Blog

Do you have plans or ever thought of how to start a blog either for fun or profit?

To Start a profitable Blog has never been easy to embark but with all the wonderful blogging tools and platforms now available at your disposal, it can be done with a twinkle of an eye.

These days, almost every Tom, Dick, and Harry is a blogger – regardless of the fact that they understand it or not.

You can as a matter of fact literally go from just an idea to a full-flesh or fully-functioning blog in the space of 30 – 60 minutes.

You know what? The best part is that you don’t need to be technically sound or knowledgeable to get it done – just ensure you have the capability to follow a set of simple guidelines or instructions.

Now if you have ever written and posted something on your Facebook profile or group(s) you belong to and get a few likes and possibly some comments as well then, you are a blogger.

Maybe you have ever tweeted a short sentence on Twitter! Then, you are a microblogger!

Or maybe you like uploading videos to YouTube where you get a few likes, comments, and even subscribers as well – then, you are a vlogger. Which is video blogging too!

The art of Blogging simply ensures an outburst of expression and creativity from within. This will, in turn, unlocks the digital doors for an expert who till now was invisible.

And the best part – with diligence and consistency, you will be declared as an expert in a particular field even if nobody has heard of you before.

All you need to do is to declare yourself and begin to publish your works… it is that easy!

Before we dive into the steps on how to start a blog, it is ideal we take a look at the concept of blogging, why you should start a blog and the potentials thereof.

What Is a Blog and Why The Hype About Blogging?

A blog is short for Weblog. In layman terms, it is just a website with entries listed in reverse chronological order.

The original concept behind the development of a blog was to create an online journal or diary that will be updated on a daily basis.

Over the last decade, quite a number of software businesses have actually established and developed various platforms which have to ensure the method of blogging is incredibly simply– you write your story, click the ‘submit,’ button and voila – it shows on your blog for the world to take notice of you and your brand.

But you might want to say – I am not a techie? No problem.

You do not stress on that front since many bloggers do not have any programming language knowledge and the companies that have developed these platforms acknowledge that.

It is easy to set up and it completely free most times. Even if there are steps to follow, they are extremely simple and then, there are plenty of resources to help you along the way.

Here are some interesting facts about blogs:

• A brand-new blog site is created somewhere in the world every half a second
• This signifies an addition of 172,800 blogs to the internet every day.
• There are 600 million blogs on the internet as of this date

Still, thinking about the method? Well, the fact that there are many blogs on the web means the process cannot be challenging.

Why Should you start a blog?

There are many reasons you might want to begin a blog site. Some individuals use their blog site as a creative outlet, or as a means of sharing their knowledge on a specific subject matter, they’re enthusiastic about.

Others utilize their blog as a way to earn money working from home— or even as their main income source.

Still, others utilize a blog site to build awareness of their company and to drive traffic to their business website.

For me, blogging has actually been the cornerstone of my business venture. I actually will NOT have built my business enterprise without it.

A few of the advantages I have actually received from blogging consist of:

• A blog subscriber base of 10,000+ people who are notified each time I write a new article
• My blog serves as the content engine behind my entire business
• Over 10,000 link clicks to my blog last year on Twitter alone
• Six figures in sales each month

You may be thinking: That’s great, but I don’t have the technical know-how to set up a blog!

However, the excellent news is that ANYONE can begin a blog site, with actually NO experience and NO technical skills.

So, your main reason for embarking on your blogging venture could one or most of these:

• Money
• Fame
• Sharing your knowledge
• Social impact
• Documenting your thoughts
• Or any other.

For a beginner, here are some of the quick questions you should ask in other to start a blog:

• Which blogging platform should I use to start a blog?
• What niche (Blog Topic) you should pick?
• What should be your domain name?
• How do I purchase the domain name?
• Where should you host your blog?
• How to buy hosting for your domain name?
• How do I install a blog on the domain name?
• How do you design your blog?
• What are the essential elements to make your blog shine?
• How to write the first blog post?

In this starter guide, you will get answers to all these pertinent questions which enable you to start a blog.

So, make yourself comfortable while in front of your computer, let get started with building your blog site.

How To Start A Blog From Scratch and with No Experience

This guide on starting a blog is designed for individuals like you who are new to the concept and may have limited knowledge about it.

In a matter of minutes, you will be able to successfully set up and launch your blog.

Here are the steps on how to start a blog for free or on a minimal cost:

1. Step 1: Picking the blog topic
2. Step 2: Select the blogging platform
3. Step 3: Pick a domain name & hosting for your blog
4. Step 4: Install WordPress on the blog (Tutorial is given below)
5. Step 5: Setup the design of the blog
6. Step 6: Install the best WordPress plugins
7. Step 7: Write your first blog post
8. Step 8: Share your write-up with the world
9. Step 9: Monetize your blog

If you already know the answer to some of these steps, move to the next one and save time.

Note: To make it easier for you to take action, I’m suggesting only those options in terms of platform, hosting which are working for everyone.

Related: WP Affiliate Suite Review

How Much Does It Cost to Start A Blog?

A good number of services are made available to ensure and empower you to begin a blog site– which are inexpensive.

Getting a self-hosted blog is inexpensive– the domain name cost around $10 annually while web hosting is roughly a couple of bucks monthly.

If you choose web hosts like Hostinger, for just $2.99/month, you will be getting the best services there is out there. Or maybe you like localhost like Qservers, you will get it for #900/month.

Starting a self-hosted WordPress blog with Hostinger as your hosting provider is an affordable option. Here is an estimation of the cost breakdown:

• Hosting: Hostinger’s WordPress Starter plan starts at $2.99/month.
• SSL certificate: Hostinger offers free lifetime SSL certificates with their hosting plans.
• Domain name: Hostinger provides a free domain for one year, and renewing a .com domain costs around $10/year.
• WordPress: WordPress core is open-source and free to use.
• Theme: While there are many free themes available, they may lack features and support. Opting for a premium theme for around $60 is recommended for better blog design and functionality.
• Plugins: Many plugins are free, but you may need to upgrade to the premium version of some for extra features. Two premium plugins cost around $150/year.
• Marketing and SEO: Free tools like MailChimp and Google Trends can be used to market your blog when starting out.
• Maintenance: WordPress maintenance such as software updates and backups can be done using free tools, but setting aside around $100/year for maintenance is advised to cover any technical issues that may arise.

By keeping these costs in mind, it’s possible to create a self-hosted WordPress blog without spending a lot of money.

Based on these calculations, the initial cost of starting a blog for the first year is approximately $363.37. However, it is essential to note that your expenses may vary depending on your requirements.

To avoid overspending, we recommend creating a list of your blogging needs and setting a budget.

If your budget is limited, you can start with free or more affordable options and then upgrade to more expensive ones as your blog grows and generates more income.

How To Start a Profitable Blog in 9 Simple Steps

If you’re ready to start a successful blog, the 9-step process below should take you about 30 minutes or less. I’ll walk you step-by-step through.

Let’s get started!

Step 1: How To Pick A Blog Topic (Profitable Niche)

Many novice bloggers frequently inquire about selecting a niche for their blog, posing the question, “How should I choose a niche for my blog?” As a beginner, it’s a pertinent question to ask because the success of your blog is predicated on your niche selection.

Regrettably, many individuals struggle with this fundamental task, often selecting either a overly broad topic or an inappropriate niche. This misstep has led to 99% of new bloggers abandoning their blogs.

To prevent this outcome and to identify a lucrative niche, consider implementing these three reliable tips.

Focus On ONE Topic ONLY

It’s advisable to avoid selecting broad niche ideas like “make money online” when choosing a niche.

This is because there are countless sites covering this topic, making it challenging to stand out even with exceptional content due to the enormous competition.

Instead, consider narrowing down to specific niches such as “make money with freelancing.”

It’s advisable to focus on only one method when creating a new website, such as “make money with freelance writing.”

This narrows the competition even further, allowing you to create outstanding content and secure top rankings on Google.

By building an authority blog in a smaller niche, you can dominate the niche and generate significant profits in the long term.

Here are some profitable niche ideas for 2023 to consider.

• Make Money Online
• Finance and Investing
• Relationships
• Travel
• Fitness or Weight Loss
• Lifestyle
• Personal Development or Self Help
• Real Estate

It’s important to note that the niche ideas mentioned above are considered “broad niches.” To increase your chances of success, it’s recommended that you narrow down these ideas to a specific topic.

For instance, you could focus on “affiliate marketing tips for small businesses” instead of a broader topic like “affiliate marketing.” Similarly, instead of creating a website solely around “SEO,” you could narrow your focus to “SEO training for bloggers.”

Identify a Problem and create a blog centered on it.

To build a profitable blog, start by identifying a problem that you would like to address.

Think about any issues you are currently facing or may encounter in the future, such as those related to relationships, online income, college, career, and family.

Next, create a list of blogs that are already covering these problems, like “how to lose belly fat.”

Determine how these blogs are generating traffic, particularly from Google, by reviewing their popular blog posts or using tools like Semrush to identify their traffic-generating keywords.

Repeat this process with other blogs to generate additional topic ideas and keywords for your new blog.

The most significant benefit is that your blog will focus on resolving a specific problem.

Step 2: Pick The Blogging Platform

Well, this is simply the software you’ll use to run your blog. As far as I’m concerned, there’s only one real choice, and that’s WordPress.

For clarity purpose, WordPress has two distinct versions: WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

I do not recommend WordPress.com, as it will seriously restrict what you can do and can’t do with your blog. This will also indicate your blog address will, by default, be seen like www.yoursitename.wordpress.com. I believe you do not want that.

WordPress.org, on the other hand, will let you set up a fully-customizable blog site that you can use for several years– and just like WordPress.com, the software is entirely free to use.

You will, however, need to pay for web hosting and a domain name…which we’ll cover in the next 2 steps.

You would need to pay a few dollars a month ($2.99 to be exact) for hosting and $10 annually for a domain name, but the income that you will generate eventually makes up for the expenses.

If you follow the guide in this post, you do not need to sign up with WordPress right now. I’ll show you the super-simple way to do just that below!

Step 3: Choose A Domain Name

This is where the magic begins! Your Domain name is nothing but simply the web address people will use to access your site.

For instance, my website’s name is Valuecoast Digital and domain is Valuecoastdigital.com

Based on your passion or specific niche, you can choose a distinct name to start a successful blog.

Do not overthink too much about your domain name. Follow these easy guidelines and you should be okay.

You may or may not already have a domain that you want to use. If you don’t, Hostinger or Namecheap makes it easy to get your domain name,

If you don’t already own your domain, you would choose a brand-new domain. You’ve probably already experimented with some concepts, however here are a few tips on selecting the ideal domain name:

• Choose something short and catchy. You want people to be able to remember it easily.
• Keep it easy to pronounce and type
• Don’t use any characters other than letters (this includes hyphens and numbers). These can be hard to remember and easy to type in incorrectly.
• Don’t cram “keywords” into your domain. Using keywords is fine, but only if they actually make sense.
• Don’t choose words that may be difficult to spell.
• Use .com if it’s available, as it’s the easiest for people to remember.
• Avoid copyright or trademark names like Google, Facebook, etc.
• Try to keep it brandable so you can expand to other niches or topics if needed

You can also use online business name generator tools such as Namemesh to find a brandable name. 

Tip: Browse the leading 10 blog sites in your industry and see what kind of naming system they utilize. Utilize their power words and include a twist to come up with your own domain.

Step 4: Buy Hosting and Domain Name

Now that you have got a domain in your mind, let’s buy hosting and domain name and then install WordPress.

With Siteground hosting’s super easy user interface and one-click WordPress installer, it takes less than 3 minutes to buy hosting and launch your WordPress blog.

Use this discounted link to visit Hostinger (opens in new tab) and follow the below steps.

Buying Web Hosting and Domain

1. Click on “Get Started” to managed WordPress Hosting button on the homepage

2. You will choose a plan, if you want to host just one website then the Startup Plan is okay to use but if you plan on hosting more than one website, then the GrowBig will be ideal.

3. Enter the domain name you’d like to register and click on the “Proceed” button. It’ll check and show if the domain is available for registration.

4. fill out the form on the next step which says “review and Complete”. This form has different sections which include: Account information, Client Information, Payment Information, Purchase Information (Hosting services and Extra Services). Thereafter, you will be expected to confirm your purchase and click on the Pay Now button and complete the payment via either Credit Card or PayPal.

Step 5: Set up WordPress

After a successful payment, you’ll be taken to Control Panel. Where You will then be able to install and set up WordPress and handle your hosting from here.

You can follow this quick video to install WordPress with Hostinger Hosting.

Comment below with your question if you’re stuck somewhere or need assistance with WordPress installation.

Or follow the instructions below and install your WordPress

In step 1 we talked about how WordPress is the blogging platform I advise. Thankfully, Hostinger makes it easy to get WordPress up and running in minutes.

This article explains how to use Softaculous to install a WordPress application on your site. It will take just a couple of minutes and literally no sophisticated abilities to have a totally functional WordPress instance in your hosting account.

Related: How to Create Your Traffic and List System

First, log in to your cPanel account and locate the Softaculous icon under the Autoinstallers area.

When you click on the Softaculous button, you will be redirected to a page where you have to pick the application you want to install. Click the WordPress icon in the list of applications.

On the next page, click the Install tab at the top of the page to define that you wish to carry out a brand new WordPress installation.

Hostinger will now walk you through the process of setting up WordPress. Don’t worry – It takes literally 2 minutes to do!

Initially, you’ll be asked which domain you want to set up WordPress to; pick the domain name you selected in step 3.

Then, enter the required fields for your site – title, description, administrative username and password, administrative email, etc. and click on the Install button. You should utilize a strong password to ensure your admin location is safe from brute-forcing attacks.

The automated installation procedure will continue and once done you will see a page informing you of the effective conclusion of the setup. You can utilize the Administrative URL link to immediately log into your recently installed WordPress application:

That’s it …you are done!

Your WordPress blog is now installed and you can access it by using the information sent to your inbox. This information includes your WordPress username and password, and the admin URL of your blog, which should be something like www.yoursite.com/wp-admin, or www.yoursite.com/newwp

Related:  The Ultimate Guide To Affiliate Marketing (What It Is, How Does It Works & FAQs)

Step 6: Design Your Blog your Own Way

The next thing that you need is an amazing layout and design.

Since a good style will make sure that your visitors will love your blog site, Blog design is the most important aspect of your blog. In fact, that is how your readers will remember your blog. Envision your blog site style as you will with a great attire.

In WordPress, there is an idea called “WordPress themes”. These are ready-made themes that are offered for all types of blog site.

There are lots of free and premium WordPress theme in the market. I always recommend to choose a premium theme since you will get all the support and starter guide, and besides, you will have a quality design for your blog.

Here are easy to use modern theme clubs which I would recommend you to start with.

• ThemeForest (for any and all kind of websites)
• MyThemeShop (responsive and affordable themes)
• Thrive Themes (conversion-focused theme)
• Astra style: This is a light-weight theme which uses the design template for all kind of blog sites. Once you install this theme, you can pick from the ready-made design template and your blog site style will be ready within 30-45 minutes. This is the best buddy for any new WordPress blog.
• Genesis Framework: This is the costliest option, but certainly among the best theme framework out there. You ought to choose pro-package, which will let you gain access to all their skins and future updates for free.

There are many more premium WordPress theme clubs out there, but I recommend MyThemeShop because it is cost-friendly for a professional start.

Now that all the setup is completely done, you can start designing the look and feel of your blog so that it looks exactly the way you have envisioned it to be.

Once you’re logged in to your WordPress account, go to Appearance on the left side of your screen (look for the paintbrush icon), and then click on Themes.

Next, select Add New. You can now browse through a lot of free themes, arranging them by Latest, Popular, Featured, and so on. You can likewise search by keyword if you have a clue of what you’re trying to find (e.g., certain colours).

When you find one you like, click Install. Your blog will now instantly have the look of the theme you selected.

Pro tip: I highly recommend that you invest in the MyThemeShop theme. It permits you to rapidly and easily create a remarkable website around your brand-new WordPress blog site. The price is a one-time fee of $59 and it will provide better customization options than all free themes.

Pro Tip: We, at Valuecoast Digital, also offer customized website designs as well as theme customization. So, if you need website design, you can contact and hire us to build a custom-made website design for you.

Step 7: Create Compelling Content

Once your blog is set up on WordPress, you will start the process of creating content for your blog. This is, in fact, the most critical part of your blog.

Keep in mind, people will come for killer content– they absolutely may get impressed by the beautiful design, nevertheless, that is not something that will bring them back– only informative and educative content can bring them back and even create some references.

What Should You Write About?

To start with, the very best thing to do is to start creating content that is fantastic, compelling, and engaging — content that will bring your readers back over and over to your blog. This simply entails that your blog site has to be truly incredible.

The key here is to find what ‘incredible’ means to you. Everyone has a passion– something that they are very good at, something that they can share and that their readers can gain and learn from.

Discover your real enthusiasm and choose a topic. Keep in mind that everything you publish should be meaningful– there has to be a definite objective behind whatever you choose to publish.

The content has to be remarkable and your visitors and readers should find value in it.

Here are some pertinent questions you should ask yourself before settling on the theme for your blog:

• What is it that you so much love to do most?
• What are the things that you are actually passionate about?
• What are the subjects that people seek your advice on?
• What are the subjects that you are naturally drawn towards?
• What topics do you love to read most?
• What gets you so fired up that you can’t stop talking about?

You need to also have a clear intent on what you want to discuss. It will consist of the main subject, then a couple of subtopics, and after that a couple of categories underneath each subtopic.

Let us take an example here– If your primary topic is ‘Living well on a budget plan,’ your subtopics could be ‘Using coupons to your advantage,’ ‘DIY dishes’, ‘Tips to declutter your home,’ ‘Ideas to save money throughout the holiday,’ and so on

Now, here the primary theme is quite broad and consists of a couple of sub-themes– nevertheless, it does not contain everything. For that reason, the readers of the blog site are fully aware of what to expect when they check out the blog.

Now, imagine this blog site owner starting with reviewing movies and after that current makeup and gadgets trend reviews and after that reviews of different distance learning programs.

It will only confuse the reader and they will think that the blog owner does not understand their content too well. Therefore, it is important to have a clear structure and plan in place.

Readers always crave credibility and authenticity– don’t hold things back, be authentic and give everything that you have actually got. Simply focus on making your blog a worthwhile place.

Go through the blog sites that you enjoy. However, never attempt and BE those blogs. Be your own voice– be authentic– be passionate– concentrate on your specific strengths that can make your readers’ life awesome.

Steps to Publish your first Article on Your Blog

You will not have any trouble composing your very first post in WordPress if you can utilize Microsoft Word.

On the left side of your WordPress dashboard, you will see the Add New button under the Posts button, click Add New.

Enter the title of your post in the bar at the top, and then start writing the content of your post in the box below.

Similar to what you have in Word, you have a variety of options for formatting your post:

• Bold
• Italic
• Strike-through
• Bullets
• Numbered lists
• Alignment
• Adding links
• Adding images (The Add Media button lets you add images or videos)

Pro Tip: If you understand some HTML and desire some additional formatting for your post (e.g., including header tags, altering the layout of an image, etc.), you can change to the Text tab at the top right of the content box. If you’re not comfy with writing or editing HTML, just stick to the Visual tab.

Want to Further customize your blog?

What I love most about WordPress is that you can use it right out of the box, or you can easily customize it to match the needs of your growing blog.

Related: How to Profit From Smart E-Commerce Business in Nigeria

Some of the ways you can play around with the look, feel and function of your blog are listed below.

Settings

The settings icon on the left side of your dashboard allows you personalize a wide range of features on your blog site. Some examples include your site name or tagline (under General), what you want your blog’s home page to look like (under Reading), whether you want visitors to be able to relate with your posts or not (under Discussion) and what you desire your URLs to appear like (under Permalink Settings).

Widgets

These are little bits of code you can add to the sidebar of your blog. They let you include different functions to your website (for example, an opt-in box, banner ad, menu, etc.) without needing to actually do any coding yourself– Hurray! You can include or edit your widgets by clicking on Appearance Then Widgets.

Plugins

Plugins are rather potentially my favourite thing about utilizing WordPress! Like widgets, they let you add performance functionality to your blog site without needing to touch the code.

You can include or edit your plugins by clicking on the plug icon on the left side of your dashboard.

Here are plugins which you need to have on your freshly created WordPress blog site:

• RankMath: Lets you instantly optimize your blog posts for the online search engine.
• Google Analytics: Lets you see how much traffic you’re getting to your blog and where it’s coming from.
• Contact Form 7: If your theme does not come with a contact form, this plugin will help you get one up and running in minutes.
• WP Super Cache.
• Jetpack by WordPress.com.

There are many more plugins, but the above-listed plugins will make sure that you have all the essentials plugin set up on your blog site.

If you have followed, all the steps accordingly, your blog is up and ready.

Step 8: Promote and Grow Your Blog Following

Once your WordPress blog is live, it’s crucial to attract readers. Despite having top-notch content, it won’t matter if it doesn’t reach the right audience. Therefore, promoting your blog is essential.

Optimize Your Blog with SEO Practices

To increase the visibility of your blog, you can utilize SEO practices. SEO involves using various techniques to improve a website’s ranking on search engines.

It’s vital to rank high on search engine results pages (SERPs) since organic searches generate a significant proportion of website traffic.

According to BrightEdge, 53.3% of all website traffic comes from organic searches. Therefore, having high-ranking posts and pages can drive a steady stream of organic traffic to your blog without the need to pay for advertisements.

Here are some of the most common tips for blog SEO:

• Keyword research: To improve your chances of ranking high on SERPs, conducting keyword research is crucial. Aim to target specific long-tail keywords that have low competition. Use tools such as Google Trends, SEMRush, or Ahrefs to gather information about relevant keywords.
• Sign up for Google Search Console: Another essential step is signing up for Google Search Console. This tool allows you to monitor your website’s performance on Google, including identifying the keywords that bring the most traffic and the websites that link to yours.
• Install an SEO plugin: If you are using a WordPress blog, installing an SEO plugin can be helpful. Yoast SEO or Rank Math SEO are the most popular options. Some website builders also offer built-in SEO features.
• Apply on-page SEO best practices: Optimizing your website with on-page SEO practices can also improve your rankings. For instance, optimizing images, adding meta descriptions, and changing permalink slugs are some of the critical on-page SEO tactics to consider.
• Increase website performance: improving your website’s performance is crucial for SEO. Faster page speeds can have a positive impact on your rankings. Therefore, make sure to follow website performance guidelines to speed up your website.

Build Your Blog Audience on Social Media and Online Forums

Promoting your blog on social media and online forums is an effective way to connect with your audience and drive traffic to your website. The key is to find the communities within your niche and engage with them.

According to research, 97% of bloggers use social media to share their posts. However, due to the high competition, it’s crucial to have a well-planned social media strategy to stand out.

Integrating social media into your blog is a critical first step. Your readers are more likely to follow your social media accounts and share your content with others if they find it valuable or interesting.

If you are using a WordPress blog, you can choose from several social media plugins to add features like social media icon widgets, sharing buttons, Facebook like buttons, and more.

Once you have integrated social media into your blog, the next step is to select the appropriate social media platforms to promote your blog on.

Each platform has its unique characteristics, so researching their demographics and user base is crucial before you start promoting your blog.

Here is some information about the most popular social media platforms that can help grow successful blogs:

Social media can be a powerful tool for promoting your blog and reaching your target audience. However, it’s important to choose the right platforms based on your niche and audience demographics.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular social media platforms and their key user demographics:

• Facebook: With 2.89 billion monthly active users worldwide, Facebook is the largest social network. Men aged 25-34 are the largest demographic on the platform, making up 18.9% of its user base. It’s important to note that 98% of Facebook users access it via mobile, so ensure that your blog is mobile-friendly.
• Twitter: There are 206 million monthly active users on Twitter, with male users dominating the platform by 70%. It’s known for providing real-time updates on various topics, and over 59% of its users get their news from Twitter.
• Reddit: With over 430 million monthly active users, Reddit is a popular social news aggregation and discussion platform. The most popular age demographics on Reddit are adults aged 25-29, followed closely by young adults aged 18-24. Reddit has over 100,000 active communities for almost any niche, making it a great platform for finding your target audience.
• Instagram: This photo-sharing app giant has around 1 billion monthly active users. Its user base is almost evenly split between genders, with adults aged 25-34 and young adults aged 18-24 dominating the platform. If your blog content is visually appealing and targets younger audiences, Instagram is an excellent fit.
• Pinterest: With over 478 million monthly active users, Pinterest is a popular social image-sharing platform. Its user base is predominantly female, making up 76.3% of its users. The US leads Pinterest usage, making it a good option for blogs targeting American women.
• TikTok: The video-sharing app TikTok has quickly become the fastest-growing social network ever, with about 689 million monthly active users. Its user base is dominated by Gen Z, with 41% of its users being teens and young adults aged 16-24. If your blog content targets young adults, consider promoting your brand on TikTok with bite-sized video summaries of your articles.

Develop an Email Marketing Strategy for Your Blog

Email marketing is the practice of sending promotional emails to a targeted audience to promote your blog. Despite the rise of social media, email marketing still remains an effective way to retain personal blog readership, and it’s known to have a higher return on investment compared to other marketing methods.

Also Read this: Ways To Increase Website Traffic

Numerous hosting providers offer custom email accounts to their clients. In cases where your website platform doesn’t come with email, you may want to consider purchasing separate email hosting. This will enable you to create a professional email account, such as you@yourblogdomain.com.

Here are the three critical steps of email marketing:

1. Choose an email marketing tool: Select an email marketing tool to streamline your email marketing campaigns. Numerous newsletter plugins are available if you operate a WordPress blog.
2. Build an email list: Develop an email list by urging new visitors to sign up for your email newsletter on your homepage and individual posts. Consider offering incentives such as exclusive content and free ebooks via email to encourage them to subscribe.
3. Send high-quality emails: When sending emails, ensure that they provide actual value. Create catchy subject lines that correspond to the content of the email. Include call-to-action buttons like “Read more” that direct readers to your blog post.

Try Out Guest Blogging

Guest blogging or posting involves creating content for other websites, with the aim of increasing exposure for your blog by reaching out to a broader audience. It’s also an opportunity to add backlinks to your blog, which can boost your website’s SEO.

When choosing websites to pitch your content to, ensure that they are relevant to your niche to target your ideal audience.

It’s crucial to tailor your article to fit the theme of the website you’re targeting when pitching your idea.

Once your pitch is approved, begin crafting the guest post. In addition to including backlinks to your blog, make use of internal links that direct readers to other relevant posts on the website. Avoid excessive self-promotion.

After your post is published, maintain contact with the webmaster. If your guest post is well-received, it’s more likely that your future pitches will be accepted by other bloggers.

Step 9: Make Money From Blogging In Simple Steps

There are lots of ways by which your blog site can make passive income for you.

After your blog gains traction, there will be opportunities to monetize it in various ways. Some of the most common ways include:

1. Affiliate marketing: By becoming a brand affiliate, bloggers can earn money using affiliate links. Every time a blog visitor purchases something using the affiliate link, the brand affiliate earns a commission rate of around 5-30% of the product’s sales price.
2. Paid ads: Bloggers can include ad space on their website by signing up for an ad network like Google AdSense, which helps bloggers connect with brands relevant to their audience quickly.
3. Sponsored posts: Bloggers can reach out to brands to get paid for writing about their products. Before doing this, it’s important to ensure that the blog has a considerable amount of readers and traffic.
4. Digital and physical products: Bloggers can create an eCommerce site for their blog and sell physical and digital products related to their content. For example, digital products like online courses and eBooks that cover blog posts in more depth. Selling physical merchandise is also worth considering.
5. User subscriptions: Bloggers can create exclusive content that visitors can unlock with a subscription to a separate membership site or section of their blog. It’s important to maintain the value of the subscription by regularly offering unique, high-quality content.

Avoid These Common Blogging Mistakes

Beginning a blog is an exhilarating experience. However, taking the time to devise a blogging strategy can help you avoid the most common errors that most beginner bloggers encounter.

Here are some of the typical blogging mistakes to steer clear of:

Not Having a Clear Goal

Starting a blog can be exciting, but it’s important to plan your strategy to avoid common mistakes.

One of the most significant mistakes is not having a clear goal.

While it’s easy to want to write about anything and everything, identifying your blogging niche and setting clear goals and milestones will help you measure your progress and stay focused.

Setting goals, such as reaching 10,000 monthly organic views, can help you break down your progress into smaller, more manageable milestones, such as getting ten blog posts in a top search results position.

Skipping Steps While Building a Blog

Another mistake is skipping steps while creating a blog. It might be tempting to pick a free theme and publish your first post, but this can result in poor user experience and poor SEO.

It’s important to take the time to set up your blog properly, including including important contact information and legal pages such as a privacy policy if you collect personal data.

Not Formatting Your Blogs Properly

Poor formatting can also be a crucial factor in the overall readability of your blog posts.

Proper formatting, such as using paragraph and sentence structure, headings, and bulleted lists, boosts the readability of your blog and makes it skimmer-friendly, increasing your chances of ranking higher on search engines.

Not Expanding Your Email List

It is recommended that you experiment with various methods to attract new subscribers to your newsletter.

Expanding your blog email list is not only beneficial for your email marketing strategy, but it also aids in cultivating a strong bond with your audience. You can utilize your email list to:

• Inform your audience about newly published blogs
• Share advice and recommendations on topics related to your niche
• Encourage your audience to interact with your content via contests or giveaways

By providing your readers with more value, you can increase the likelihood of developing a devoted readership and establishing yourself as an expert or authority in your area of expertise.

Additionally, since email provides a more personal connection with your readers, it may be worthwhile to experiment with different lead generation techniques.

For instance, you can entice users to join your email list by providing them with exclusive content such as eBooks, cheat sheets, or checklists.

As your email list grows, you can even consider generating revenue by selling ad space.

Not Updating Outdated Content

It is a common misconception that once you publish your blog content, it remains evergreen and requires no further attention.

However, search trends are continually evolving, and even a blog post that features the best hiking boots in 2015 will likely contain outdated information within a year or two of its publication.

To avoid this problem, it is advisable to conduct regular content audits and updates. Utilize SEO research tools to keep track of search trends and keywords, and monitor the activities of your competitors.

Also Read: Content Marketing Mistakes You Might Be Making

Limiting yourself to only one form of monetization

When starting a blog, generating additional income from it may not be at the forefront of your mind.

Your main goal could be to share your hobby and connect with a community of like-minded individuals.

However, choosing to monetize your blog doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing its quality or compromising your authenticity.

A common misconception is that banner ads are the only way to generate revenue from your blog, but this is far from the truth.

To optimize your earnings, it is advisable to experiment with various monetization techniques to determine what works best for your specific niche.

For instance, while affiliate marketing may not be your cup of tea, your readers may appreciate high-quality sponsored content instead.

How to Start a Blog FAQ

In this section, we’ll answer some of the most common questions about how to start a blog.

Is Blogging Still Profitable?

Despite the rise of social media platforms, blogs continue to be a valuable source of information and entertainment for many internet users. Therefore, it is safe to say that blogging is still a profitable venture. With careful planning and execution, you can create a successful blog and generate income through various monetization methods.

How to Start a Blog with No Money?

When it comes to creating a blog with minimal costs, WordPress is an excellent option. While free blogging sites like Medium are available for starting a personal blog, they do not provide as much customizability or monetization options as WordPress does.

How Much Can I Earn from Blogging?

The revenue generated from blogging differs from one blog to another. As per a ConvertKit research, the average income from blogging is approximately $54,108 annually. However, there is a significant difference between the earnings of professional bloggers as compared to new bloggers or those who blog as a hobby. The research also suggests that non-professional bloggers earn a yearly revenue of around $16,267.

What Are the Most Profitable Types of Blogs?

By following a strategic approach and publishing content consistently, numerous blog niches have the potential to be profitable. Niches such as food, beauty, fashion, finance, and home decor are among the most lucrative ones. These blogs can be monetized with ease using sponsors, affiliate links, and exclusive content such as eBooks and online courses.

Should Blogging Be a Full-Time Job or a Side Hustle?

In general, it is suggested to start blogging as a part-time activity initially. Only when your blog starts growing considerably, and you can depend on your blog income to sustain you, should you consider making it a full-time pursuit.

Also Read: Top Ideas To Make Money Online In Nigeria Today

How to Start a Blog (Blogging for Beginners) – Video Tutorial

If you prefer visual learning, there’s no need to worry. You can easily watch a WordPress tutorial and learn how to create a blog on the platform.

Final Words on How to Start a Blog and Make Money

Congratulations! You’re done with your blog set up and now ready to start making an impact through your writing.

I attempted to cover as much ground as I could for a beginner to get started, but if you still have a question in your mind about how to start a blog with WordPress before starting your new blog, feel free to shoot us a message via comment.

Your blog can perhaps change your lifestyle and make you an internet superstar so act like one. Keep writing engaging and compelling content and promote them like crazy.

Comment below and I’ll reply to your question in the finest possible method if you require any other aid on how to start a blog. Also, make sure to share this post with your friends and family.

Also, if this guide on how to start a blog in 2023 helps you to get your blog set up, I’d love to hear about it! How was the setup process for you? And where can I find your blog? Leave a comment below.