How To Start A Blog & Make Money – A Practical Step by Step Guide
Gaurav Upreti 15 July, 2024
Massive internet usage over the last couple of years has created so many opportunities that didn’t exist 20 years ago.
Now, we can boast of fields like social media management and marketing, online business consulting, etc.
But do you know one of the best things the internet gave us?
Blogging!
You don’t have to become a 21st century Shakespeare or have a cult-like following before you can share your information and knowledge with the world.
Now, you may be wondering,
“I can’t start a blog. I don’t know how to code!”
Technology and innovation have also made blogs super easy to create and maneuver.
Building a blog may look intimidating to you, especially as a newbie, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s easier than most people think.
But not to worry! This article has got you covered.
You may also like to read: Best Website Builders
I am going to show you how to build your blog from scratch even if you’ve no experience.
But first, why should you start a blog?
Why You Should Start A Blog?
Each year thousands of people are being able to get rid of their 9-5 jobs and enjoy freelancing life using the power of blogging.
A few months back, I managed to leave the 9 to 5 life behind and I’m now completely location independent (I can work without a pant from my home and some time on Armani jeans from the seaside cafe).
I am now living on my full-time blogging and freelancing income.
Your writing skill will improve
This is a no-brainer.
The more you write on your blog, the more you strengthen your writing abilities.
It may feel a bit awkward and cheesy at first, but with time, your work will be written in a clearer and better-structured form.
The words will flow efficiently, and you won’t have to struggle with inspiration/ideas because you’d have built an audience that’ll help you craft topics.
Furthermore, receiving feedback based on your blog posts gives you an idea of what your target audience loves to read.
This way, you can narrow it down to a sub-niche.
You can Inspire people and create a community
What is that thing that fires you up whenever it’s mentioned? What are you passionate about? What injustice gets to you? What childhood anger can’t you get over? If you could help anybody in one way, what would it be?
By answering all these questions and channeling them into your blog posts, you’re going to create an audience of people that consistently gain value from your articles.
You can solve one problem for them that they’ve been battling for years, inspire them to promote social justice and change, make better use of their days, and empower them to help other people.
Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity.
You can build your online brand
If you want to be an authority in a field, building an online brand by creating a blog is the best way to get started.
Most people in this digital age hardly resort to books to get information about a field.
They rely on blogs, guest posts, or magazine articles because these give them condensed, easy-to-understand, and fast answers to their questions.
Once you’re consistent in giving out value through your works, your blog automatically becomes a reference source in a particular niche.
This is how most “influencers” are made. If you take blogging seriously, you just may become one.
You can make massive money online
Yes. The most important reason to start a blog.
A blog with good traffic is a great source of income.
Sadly, most people create blogs just as a passion or a hobby, so they focus less on monetizing and more on writing things
This is wrong.
If you want to earn money from blogging you should not blog as a hobbyist, but, as a business blogger.
Starting a blog for money should be the last thing on your mind.
Your main aim should be to get your ideas and thoughts out there. Let the revenue be a reward for hard work and consistency over the years.
The first thing you have to figure out is what niche you should specialize in.
While some are easier to make money than others, it’s still possible to make a living out of your blog. Most of the richest bloggers you see now have been honing their craft for several years.
Now, that you have good reasons to start your blog, how can you do it?
Starting a blog has never been easier
Starting A Blog in 8 Easy Steps
- Discover your niche
- Give your blog a name
- Create an editorial calendar
- Decide what blogging platform are you going to use
- Purchase web hosting
- Setup the blog
- Publish the post
- Monetize your blog
Let’s look at them
1. Find your niche
This is so important.
The niche you choose will determine your success or failure as a blogger.
You can’t name a blog and build a site without knowing what it’s going to be all about.
You should never choose a niche that has no monetizing potential.
If you want to blog about whatever you want, that’s perfectly fine, but that approach doesn’t lend itself well to monetization.
Instead, you’d be spending time as a hobby.
I would recommend you narrow down your niche and select the topic accordingly.
For example: If you love to write about travel, you can narrow down your topic to cover only “adventure travel” or “jungle safari“. This will reduce the level of your competition and increase the chance of reaching more audiences.
Do not go for a broad niche like ” Travel” or “sports“. There is huge competition in this kind of broad niche and there is a high chance that your blog will be buried in the cluster of competitive blogs.
If you check all popular blogs online, they are in a specific niche. It doesn’t matter if they diversify into different sub-niches as long as they remain within that niche.
Over the years, they have carved a name for themselves in that area.
These questions can serve as a guide to what you can do long-term. Don’t be scared that you don’t have a conventional taste or that people seek your advice on little things.
The internet is no one’s monopoly. It’s such a diverse space that you can make money reviewing little things like peanut butter.
If the answer to your question delves towards one path, then that’s most likely it.
If you streamline the answers to two things, you can consider working on a more popular one, before delving into another.
After all, who said you can’t own more than one blog?
2. Buy a Domain (Giving your blog a name)
This is an important aspect you must consider, but you shouldn’t spend so much time here as there are more important things to worry about.
Once your blog gains massive traffic and becomes popular, the name won’t matter so much as long as readers are getting value.
The name of your blog should give people a slight idea of what the blog is about.
You can’t be writing about creating different streams of income online and you name your blog after a sports car.
For instance, if you’re starting a finance blog, your blog name could be like “Money Man”, or “Financially Fit”.
It is a good idea to incorporate one or two words of your niche in your blog name and also in a domain name. If your blog is going to have content on a jungle safari, it is a good idea to make your domain look like www.jungledrive.com
That way, people have an idea of what your blog entails.
On the other hand, if you want to use your name, remember that you are now a brand.
YOU are the brand.
There are lots of domain search tools you can use. Input the domain name and find out whether it’s available.
There are also domain name generators, so getting a name should be super easy.
Name Mesh, Domain Wheels, Namecheap, etc are some popular domain name generators that will provide you with a suggested list of available domains.
For example; Go to namecheap.com, enter your target domain name, and hit the search button.
While you’re looking for domain name availability, don’t forget to search for available domain name extensions you can buy.
The most used extension is dot(.)com and gets more trust and attention from audiences.
Dot(.) net or dot(.)co are also good options when .com name is already taken.
When buying, you may be attracted to .biz or .info.
Most times, these extensions look like spam or the audience doesn’t trust such extensions easily.
so better go for a .com domain to get the most out of the domain name.
If you are planning to write a country-specific blog with content focused on your local audience, getting a country-specific domain would be much better.
For example: If your blog or website is about dental care in Sydney, the appropriate domain extension would be www.sydneydentalcare.com.au
Extra Tip: You can take the help of some online blog name generators to get better ideas on domain names. This tool will help you filter and suggest different possible names for your blog based and the main topic.
Pro Tips for choosing a great domain name:
✔ Try to match the domain name to your brand
✔ If your blog is personal and about your self then a domain with your name like www.myname.com is a great option.
✔ If you plan to target international audiences or visitors, use global generic extensions like .com, .org, .net, etc. Otherwise, for a country, specific visitors, local domain with your country extension like.com.au, .fr, .in, etc is much better.
Is a domain name free?
No, the domain name is not free. It costs approximately $12 for one year.
Should I register my domain only for a year?
You can register your domain for the first year and then renew it every year. If you are good with money and you planning your blog for the long run then it is better to get registered and hold the domain for at least 5 years.
One year domain registration is good when:
→Your pockets are not that heavy
→You want to try blogging just to see how it goes
→You already have some other good domains running.
Which is the best place to register the domain name?
You can register with Whois, NameCheap, GoDaddy
3. Create an editorial calendar
You have identified your niche.
You have chosen a blog and domain name.
You have bought an appropriate extension. Now is the time to plan your content.
You may be asking,
Why do I have to create a schedule of what to write? I have enough topics to write about. The inspiration flows…”
This is where you get it wrong.
There are days when you have lots of ideas to share, but what happens to days when you return home tired and your brain can’t process lots of thoughts?
Or days when you don’t know what to write, but you just have to for consistency?
This is where an editorial calendar comes in.
An editorial calendar is every blogger’s best friend.
It helps you to set publication dates, track topics, decide the type of content, and determine the distribution channel to be used on a day.
It’s simply a planning tool that keeps you on track and helps you post consistently. It could also help you to track ideas when “inspiration” comes suddenly.
How can you create this calendar?
- Write down all the holidays and observances that are related to your niche. For instance, if you have a travel blog, you should take note of September 27th, World Tourism Day. You could write a blog post on the topic- “Top 10 Countries that Support Tourism”
- List the main ideas you want to cover and begin to brainstorm for topics surrounding these ideas. Keep writing them until you run out of ideas. Note whether they are related to a certain season, time, or year.
- Check out top magazines’ editorial calendars on their site. This should give you an idea of what readers want.
- Schedule these topics on a calendar. It can be a physical or digital calendar. Just make sure it’s easily accessible.
4. Decide which blogging platform to use
There are different blogging platforms and software available for use.
There is nothing like the “best choice”. You should focus on what you want and what works for you.
How can you choose the right blogging platform? Here are a few things to consider:
What platform is easy to navigate?
Most blogging platforms are fairly easy, but you have to choose one that’s easy for you to navigate and does most of the work for you.
Self-hosted platform like Weebly, Wix and Squarespace offer easy to navigate dashboard for beginners.
What platform will help you achieve your long-term blogging goals?
Look at the progress rates of different blogging platforms? Are they going to be there for the long run?
What blogging features are essential to you?
Different blogging platforms have different things to offer. Choose one that provides the features you need.
The first option you should consider is a drag and drop website builder. This builder helps you to select templates, customize the site to your taste, and aid blog post-publication.
They are perfect for people with zero technical skills and are very easy to use. Weebly, Wix and Squarespace are some of the good drag and drop site builders.
The second option you should consider is WordPress.
It is a content management system that helps to schedule and publish your blog posts.
This is, by far, one of the most widely used blogging platforms in the world because of its versatility, speed, and efficiency.
Once you learn the basics, you could do a lot more on the platform.
5. Get a hosting plan
A blog that is live on the internet needs a solid web host system. You have to sign up for a hosting plan.
What does this mean?
By signing up for a hosting plan, you rent server space that allows you to store your site’s files.
Without it, you will have a blog and domain name without an actual website. There are several hosting options with unique features to consider.
When starting your blog from scratch, it is recommended that you go for shared hosting.
This is because it’s relatively inexpensive and it gives your blog the necessary server resources. Once your site grows and starts gaining massive traffic, you can upgrade.
I personally recommed Bluehost and its shared hosting is the easiest, most economical way to get your
website hosted.
What features does a web hosting package provide?
Once you purchase a web hosting package, monthly or annually, the most important thing it gives you is an agreed-upon amount of disc space and a specific bandwidth.
The bandwidth you choose should keep in mind the amount of traffic your blog attracts on average.
Other features that are primarily included within the packages are;
FTP access – An FTP (file transfer protocol) allows you to manage files between server systems on the internet. You will require it to perform operations like upload, download, move, copy, or rename on different files.
WordPress Support – You must have an overall idea of what WordPress is because you read till here. Just a recap, it is open-source software that assists you to build and design a website without any coding knowledge.
WordPress powers approximately 40% of the websites on the internet. Huge numbers, arent they?
So, it boils down to the fact that it is essential for the web host you choose to be compatible with WordPress.
The majority of the hosting providers will let you know whether they are WP-compatible or not.
E-mail service – Now that you have chosen your domain name, the hosting provider will let you create an E-mail based on that domain.
For instance, if your blog is www.jungledrive.com, then with the help of the host, you can get an e-mail address that is yourname@jungledrive.com.
Which host should I choose?
As of 2021, some of the best companies providing web hosting are, Bluehost, Godaddy, Hostgator, WpEngine and Hostinger.
My choice: Bluehost
Why do I recommend this particular hosting service, you ask?
Can you imagine the number 2 million? Well, Bluehost is the home to that many websites on the internet.
It is a web hosting service provider owned by the USA-based Endurance International Group.
If you are looking for a host that provides reliable uptime (more than 99%), pocket-friendly packages ( starting at as low as $2.95/month), and fast loading, then Bluehost is the one for you.
Their interface is extremely user-friendly, and live customer support is available 24/7.
You can get replies to your queries within 2 minutes, but the company can do better by recruiting staff with sufficient technical knowledge.
How to host a website using Bluehost?
You may get overwhelmed if you are a newbie, but I got you covered, mate. So let’s walk through the process together. Firstly you need to buy the hosting package. Then, simply go to the official website of Bluehost, tap on ‘Get Building,’ choose the pricing that suits your needs, and enter your preferred domain name.
It will give you a prompt if the name you chose is not available. If not, you are done. It was that simple, see!
What sets Bluehost apart from others?
- Servers don’t crash 99% of the time, i.e. great uptime.
- One of the best hosting providers for beginners, owing to simple interface and Cpanel.
- Offers impressive security features and backup.WordPress compatible. In fact, it is their recommended host.
- Cost-effective. (One of the cheapest out there, with no compromise on quality.)
- 30-day money return scheme
- Incredible customer support.
6. Setup your blog
The most anticipated moment is here- Once your domain is set up and you have a hosting account, now is the time to build your blog!
Building a blog is the same as building any other kind of website. Just that you need to ensure it has features that allow you to blog.
Remember, there are two approaches you can use to build your blog- through a drag and drop website builder or WordPress.
Drag and Drop Website Builder
Look for website builders that help you build the blog in the least possible time, and most importantly, one that is beginner-friendly.
You don’t have technical skills, so you don’t need a builder that involves a single line of code.
To select a template, there is a search space where you can type the kind of theme you want, or simply scan through the collection of themes the builder has.
The next step is to customize the theme to suit your blog. It may take a little time to get comfortable with this tool, but you’ll be able to build your blog in no time.
Build blog with WordPress
There are two ways of creating a WordPress blog.
You can either use WordPress.com or WordPress.org
WordPress.com is a service that helps you build a website using the WordPress software with managed hosting.
WordPress.org is the source where you can download the software itself, which you can use to build and maintain a website on your own
Creating an appealing look for your blog is as essential as the quality of content you post on it.
The first look a visitor gets considerably decides whether or not he will stay on your website.
So, it’s essential to put efforts into building a good picture of your blog in the viewers’ minds.
A WordPress theme is a collection of files that determine how your website looks, including aspects like your page style and the graphics present.
Because you have now understood the general function of a WordPress theme, let me tell you that it is not just about the looks of your blog.
Instead, it gives you the liberty to control everything that appears on it. It ranges from modifications as significant as your background color to minute things like header outline.
You can access an array of themes from the WordPress platform itself, as they form an
Creating an appealing look for your blog is as essential as the quality of content you post on it. The first look a visitor gets considerably decides whether or not he will stay on your website.
So, it’s essential to put efforts into building a good picture of your blog in the viewers’ minds.
A WordPress theme is a collection of files that determine how your website looks, including aspects like your page style and the graphics present.
Because you have now understood the general function of a WordPress theme, let me tell you that it is not just about the looks of your blog.
Instead, it gives you the liberty to control everything that appears on it. It ranges from modifications as significant as your background color to minute things like header outline.
You can access an array of themes from the WordPress platform itself, as they form an integral part of the website building process.
In addition, it has a directory of free tested themes you can choose from.
But at times, one wants to go for something fresh and unique. In such a case, you can resort to the third-party market. But the biggest question is,
How can you find quality themes?
Let’s look at the 2 two most reliable places to install themes from.
The official WordPress directory – We have already discussed how essential themes are for the functioning of a WordPress website. So, you have got a wealth of pieces in its directory to scroll through and choose from.
Themes already present on WordPress are a killer deal for you if you search for a wide range of budget-friendly options tested and reviewed by experts.
You can access these from your dashboard or even from your web browser.
So far, the best things about these themes are that you get to see information like the latest updates, reviews, and customer ratings right beside the preview.
Third-party market or developers – StudioPress, ThemeForest, and Css Igniter are some market places where you can find and buy premium themes. However, it can cost a bit depending upon what you choose.
Now, you may ask why people go for expensive premium themes when so many free ones are available.
These come with complimentary benefits like advanced personalisation, frequent updates, extended support, and much more.
Now, I can almost hear you saying,
But how do you install a theme?
Installing from the WordPress dashboard;
This is hands down the easiest way to install a theme and works for those listed in the WordPress directory. In addition, the built-in theme search feature breaks down the process into simple clicks.
- Log in, and go to your WordPress admin, where you will find the “Themes’ option” in the Appearance tab. Click on ‘Add new.’
- Categories like New themes, Featured themes, and Most popular themes will appear. You can choose from these, or if you want to search for a specific tag, feature, layout, niche, or design, go to the ‘Feature Filter’ option and fill in words or tags to describe the theme you want.
- It will display results based on your tags and descriptions, select the one that suits your the best, and click on install. Once the theme is successfully installed, it will ask you to activate the theme.
Installing themes from premium companies;
Themes you get from third-party companies like Themify, Elegant Themes, and StudioPress need to be first uploaded to your WordPress admin, and then only you can install them onto your blog.
The ‘Upload’ option in the themes section helps you in the process. First, download the purchased theme in .zip format from the developer website, and then click on ‘Add New’ in the themes section of your WordPress admin.
On the next screen, you will see the ‘Upload button; click on that. When prompted, choose the downloaded .zip file and click on ‘Install Now.’ After it is successfully installed, choose ‘Activate,’ and you are done!
The third-party theme will be activated on your blog, and now you can make modifications accordingly.
Customizing theme and design using plugins
Now, you have your blog site in front of you with the theme of your choice installed. It’s a no-brainer that you would want to customize according to your preferences.
Yes, you have completed a chunk of the workload with hosting and activating the theme, but when was the last time you dived into the sea of creativity?
Well, now is the chance to add your personalized spice to your website.
The theme you installed offers many features like plugins, tools, builders, and much more that allow you to change and control practically any object on your site.
So, there are a thousand options for you and another thousand ways you can go about creating a beautiful and professional website.
All you need is a little patience and a picture of your dream website in your mind, and you can easily convert the theme into a unique version that only your blog can boast of.
Rest assured about the process, as I will break it down for you.
What are some simple ways to customize a theme?
After researching through several methods, I have narrowed it down to the most effective ones so that your customization process feels like a cakewalk.
Default WordPress Customizer Tool;
WordPress has done another favor for bloggers by putting forward its in-built customizing tool, the default WordPress Customizer.
It helps you to tweak your theme without getting into the technicality of codes.
To run the customizer, simply select ➤themes from the Appearance tab and click on the ➤ customize button.
Now, you can edit your installed theme in real-time and inspect the modifications it makes.
However, the only limiting factor here is that it depends on how many customizable features have been put by the author of that particular theme.
I have listed below some basic customizations that all themes allow.
- Your website identity – You should utilize this to upload your blog’s logo, the title, and a catchy tagline. These are some fundamental aspects that will transform the default layout of the theme into your personalized version.
- Theme color – Now, for the main visual component, your blog’s theme color, you can choose from various color palettes suiting your logo and niche. Additionally, some premium themes even let you design a ‘Color’ and a ‘Dark’ theme for your site. Which one would you prefer, btw?
- Adding custom menus – I am pretty sure you must have noticed how different blogs or e-commerce websites have several menus on their home-page that you can use to navigate through their website. Well, guess what? You can do it too! Just hover to the WordPress customization panel, and from the menu section, select or add as per your wish.
There are several other options like Widgets, and HomePage settings, depending on your chosen theme.
So just play around and see what suits your blog the best!
Page Builder Plugins;
Page Builder Plug-ins are simple tools that give you more customization control of your website, not just the looks but also functionality.
They ensure you do not mess up the codes written by the theme’s author but let you make changes and see the real-time.
WordPress has some great plug-ins that are available for free in its Directory. All you need to do is install the one you want to use and start modifying it to get a professional looking blog. J
ust make sure that the page builder you are using is compatible with the theme chosen.
Elementor is a great page-building tool when it comes to being user-friendly and giving add-on services. It has a pretty simple interface too and is recommended by successful bloggers.
Have a look at its user interface below.
Doesn’t it look easy-to-use, with all those customization options laid right in front of you in the panel?
In addition, Elementor provides excellent flexibility to the user and gives numerous options to choose from.
What are some essential functions plugins allow?
- Make visual and functional changes to the theme, and hence the website without any knowledge of CSS or coding.Perform simple drag and drop operations on all elements of your site.
- Add, move, or delete blocks from blog pages.
7. Write and publish your first post
You’ve got your blog and domain name. You have a hosting account. You have an editorial calendar. You’ve setup and built the blog.
You’re officially a blog owner. Congratulations!
Honestly, this is the step where each blogger will set on a different path, but the blueprint is mostly the same. So, if you are wondering how to create an impeccable post that kick-starts your journey in the blogosphere, then keep reading!
One mistake newbie bloggers often make is that they promote their blogs too soon without having substantial content.
Use the first couple of month to load your blog with content. Promoting your blog with only one published post won’t be very interesting.
This is the point where you’ll appreciate your editorial calendar even more. Select about 4 topics and write on them for the first week. I
Now, you must be wondering, “what should an ideal blog post have?”
It must have the following:
- A catchy, attention-drawing title: Without this, no one will click on your article.
- Interesting pictures that explain the topic: Visual contents are easier to understand than written content. Add at least one picture under a heading to explain the concept so that it’s more relatable.
- Brief and informative paragraphs: Most people don’t read through blogs. They scan through headings to see whether the blog is worth reading. If it is, your paragraphs should be short and informative enough to go through quickly.
The golden rule is that you shouldn’t write more than than two or three lines before giving space.
- A powerful “Call-To-Action: This urges people to do something. Your call to action may be to sign up for your email list.
Link your content to other relevant information source adding links to other related information helps to boost SEO. No man is an island.
utilize features like quizzes, hyperlinks, slide shows, and infographics to create an engaging experience for the audience.
Doing so will impart better user satisfaction and trigger readers to share your posts with more people.
The audience should be your main point of focus as a blogger. So, it will be beneficial to you if you build a warm atmosphere on your website by encouraging them to comment, give feedback, and engage.
How long should an ideal blog post be? It depends on your niche and competition level.
For most of the blog topics it is recommended to have 2000 words or more.
Proofread your content
You should always have one thing in mind; even if your content is a hit, readers won’t stick around for long if it is riddled with grammatical errors or typing mistakes. So proofread your draft once or twice, or better run it through a computed proofreading software like Grammarly
Optimzing your blog post
The ultimate goal of ever blog post is to rank high in search engine result pages and attract more traffic.
SEO tools that helps you make certain modifications to your website or blog post to rank it higher in search results. There are different tool that can come handy in optimizing the on-site and technical aspects of the blog.
Some of the useful tools are;
Yoast SEO – It won’t be an exaggeration if I tell you to blindly go for this tool if you’re aiming for post-wise suggestions and optimization.
Yes, Yoast SEO will go down the microscopic level without imposing technicalities on you and give writing insights, leading to impeccable search engine results.
SEMrush – It is by far the best SEO tool for bloggers who are just starting out. The owners understand how important it is for beginners to get an idea of their competitors’ performance. SEMrush helps you by showing their analytics reports and assisting with marketing insights.
RankMath –
RankMath is a powerful, yet easy to use, WordPress plugin that can help you improve your website’s search engine ranking. It includes a range of features that can help you get the most from your website’s search engine presence, including:
- A customizable XML sitemap generator
- Automatic generation of meta titles and descriptions for your pages and posts
- Integration with Google Search Console to help you track your site’s search engine performance
- And much more!
Ubersuggest – This best tool out there for providing you with long-tail keyword ideas that you can rank for.
Ubersuggest has a database of keywords that is constantly being updated, so you can be sure that the keywords it provides you with are relevant and have high search volume.
You can also perform your website audit to analyse the factors that affect efficiency and visibility of your website in search results.
Top 5 Time-saving Tools For New Bloggers
Did you know there were 31.7 million bloggers last year in the USA alone? And the majority of them were not just doing it for fun. They were monetizing their blogs and earning quite an income from them.
Even during the pandemic, bloggers earned money from their homes.
But is blogging easy, and can anyone use it to earn money is a question often asked. Well, the answer isn’t simple. It all depends upon the niche you are catering to, the platforms used, and the tools taken advantage of.
To make it easy for you, we have answered all your queries and mentioned the top 5 tools that we believe can change the game for you!
1. SurferSEO
Whatever method you use above to monetize your blog, all of them require traffic.
You cannot just start making money by writing unless your words drive users to your page. And for this, you need to apply SEO (search engine optimization) tactics.
However, it can be time-consuming if you start doing SEO research yourself.
That is why to save time and effort, most bloggers swear by SurferSEO. It is a tool that improves your search engine ranking so that more people can find you and help you earn more money.
SurferSEO holds all the features to improve your ranking.
From keywords to headings and paragraphs, it lets you structure your content to land on top of search engine results. While using this handy tool, all you need to do is fit the keyword provided by it in your content.
It provides you with the instructions, and you can apply them without extra effort.
So unless you want to pay others to bring in traffic or conduct complex keyword research yourself, it is wise to use this tool to become fluent in SEO.
2. BuzzSumo
Buzzsumo is a cloud-based platform that is a blogger’s best friend. It is a blessing in disguise for those who wish to save time when discovering the best topic, outreach opportunities, keywords, and customer questions.
It allows you to find content ideas that guarantee success and, at the same time, are relevant to your niche.
It is a tool that screams efficiency as you see what others are writing and what is trending on social media.
With it, you can easily follow the trend and drive more traffic to your blog. Buzzsumo is perfect for those who get writer’s block and cannot decide what to write.
If you are short on ideas, you can use it to find what content resonates well with your audience. Ultimately, it lets you remain top gun and allows you to focus on great content creation without any hassle.
3. Canva
Did you know that 85% of Fortune500 companies use Canva? It is a design tool that is used by bloggers too.
This is because blog posts are incomplete without graphics, and Canva is the best tool to get images and infographics for them.
Instead of designing from scratch, it offers templates that instantly add a professional touch to your blog posts.
The best part is that Canva has a free version that many beginner bloggers can use. It offers thousands of graphics, pictures, and templates without any cost.
So now you can revamp your blogs and add more color and design to them without hiring costly designers.
Moreover, Canva is pretty easy to use; thus, it saves considerable time and money. You don’t need any prior design experience and even a beginner can experiment with Canva.
4. Grammarly
If you are amongst those who spend hours editing and proofreading your blog, then this tool is for you.
Grammarly is a blogger’s mate regarding vocabulary and grammatical errors. Not only does it highlight the mistake for you, but it also provides suggestions to correct it.
This tool is not only a time saver but also prevents embarrassment by filtering mistakes and making your blog look perfect. The good news is there are both paid and free versions.
In the beginning, you can use the free version, but once your budget rises, go for paid one as it has more features.
The free version only highlights basic mistakes, while the premium plan helps find advanced errors, provides better structuring, and enhances vocabulary.
Moreover, Grammarly ensures your content is unique, which is essential to rank on search engines. It has an inbuilt plagiarism checker that informs you when your content matches someone else’s.
Lastly, this tool is also a knight in shining armor because it improves your blog’s readability. As readability is an important concept to keep your readership engaged, you can use Grammarly to get it without wasting any time.
- Jasper
Sometimes writing content can chomp all your time and leave no time for doing other things. So if you wish to speed up your writing process, why not take help from Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Jasper is by far the best tool for such purposes. Be its how-to guides, copywriting, emails, reviews, and articles, it can spin all sorts of content for you.
Instead of spending days on a single topic, you can weave magic with Japer within hours.
The best part is that it provides high-converting content and not just fluff. You can rely on it to target your audience with its rich keyword assessment.
However, you cannot just fully outsource your blog writing to Jasper. Remember, it’s just a tool and needs supervision. Use it along with your writing to keep that personal touch with it to get the best results.
Even though Jasper is not free, its benefits outweigh the cost. It allows scaling of blogs ten times faster, and that too without any stress of plagiarizing.
So if you are slow at writing or often struggle with writer’s slump, you can take help from Jasper to create engaging content quickly. Then all you need to do is recheck it and publish it!
8. Blog Monetization
let’s now discuss the nitty-gritty of blog monetization?
How to Monetize the Blog?
After establishing the importance of a monetized blog, the next question that comes to mind is how to monetize it?
If you wish to start earning via blogging, all you need is an idea, passion, and determination. Then, with the internet at your disposal, you can use your words to craft many money-making opportunities.
However, before we divulge 5 easy ways to gain significant returns through your traffic, let’s first discuss the prerequisites of monetizing a blog.
Things to do Before Monetizing a Blog
You cannot just monetize your blog as soon as you start it. No matter which method you use, you will need to build some base to earn money.
✔ Design: Your blog should have a convincing composition. The user interface should be easy, and the layouts, font, and other elements should complement each other.
✔ Quality: The content on your blog should be of high quality. To monetize your words, you need to make them worthwhile.
✔ Focus: The blog shouldn’t be about everything under the sun. You are not writing an encyclopedia. Focus on one field and attract the target audience by specializing in it.
✔ Traffic: This is the most crucial thing needed to generate money. Your blog could be top-notch, but no one will pay you for using your space if it cannot drive traffic. Make it engaging, use SEO, and market it to monetize it.
Different Ways to Monetize a Blog
There are many ways to start earning via blog post, but we are mentioning the top 4;
1. Advertising
This is the easiest way to earn money on the internet and can also be applied to blogs. You can make quick bucks by displaying ads on your web page.
However, brands will only pay you if an advertisement on your page results in clicks and conversions. These are called Pay-Per-Click ads (PPC)
Many bloggers use Google AdSense to make advertisers bid for a space on their blog. You can even use BuySellAds to get your blog in the limelight amongst advertisers.
Remember that the ads on your blog should be subtle to bring in more revenue. They should blend in with your blog page to generate more clicks. It might be tempting to stuff your blog with as many ads as possible to earn more.
However, to make advertising successful, you must display only relevant adverts to your audience. Otherwise, you will frustrate your viewers, and instead of gaining more clicks, you will end up losing traffic.
2. Offer Content via Subscription
If you think your content is catchy enough that people will pay to read it, why not charge for it. This can be done by creating a members-only blog that requires subscriptions for access.
You dont have to charge a lot of fees initially, or your viewers will run away. At first, build an engaged audience, and once they are addicted to your content, you can entice them to pay for more.
However, remember not to put all the blog posts under a paywall.
Some content needs to be free to attract new users. You can charge for specialist insights and comprehensive information so that people can distinguish between paid and free advice.
Moreover, the premium content should be worthwhile, or your readers will not continue to pay for it. The value of becoming a member should outweigh its fee.
Also, add other perks such as direct contact and video sessions to your paid program to make it more attractive.
The catch in this monetizing method is that your exclusive content sells for a monthly fee over many years. It is a long-term revenue source and helps you curate a loyal community of users.
Lastly, the more engaging your content is your blog, the more your earning potential will grow as your loyal followers spread your fame by sharing links.
Remember, word of mouth can help with your subscription, and paid marketing like sponsored ads can also rake in viewers.
3. Affiliate Marketing
If you dont like banner ads or pop-up ads, there are other ways to advertise a brand and earn money.
This is done by putting affiliate links in your content that refer your readers to other sites, typically the product page of the business paying you.
Affiliate marketing is becoming pretty popular these days as it is an effortless way to generate extra income. All you need to do is subtly promote a product in your content and add a link to it.
The more you can entice a reader about a product and make them click on an affiliate link, the higher the chances of getting paid. You get a cut of revenue if your readers purchase from the affiliated business.
However, dont start promoting all and sundry on your blog.
The brands you affiliate with should be from your niche and mingle with your overall writing style. To drive more clicks and sales, you need to warm your readers without frustrating them.
An easy way to earn via affiliate marketing is by joining the Amazon Associates program. You can easily set up an account and earn approximately 10% of every qualifying purchase made via your blog.
This may sound like chump change, but as traffic on your blogs builds up, the licks increase and the money adds up. Lastly, affiliate accounts are free to set up, so you have nothing to lose.
5. Publishing E-books
This may sound like something tedious and tiring. But you will be surprised to know e-books are not that long. You can convert your popular blog posts and sell them as an e-book.
If your writing has engaged users in the form of blogs, it can undoubtedly sell as a book too. It all depends on how you can amalgamate your content and transform it into a compiled version that connects.
Your comprehensive narrative can sell like hot cakes on sites like Amazon. Moreover, it can drive back traffic to your site, helping you expand even more.
In the beginning, charge less to gain more readers. Once your content becomes popular, you can always change the pricing.
Lastly, you might think editing and compiling your blogs in book form will be time-consuming, but many tools can help you with that. For example, you can use numerous plugins to select only the top content from your post and tidy it up in chapter forms.
As e-books are usually around 10,000 words, you can quickly come up with one by using 5-10 of your blogs. You can churn up money within no time once the book is up for sale!
With everything under your cap, it’s time you learn how to run a blog efficiently.
You cannot just spend hours writing and editing; there has to be a way to save time when blogging. And the good news is we have the right tools to make your day!
Over to You: Make Your Blog a Cash Cow
So we hope you realize now is the time to turn your blogging into a cash cow. You can easily monetize your writing passion, especially with the plethora of tools at your disposal.
However, the key is to not only use these tools effectively but also in a suitable way. Not every tool can be used everywhere, so ensure that you don’t entirely rely on them.
Moreover, as too many cooks can spoil the broth, too many tools can over-complicate things. Instead of saving time, they can muddle up your blog, and you may lose that personalized touch with your audience.
Therefore we advise you to experiment with them until you find the right combination. After that, maintain consistency and watch your productivity and blog traffic skyrocket.
We hope that gradually by using these tools and with your wittiness, you’re able to run a successful blog and generate a decent income out of it.
May the words be in your favor, and you drive an impressive readership that can leverage multiple revenue streams.
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