Do you consider starting a blog? I know that I have been contemplating the idea for months, not even months, maybe even years!
I wanted to set up a new blog, but I didn't know where to start, how much it was going to cost, and if my effort was worth it.
Before I really started blogging, there were many details I wish I knew about blogging.
If I had begun years ago, I would definitely be on my way to achieving this as my full-time income.
Blogging takes time and effort to cover the art, but you're well on your way to being an accomplished blogger once you have mastered that!
There were so many things that I missed out on when I started blogging and I don’t want you to do the same.
Yes!!! You guys are so lucky to have these things known before jumping into the big sea.
Let’s get started.
You Don’t Make Thousands of Dollars Overnight With Your Blog
I have seen so many new bloggers claiming their blogging income was around $1000-$3000! It made me quite excited to launch my blog.
But with you, I'll be genuine.
For the first couple of months, most new bloggers will not make any profit unless you have blogged before and know the fundamentals of monetizing your website and having massive traffic!
My journey around keyword research, SEO strategies, and Google Algorithms took me weeks to learn. If you intend on monetizing your website, these are all things you will need to know.
Do you like to learn more about SEO and the stages of blogging? I have a complete ebook on Blogging & SEO to start earning money in 2022.
If you are just beginning out, the revenue you generate can be anything from literally zero dollars to a couple of hundred a month.
For at least six months to a year or further, I wouldn't bet on making blogging your only income.
Traffic Just Doesn’t Come To Your Blog
Attracting traffic to your blog is a big job. You should get friends and family on your page first because they are excited about what kind of stuff you carry out and possibly just want to support you.
Still, for most people, once the freshness wears off, there are days when you can see your website get zero site traffic most of the day.
There are several popular ways to develop traffic to your websites, such as promoting through your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.
You can also leverage Facebook groups where you connect with other bloggers and use Pinterest (one of the best) to boost blog traffic.
I know, you are curious about organic traffic. That takes time and you should learn SEO-ASAP.
You Have To Invest Some Bucks
Okay, so you can begin with a free blog in the starting, but you need to be self-hosted if you really want to earn money from your blog.
Most hosting providers would allow you to make monthly or yearly in advance (at a greater discount). You can choose what's perfect for you and how you practically feel about it.
Before jumping into hosting and all the chaos first, you have to pick a perfect domain name for your website. So, the domain name is nothing but www. (domain name).com.
You can think of anything that suits your niche. If you are going to blog about food pick something related to that. You can also choose your name if you like to start a personal brand.
For purchasing a domain name, I will suggest Namecheap as they offer a very affordable cost that mostly comes with an offer.
So now you have picked your domain name and it's time to host your website. There are many hosting providers out there like Bluehost, Hostgator, Hostinger, etc. Check all their plans and go for the one that appeals to you.
They all come with a one-click WordPress install. And everyone knows WordPress is the best platform for blogging.
Or else, you can start with Wix (easier to use and they offer to host as well) where this website is built.
Affiliate Marketing Is Not Easy
The first thing many individuals be doing to try to monetize their blog is start affiliate marketing, I think.
When you have high traffic and a dedicated following, affiliate marketing is perfect.
If you are just starting out and do not really have a huge amount of traffic getting to your blog, it can be exceptionally hard.
Affiliate marketing takes a lot of time. You have to collect images while making a blog post, write out customer reviews, review services, and end up linking all of these things through an affiliate network that you suggest.
It is certainly time-intensive!
Blogging Needs Patience
If you think it's going to be so easy to have a full-time job and to blog, it is not really. From personal experience, I can assure you. I challenge every day to try to balance my time.
Of course, you can prepare a clear schedule to make it happen. But you have to stick to it. It may be tiring in the beginning, but if you really enjoy the process you can get through it.
Use the weekends to prepare the topics you want to publish in the coming days. You can also use some scheduling apps like Tailwind if you are regular on Pinterest.
Always brainstorm to get fresh ideas because there are millions of blogs out on the internet and you have to stand out from the crowd.
Final thoughts
Blogging is a great way to earn extra money, but patience and dedication are needed!
If you understand your audience and the things of value that you are looking to promote, you can really make an incredible amount of money and the sky is the limit.
I'm not writing all of this to scare anyone from blogging.
I think getting your own website or blog where you can really do everything you want is the most incredible thing.
It's a perfect way to have a little passion and then make it into a side job that earns money, or maybe your full-time work!
Good Luck and Wishes from my side to make your blog a big success.
xoxo