How to start making money blogging? So, are you wondering how to start a blog? I’m so glad you’re here! You want to make money online, right? Well by reading this article you’ll have taken the biggest step to starting a blog that can create an income for you and your family.

My goal is to show you how to start a blog that makes money. My goal is to explain the necessary steps to get off to a good and successful blogging start, no technical experience required.

This guide to making money making a blog is entirely free. I don’t want anything for it – just for you to take action and do it.
The guide is quite long, and there are lots of links to other pages on this blog and on other blogs too which will help you – so please make sure to bookmark this page.

Why You Should Start a Blog?

Blogging gives you a voice. We all have something to say, even if we don’t think of ourselves as writers or speakers. A blog gives you a place, free from censorship and criticism, to say what’s on your heart and find other people who connect with what you believe.There are many reasons you might consider it. Here are a few popular ones:

• Make money while working from home. I make a full-time income blogging, and many others do the same. Making money with a blog is hard work, but the barrier to entry is low, making it very low risk.
   
• Get more exposure for your existing business. A blog gives anyone, from individuals to large companies, the ability to reach a large number of people at minimal cost.
   
• Just write. If you want to write, share your story, encourage others and build a community, a blog is a perfect place to do that.

Are you a passionate writer? Do you have a story that needs to be told? Do you want to generate passive income for your family? Starting a blog might be your answer. Here are more 15 reasons that you should start blogging right now.

Have you been wanting to start a profitable blog but aren’t quite sure where to begin? I can help!

If you want to make money from a blog and create the life of your dreams, you first need to start one. From day one, you need to view your blog as a business. If you really want your blog to be profitable, you have to be in the right mindset from the get go.

In my first year of blogging, I made just over $11,000! It was a mix of freelancing and blogging, but most of my freelance jobs came because of my blog. But now I completely earn six figure income each month.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a referral commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend products and services I have personally used and love.

I had been thinking of starting a personal finance blog for well over a year. I majored in finance in college and have a huge passion for saving money, investing, earning passive income and one day becoming a millionaire (hence the name of my blog!). 
I actually started a personal finance blog on blogspot.com but after doing some research decided that if I really wanted to be legit, I needed to start a blog on wordpress.ORG (not .com), pay for my domain name, hosting and theme. Which is actually self-hosted site website or blog. Having self-hosted site is very important to make money online that actually earn your six figure income.
Read most interesting WordPress facts here.

What does self-hosted mean & why does it matter?

A self-hosted website means you are paying for your website, through a hosting company such as Bluehost. You are in full and utter control of your website, without running any risks like having your site shut down, or potential annoyances like involuntary ads, which you may experience with a free hosting account. Being self-hosted (purchasing web hosting through Bluehost) will cost you on average around $60 a year, and if you start making $3000 a month, 6 months into blogging? Well, it’s more than worth it!

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Being self-hosted is profoundly advantageous — It allows you to access all of the tools and plugins you could ever need. Being self-hosted is a critical investment if you’d like to run a successful blog that generates income.

But if you don't want to make money you can start blogging with Blogspot.com. It can be appealing because it’s free, I get that. But again – if you’re starting your blog to make money online, you need to be on a self-hosted site.

Here is an Infographic of Self Hosted WordPress.org vs. Free WordPress.com, this infographic taken from www.nialogique.com.

There is SO much to learn when it comes to blogging. I’m not going to lie – the “technical” side of it is extremely time-consuming when you’re first building your blog (how do I get social media icons on my blog? How do I add an image? How do I insert links for advertisements?). I basically had to figure all that out on my own.
The best way to learn something – whether it’s building a blog or investing your money – is to dive in and do it!
I’ve been blogging now for seven years and am finally starting to see a consistent (and growing) income. And… This is just the beginning of my six figure income. Most bloggers who start their blogs as a revenue stream (like me) begin making money after six months to a year.

You can expect to see part-time earnings within six months, and full-time earnings (and beyond) in 1-2 years. So if you want to make money with your blog, this is the right time to start blogging.
You may read: 30 Best Online Free Blog Sites List to Start Blogging

How to Start a Blog

The first step for setting up a blog is buying a domain and setting up hosting.
Many people think that setting up a blog needs some technical knowledge. But it’s not. Below I have outlined an easy step-by-step guide to getting a domain, setting up hosting, and installing WordPress in 10 minutes or less.

To Get Started I’ll Walk You Through A Few Quick Steps:

• Getting A Paid Hosting Account (don’t worry this will be cheap) 
• Picking A Domain Name (You Get One Free) 
• Setting Up Hosting 
• Installing WordPress

Step 1: Brainstorm a topic

If you’re part of business, company or organization, this step will be easy to determine. Your blog should be related to the product(s) or service(s) you provide, or the cause you promote.
If you’re an individual, you have more flexibility with topic choice. 
The main things to remember are:

• Blog about something you enjoy. 
• Blog about something with plenty of room for discussion. 
• Most importantly, choose a niche in which you can establish yourself as an authority.

Here are 11 most profitable niche to start a money making blog.
The goal for any blog is to become the go-to resource for its topic or niche.
What do you like? What do you enjoy doing in your free time? What do you find yourself thinking about on a daily basis? How can you use your knowledge to help others? Just start writing about those things.
No matter your niche, you can earn an online income!! Choose something you are passionate about!

Step #2: Buying A Domain Name

The domain name that’s where people find you on the web. Choosing a right domain can be tough. Your domain can either be your name or a branded domain like apple.com. Luckily, the hosting company I will recommend in step #3 provides you the ability to pick a domain for FREE (regularly $11.99) when you sign up.
Read: Here are Top 10 tips to choose the perfect domain for your blog.

Tips for choosing a domain name:

• Make it easy to remember. People are going to have a hard time remembering a super long and confusing domain name unless it’s some catch phrase. 
• Use .com instead of .net, .org, .biz, .info, or others. It is by far the most commonly used and people will remember it easier. 
• Shorten your domain name if possible. For example, OLB stands for “Online Living blog, ” but I shortened it into a nice 3 letter word. I was unfortunate that I didn't get my preferred domain as olb.com

To help you out, I found excellent helpful tools to find a perfect domain, and its free to use.

Step #3 Setting Up A Hosting Account.

This is where your blog will “live.” This is a server in the cloud (i.e., a remote computer), where you will rent space to install the WordPress software and manage your blog. It’s far easier than it sounds. Stick with me.

There are hundreds of hosting services available. However, based on my experience and research, I recommend Bluehost. I believe it is the best option for most people for the following several reasons:

• Bluehost is large and well known. 
• They offer excellent customer service (located in the US). 
• Their packages are highly affordable. If you sign up with the link below, I’ve actually locked my readers a $3.95 per month fee + a free domain. Which is incredibly cheap. 
• Their service provides incredibly fast page load times. 
• Bluehost is very easy to use.

ACTION STEP: Click HERE to buy your domain and signup for hosting with Bluehost. Here is a step-by-step tutorial – with pictures! – on how to install Bluehost.

A special discount is given to my readers!! You will pay $3.45/month instead of $3.95/month. Every single plan is discounted through my link!
 

Step i: Head to Bluehost and select “Get started now”By the way, the images you see here may vary slightly from the ones you see on your screen. This is because Bluehost never stops making site improvements. You might even catch them on a sale! Don’t worry, the general process is the same.
Step ii: You will be lead to a page of the different plans Bluehost offers. Select your plan. I recommend registering for the “basic plan,” particularly if you are a beginner blogger. However, if you are planning to host more than one website, the “plus plan” would be a better option for you.

Step ii: Enter your domain name.
If you don’t have a domain, enter a new domain name on the left. (See tips for choosing a domain below). Make sure .com or the true extension of your choice is selected from the drop down menu beside it.

If you’ve already registered a domain name, enter it on the right (don’t worry, it won’t mess things up if you’re using the domain elsewhere, this only identifies your account for now).
Click the blue Next button.
Step iv: Enter in all of the required fields for account information, package information, and payment information. Underneath the package information section, you will be asked to select which account plan you’re signing up for. For those looking to get serious about blogging and making money from home, my recommendation would be to register for the 36-month plan, as you’ll save quite a bit of money (50% off in savings). However, if you’re not sure if blogging is for you and you’re just testing out the waters, the 12-month plan would be the best selection for you.
Step v: Choose your plan. The best deal will be the three-year plan for $3.95/month. I also added on Domain Privacy Protection for $0.99/month.
I always skip the other add-ons except for Domain Privacy Protection. This protection keeps any personal information private. The only time I would skip domain privacy is if you are using a business address and don’t mind if it’s visible to anyone who looks up your domain. If you’re using your personal contact info (home address, phone, etc.) to register your domain, I highly recommend domain privacy.
Note: the Domain Privacy option only shows up if you registered a new domain above. It will not show up if you used a transfer domain. Congratulations! Now it’s time to install WordPress!
After completing your purchase, check your email. You’ll find a welcome email from Bluehost with your control panel (Cpanel) login info. Keep this information for future reference.

Step 3: Install WordPress

To install WordPress: Go back to Bluehost and click “login” at the top right-hand corner of the page, and sign in with the cPanel login info you received in your email. You’ll be redirected to your cPanel account. As you scroll down the home page, under the “website” tab, click the “Install WordPress” button. In simple terms, WordPress is the tool that will help you create, build, and design your website. Think of it as the framework of your foundation (Bluehost).
Once logged into your Cpanel, click the Install WordPress icon under Website Builders.
Next, select “Start.”
Find your domain name (the one you just registered): Choose where to install WordPress, Choose your domain from the drop-down menu if it’s not already chosen for you. Leave the directory field blank unless you have a good reason to create a subfolder, which is unlikely if you are just starting. Click Check Domain.
Enter your Admin Username and Password. Write this down!! Click the “Install Now” button. You will then receive a confirmation notice on your screen that WordPress has successfully been installed, as well as a confirmation by email.

And finally, click “Install Now.”
And you’re done!
Once it has finished crunching the installation it will give you a confirmation screening showing you your unique WordPress login URL that will look like this:

http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin

Copy this and bookmark it and make sure you write down your username and password on a piece of paper. Never write this information down on your computer.

This URL is where you go when you want to write posts, change WordPress themes, etc. You can virtually forget about the Blue Host area for most blogging tasks these days.

That’s it!
You are completely done with getting your blog started! Woo-hoo!
Now, all you have to do is make it look nice and more importantly, you want it to be easy to navigate for your readers. 

Change your theme and start blogging!

The final (and most rewarding) step in the process is where you install a beautiful new theme design and start writing your first posts!

To change your theme simply find APPEARANCES in the left sidebar and then click THEMES. Up the top will be a tab called INSTALL THEMES – click that one.
Once you are here, use the search function to find a theme that suits your needs. There are literally tens of thousands to choose from.

Step 4: Start blogging

I would give you a few days to get everything up and running on the technical side before you try to write up a bunch of posts. My brain felt dead after installing everything, buying a theme and trying to figure out how to navigate through WordPress. If I would have blogged during that time, I don’t think my posts would have been very high quality. One thing I strive for as a blogger is to have high quality, helpful posts for my readers. Whether I post 3x’s a week or 5x’s, I want to deliver valuable information.
And most of all – have fun!! This has been such a fun journey so far and like I said, I’m only a little over a month in. Good luck!!

Blogging resource, you must read:

• Let Your Thoughts Be Read Through Blogs
• Learn How To Write SEO Content That Works! 
• 5 Kinds of Content to Make Your Readers Happy  
• 5 Critical Keys To Long Term Blogging Success  
• Why Social Networking is Important for Bloggers  
• 20 Ways To Drive More Traffic To Your Blog  
• 20 Free Ways to Advertise Your Blog and Promote
• Boosting Your WordPress Blog Site’s SEO And Traffic Tips 
• 50 Ways to Drive Traffic Using Social Media 
• What Is Commentluv? How It Works?
• How to Find Dofollow links: Step By Step Guide

How To Make Money Blogging

Now it's time to earn your blog money from the day one. However few blog money can be made from the very first day, and other online money making methods may need some time to work on your new blog.

Monetize Your Blog To Make Money Blogging

You publish great content, bring in some traffic, and you start to wonder 'how to monetize a blog?' And How you can earn money from your blog content? 
We’ll start with the most common - and well-known - method: advertising. But does it still work?
The answer is yes. in fact I make most of my blog money through advertising ($17,000 a month in average). 
So yes, advertising will make you money. How to get started?

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I would recommend you a few another advertising network which will help you to make money with your blog from the day one. And after a few months, you will earn a good amount of income. But remember to monetize your blog without annoying your readers. 

Google AdSense is your first step. Here’s a detailed guide you need to follow to make money with Adsense and your blog. Google AdSense is perfect for beginners and those with low-medium traffic. (It's difficult to get an approved Adsense account for newbie blogger). Google AdSense is still the most efficient way to monetize a blog. But it can give you decent money once your blog starts getting massive traffic. Here is the successful application process.

Infolinks:  Infolinks is one of the largest monetization networks in the world today, helping more than 200,000 online publishers in 128 countries earn money from their unused ad space. Their FREE to use native ads work perfectly with all ad solutions and don’t interfere with the user’s experience! From effective contextual and video ads to engaging display banners – Infolinks is highly customizable products will guarantee you make the most out of your traffic.

Their platform is straightforward to integrate into your site, and is open to any publisher, big or small, with no setup fees, no minimum requirements for page views or visitors and no hidden commitments.
Read: Infolinks Review: Increase Website Earnings With In-text Advertising

PropellerAds Media: Propeller Ads is one of the biggest pop-under networks available. They started working on 2011 and quickly developed into one of the biggest networks with great CPMs. They specialize in monetizing websites for the following niches: entertainment, videos/movies, games, dating, finances, software, gambling and more. If you’ve got one of this sites, you could make more money with Propeller than with Adsense. They also have banners but the pop under work better overall.

Media.net: Media.net is a contextual ad network from Yahoo! And Bing. It provides customized ad units for your site, the ads also will be shown on mobile phones and tablets.
Media.net ads are highly customizable for an enhanced user experience. It automatically optimizes each impression with a single ad tag. Media.net provide you easy access to high-quality ads by connecting with all the major buyer networks. You can sign up for Media.net for free.
Here is a guide to make money blogging by Monetize with Yahoo Bing Publisher Network: Media.net

Revenue Hits: Revenue Hits is a powerful network with several years in the industry. I’ve been working with them for 2 years, and so far the results have been great. Revenue Hits is a Performance Ad network, which means they pay you for results (CPA, which is great for many niches). Revenue Hits has an advanced platform that learns from your Ads so if you give them a try make sure to keep their ads running for at least 3-4 days to get the best results.
Install RevenueHits to your blog to start making money, read this guide to start earning from the day one.

Affiliate Marketing: Want to make money even while you sleep? Affiliate marketing is the right choice for you then. But you do need to have some skills to sell others products on your sites. Check out this guide on how to make money blogging by affiliate marketing.

If this post was helpful, please share it on social media with your friends so they too can learn how to create a blog using WordPress and Bluehost! Also, let me know how it went!