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Wondering how to make money blogging? Blogging can be an excellent flexible work-at-home job but it does take quite a bit of time and effort before you will see an income from it. If you are passionate about a subject and self-motivated earning money as a blogger can be a great choice.

I’ve been working as a blogger since 2006 and it has been the ideal work-at-home job for me. I’m a mom of 6 and have needed quite a bit of flexibility in my work. Blogging has allowed me to occasionally work with my kids and adjust my schedule around their needs.

Your goals may be different. You may want the freedom to travel or the chance to be your own boss. You may even just be looking for a flexible side gig. Blogging can be a great way to work from home and adjust your work to your own needs and interests.

Pros and Cons of Working as a Blogger

Just like any job, working as a blogger has some pros and cons.

First, the positives, because there are a lot of them. Blogging allows you to be a creative entrepreneur. There are so many different ways you can make money as a blogger so you can choose the option that works the best for you. You can work on your own time and build something up that can continue to earn an income or sell it down the road. It is possible to scale a blog in a way that working from home in an hourly position just isn’t possible so it has some great income potential if you are able to find a niche and work hard to make it work.

Now the downsides. Blogging takes some time to build up. You will not earn an income right away and sometimes it takes years to earn anything. As with any small business, it can be easy to spend too much time working because there is no one else to delegate work to (although outsourcing can be a great tool to use). Blogging can be very public if you choose to share personal information so it is important to decide how much you are comfortable sharing before you start.

If you decide that blogging isn’t for you or you need to earn an income from home right away, these 60+ remote jobs may be a better fit for you.

How do bloggers make money?

Before you get started, you probably want to have an idea how you will monetize your blog. There are lots of options available. I’d recommend having several different income streams to keep your income steady.

First, you have the option of blogging for yourself or blogging for someone else. If you need to earn an income immediately, blogging for someone else may be your best option. Many places will expect you to have some writing experience already.

Where to find blogging jobs

• Problogger
• Cracked
• Freelance Writing Gigs (not all of these are blogging jobs but freelance writing jobs can be a great option as well)
• Motherly
• We are Teachers
• Chicken Soup for the Soul

Look for more freelance writing jobs here.

Ways to Monetize a Blog

If you choose to blog for yourself, it will take some time to build up your blog but you have the potential to earn more money in the long term.

There are lots of different options for monetizing a blog. You can start with using just one or two different methods and add income streams as you go.

Some of our favorite ways to monetize a blog are:

• Sponsored posts
• Affiliate marketing – Learn more about affiliate marketing here
• Ads
• Selling eBooks
• Creating courses
• Selling products

For more ways to monetize a blog go here.

How to Start a New Blog

If you’ve decided that you want to start a blog, first you’ll have to create a blog. For monetization, niche blogs are often the easiest to gain traction with. You’ll want to blog about a topic you are passionate about and that can provide information that people are searching for.

Blogging is extremely competitive. However, if you provide information that is useful and do it in a way that is engaging, there is space for many voices online. While it is nice to be unique in the online space, you can set yourself apart with your quality, voice, photos, or whatever else your strengths are.

There are several free options for blogging but I would not recommend them if your option is monetization.

Set up your Blog

Setting up a blog is not overly difficult. There are lots of tutorials that walk you through anything that you are struggling with (Find step-by-step instructions for setting up a blog here). You always have the option of hiring out your blog setup but I’d recommend setting up a basic blog first then hiring a designer down the road once you have built up your blog and it has begun to bring in an income.

• Purchase a domain name and hosting
• Install WordPress and a theme
• Create a blog logo
• Publish blog content
• Promote blog posts

How to Purchase a Domain Name and Hosting

You can purchase a domain name and hosting together or separately. I keep my domain names hosted separately from my hosting account but it is simpler to purchase them together.

You can often get great deals on hosting, especially around holidays. If you know you are going to be starting a blog, you can keep an eye out for deals.

For new websites, you can get affordable and easy-to-use hosting through:

• Siteground
• Bluehost
• Hostgator

A basic hosting plan will work fine for a new blog. You always have the option to upgrade your hosting as your blog grows and needs change.

Join our mailing list to be notified when we come across hosting deals.

Install WordPress and a theme

Once you have your domain purchased and your hosting account set up, you will need to install WordPress and a theme. WordPress is an easy platform to use and it is free. For specific instructions on installing it you will want to look at the instructions from your host. Hosting companies (especially the ones listed above) often have step-by-step instructions walking you through how to install WordPress on your site. Many hosting companies will even install it for you if you get stuck.

WordPress will allow you to create blog content but you will need a WordPress theme to make your blog look more attractive. WordPress does come with a basic theme installed but it does not give you many options.

I love StudioPress themes. Most of my blogs use child StudioPress themes (themes based on StudioPress but customized more) from Restored 316 Designs or ones designed directly by StudioPress.

Create a Blog Logo

Having a memoral blog logo is important. This can be done later on but I’d highly recommend creating a solid logo before you launch because rebranding an established blog can be a lot of work.

You can design your own logo using Illustrator or Canva, for a more user-friendly option.

If you are not a designer, don’t worry. There are plenty of affordable options for getting a great quality logo.

Fiverr is hit or miss but you can find some great designers on there and end up with a $5 logo.

My favorite, if you have the budget for it, is 99 Designs. The logo for this blog was created on 99 Designs and I loved going through the process there.

Designs start at $299 and you received mockup logos from multiple designers. You are able to have them make edits and then choose the logo you like the best. Coming from a place where I didn’t know exactly what I wanted, I loved being able to visually compare different concepts.

Publish Blog Content

Once you have your blog set up it is time to start posting content. It’s best to have about a dozen blog posts before jumping into a blog launch. More content will give people other posts to click on when they come to your blog and keep readers coming back for more.

How to Promote Blog Posts

Hitting publish on a blog post definitely doesn’t guarantee that anyone will see it so you’ll need to put some work into promoting each blog post. With a new blog, you won’t have a base of loyal readers so if you want your posts to be read you’ll need to get them in front of people.

• Share with your family and friends through your own social media channels
• Create social media accounts for your blog and build a following there
• Share in relavent Facebook groups
• Use SEO to grow your traffic
• Create a newsletter and use it to promote each new post
• Guest post on other related blogs and link to your posts

Get creative when it comes to promoting your blog. Once you gain some credibility with your readers you’ll have a larger base to promote each post. Establish yourself as an authority in your niche and be sure to continuously put out high quality work.

Blogging can be such a rewarding way to earn an income from home. You get to be creative and immerse yourself in a topic you really enjoy. For more information on earning an income from home or getting started as a new blogger, be sure and join our Busy Work at Home Mom Facebook Group.