Ready to Start a Blog and Make Money. Finance Rangers (2024)

Hi, I am Krishna, an average student by education and blogger by profession. Surprisingly, I turned my blog into a full-time job and now it’s my main source of income.

To be honest, the idea of me running a blog full-time wasn’t something I had in mind at first.

One day, while mindlessly scrolling through the internet, I came across something interesting.

I read an article about a blogger making a whopping $100,000 in just one month from their blog.

Being a college student, I often thought about what I would do after graduation.

I was getting a bit anxious about finding a reliable source of income quickly.

So, without overthinking, without doing much research, and without knowing much about blogging,I decided to give it a try.

I jumped right in, and thankfully, it worked out well!

Know What is a Blog and Reasons to Start a Blog.

Skyrocket Your Website’s Ranking: A Comprehensive Guide to SEO Success.

My whole life changed for the better when I took that chance and made something out of it.

That’s why I encourage you to try things, especially when there are minimal to zero risks.

Overthinking can hold you back, and you might end up missing out on fantastic opportunities.

When I began building my blog, I had zero clue about how to go about it. I had to do a ton of research.

But don’t worry, this guide will make building your blog in just a few easy steps.

Even if my story doesn’t exactly match yours, let me know if at least one of these sounds somewhat familiar to you or not:

• Feeling frustrated with your 9-5 job, like you’re trapped.
• Dealing with overwhelming debts and bills.
• Not being able to do what you want due to financial constraints.
• Being tired of waking up to alarms every day.
• Feeling unable to travel and live beyond just the weekends.
• Having a constant urge to make more money while doing something meaningful.

I managed to clear of all the issues mentioned above simply because I decided to try something new.

Now, I never have to sit through a single job interview, asking people to hire me.

My life took a different turn when I made a life-changing decision, just like you might today.

I know it all sounds fascinating and great, but you might wonder, can you really make something out of this “blogging” thing?

Here are some of the famous Bloggers with there Monthly Income.

This list was created to inspire you. All bloggers dream of reaching this level of success.

Can you genuinely make a full-time income from blogging?

Absolutely, you’re not alone, and hundreds of thousands of other individuals feel the same way.

Blogging is one of those evergreen career paths that won’t become obsolete as technology advances.

Gone are the days when your only shot at an interview with potential employers required spending $75,000 on tuition, only to end up with a $40,000/year job.

Now, you can kickstart a small-scale side hustle with zero to minimal upfront investment and scale it up to generate significant income figures. The game has changed!

If you’re wondering how to create a blog, you’ve landed in the right spot.

As a fellow blogger, I can assure you it’s a fulfilling way to refine your writing skills, explore into new ideas, and establish an online presence centered on your passions and expertise.

You’ll have the opportunity to inspire, educate, and entertain your readers.

As your blog expands, you might even start making money, eventually turning it into a full-time job or using it as a foundation to start a business.

Exciting possibilities await!

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll find all the guidance and tools you’ll need to start a blog.

You’ll learn how to make your website, write your first blog post and draw in loyal readers. Sounds exciting?

1. Choose a blogging platform – Use a platform that offers customizable templates like WordPress.
2. Pick a hosting platform – Consider a platform with good bandwidth, uptime and customer support.
3. Find the right niche – Narrow down your theme and have a specific audience in mind.
4. Select a blog name and domain – Choose a catchy, brandable name related to your niche. Consider unique domain extensions for a standout web address.
5. Set up and design your blog – Choose a template, decide on essential pages, get indexed on search engines, and create a memorable blog logo.
6. Brainstorm blog topics – Write down all your ideas before narrowing down topic selections.
7. Write your first blog post – Start with keyword research, craft a compelling title, create engaging content, insert relevant images, optimize for SEO, and edit thoroughly before publishing.
8. Create an editorial calendar – Plan your content schedule using tools like Excel or Google Sheets. Consistency is key for both readers and search engines.
9. Promote your blog – Use marketing strategies to expand your reach.
10. Make money with blogging – Explore various income streams, including advertising, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, selling digital or physical products, and creating membership sites.

In this detailed A to Z tutorial on how to blog, we’ll walk through everything – from selecting your blogging platform to turning your written work into income.

Consider this your go-to resource for building a successful blog from the ground up.

The initial step in starting a blog is picking a blogging platform or Content Management System (CMS) to publish your content.

A quick Google search will reveal several options catering to bloggers across different industries.

I recommend WordPress because it’s a versatile platform that meets most blogging needs.

WordPress is the most popular CMS, powering nearly half of all websites on the internet.

Its popularity means users have a wide range of options for both paid and free themes and plugins to enhance their blog pages.

Additionally, WordPress boasts a large and active community, sharing valuable knowledge and information about the platform.

For these reasons, we recommend using WordPress if you’re starting a blog with a CMS.

Understanding web hosting is crucial because you’ll need to choose a hosting service if you plan to start a self-hosted WordPress blog.

Consider managed WordPress hosting to minimize technical complexities and focus more on creating content.

How much does it cost to start a blog?

When researching how to start a blog, one of the most common questions is about the cost.

Many platforms offer free blog creation.

You have the flexibility to decide if and when you’d like to upgrade to different plans based on your budget and needs.

Once you select your preferred blogging platform, you’ll need to choose a hosting platform Similar to other websites, a blog needs a host.

On some blogging platforms, hosting is already included, so you won’t need to find a separate web host when setting up your blog.

In that case, you can skip this step and move to next step.

Let’s move away from the technical and dive into the more theoretical.

A niche is a specific topic that your blog will focus on, and it’s crucial in defining your target audience.

A strong blog niche can help you choose the right blog name and develop a focused blogging strategy.

Examples of blog niches include books, travel, gaming, photography, and food.

When setting up your new blog, it might be tempting to cover a broad range of ideas or topics.

However, mastering too many subjects can be challenging and often unsustainable.

Here are three simple steps for choosing the perfect blog niche—one that aligns with your passions and is also monetizable and scalable:

• Narrow down your interests
• Research your audience
• Check if it’s profitable

You might pull off a few successful quality blog posts, but your audience will be scattered, making it hard to maintain a loyal readership.

Narrow down your interests –

When you start a blog, think long term.

To stay motivated and blog consistently, it’s crucial to write about something you’re genuinely interested in.

If you choose a topic solely because it’s popular or profitable, your motivation will likely fizzle out quickly, along with your entire blog content strategy.

If you’re not sure what to blog about initially, that’s perfectly fine.

Start with a simple brainstorming session about subjects you enjoy.

What gets you excited to talk about? What are you eager to learn more about?

These questions can guide you toward a blog niche that aligns with your interests.

Now, write down the first five to 10 interests that come to mind. For the sake of this example, let’s say:

• Travel
• Cooking
• Family
• Music
• Hiking

Research your audience –

The next step in starting and creating a blog is to learn about topics that people are interested in reading.

If your blog gains traction, you can eventually start making money and become a full-time blogger.

To gauge the demand for a niche, you can conduct market research.

Start by checking out Google Trends, which reveals how many people are searching for a particular topic.

The more searches a topic gets, the higher the public demand for it.

Check if it’s profitable –

One common way to earn money as a blogger is through affiliate marketing.

As an affiliate, you collaborate with a specific company, sharing a link to their products on your blog, and earning a commission for each sale made through your site.

To gauge the profitability of your niche, think about the types of “best of” or “how-to” posts you might write.

For example, “Best kitchen appliances for easy cooking” or “How to make carrot cake in 10 minutes.”

In both cases, you could include an affiliate link to your favorite food processor or electric mixer and earn money for each purchase made through your blog.

The next step in becoming a blogger is creating a well-thought-out name.

It shouldn’t just be catchy and unique; it should also be brandable and relevant to your industry. Here are three main qualities a good blog name should have:

Related to your niche: Ideally, readers should understand your niche from the blog title.

Consider using relevant keywords to convey this.

No longer than 2-3 words: While some successful blogs have longer names, it’s generally best to keep them short.

Easy to spell and remember: For optimal brandability, avoid using numbers or special characters in the blog name.

Luckily, various blog name generators can jumpstart the brainstorming process. Just provide the generator with a few keywords, and the AI will suggest different names for your blog.

Choose the one you like the most or combine a few suggestions to create your new blog name.

The next step in starting a blog is getting your blog’s domain name.

This is the web address visitors need to enter to access your website.

.com(Dot com) is the most popular domain extension, using a unique suffix such as .xyz, .online, or .club can make your blog address stand out.

For example, consider opting for the .club domain if you offer a membership subscription.

• Choose a blog template
• Decide which pages to include
• Get indexed on search engines
• Create a blog logo

As mentioned previously, different platforms suit different needs and preferences.

They also have different setup and customization processes.

Here’s an overview of the different options when designing your blog:

Absolutely, setting up key pages on your blog is crucial for providing a good user experience and making your site more informative and accessible. Here’s a breakdown of the mentioned pages:

1. Contact Page:

• Include your email address for fans and potential partners to reach out.
• Consider adding a contact form for direct messages through your site.

2. About Page:

• Introduce yourself and share what you do and why you do it.
• Provide context behind your blog, humanizing your content.

3. Online Store Page:

• If you plan to sell items related to your blog, create a separate online store page.
• Use terms like “Products” or “Shop” for clarity.

Moreover, some blogs integrate their posts directly onto the homepage, while others keep homepages and blog pages separate.

If you choose the latter, ensure there’s a navigation menu for easy access to your blog and other pages.

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to blog setup.

Experiment with different options to find what suits your style and personality.

Also, know that you can always add or remove pages as your blog evolves.

Get indexed on search engines –

Ensuring your blog is visible on Google and other search engines is a crucial step if you want your content to be discoverable in search results.

Here’s what you need to do:

Index Your Site on Google: Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console. This informs Google about the existence of your blog.

Pro Tip:

Google Search Console is not just for indexing; it’s a valuable tool throughout your blogging journey.

It provides essential data about your site visitors and clicks, which you can leverage to enhance your content.

By taking care of these steps early on, you improve the chances of your blog appearing in relevant search results, driving more traffic to your content.

Create a blog logo –

Finally, polish off your site with an attractive blog logo.

This is another way to add personality to your site, and it’s an essential step if you want to create a blog that evolves into a recognizable brand.

Now that your blog is technically set up and ready to go, it’s time to focus on the content.

Begin by reflecting on your experiences, successes, failures, or discoveries related to your niche. What insights can you share, and what ideas do you want to explore in-depth?

When brainstorming topics, put yourself in your readers’ shoes.

Consider the following questions to guide you through the process, which are very important:

What characteristics does my target audience possess?

Understand the demographics, interests, and preferences of your audience.

What subjects does my target audience get excited about?

Identify topics that align with your audience’s interests and passions.

What challenges does my target audience face?

Addressing the challenges or concerns of your audience can make your content more valuable and relatable.

By considering these questions, you can tailor your content to meet the needs and interests of your target audience, creating a more engaging and relevant blog.

1. Start with keyword research
2. Come up with a blog post title
3. Outline your main points
4. Write engaging content
5. Insert images
6. Optimize for SEO
7. Edit, publish and Promote

You’ve provided some excellent tips for creating effective and reader-friendly blog posts. Let’s highlight these key points:

Keyword Targeting:

Crucial for visibility in search results.

Target specific phrases to increase the likelihood of your blog appearing for relevant queries.

Clarity and Conciseness:

Use clear and simple language.

Keep sentences and paragraphs short.

Avoid intimidating readers with large blocks of text.

Structured Formatting:

Employ headings, subheadings, and lists.

Enhance readability, making it easier for readers to find information quickly.

Visual Content:

Include images and graphics to make your posts more engaging.

Particularly important for how-to guides or conveying data.

Ensure Originality:

Use a plagiarism checker to maintain the uniqueness of your content.

Especially crucial when using AI writing tools to ensure originality.

SEO Best Practices:

Use SEO tools like Yoast SEO.

Optimize your content for search engines during the writing and publishing process.

By incorporating these practices, you not only enhance the user experience but also increase the chances of your blog posts being discovered and appreciated by your audience.

Edit, Publish and Promote:

Know how to Promote your blog in detail using free tools, get upto 100k pageviews per month.

Phew! Congrats on your first blog post. Now, take a breather.

When you’re ready, let’s plan out the rest of this month’s posting schedule.

Creating an editorial calendar is key when starting a blog. It’s a great way to make sure you consistently publish content, keeping you on track and accountable to your blogging goals.

Your readers crave new content, and you’ve got to deliver. Plus, search engines pay attention to how often you post when deciding your site’s overall ranking.

If you’ve already got a handful of topics from your brainstorming session in Step 6, awesome! If not, use the same process to brainstorm new ideas.

Once you’ve got at least 10 ideas, start building your content calendar.

No need to spend money or use fancy tools. Just open up Excel or Google Sheets, and start creating a schedule.

The columns are up to you, but consider sections for the publishing date, blog title, main keywords, article status, and comments.

Keep it simple, and you’ll be good to go!

• Share on social media
• Write for other sites
• Reach out to an existing community
• Participate in question and discussion sites
• Invest in paid ads
• Try new content formats

Also Read : 8 Free Platforms to Promote Your Blog.

Now that your fresh WordPress blog is up and running, it’s time to get folks to read it.

Even if your content is top-notch, it won’t matter if it doesn’t reach the right audience.

That’s why blog promotion is crucial.

Bloggers can make money in various ways:

• Advertising: Sell ad space on your blog to businesses. How much you earn depends on your blog’s size and popularity.
• Affiliate Marketing: Promote other people’s products on your blog and earn a commission for each sale you generate.
• Sponsored Posts: Get paid by companies to write posts about their products or services.
• Sell Digital Products: Create and sell digital goods like e-books, online courses, or templates.
• Sell Physical Products: Offer physical products such as merchandise or handmade items.
• Membership Sites: Charge readers a fee to access exclusive content or resources on your blog.

The key for bloggers is to have multiple income streams. Diversifying ensures that if one source slows down, you still have others bringing in income.

Blogging is crucial to build your brand’s voice and community, and allows you to expand your reach to a relevant audience who might otherwise not know you exist.

Blogs are still a popular and effective way to share your thoughts, ideas and expertise with the world.

In fact, blogging is one of the most popular forms of content marketing.

It can also be a great way to build a community and connect with other people who share your interests.

Remember that the internet is still growing, with more and more people using it every day.

This means that there’s a large and growing potential audience for your blog, too.

While there are many blogs out there, there’s always room for new voices and perspectives.

If you have something unique to share, people will be interested in reading it.

And the best part is that there are many tools and platforms that make it easy to create and manage a blog.

There are a number of reasons why blogging is still relevant, including:

Search Engines Love Blogs. Blogs are a great way to improve your website’s SEO and rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

This is because blogs provide fresh, high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience.

Blogs help you Build Authority. When you write informative and engaging blog posts, you establish yourself as an expert in your field.

This can help you attract new customers and clients, and build trust with your existing audience.

Blogs are a great way to connect with your audience. Blogs provide a platform for you to share your thoughts and ideas, and to connect with other people who share your interests.

This can help you build a community around your brand.

Blogs can be used to generate leads and sales. When you write blog posts that are relevant to your target audience, you can include calls to action that encourage them to learn more about your products or services, or to contact you for a consultation.

Of course, the blogging landscape has changed somewhat in recent years.

For example, social media and video have become more popular ways to consume content.

However, blogs still play an important role in the content marketing mix.

• How do I make a successful blog?

A successful blog is like hitting a bullseye, but what that bullseye looks can vary. For some, success means lots of people reading and sharing their content, seeing the blog as a reliable source.

For others, success might be making money from the blog or using it to boost their business. It all depends on what you’re aiming for!

• Is blogging still worth it in 2024?

Absolutely! Blogging is still worth it in 2024. You own and control your content, it helps with search engine visibility, community building, and there’s still good money-making potential.

• How to make a blogging website?

There are a few steps necessary to making a blogging website. Once you’ve chosen your blog niche, you’ll need to create your actual site.

Read the above steps clearly and follow them to create your site.

• Can you start a blog as a side hustle?

Yes, you can start a blog as a side hustle. In fact, blogging is a popular side hustle for many people, as it can be a relatively low-cost and low-time commitment way to make extra money.

To start a blog as a side hustle, you need to follow the above 10 steps clearly.

• How to write a blog post with AI?

AI, like ChatGPT and Bard, is super helpful in creating content.

It can generate ideas, do research, and even draft blog posts.

But, it’s important to review and tweak the AI’s work to make sure it’s accurate and matches your style.

Grammar checkers like Grammarly can help proofread, but use their suggestions wisely to keep your writing style intact.

• How often should you blog?

When starting a blog, people often wonder how often to publish. Here’s the deal, the more you blog, the more traffic you get.

Also Read Reasons to Start a Blog that makes a full time income.