Blogging is an easy way to make money from home. It's simple to get started and can be done from anywhere in the world! Learn how to start a money making blog today!
Whether it's a Homesteading Blog, a Mommy Blog, a Fashion Blog, or just a Blog about your Crazy Family, the information on starting a blog can be a little overwhelming.
Or maybe this is your first step towards trying to figure out how to start your own blog. Either way, I'm so glad you're here!
If you are ready to take the leap into blogging, to carve out a piece of the web-o-sphere all your own, to start making money for something that you love talking about, then you are in the right place!
Over the past 12 years I've owned and created content for 8 different blogs. Each one served it's purpose for a time and was well loved by me... After years of practicing and learning and researching, I finally figured out exactly how to have a fun, enjoyable, profitable blog!
For 4 years now I've created content and made money through my blog A Modern Homestead. It provides not only a creative outlet for me, but also a full time income for our family, and lets me share my passions with the world, not just my friends and family!
Have you been itching to try your hand at blogging? It's really easy to get started! Let me walk you through the 3 easy steps to starting your own blog!
Exactly How to Start A Blog!
If you don't have a blog, but making money on the side wherever you are sounds great... or maybe you're not even worried about money and you just want to have fun, here are the 3 steps to take to get started!
NOTE: I'm not going to tell you the cheapest way to start a blog. Instead, I'm going to show you the fastest and best way to get started with a profitable blog! While you may technically be able to start a blog for $3.95, you are left with a low quality product, and zero idea of how to be successful!
These steps will lead you through every single part of starting a blog and making money from day one. And, while it may be a teensy bit more than $3.95 to get started, the money you spend will come back to you within your first month if you implement these steps fully!
Step One: Get a Hosting Service and Domain Name
Hosting is the service that allows my website to be viewed anywhere in the world. Without hosting, I would only be able to see my site on the computer and no one else would ever see it... which would be sad :-(
But not all hosting accounts are created equal!
Bluehost is often pushed by bloggers, but as someone who was with them for 12 years on 8 different sites (and loved them until recently!), I can tell you that their service has gone drastically down hill this year.
Instead, for the same price, you can get started with Siteground. Their service is phenomenal, their customer service and tech support are off the charts, and they will even transfer your existing site (if you have one) for free!
At the same time that you buy hosting, you need to grab a domain name.
(If you are going to grab hosting, I would be honored if you would use the link below! It gives me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much!
Click here to go to the hosting page and follow these steps:
1. Select "Get a New Hosting Account".
2. Select "Register a New Domain".
3. Choose your hosting plan. Tip: If you're just starting out, the cheapest plan is fine! You can upgrade as needed at a prorated price.
4. Complete the payment info section and submit! Tip: I would get both the privacy and site monitoring services, though they are optional.
Click here to take the first step towards creating a passive income for your family!
Step Two: Set Up Your Blog
Now that you have hosting and a domain name, you're officially a blogger! Congratulations! Next it's time to actually get your blog set up and start writing content!
So in step two, you'll want to install WordPress and a theme!
INSTALLING WORDPRESS ON SITEGROUND
Follow these easy steps to install WordPress on your Siteground account.
- Log into your Siteground account.
- Click "My Account" at the top of the screen.
- Click "cPanel".
- Scroll until you see "Wordpress", click that button.
- Follow all on screen instructions to install WordPress on your domain.
INSTALLING A THEME ON WORDPRESS
Now it's time for the really fun part! Installing a theme and customizing it to the look and feel you want for your blog! Follow these steps to install a theme on your WordPress account.
-
- Log into your WordPress account. (YOURDOMAIN.com/wp-admin and enter the information you entered during setup in the previous step.)
- Click "Appearances" on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Click "Themes" and browse the free themes until you find one you like!
- If you're ready for a gorgeous professional theme, this Genesis theme is the one I use and I absolutely adore it!
- Click "install" and "activate" to finalize your theme choice. Don't worry, you can do it again if you don't like the results!
TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR THEME
- Click "Appearances" on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Click "Customize".
- This will open up the customize options for your theme. Play around with it and enjoy!
Feeling Overwhelmed?
But if that seems a little overwhelming, I recommend grabbing this Launch Your Blog course that my blogging bestie Anna and I put together for bloggers just like you! If you want to get started in the fastest way possible, then this is the course for you!
Whether you already have a blog or not, this course covers everything you need to know to actually be successful!
We walk you through everything, WITH VIDEOS so you know exactly what you are doing by the end! From picking your niche, setting up your theme, to writing your first post and actually bringing people to your site, this course is exactly what you need to get your blog up and going!
Here are a FEW of the things you'll learn in this course!
- Why you should start a blog
- How to find your perfect niche
- Creating an unforgettable blog name
- How to start your blog from scratch
- How to set up a theme
- What plugins to use (and why!)
- How to write your first post
- How to get people to actually read your blog!
- How to create images for Pinterest and more!
- Exactly how to make money with your blog!
- Every step you need to take to be successful at blogging!
Step Three: Make Sure Your Blog is Money Ready
As you're setting up your blog it's also important to make sure you have everything in place to start making money.
If you don't, you will be leaving big money on the table! In fact, I have a second blog that I started just 4 months ago which made $300 in it's SECOND month!!
If I hadn't had everything set up and ready to go when I created that blog I would have missed out on that first big month, as well as the ones that followed!
HOW TO MAKE MONEY BLOGGING
There are quite a few different ways to make money, depending on your page view bracket, but any blogger, at any level, can make money blogging!
Here are a few ways to make money as a blogger:
- Ad Revenue
- Product Sales for Products You Create
- Sales for Other People's Products
- Sales for Services
- Sponsored Content with Companies You Trust
- ... and more!
To find out exactly where you should be applying to get the most money for your efforts based on your page views bracket, check out my book Make Money Blogging at Any Level.
Here are a FEW of the things you'll learn in this book!
- How to get yourself and your blog ready to make money.
- All the income sources you can pursue for your blog size, and how to maximize those streams.
- How to contact companies directly for sponsorship opportunities and how much you should charge.
- All the tools you need to make sure your blog stays profitable.
Grab the information to make sure you are making the most of your blog, no matter how big or small!
NOTE: This book is included in the Launch Your Blog course!
Are you ready to get started?
Now that you are armed with the exact information you need to get started, it's time to take the leap!
Blogging is one of the cheapest ways to start an online business and make money from home. It’s flexible, easy to start, cheap to maintain, and you can grow your income to thousands per month! I’m proof. And you can do this too!
Haffy says
Hi Victoria
I was wondering how many post you think is necessary to have published and visible on a website before trying to attract people to the site. Thanks heaps
Victoria says
Hi Haffy! I usually recommend 9-12 finished posts, with a plan for regular posting before promoting the first 9-12.
You can see my full recommendations and methods for launching or relaunching a successful blog here: https://the-blogging-mentors.teachable.com/p/launch-your-blog
All the best!
Melissa says
I am a single mom and have been working towards being able to homestead myself, but I can never seem to get ahead… Is this a really for real thing? I am nervous about getting sucked into a get rich quick scam…
Victoria says
Hey Melissa! Definitely not a scam <3 But I totally understand! This really has helped a TON of people create full time incomes for their families!
I make about $8000 a month blogging and that DOES NOT count the money that I make from helping others learn to blog. So you don't have to tell other people how to blog to make money blogging (it's NOT a pyramid scheme). I make real money talking about my love of scratch cooking and homesteading!
I hope that helps and all the best with your homesteading efforts!!
Michelle says
Hey there, I want to create a blog but I don’t have a set theme… I enjoy sewing, cooking, self help, child care, pet care and wood working. Is this too many things to have on one blog? Or should i focus on a few things?
Victoria says
Hey Michelle! I would recommend keeping it to 2-3 related topics in the beginning to solidify your audience. From there you can add new topics if they fit. Or you can do what I did and start 4 different blogs to cover all the things you want to write about. Ha! :-)
Carrie says
Are most people getting directed to the blog through email or social media? It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around people still going to read blogs, especially in the age of Instagram. I’m considering one but feeling cynical about it- I only come across blogs when I search for stuff specifically- like I did yours :)
Victoria says
Hi Carrie, good question. Basically every bit of content online is now on a “blog”. So blogs are no longer journals of what’s happening in your life (though that’s part of it), but they are now informational content!
So if you search for “how to make peach cobbler” the recipe you click on is a blog, if you’re on Pinterest and click on an article, you are reading that information on a blog.
For me, about 40% of my traffic comes from direct traffic from Google searches, 40% comes from Pinterest, and the rest comes from emails I send out, or Facebook.
About 30% of my total traffic is returning readers, and the rest are new visitors.
I definitely think starting a blog is still worth it! I have 4 active blogs across very different niches and they are all doing really well!
I hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Stacey says
Hello, I am very interested but at the same time don’t see how you can make $8000 without counting the blog learning, can you please give examples of your earnings?
Victoria says
Hi Stacey! Thanks for your question!
Last month I made $4500 on ads, $2300 on non-blogging related products (see my shop page for a listing of my products), $1500 in affiliate sales, and then another $1000ish in miscellaneous income.
I have 4 full time blogs and the income I listed above is JUST for A Modern Homestead :-)
I hope that helps!
Victoria
Stacey says
So last month you sold $2300 worth of things in your shop (not the blog books) like patterns, cups, mugs & cross stitching? What is miscellaneous?
Victoria says
Yep! I have several ebooks in the shop as well that are not blogging related. Miscellaneous is just various items that would be tedious to list – but even without that, it’s a lot of money just from one blog :-)
Stacey says
I can’t afford the class right now, do you think the eBook is enough to get me going? I really need to get some income generated, My website is all about selling knitted & crocheted things. So I do need help with ideas for a new blog. I would be starting from scratch, I am semi tech savvy.
I would appreciate your opinion
thank you
Stacey
Victoria says
I’m going to send you an email so we can talk specifics :-)