Making money blogging sounds like a dream. Not only do you get to work independently and skip the 9-to-5, but you can also blog from anywhere in the world about the topics of your choice. While it involves hard work, even beginners can achieve this with the right strategy.
You’ll need to create a blog, of course. After that, you’ll need to grow your audience. Whether you want a side hustle or a career, this comprehensive guide will walk you through actionable steps on how to start a blog, build your readership and grow your blog. Then, you’ll learn about using the robust tools that can turn your website traffic into money. How to make money blogging in 10 steps
Follow these 10 actionable steps to hone in on your craft and monetize your blogging efforts:
How much money can you make blogging?
Before we dive into the steps to make money blogging, let’s talk about how much you can actually earn.
How much money can you make when blogging as a beginner? Finance blog Millennial Money reports that after just two years of building traffic and subscribers, bloggers can make upwards of $100,000 annually. Within the first year, bloggers can make $500-$2,000 per month.
Let’s look at a few examples from this study of successful bloggers:
As you can see, you can earn a wide income range as a blogger. But aside from the numbers, remember these important takeaways before you begin:
You can make money blogging even if you're not a professional writer.
It’s possible to use more than one strategy to bring in a revenue with your blog.
Successful bloggers make money using many of the same strategies.
Let’s break these ideas down and identify these strategies.
How to make money blogging, part 1: build your online presence
Before you start making money, you’ll need to start a blog and grow your audience. Think of it this way: More traffic to your blog can equal more money.
For that reason, earning money begins with choosing a strategic blogging niche and spreading the word about your blog. Here’s how to do it:
01. Choose a profitable niche
If you’re just starting a blog, you're probably asking yourself—What should I write about?
Before you dive into writing, you’ll need to select a niche. Pick one overarching theme in a particular field for your blog to attract a targeted group of fans.
Start with your passions when selecting your niche—after all, you’ll dedicate lots of time and effort to this subject. But if you seriously want to make money blogging, you also need to think about what subjects people will want to read about, and if those subjects are financially viable.
Look at Cup of Jo, for example, a daily women’s lifestyle site that explores topics like food, culture, style, travel, relationships and parenting. Founded in 2007, the popular blog “receives over 4 million monthly page views and almost 1 million monthly unique visitors,” according to the site. By narrowing in on a specific niche and providing relevant and relatable content to the right audience, founder Joanna Goddard has cultivated a strong community and deeply engaged readership.
With that in mind, ask yourself these three questions when choosing a blog niche:
What are my interests?
Who is my audience?
Which topics are profitable?
Question 1: What are my interests?
You’ll want to write about a topic you’re passionate and knowledgeable about to sustain your blogging efforts for the long term.
Consider your level of professional experience as well. If you have no prior connections to your blogging niche, you’ll find it harder to establish yourself as a credible source in that industry.
On the other hand, if you have work experience, educational background or connections in a particular field, you can write blog posts about those subjects and build trust among your readership. Take a look at these blog ideas—they'll jumpstart your imagination. Question 2: Who is my audience?
Readers will flock to blogs that provide in-demand information and insight. After you’ve decided on your niche, think about which readers you may attract, the problems they face and the solutions they seek. This way, you can create a blog that provides this group the answers they need.
Question 3: Which topics are profitable?
While you can blog about nearly anything, some blog niches can earn more money than others. To anticipate whether you can make money blogging with a particular niche, consider the sales opportunities in that subject area. For instance, a cooking blog could promote affiliate links in an article about the top kitchen appliances or sell ad space to culinary brands. A digital marketing blog could sell e-books or offer consulting services.
Types of blogs that make money
Several types of blogs can be profitable if you know how to manage them strategically but here are the most common:
Business and marketing blogs
Finance blog
Health blogs
DIY and crafts blogs
Nutrition and food blogs
Lifestyle blogs
Whichever niche you choose for your blog, think about how you’ll monetize it from the beginning and set income goals to build a strong foundation.
If you’re still stuck on what niche to focus on, these blog examples can help provide guidance.
02. Scale your blog content
Now that you’ve selected your blog niche, it’s time to start creating content. As you begin, keep in mind that the research and planning behind your articles can influence your blog’s financial success just as much as the writing itself.
On top of that, you’ll want to upload new content consistently and frequently without compromising on quality. Here’s what you should know as you start creating and scaling your content:
Choose the right blog topics
Just as you selected a strategic blog niche, you’ll also want to choose strategic topics to write about. The best topics must accomplish two things:
They address the needs of your target audience and offer them a thoughtful, actionable solution.
They target keywords with high search volumes—a number that indicates how many people look up a given word or topic during a selected time frame (typically one month). The higher the keyword volume, the more historic interest in that topic. When your articles provide a thorough answer to people’s search queries, the more likely it will organically rank on search engines—which, in turn, will bring people to your site.
Don’t overlook the importance of writing headlines, either. The catchier your blog titles, the more likely people will click to read the content.
Tip: Use a handy title generator tool to craft effective headlines that grab readers’ attention.
No comments:
Post a Comment