If you want to make heaps of money by talking about what you love – blogging is for you! So, why aren’t your readership numbers skyrocketing, and where are all of your affiliate marketing offers? You’ve followed all the “How to start a blog” guides, and nothing’s working.
That’s your first issue.
Blogging is a different landscape today than before. The old rulebook simply doesn’t apply anymore. If you want to win in the blogging world, you’ll have to play by today’s standards.
In other words, you’ll have to update your blogging strategies for the 2020s. We’ll get down to the nitty-gritty and cover all of the steps on how to create a winning, money-making blog in 2022 below. But first …
How Much Can you Earn as a Blogger?
Big! Six-figure incomes aren’t rare among bloggers, with many making upwards of $100,000 annually. Even within just the first year alone, consistent bloggers can easily make an extra $500-$2,000 per month.
That said, if you’d like to be part of the former group, you’ll need a blog a cut above the rest. Here’s how you can achieve that goal from the get-go.
How to Start a Blog That Earns Big
Set-up Your Blog
To create a winning blog in 2023, you’ll need to give it a winning home. This is where blog hosting platforms such as Bluehost or Medium come into play. If you’re wondering about free blog hosting platforms, there certainly are options along the lines of Wix and Weebly, but we highly recommend against opting for free alternatives if blog profitability is your goal.
With all of the above said, on some blogging platforms, hosting options are already included, so you won’t need to find a separate web host.
With some website builders, such as WordPress, you’ll have to reach into your wallet and pay for a separate hosting platform. Some popular options include:
- BlueHost
- Namecheap
- HostGator
- DreamHost
When it comes to picking a blog hosting platform, what makes a good hosting platform is good bandwidth, uptime, and customer support.
Name Your Blog
Now that your blog is born, it’s time to give it a name!
Think of all your favorite tv shows, books, and podcasts. The likelihood is that you can effortlessly recall their names to mind. They’re short, sweet, to the point, and usually relevant. Your blog’s name should be no different.
Some general rules for naming your blog:
Stay on theme: Once you choose your niche, use it as a guide to choose your blog’s domain.
Keep it short: A blog name of 1 to 3 words should suffice. If you take a look at the current top blogs, you’ll find that they mainly all go under one word, e.g., Gawker, TechCrunch, and Mashable.
Can Your Blog Name be Your Own Name?
Yes! In fact, naming a blog in honor of oneself is a relatively popular choice, especially if you are an industry leader or already have a following.
What do Audiences Want in a Blog Name?
First and foremost – relatability. If, upon first introductions, readers can get a feel for your blog, and that feeling is a warm, welcoming, and personal one – they’re much more likely to hang around.
Pick Your Blog’s Niche
When it comes to picking your blog’s niche, there are a few factors you’ll want to consider first.
Is it competitive?
Let’s face it, some blog niche markets are saturated. Creating a pro blog in a niche that’s low on pro blogs is an easy ride to making a blog that earns big in 2022.
Is it monetizable?
While most blog hosting sites offer monetization offers from the get-go, the truth is that the majority of a blogger’s income stream flows from affiliate marketing. This is a marketing strategy used by online retailers, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to sell something to – well – sell it.
If you choose a niche that is product and services heavy such as décor, fashion, beauty, or tech – your affiliate horizons broaden, and profits soar.
Can I talk about it for hours?
This one speaks for itself (pun intended.) A natural passion for your chosen niche means a never-ending stream of content inspiration and a genuine interest that leaps off the screen!
Will this topic be relevant in the future?
To create a steady stream of revenue with your blog, you’ll need around 10,000 monthly unique visitors. In other words, you’ll want to pick a blog niche that isn’t going out of fashion anytime soon.
As of now, the most popular blog niches are:
- Digital marketing.
- Blogging and making money online.
- Health and fitness.
- Personal finance and investing.
- Recipes and food.
- Personal development and self-care.
Start your blog by adding WordPress
If you’re serious about blogging, self-hosted WordPress is the best choice for your blog. So, yes, while it’s true you already have a host for your blog, WordPress helps you to launch it into the world.
The cost of building a blog with WordPress can vary, but you can expect to pay an upfront price of $150 – $200. After this, your monthly costs will depend on the optional extras you decide to invest in.
Pick a Theme to Make your Blog your Own
Did you know that Within the first seven seconds of meeting someone new, they’ve already formed a solid, lasting impression of who you are? If the research is to be believed, it also takes only a tenth of a second for them to start determining key traits such as trustworthiness or intelligence.
In other words, humans make snap judgments, which means first impressions matter hugely – yes – even when in the digital sphere.
Add Essential Blogging Plug-ins
Plug-ins are the hacks of the blogging world. They solve all of your problems, meet your needs, and all in the most convenient, easy-to-use way possible. That considered, you’ll be eager to download them all. Don’t.
Too many plug-ins will not only give you a headache it’ll also make your blog clunky, slow, and difficult to use for readers.
Plug-ins We Recommend:
Yoast SEO
Simply put, this blogging plug-in is your one-way ticket to the ranking top spot. It’s a built-in SEO specialist that helps you to curate each blog for not only search engine algorithms but also your readers.
Elementor Website Builder
This handy plug-in can help you create a powerful visual design that’s easy to navigate and speedy, helping you to increase traffic and conversions effortlessly.
Be Consistent
Your blog doesn’t work unless you do. What that means is that you’ll have to invest a lot of time and effort into keeping your blog alive and thriving through a consistent, dynamic, and compelling content creation strategy. If that sounds like a lot of work right now – don’t worry. You’ll quickly get in the swing of things, but here’s a guide to follow to get you started on the right foot.
The Key to Creating Content That Works: Keywords.
Blogs are no longer places where you simply write updates and gain a following. Instead, they are now Google-driven websites that require organic search traffic. For that, you’ll have to choose a keyword for not only your overall blog, but ever blog post thereafter. These are the words that your blog will rank high for when people search for them!
How to Make the Most of your Keywords:
- Put the keyword in your blog’s permanent URL.
- Include the keyword in the title of your post.
- Add your keyword to the first or second paragraph.
- Include the keyword inside of your headings.
- Add the keyword throughout your blog post.
Remember, in addition to text, blog posts that have audio, video, photos, infographics, and other types of visual content perform the best and keep readers engaged.
Start Your Blog Today
There you have it: How to start a blog in 2022. More and more people are becoming bloggers by the day and claiming their slice of the ever-growing profit pie. So, there’s no better time to get in on the action than now, when the market is active and thriving. If the thought of competing is putting you off – don’t let it. As the number of bloggers grows, so too does the number of blog readers. They want to hear what you have to say, don’t keep them waiting!
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