Blogging has emerged as one of the most popular ways to make money blogging online in recent years. With over 600 million blogs on the internet today, blogging is no longer just a hobby but a full-fledged profession for many.
But how exactly do you go about building a money-making blog from scratch? What does it take to generate 4, 5 or even 6-figure income every month just through blogging?
Well, that’s exactly what we are going to find out in this ultimate guide!
Having built several successful blogs over the past decade, I’ll be sharing all my learnings, strategies and proven tips to help you launch a profitable blog in 2024 even if you are a complete beginner and find it challenging in the first.
Starting a blog is easier today than ever before. All you need is a domain name, web hosting, WordPress and some great content to get up and running.
📝 How to Start a Blog in 2024: A Step-by-Step Guide
Here are the 5 simple steps to start a blog in 2024:
Step 1️⃣: Choose a Profitable Niche
Your blog’s niche plays a crucial role in its success. So spend good time brainstorming niche ideas.
There will be variety of nicheses , some might bring more traffic but may not have good cost per click(CPC) and some might bring less traffic but have greater CPC So, ensure you pick a niche that:
- You are passionate about
- You have good knowledge about
- Has commercial intent i.e. people are willing to spend money in this niche
- Has low competition
Some evergreen niche ideas include:
- 🌐 Make Money Online
- 💰 Finance
- 📱 Technology
- ✈️ Travel
- 🍔 Food
- 👗 Fashion
- 🌱 Self Improvement
To pick the best niche, make a list of your interests and skills. See which niches have good search volume and commercial intent. Narrow down to a specific sub-niche with low competition.
For instance, instead of a general “finance” blog, consider “Budgeting tips for college students”.
Step 2️⃣: Get a Domain Name and Web Hosting
Once you’ve picked your niche, it’s time get a domain name and web hosting.
Your domain name is the first thing visitors notice so ensure it is:
- Short, brandable and easy to remember
- Contains your primary keyword
- Available across social media handles
For hosting, I recommend starting with Bluehost. It’s affordable, reliable and recommended by WordPress itself.
Follow these steps to get started:
- Click here to access Bluehost
- Choose your preferred plan (start with 12 months)
- Enter and verify your account information
- Pick a domain name (free for 1st year with Bluehost)
Step 3️⃣: Install WordPress
With your hosting account ready, it’s now time to install WordPress – the best blogging platform available today.
Installing WordPress on Bluehost takes less than 5 minutes:
- Log in to Bluehost admin dashboard
- Go to “Websites” and click on “Create Site”
- Pick WordPress and your domain name
- Click “Next” and WordPress will get installed automatically
Once installed, visit your domain and complete the WordPress setup like picking a theme etc.
Step 4️⃣: Optimize Your Blog Design
The design and layout of your blog also impact your visitor’s experience and conversions.
Here are some tips to optimize your blog’s design:
- Pick a simple, professional looking WordPress theme like GeneratePress or Astra
- Ensure your blog is mobile-friendly and loads fast
- Use an elegant font like Open Sans and sufficient white space
- Display your blog logo prominently
- Add relevant images to break content
- Use social sharing buttons
- Limit ads only to content lower half
Step 5️⃣: Create Compelling Content
Content is the backbone of any successful blog. You need to consistently publish in-depth, high-quality content that provides value to readers.
Some types of content that perform well:
- Beginner’s guides
- List posts like “25 Fitness tips for beginners”
- Interviews with influencers
- Research-backed articles
- Tutorials with screenshots
- Case studies
Optimize your content for SEO by including focused keywords, meta titles, image alt text, internal links etc. Promote your content on social media and relevant online platforms.
That’s it! By following the above steps, you can start a blog within a few hours. Next let’s look at how to monetize your blog.
How to Make Money Blogging: 6 Proven Ways
Building traffic and visitors is important but you also need proven monetization strategies to start earning money from your blog.
Here are the top ways successful bloggers make money online:
1. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing involves promoting relevant products and services and earning a commission when users purchase through your affiliate links.
It is one of the most popular and effective ways bloggers monetize their audience.
You can register for affiliate programs on:
- Amazon Associates – Earn commissions by promoting Amazon products
- ShareASale – Access over 4000 merchant affiliate programs
- CJ Affiliate – Work with top brands across various niches
- Rakuten – Leading performance marketing platform
To boost affiliate income:
- Promote products organically in relevant content
- Create dedicated affiliate resources like reviews, comparisons etc.
- Use banners, links across site navigation, sidebars etc.
- Track performance to double down on what converts
Affiliate marketing works great when combined with email marketing i.e. promoting affiliate offers to your email subscribers.
2. Display Advertising
Displaying banner ads on your site is another way to monetize your blog traffic. Based on ad location and your niche, you can earn anywhere from $1 to $100+ per 1000 impressions.
Some top ad networks include:
- Google AdSense – The largest display network
- Ezoic – AI-driven ad platform
- Media.net – Contextual ad network
- Infolinks – Great for In-text ads
- BuySellAds – Managed premium ads
To boost earnings, place highly viewable ads above the fold, in-between paragraphs or in sidebars. Show responsive ads to mobile visitors. And analyze performance to optimize further.
3. Sell Your Own Products/Services
Another great way to monetize a blog is by selling your own digital products like:
- Ebooks
- Online courses
- Video tutorials
- Software/Tools
- Services like freelancing, consulting etc.
Bloggers make anywhere from $97 to $1000+ per product based on niche, value proposition and marketing efforts.
You can sell your own products/services via:
- Your blog
- Third party marketplaces like Udemy, Teachable etc.
- Social media platforms
- Webinars/Virtual events
Building an email list and promoting to subscribers greatly boosts product conversions.
4. Insert In-Post/Site-Wide Ad Units
If display ads don’t fit your site layout, another option is native advertising i.e. custom ad units inserted in between paragraphs or site-wide.
For instance, sites like Buzzfeed incorporate sponsored posts and recommended products between regular articles.
You can also add site-wide sticky banners, welcome mats or popups to display ads without affecting site UX.
Dedicated native ad networks like Taboola, Outbrain, Revcontent and Content.ad make implementation easy.
5. Insert Affiliate Links in Content
Affiliate links can also be inserted elegantly in your content using plugins like ThirstyAffiliates and Pretty Links.
For example, when mentioning a product or service within an article, you can link to it via your affiliate link.
This leads to a more natural user experience than banners and links in sidebars.
To boost conversions:
- Link to affiliate products organically
- Hyperlink recommended products and keywords
- Use affiliate link cloaking plugins like above
- Make affiliate links open in new tabs
With smart linking, you can earn commissions without aggressive promotions.
6. Sell Branded Merchandise
Finally, you can also make money by selling branded merch including t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, bags and other accessories.
Branded merch not only provides an additional income stream but also boosts brand awareness.
You can either create & ship merch items on your own or use print-on-demand (POD) services like:
- Teespring – Best for t-shirts, hoodies etc
- Printful – Dropshipping for various merch items
- Gearbubble – All-in-one merch solution
POD makes merchandising easy as you simply design products and receive a commission when users order them.
Also check: 10 Proven Ways to Increase Traffic To Your Blog
So these are some of the best ways to monetize your blog and its traffic. You can utilize multiple strategies together to create diverse income streams.
How to Promote Your Blog And Make Money Blogging: 10 Tips
Driving targeted visitors to your blog is crucial for growth and profits.
Here are some proven ways to promote your blog and make money blogging:
1. Optimize for SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) helps you rank higher in search engines which is the #1 source of traffic for most blogs.
Key elements of SEO include:
- Creating keyword-optimized content
- Getting backlinks from authority sites
- Improving page speed and user experience
- Structuring your permalinks and internal links
- Generating traffic from featured snippets
Refer to my in-depth SEO guide for bloggers to boost organic search visibility.
2. Promote On Social Media
Actively share your blog posts on popular social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, Instagram etc.
This exposes your content to new audiences organically or via ads. Embed social share buttons on your site.
You can also join relevant Facebook Groups and Subreddits to share your posts and engage with those communities.
3. Guest Post on Niche Sites
Reaching out to industry sites in your niche for guest posting opportunities is a proven way to gain new readers.
Make sure to only contribute high-quality content with backlinks to your money site. Over time, this strategy can become a significant traffic and lead source.
4. Interact on Quora and Forums
Q&A platforms like Quora have millions of monthly visitors. Identify popular questions in your niche and provide helpful answers linking back to your content.
You can also actively participate in relevant online forums and subtly mention your blog where useful.
5. Run Giveaways and Contests
Giveaways and contests can quickly boost subscribers, social followers and brand awareness for your blog.
You can giveaway things like free products, ebooks, discount coupons or gift cards to contest participants who share and like your page.
Promote your contests aggressively across all platforms. Use a plugin like Gleam to easily manage giveaways.
6. Start a Podcast
Podcasting represents an untapped opportunity for most bloggers. Launch your own podcast focusing on your niche and leverage it to grow your brand.
Repurpose your blog content into audio episodes. Promote your podcast across platforms. Lead generation becomes easier.
7. Send Cold Emails
Mass cold emailing randomly may not be very effective but targeted outreach to industry figures and brands in your space can help expand reach.
Make sure to personalize emails and provide value before pitching your blog. Automation tools like Mailshake help streamline outreach.
8. Advertise on Social Media
Once you have reasonable traction, running smart social media ads can accelerate your growth significantly.
Experiment with Facebook, Pinterest and Reddit ads to target ideal audiences.
Instagram influencer promotions are also quite effective for lifestyle niches.
9. Build Relationships with Influencers
Reaching out to influencers in your space for collaborations, backlinks and shares can provide a nice boost.
Figure out rising stars with engaged audiences and provide them value. Average influencers are often more receptive.
10. Connect with Other Bloggers
Also build relationships and network with other bloggers in your industry.
Cross-promotions, interviews, contributor posts, broken link building and creative collaborations can benefit both parties.
So leverage a mix of online marketing, outreach, networking and business development tactics to grow your blog and make money blogging.
📌 How to Make a Blog Successful: 8 Strategies That Work
Building a successful money-making blog takes considerable time and effort. The journey typically looks like:
📆 Year 1: Making Money Blogging – Building an Initial Audience and Traffic
📆 Year 2: Focusing on Monetization and Conversions for Profit
📆 Year 3+: Scaling Up Income and Diversifying Revenue Streams
Blogging is essentially a long game but you can fast track your progress by:
1️⃣ Consistency is Key
Post consistently to keep audiences engaged and build trust.
Ideally publish 2 to 3 in-depth articles per week. Consistency will also boost your search visibility over time.
💡 Provide Value to Readers
Always strive to create content that solves people’s problems and adds value.
Build resources around topics readers are searching for. Educate, inform and address their pain points better than competitors.
🔍 Obsess Over SEO
Master both on-page and off-page SEO to maximize your organic search visibility and traffic.
Perform proper keyword research. Produce content optimized for ranking. Build authority backlinks. Improving page speed.
💬 Interact with Readers
Building connections with readers helps boost loyalty.
Respond to comments and emails. Engage on social media. Send personalized newsletters. Offer exclusive content to subscribers.
📊 Understand Your Metrics
Analyze your traffic sources, visitor demographics, subscribes and conversions to optimize monetization.
Measure what content and channels drive maximum ROI. Double down on what works.
📧 Build an Email List
Collect email subscribers right from launch using popups and opt-in forms.
Send them personalized updates and content. Nurture and market to them repeatedly.
🤖 Outsource and Automate
Leverage tools to automate repetitive tasks like email sequences, social promotions, SEO etc.
Outsource non-core activities to virtual assistants to streamline operations.
🌐 Diversify Your Services
Once you build authority, diversify your offerings – coaching, paid communities, consulting, events, memberships etc.
Expanding services will result in multiple income streams allowing you to scale revenues.
So if you follow proven strategies and best practices from successful bloggers, you can surely build a profitable blogging business over the next 12 to 18 months.
Blogging Tools and Resources for Beginners
Here are some recommended tools and platforms to help you start and grow your blog:
- Bluehost – My preferred hosting provider for fast and reliable WordPress hosting
- SiteGround – Another great managed WordPress hosting option
- GeneratePress – Lightweight WordPress theme perfect for new blogs
- Elegant Themes – Top ad-free themes like Divi for advanced blogs
- Grammarly – Essential grammar and plagiarism checker tool for bloggers
- PicMonkey – Great for quick image editing and graphic design
- Buffer – Makes social media scheduling and promotion easy
- Canva – DIY graphic design platform for banners, images, thumbnails etc.
- Mailerlite – Email marketing and automation for bloggers
- Google Analytics – Must have free website traffic and analytics tool
There are many more amazing tools out there but the above will be super useful for those starting out. Those tools will definitely help you make money blogging.
Tips to Succeed as a New Blogger
| Tips to Succeed as a New Blogger | |
|---|---|
| Be Patient | Blogging takes time to grow. Don’t expect overnight success. Focus on producing consistently great content. Results will follow. |
| Promote Smartly | Avoid spammy tactics like buying links and followers. Build real relationships. Promote content widely but authentically. |
| Engage Your Readers | Respond to comments, queries, and feedback. Ask for suggestions on what they want to see. Build a community. |
| Track Everything | Monitor your metrics to identify what’s working and what’s not. Analyze and improve regularly. |
| Stay Organized | Use Trello, Google Docs, Paymo, and other tools to schedule content and manage activities. |
| Don’t Ignore Design | Good design, formatting, and visuals enhance the reader experience. |
| Keep Learning | Read blogs in your niche. Stay on top of updates. Continuously learn and improve your skills. |
| Network With Others | Connect with other bloggers. Share advice. Exchange tips. Collaborate on content. |
| Manage Time Well | Blogging takes considerable time. Set schedules and dedicate fixed hours daily. But avoid burnout. |
| Be Unique | Add your own unique personality and style. Provide unconventional perspectives. Stand out. |
Success doesn’t happen overnight but following these tips will help you build a profitable blog from scratch.
FAQs
How much does it cost to start a blog?
Starting a blog with WordPress can cost anywhere from $0 to $500 depending on whether you want a free or paid option.
Here are typical costs involved:
Domain registration – $15 per year
Shared web hosting – $5 to $15 per month
Premium theme – One time fee of $60 to $100, Else you can use free themes.
Email marketing software – Free to $20 per month
So on average, expect to spend around $20 to $200 per year to start your blog.
How long does it take to start making money from a blog?
It typically takes 6 to 12 months for a new blog to start generating income.
First priority should be to build traffic through great content.
Once you hit around 1000 monthly visitors, you can add monetization methods like Google Adsense, affiliate marketing etc.
With hard work and persistence, you can start earning $500 to $1000 per month within your first year.
How to write good content for blog?
To create high-quality blog content, focus on crafting in-depth, long-form articles (over 2000 words) and providing actionable tips, hacks, and takeaways. Format your content with spacing, images, and subheadings for readability and encourage engagement through questions and interactions. Maintain a conversational, friendly tone, and add personality, humor, stories, and anecdotes to make your content engaging. Ensure your content aligns with the search intent, stays on topic, and covers subjects that matter to your readers.
How to make a blog profitable?
To make a profitable blog, create high-quality content, focus on SEO for organic traffic, monetize through ads and affiliates, generate leads, expand with paid offerings, partner with influencers, optimize conversions, and consider outsourcing tasks for efficiency.
How to promote a blog for free?
Promote your blog for free by optimizing for SEO, participating in online communities, guest posting, building backlinks, and leveraging social media and email campaigns. Collaborate with influencers and network with fellow bloggers to expand your reach.
