How to Start a Money-Making Blog in ONE Day
This is probably the shortest “how to start a blog” post you’ll ever find online for two reasons: 1) I have zero time for fluff; I want the facts / steps / tools and nothing more—and I assume you do, too. 2) If I can’t FINISH something on the day I start it, it’s never getting done.
“Strike while the irons’ hot,” right? The saying is true in life, in love and in business. Don’t go any farther in this post unless you’re prepared to get it done right now. (Pin it for later and schedule it in your calendar if now’s not a good time.)
FD: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which means I’ll make a small commission if you buy through them. Hope you love them as much as I do!
KNOW THIS:
1. Blogging can be uber profitable. Some blogs I’ve been following for years make upwards of $100k/mo (!!!).
2. You do need to write about stuff people actually want to read. Your content needs to be either entertaining, inspiring or educational — or a combination of the three.
3. Most blogs fail because they don’t start earning money fast enough. Don’t let that happen to yours! Set it up to make money from your first post!
4. Ads are NOT the best monetization route for new bloggers. They can clutter your pages and annoy new readers for a couple of cents (so not worth it IMO). Wait til you have a lot of traffic and then apply to an ad network that pays—and looks—much better.
DO THIS:
Set up
1. Decide where your blog will live aka Squarespace, Wordpress, Wix, etc.
Hint: Wordpress.org is the most customizable while the others are more drag-and-drop, user-friendly.
2. Pick a blog name and purchase your domain aka URL.
Tip 1: You can typically do this inside whichever platform you chose in step one. I’ve done it through Bluehost while setting up hosting (see hint 2), and through Squarespace while setting up a new blog (costs $20). You can also do it through Leadpages and have your website, email-collection and e-commerce all in one place ( from one blogger to another, that’s suuuuper convenient!!).
Tip 2: If you chose Wordpress for your blog’s home, you’ll need web hosting. Bluehost makes it super easy to purchase your domain and hosting all in one (and it’s cheap, reliable, fast and seamless… I’ve used them for years).
Tip 3: If you want your Wordpress blog to look really pretty from day one, I suggest Envato for thousands of themes to choose from.
3. Set up an email collection method because you should start collecting emails and growing an audience from day one. The best options for this are Mailchimp (free for a small list), Leadpages and Convertkit.
Make money
1. Look for relevant affiliate networks to join. A lot of them will approve anyone even with no audience.
Tip: search “brand” + “affiliate program” in Google. Make sure to choose products you actually use/love so your recommendation is authentic.
2. If you’re a pro or offer a service, add a link to email you about booking it. When I first started I’d reply to those inquiries with a PayPal invoice for the cleanse I was selling. You could also set up a Shopify blog on the cheap and accept payments right from your site.
3. If you have an ebook or digital product to sell, you can use e-commerce plug ins like WooCommerce on Wordpress, Shopify as a stand-alone shop or if your blog is on Squarespace you can set up a business account for only $18/mo and sell directly from your site….and they use ApplePay which is amaaazing for your customers.
Get the word out
1. Figure out what platforms your ideal audience is spending their time on and focus your marketing attention there.
Ex: you have a home decor blog, focus on visual platforms Pinterest and IG; you’re a chef, make videos on YouTube and post pretty pics on Pinterest and IG.
2. Stalk other bloggers or businesses in your space and start reaching out to see how you can support them.
3. Write guest posts to start building credibility and get backlinks which helps immensely with SEO.
4. Once you have a few good pieces of content published and you’re getting some traffic, dive deep into your analytics to see what’s working BEST and then focus all future attention on that type of content.
Resources & Refs:
1. Affiliate networks
CJ- stalk thousands of companies searching for people like you to promote their products
Rakutan- another network of companies to promote in any niche
Shareasale- yet another great network to get into
LTK- highest paying affiliate program for fashion and lifestyle bloggers, but you have to apply and have a popular blog to get accepted
ShopStyle Collective- great for fashion, health and lifestyle bloggers. Anyone can join, but commissions are low
2. How to create a one-man (or woman) media company
3. Adam Enfroy- stellar tips on affiliate marketing and how to make money blogging. He gets right to the point and gives exact steps which I LOVE.
4. Smart Passive Income- my first “love” of online business. He has an ungodly amount of info on making money online if you have time for a reeeeeally deep rabbit hole.
TOOLS:
1. Wordpress- ideal if you want a super-customized design
2. Bluehost- cheap, high-speed web hosting that works with Wordpress
3. Squarespace- if you’re not overly tech savvy and/or don’t want to tinker with design non-stop, this is the best option and it always looks amazing.
Tip: you can buy design templates now just like Wordpress! I got one of mine on Etsy from 23&9 Creative and she installed it for me!
4. Convertkit- the absolute best email service provider for creatives (and they have a FREE plan)
5. Mailchimp- free email service provider (up to 2,000 subs)
6. Leadpages- all-in-one website, email service provider and payment platform (for only $37/mo!!). They even have a FREE 70-min course to help you set up your money-making blog super fast.
