More and more people are realizing that blogging is one of the best ways to make money online, but their question is how to make money blogging. It costs very little to get started, you can build an
impressive and loyal readership over time and once you understand how to make money with your blog it can also generate
some very good income even on those days you don't put in much work.
Blogger and Wordpress are
two places you can set up a blog for free, but it is advised that you get your own domain name so that you won't be bound
by their terms and perhaps have your blog shut down after all of the work you have put in to building it. Getting your
own domain and hosting can usually be done for only $60 or so per year, so you're not talking about a great deal of money.
Since you will own your own domain name, you have the freedom to do whatever you like without the worry of your blog being
removed.
Once you have chosen a domain name, you will want to find a suitable
template for your blog that goes well with your subject matter; you can search for templates on Google and find thousands
to choose from, most of which are free.
Now, how do you make money
blogging?
That's the big question. First, you want to choose
the subject you are going to blog about. This should be a favorite topic, hobby or passion, as it will make your work
easier since you will be writing posts around a subject you enjoy. It can be a blog about married life, kids, careers,
cooking, fishing, celebrities - really any topic you like. Basically, you need to write about a topic you are enthusiastic
about, since you will be posting to your blog several times a week.
Now you've decided on your
subject matter - what to do next? Start writing a few posts - these don't have to be long, usually around 300 to 500
words is plenty. You can look around online at other people's blogs to get a general idea of how this is done.
Some blog owners DO write extremely long posts, but this isn't the norm. Keep it shorter and inject your posts with
a bit of your own unique wit or personality, and your readers will enjoy your musings enough to come back again.
There really are not hard and fast rules when it comes to blogging; your main goal is to write
in a way that captures the attention of your reader. After a few posts, you will get the flow going and find that writing
naturally isn't that hard to do. Just write in a tone of voice like you would use if you were talking to a close friend
and include your thoughts and perspectives on things. There is no need to try to write like a scholar or professor -
in fact, this might just drive the reader away! Basically, be yourself.
Now that you've
written a few great posts, how do you get it in front of people? Here are a few tips:
Join social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Build a great profile and link to your blog! You can
also write articles and submit to article directories, which is a free way to promote your blog. Link to your blog at
the end of the article in your author signature. You can also create a membership on many online forums that are related
to the topic of your blog, and leave a link in your signature when you post on the forums. These are just a few free
promotion methods - there are LOTS more!
Now for the REAL question: How to earn money blogging?
Google Adsense and affiliate products are the most common methods used to make money with a blog, and most are free so you don't have to spend any money to make money. Google ads are simply ads that are related to
the content of your blog. These ads are displayed alongside your posts, and when a reader clicks on an ad, you generate
income. Affiliate products can be found online with thousands of merchants - you simply key in what you are looking
for. For example, if your blog is related to golfing or cooking, do a Google search on "golf bags+affiliate program"
or "cooking utensils+affiliate program" and you will be shown the results for programs you can join up with at no
cost to promote their products/services on your blog.
And once you’re more established you can offer ad space on your blog too, and charge
a fee for both classified and display ads if you wish. What could be better than setting your own price?
But there is one final step you can take with your blog if you enjoy a change of scene every
now and again. You can sell your blog! Once it is established and has plenty of revenue and traffic, you can usually sell
it for ten times its monthly revenue.
Once you understand the concept and
have your blog well on the way generating income, simply start the process again with another blog on a different subject!
Multiple streams of income can lead to a very lucrative online income. Hope you have enjoyed these tips on how to make
money blogging.