If you click on the links in this post, we may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post, at no extra cost to you. You can read the full disclaimer here.
A lot of people have asked me how you can make money blogging. Well, there are a number of ways you can make money blogging – and you don’t need any experience blogging or running a website to do so!
Step #1: Get A Blog
The first thing you need to do is actually get a blog – because how can you make money with a blog if you don’t have a blog? If you already have one, you can go ahead and skip to the next point. But if you don’t, keep reading.
Now, if you don’t have a lot of experience creating websites, don’t worry. That scared me off from blogging initially, but I found it a lot easier than I thought it was going to be, and I do not have any kind of computer science degree.
Here are 3 great ways to start a website if you’re a beginner:
- WordPress: WordPress is extremely popular with bloggers; in fact, per WP Engine, 28% of all websites are built with WordPress. It’s not hard to see why because it is a way for you to have an extremely professional looking website without having to do any kind of coding. And because it is so popular, there’s a lot out there that can help you if you have any problems. I go into detail here how to get started with WordPress.
- HostGator Website Builder: I really like HostGator’s new Website Builder (I go into why I love HostGator’s new Website Builder here) because it is incredibly affordable, professional looking and you can get started without having to know any coding. This is definitely something to check out for anyone who is starting their first blog.
- Weebly: Another popular way to get started without experience is Weebly. Weebly has free options, but I do not recommend them because then “Weebly” will be part of your web domain and in order for affiliate programs or Google (I go into that later) to take you seriously, you’re going to want a domain name that is just your blog name (for example, if your blog is called Omaha Mom Musings, you’re going to want “omahamommusings.com” to be your web address). Plus if you buy a Pro or Business Weebly Account, you can get a free $100 Google credit which is a wonderful way for you to advertise your new blog and get new readers.
After you start you blog, I would recommend writing some blog entries before you try to monetize it.
Step #2: Monetize Your Blog
Now that you have your blog up and running, it’s time to start making money! There are actually a number of ways to do that:
- Google Adsense: One way you can make money is through Google ads. You sign up for a Google Adsense account and then you’ll be able to add google ads to your website. You’ll make money when ads are seen or clicked. This is one of the easiest ways to start making money with your blog because once you get the ads on your website, Google is the one that will get the ads for you and then pay you once you reach a certain threshold.
- Getting Affiliates: Another great way to earn money is through affiliate links. There are a large number of companies, including big names (such as Amazon, Ebay, Walmart, Best Buy, etc.) who have affiliate programs. You can put their banners on your website and you can mention these affiliates in your blog entries along with a special link to their website that will track customers (for example, if you are writing about a great teething ring that you can buy on Amazon, you can link to Amazon). If someone who clicked on a link makes a purchase, you’ll get a percentage of the money. I go into more detail about affiliate marketing and how to find companies with affiliate programs here.
- Sponsored Posts: This is where you are paid for a blog post on your blog, which could be written by you or an advertiser. This is actually something I have not done before, but I know other people have had success doing it.
Step #3: Increase Your Traffic to Make Money
Now, it probably goes without saying that you’re going to need to get people to go to your website in order to make money. If you want to increase your web traffic so you’ll make more money with the above options, here are a few ways:
- Do Bing Ads: One way to get more traffic to your website is through ads. You could do Google Ads and that will help your traffic, but I personally recommend trying Bing Ads. I’ve had more success with Bing Ads, plus Bing Ads has a great deal going where you can get $100 of free Bing Advertising. Also, if you want to do ads, you should know that if you go with HostGator you can get a $100 Google Ads Credit & a $100 Bing Ads credit for free & if you go with a paid Weebly Account you can get a free $100 Google Ads Credit!
- Start an e-mail newsletter: This isn’t getting you more people to visit your website per se, but it is getting people to keep coming back to your website. The more time they spend on your website, the more likely they are to click on a link and make you money. I recommend using Constant Contact to get an e-mail newsletter going.
Pin for later – save this to Pinterest!