Dont forget to look at other posts on the blog for more valuable strategies to hep you win at blogging.
I hope you found this guide helpful, and it inspired you to start your blog.
When you do, be sure to send over the link so I can check it out.
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