You were always wondering about those people who quit their 9-5 job and start blogging for money?
They are working from home, and they’re making fabulous monthly income, aren’t they? Some of the iconic bloggers are even making money while traveling the world, Did you hear about them?
Did you know that a huge percent of these bloggers income is coming from Affiliate Marketing Commissions? Did you even know that there is a huge list of companies there ready to give you commission hand over feast upon promoting their products on your blog?
I’m into blogging and online business careers since a few years ago. I’ve managed to make a healthy income doing various online businesses ranging from e-commerce, blogging, and freelancing. And you can do too!
In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn:
- What is Blogging?
- Why you should start a blog today?
- What to write about in your future blog?
- Who is going to read your blog?
- How to monetize your blog and actually make money?
- Registering a domain name and buying reliable web-hosting
- Choosing a blogging platform and getting started
In this article, I will be referring to other articles to give you the complete blueprint on how to start up a blog and make money online. I will ensure you won’t miss things out.
Should I Start a Blog?
My answer is YEAH!
Blogging offers a unique platform to showcase your knowledge and expertise in a particular niche. By consistently publishing valuable content, you can establish yourself as an authority figure in your field. This enhanced credibility can open doors to new opportunities, such as speaking engagements, collaborations, and even job offers.
Blogging allows you to share your enthusiasm with the world. Whether it’s cooking, travel, fashion, or technology, starting a blog lets you connect with like-minded individuals who share your interests. Moreover, the ability to inspire and educate others through your personal experiences can be incredibly rewarding.
While not guaranteed, blogging has the potential for generating income. Through avenues like display advertising, sponsored content, affiliate marketing, and selling digital products, you can monetize your blog. However, it’s important to note that making money from a blog requires dedication, patience, and implementing effective strategies.
Starting a blog is super simple and could be done within a few minutes only if done right. I strongly recommend that you start blogging for money. Every one of us has something to say. Every one of us has unique things and experiences to tell the world about.
In this guide, I’m putting in all the steps in details on how to start blogging for money. I will also show you how to promote your blog, and how to make money blogging. I will cover all the steps with pictures and snapshots to make it as easy as possible for you.
BLAH,
What To Write About?
Who Is Gonna Read My Blog?
So, you’re wondering who will actually be reading your blog, huh? Well, let me assure you that there’s definitely an audience out there for every niche and topic. The great thing about blogging is that it opens up a whole world of possibilities, allowing you to connect with people who share your interests or are hungry for the knowledge you have to offer.
Whether you’re writing about fashion, travel, technology, or even your personal experiences and thoughts, there are people out there who are eager to read your words and engage with your content. It might take a bit of time and effort to build a strong readership, but once you find your tribe, you’ll be amazed by the support and connections that you can establish.
So, go ahead and start writing from your heart – you never know who will stumble upon your blog and be captivated by your unique voice.
Remember those days and challenges you’ve passed by when you were young? How about your college days, friendships, and those circumstances that you were proud of? Tell others about your travels and those epic countries you’ve been to.
Believe me; you have a lot to say about yourself and your life experiences. Most importantly, People want to hear your stories. Yeah, They do. For example; when I’m searching for something online, I always tend to read other’s personal experience with this thing I’m searching for. Why? Because this way I see what people have to say about this thing, and whether it will work for me as well?
Regardless of your current career; starting an online blog can flip your life over and over again. You will thank me one day for this guide. Believe it or not; after a few months blogging, you will even regret that you didn’t start blogging for money years ago!
My Blogging Story:
I’m writing this guide today to walk you through the same exact steps I followed to start blogging for money. I will show you how I managed to work from home and make money out of my online hustles.
Back in high school when I was something around 15 years old, I made my first $50 online. I spent like three nights designing a website for a client. I delivered the website; he liked it so much and rewarded me by $50 payment.
I remember that day when I accompanied my mother to the local western union office to receive the money. The payment has been sent in her name because at that time I was only 15 years old with no legal functioning ID yet (must turn +18 to get a government ID).
Things worked out amazingly afterward. I started earning money online working from home as a freelance designer. And then I decided to leverage up my earnings level by starting this blog along with a couple other online seeds.
I Make Hundreds
of Dollars Each Month From This Blog
I started this blog back in 2015 and I’m currently working as a part-time blogger from home. Although it has been just a year now, blogging gave me so much that I’m seriously considering quitting my current day job to be a full-time blogger.
I love to wake up every morning and see how things are going on this blog and our other online hustles. I love to write new blog posts every once and a while. I love to have endless potentials to grow. When it comes to making money blogging, the sky is your limit.
It took me just 1 month to make my first dollar from this blog!
My main goal behind this article is to help you start blogging for money. I will be (honestly) sharing with you the exact same steps I followed when I start my blog as a first timer. I will be unveiling my secret sauce to turn your blogging career into a passion.
Why Do You Need To Start Blogging?
The best time to plant a seed was twenty years ago, the second best time to plant a seed is right now. Starting a blog is exactly like planting a seed for the future. You’re simply open the gates for new and exciting opportunities to delve into your future.
Upon the recent estimates, it has been said that there are over 200,000 blogs are being started each day. There is a vast number of blogs on the internet, where’s yours? I’m not saying this to discourage but to encourage you to start blogging for money.
This vast number of blogs being started each day is something to make you certain about how valuable blogging is. People like to blog and they do like to read other’s blogs too.
Whether you’re into fashion, food, travel, or technology, there’s a blogging niche for everyone. Not only does blogging allow you to engage with like-minded individuals, but it also gives you the opportunity to build a personal brand and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Moreover, blogging can be a great platform to showcase your creativity and hone your writing skills. With millions of internet users worldwide, you can reach a vast audience and make a real impact with your words. So, fire up your laptop, unleash your thoughts, and join the vibrant blogging community today. Trust me, it’s a journey worth embarking on!
Still Not Sure?
Before going technically on how to start blogging for money, Let me give you a couple of more reasons why you seriously need to start a blog.
- You have a story to tell the world about.
- You want to build a personal brand.
- You want to make money online like many other bloggers.
- You want to heal from a past experience.
- You want to be a constant learner.
- You want to improve your writing skills.
- You want to build your self-confidence and discipline.
- You want to stay “under the lights”.
- You want to make new friends and connections.
- You want to help others.
- You want to screw your 9-5 silly job.
- It’s very easy to get started!
Are you convinced now?
Do not waste more time into your brain’s comfort zone.
There’s nothing at all to worry about. Let’s get started right now.
Okay, How to Start Blogging For Money?
Let me say it clearly again, you do not need any technical experience at all to start and run your own online blog. The process is quite simple and could be achieved within the next few minutes. So make sure to follow my steps carefully.
I’m simplifying the process into 4 easy-to-follow steps. Let’s get started:
DISCLAIMER: Some of these links are affiliates which mean I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost for you) if you purchase through my links. Thanks for your support!
1. Choose Your Blog Niche:
First, you need to define your blogging niche. The niche actually is that category you’re interested in writing about. Make sure to define your perfect niche. It’s seriously important when it comes to blogging and making money online.
Let’s say you’re into filmmaking. You enjoy this category to that level that you can spend over 12 hours a day doing the same thing without complaining. Accordingly, Filmmaking is your perfect niche. The question, would you be able to work hard for something you don’t like or you don’t enjoy doing? My answer is NO. Number #1 rule of blogging is to make sure you’re doing what you’re seriously enjoying and loving to death.
To stand out in the blogosphere, it’s crucial to choose a specific niche that aligns with both your passion and target audience. Narrowing down your focus will not only help you create content that resonates with your readers but also attract a loyal following.
You chose your niche, and you’re now ready to start blogging for money. Wait, It’s not that fast. Although it could be that fast, you still need to do your job the perfect way exactly like planting the seed.
2. Get Web Host & Domain Name:
The very first step to start blogging for money is to get a web hosting space account and a domain name. This ultimate guide is for creating a self-hosted blog based on the free open-source platform WordPress.org.
What is the domain name? The Domain name is simply the address (URL) by which people will be able to discover your blog online like for example (eg. www.myname.com).
What is the web hosting space? The web hosting space is the place where the majority of your blog files, images, records, ..etc will be hosted on the web. So, when someone is going to type in the browser for example (eg. www.myname.com), the files on this web hosting space should be recalled and then your blog will be displayed on the browser.
What is WordPress.org?It’s a web software you can use to create a beautiful website, blog, or app. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time. WordPress will allow you to start and run a blog without any required technical experience. It will allow you to add, edit, delete posts with ease.
There is a numerous number of web hosting and domain name providers out there. For WordPress, BlueHost is at the highest recommendation levels. It’s simply the first suggested web hosting provider by WordPress Developers themselves (check it yourself on WordPress official website).
There are dozens of web hosting providers available out there. Web hosting is usually billed monthly or annually at a rate between $10 – $50 or even more per month. The cost of purchasing a premium domain name (.com, .net, .org, .. ) is ranging between $10 – $15 per year. I usually recommend BlueHost to all newbie bloggers.
Why BlueHost?
- They provide a FREE domain name (worth $15/year).
- Their price is very competitive – $3.45/month.
- They’re always available 24/7 and ready to help you.
- Over $150 USD advertising credit on Google, Yahoo, Bing.
- It has been the most prescribed web hosting provider for nearly 10 years.
The advertised price for BlueHost basic package is $7.99, However; they give Growcheap readers a special discount rate at $3.45 per month instead. Make sure to use my link here to claim your discount (the 40% of coupon code added in the link).
You still may be able to start-up your blog on a free host (Wordpess.com, Blogger, Tumblr, ..etc) for today! You need to consider the fact that you’ll need one day to migrate it to another paid premium host.
Why? In order to keep your data in a secure place and ready for expansion. That’s why I always recommend starting up your blogging career on a premium host right from the beginning. Read here why I don’t recommend starting a freely hosted blog.
Very Well!
Now, How To Make a Blog Using WordPress?
The first thing to do now is to head over to BlueHost and click “Get Started Now” button.
It will then ask you to choose your web hosting package. You will then come to a page that looks like this:
I would recommend that you select the basic plan. It offers a very good value. And as a newbie blogger, you won’t need the plus or pro packages until you grow your blog and get more regular readers.
After you choose your plan, You will be taken to a page that looks like this:
Here is the most interesting part of the process. It asks you on this page to choose your new domain. It’s the URL of your blog. You can play with names and come up with ideas and see if available. Some people just go with their first and last name as the domain name ex: JohnChris.com.
Once you find an interesting domain name you’re satisfied with click “Next” button.
It’s here asking you to put in details like Name, Address, Email and more information about you. Once you finish, scroll down to proceed with placing your order.
Here it’s asking you to choose your package information and add-ons. if you’re just starting up and a little bit worried about the investment, I would strongly recommend that you go with the Basic 12 month at the beginning. If you’re okay with the pre-investment, then it’s better to go with Basic 36 month to get a better discount rate.
Also, I see that you don’t need any of Domain Privacy Protection, Site Backup Pro, or SiteLock Security at the beginning. I suggest that you start your blog as it is and upgrade your package as you grow your blog on the way.
So if you choose the Basic 12 month, and uncheck Domain Privacy Protection, Site Backup Pro, and SiteLock Security, your package will be for $65.45 with a free domain name.
After that scroll down. It will ask you to put in your payment information and finalize your order.
At this point, You will receive a confirmation email from BlueHost along with all the necessary login information for your web hosting account and domain name.
Now, You’re all set up and ready to install and configure your WordPress blog. Woohoo!
3. Install WordPress:
Now, you’ve logged into your BlueHost account and see this screen:
Scroll down to the ‘Website Builders’ tab and click on ‘Install WordPress’. See the snapshot below:
You’ll be referred to the next page where it asks you to confirm installing WordPress. Click the green ‘Install’ button to start installing WordPress onto your site.
Afterward, Choose your domain name you want to install it onto. Then, click on ‘Advanced Options’ to choose and customize a username and a password for your WordPress blog. After you finish, Click ‘Install’ and you’re done!
Congratulations,
You now do have an online presence!
To login to your WordPress admin dashboard, you’ll need to go to the following URL in the browser:
http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin
It will then ask you for your username and password to log in. Once logged in, it will take you to your website admin panel where you’ll be able to manage your website pages and look.
In the beginning, The admin dashboard looks weird and hard enough to let you forget about blogging. But believe me; In a short period of time, you will get to know everything about it.
At this point, I would recommend that you spend some time checking out the WordPress admin panel and see how it works. It’s not necessary to get over everything but just to get a feel of how it works and are your options there.
Here, I would suggest that you go through the following articles:
- 13 Important Things To Do After Installing WordPress
- Elegant Themes Review: 87 WordPress Themes for $69
- List Building: How To Grow Your Email List From Zero?
- The Ultimate Beginner’s SEO Checklist [Updated]
4. Start Blogging For Money:
Now, it’s time to write and publish your very first blog post. In order to do so, Head to “Posts” tab on the left side menu, and click on “Add New“.
On this page, you will see many options available, The most important items here are:
- Post Title – enter the title of your new post in this field.
- Post Content – you can use the WordPress editor to add the content of your new blog post. Note that it has two tabs – Visual (use the editor to format your text) and Text (add your HTML code directly).
After you put in your content for your new blog post, Hit “Publish” button on the right side of the page. That’s it! You can now go to the front page of your site (http://yourdomain.com/) to check out the newly created blog post.
WOOHOO!
YOU’VE JUST MADE IT!!!
Let’s Summarize:
Now, you just did start blogging for money and published your very first post. Let’s summarize what you’ve just got by signing up and creating your blog on BlueHost:
- A special price for Web Host of $3.45 per month (instead of $7.99).
- A FREE domain (value $15).
- A super awesome money-back guarantee.
- 1-click WordPress install.
- 24/7 support.
- And me helping you to grow your blog & make it profitable.
I’m replying to every single comment here, so please do not hesitate to share any questions or concerns you may have in the comments below.
I’m also willing to help you out with anything along the way. if you need a technical help, Please reach out to me and I will be more than happy to help you.
Don’t forget to share this ultimate guide with your friends who may find it useful on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. Thanks for your support!
so how to make money from these blogs ?
Hey Karim,
Really valuable blog. I have been following your blog for a long time. Keep up the good work and looking forward to more blogs 🙂
Cheers,
Shubham Chopra
Hi, thanks for sharing this very informative
Hi Karim, thanks for sharing this very informative post about the installation of WordPress. I had some doubts regarding WordPress so I appreciate the efforts.
Once again thank you…
Thanks that a nice article. Thanks for Sharing
Hii Karim Toulba ,
Thanks you for such a great article. This is very helpful article for me. I am also thinking about to start a my bolg. I Got the tips from you how to start a blog. I wish to read more article from you.
Amazing guide bro!
Thanks for the share very useful article your post like a video. full overview
Thanks for writing, there are some best tips for new bloggers, All the best for future blogs
Hi Karim Toulba al, very informative post about the installation of WordPress blog. This article will clear all my doubts. You gave a nice explanation about the installation with screenshots. Thanks for sharing this post.
Thank you for sharing this in website.Some people doesn’t know how to start blogging in less time.so I think it is useful
Hello Karim,
You have given some truly helpful reason to start a blog. its inspirational to see your growth very fast.
Wow Karim Toulba ,
Thanks you for such a great post. I am also thinking about to start a my bolg. I Got the tips from you how to start a blog and now i will willing to start asap for earn money online.
nice infomation and help full topics
I Want to Know more how I make money from blogging in arabic
Nancy, Please check my article ( فرص التدوين في العالم العربي و طرق الربح من الانترنت ). This is from our Arabi Blog AraNomad.com. It will give you more details about blogging and making money online in Arabic.
Kindly Let me know if you need further assistance.
Hey Karim, I have been seriously considering starting a blog about my life. I was wondering if the wordpress plugin for blue host that you mentioned allows me to thematically customize my blog, is it possible?
And ehat are your thoughts on starting a website on squarespace for example? I heard their tools are intuative and easy to use to make a great website or blog
Mahmoud,
BlueHost has made it pretty easy to manage your WordPress blog via their initiative dashboard. You still can customize your blog the way you want. But first, You will need to grab a WordPress Theme.
I would recommend going over the following guides to show what exactly do you need to launch a successful blog website:
– I Have Bought a Domain Name, Now What? (Guide)
– Starting a Blog: The Comprehensive Checklist
To be honest, I won’t recommend starting off on SquareSpace. While they’re offering a nice platform, You will anyways consider moving your site over to WordPress pretty soon.
WordPress basically gives you unlimited possibilites to build a successful growing blog. So yeah! It’s wise to start off on the right path.
I hope you all the best!
Hello Dear!
This is very helpful article for me. I m very new comer blogger. I wish to read more article from you about google ad-sense!
I’m not currently using Google Adsense. But if you’re into making money online, you still can check more about my articles on Affiliate Marketing.
Thanks, nice work
There are some great tips here for new and experienced bloggers to grow their blogs even more.
Thanks for this post.
It is amazing and helpful.
yes, Karim, you are right making money from blogging, not an easy task. But just a few tips boost your blog and maybe you make money easily.
thanks a lot
Thanx for the effort, keep up the good work Great work, I am going to start a small Blog using your guide. I hope you enjoy blogging. The thoughts you express are really awesome. Hope you will write some more posts.
Nicholas,
Thanks for your awesome comment!
All the best with your blog. And keep me updated on your progress.