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Blogging has become the new “it” thing among youngsters looking to make passive income.
With 67% of daily bloggers claiming to be successful, it is no surprise how blogging is one of the best side hustle strategies worldwide. All you have to do is share your thoughts in a blog post, and you can connect with millions of readers from different walks of life and build an online community.
But what if you have no experience? And to make things worse – you’ve got no capital! Well, many people believe that starting a blog requires a significant amount of money, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, you can start a blog with no money at all.
Today, we’ll discuss ways to start a blog without breaking the bank. We’ll also explore different aspects of blogging, like choosing the right blogging platform, getting a free domain name, creating your first blog post, and promoting it.
So, whether you’re looking to start a blog as a hobby, to share your passion, or to build a brand, this article is for you!
A Quick Guide To Blogs
First things first – a blog is a website or a section of a website that features regularly updated content in the form of articles, essays, or other written pieces. Typically, a blog is run by an individual or a group of individuals who share their thoughts, opinions, ideas, and experiences on a particular topic or a range of topics.
Blogs can cover any subject matter, from personal anecdotes and lifestyle advice to news, product reviews, and technical tutorials. They can also include multimedia content, such as images, videos, and podcasts.
People have various motivations to start blogging, like sharing personal opinions, passions, or experiences, imparting knowledge, establishing themselves as experts in their niche, making money online, etc. But while blogging can be incredibly rewarding, especially when people start reading and engaging with your content, it also requires a significant commitment.
Consistency is key, not just in terms of frequency but also in your content “type.” Since bloggers don’t usually see immediate results, it’s essential to stay motivated in the early stages and focus on the long-term goal.
How To Start A Blog With No Money
The most challenging part is the effort, time, and creativity it requires to post regularly and maintain your blogging quality. On the other hand, beginning a blog is rather easy.
That said, we’ll begin today’s guide with the main focus on monetization. Because let’s be real – why would you want to pursue a side hustle if not to earn money? After all, who wants to work extra without getting anything in return?
So, make sure you adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and not just a blogger’s mindset to start a profitable blog.
1. Understand How You Can Make Money Blogging
A successful monetization strategy is crucial for the growth of your blog. Therefore, treat your blog like a business, not just a creative platform.
One sustainable approach is combining a low-investment business with your blog. While Google AdSense is a common way to make money, it may not always be profitable without a large audience. That’s when you can consider the following methods.
A. Affiliate Marketing
With this approach, you can earn a commission each time you sell a product from a partner. When executed correctly, affiliate sales can accumulate to become a significant source of passive income.
For instance, one of the most successful bloggers, Pat Flynn, not only creates regular written and video content but also takes advantage of affiliate marketing. He does so while being fully transparent about the process to his readers and viewers.
B. Subscriptions
Patreon is an effective platform for you to impart knowledge in the form of exclusive content for subscribers. In return, they will pay a monthly fee.
C. Offer Services
If you are a budding blogger, it is likely that you possess expertise in a specific field and are skilled in communication. To generate revenue from your blog, you could consider offering consulting and coaching as viable options.
D. Sell Products
Online courses are a logical means for bloggers to earn money. As skilled content creators, bloggers possess expertise that they can leverage to create courses. For instance, CopyHackers.com is an example of a blog that has successfully transitioned into offering courses.
Additionally, depending on your blog theme and content, you can sell physical products that align with your brand and message. Glossier, a makeup brand that evolved from Emily Weiss’ fashion blog, Into The Gloss, is a great example of this.
E. Sell A Book
James Clear is a prime definition of this approach. Following years of creating a self-improvement blog, he authored the book “Atomic Habits” to monetize his blog and leverage the insights he had acquired from writing blog posts.
The book, available in digital and physical formats, not only made his blog profitable but also earned him a place on the New York Times’ bestseller list.
2. Pick A Niche For Your Blog Post
To stay unique in the saturated online content world, it’s important to take two approaches: finding a niche and creating original content that’s not easily found elsewhere. Consider a narrow but deep niche that aligns with your blog’s monetization strategy and generates consistent content.
Additionally, make sure that your niche attracts those who can help you reach your monetization goals by considering their interests in potential services/products. Your chosen niche may also impact your blog’s name.
That said, you can determine your blogging niche by doing the following:
- Aim at a specific geographic location, like Los Angeles, Chicago, etc.
- Choose a specific segment from a broad topic, like “Horror movies” instead of justice “movies”
- Develop a unique style or voice to reflect your personality in your blog posts
- Offer more quality with in-depth blog posts
3. Choose A Blogging Platform
Setting up your content management and blog hosting system is crucial before you can start writing your first blog post. But many aspiring bloggers often struggle with selecting the appropriate platform.
Typically, the choice comes down to a hosted or self-hosted blogging platform:
A. Hosted Platforms
These allow a quick and seamless blog setup process. For example, all Shopify plans include hosting. On the other hand, some hosted sites like Wix may limit customization options.
B. Self-Hosted Platforms
These offer greater freedom and customization but no assistance in hosting, so you’ll have to pay a separate monthly fee to a web hosting company. That said, a web hosting plan needs initial setup, but the WordPress site is the preferred open-source option among self-hosted platforms.
While selecting a platform, it’s important to choose one that:
- Is user-friendly
- Does not require coding or HTML skills
- Can grow with you
- Offers a variety of plugins and apps to optimize your site’s performance, conduct site backups, promote your new blog, and streamline tasks
As your brand grows, traffic increases, and you post more frequently, you may want to alter the blog design and its functionality. Hence, it’s crucial to pick a platform that can accommodate your evolving needs.
4. Choose A Blog And Domain Name
Signing up for a hosting plan with companies like Bluehost can provide you with a complimentary domain name. Additionally, a Bluehost account has a one-month refund policy which comes in handy if you’re dissatisfied with their service.
When selecting a domain name, consider what you want to name your website. Unless you’re creating a portfolio site or a personal blog, it’s advisable to avoid using your name as your custom domain name.
Moreover, it’s easier to create a memorable brand if you develop a unique blog name that reflects your personality or motive. Here are some key features to aim for when selecting a domain name:
- Memorable
- Easy to spell
- Fun to say
- Unique
Consider Starting A Self-hosted WordPress Blog
Starting a self-hosted WordPress blog is a good choice for beginners, but hosting and getting a domain name will require separate payments. That said, Bluehost allows users to install WordPress automatically from the hosting dashboard.
To start a free blog, you can choose a WordPress theme from the dashboard or marketplaces like ThemeIsle or ThemeForest. You can also install plug-ins to monetize your blog post on the WordPress blogging platform.
Finally, to transform your WordPress blog into an e-commerce site, use the Shopify Buy Button for $5/month.
5. Publish Content Regularly
To ensure a constant stream of ideas, bloggers need to plan ahead and draft a content calendar. A content calendar allows you to organize your ideas and keep yourself on track. There are several tools available for creating a content calendar, such as Trello, Airtable, or Asana, which are more effective than a simple spreadsheet.
The content calendar should contain information about the content type, target audience, and distribution channels you plan to use, including the dates for publishing each blog post. Additionally, it’s important to decide your content mix and consider the tags/categories you might use for better organization of blog posts and other content in the future.
Here are different types of blog post ideas you can try:
A. Curated Content
This can be a valuable addition to your initial content strategy. With so much online content, your readers will appreciate you sifting through it all and presenting them with relevant and high-quality content that matches their interests and values.
B. Interactive Content
Using quizzes on your blog can boost user engagement and increase the time users spend on your page. Additionally, quizzes can provide valuable insights into your audience’s preferences and interests.
C. Evergreen Content
This type of blog content focuses on providing educational information to answer common questions that people have.
D. Feature Pieces
Feature stories allow readers to delve into the lives and thoughts of exceptional individuals and can be a powerful way to build credibility by association with notable people. By interviewing individuals with authority and expertise, you can strengthen your own reputation and establish yourself in your field. Plus, the editorial style looks great on the screen!
To have a successful blog, plan your posts ahead of time and publish them consistently. Creating an outline before writing can help you cover all the necessary points and optimize your keywords.
Before publishing, edit your work and organize it with headings. Follow it up by crafting headlines and images that grab readers’ attention, but avoid clickbait.
Remember – building an audience takes time, so don’t give up if you don’t see immediate results.
6. Promote Your Blog And Gain Regular Readers
To quickly build momentum for a new blog, it’s important to have a distribution strategy in place before launching. This includes collecting emails, targeting search engine traffic, setting up a social media strategy, repurposing content, and understanding analytics to learn about your audience.
As such, building an email list, using keyword research, focusing on relevant social media channels, and analyzing data can all help bloggers grow their audience and gain more traffic.
Conclusion
And there you have it – with just a few clicks, you can start your own blog and compete with other blogs on search engines. Thanks to the easy setup process and free blogging sites, you can create blog posts and earn followers along with some passive income.
According to Millennial Money, bloggers can earn a significant income, with some earning up to $50,000 in their first year. Consequently, they can earn over $100,000 in the following year if they have a substantial number of subscribers.
But no matter if you’re a beginner or an experienced blogger, the success of your blog depends on your audience. And to increase your blog’s traffic and revenue, you must focus on growing your audience by adding fresh content regularly.
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