Don’t let anyone fool you, making money with your blog is not some get rich quick scheme. It’s something that could, and most likely will, take time, effort, and investments.
I’m not here to discourage you from starting a money-making blog. Actually, this post is all about what you need to start a money making blog!
Making money with your blog might not be easy, but it definitely isn’t impossible! So many people are doing it, but they all had to start somewhere. Here are 7 things you need to start a money making blog!
7 Things You Need To Start A Money Making Blog
This post may contain affiliate links. You can read more about affiliates in our disclaimer.
A host for your website
Whether you’re trying to score brand deals and paid sponsorships, you want to run ads on your site, or you want to offer paid services to your readers, you’re going to need your website to be self-hosted.
A host is a business that provides the services and tech you need to run your website. There are tons of hosting providers to choose from, like my personal favorite Siteground! (More on why I love Siteground so much a few paragraphs down..)
Being self hosted is pretty much essential when you’re looking to start a money making blog. Often times affiliate and ad networks require you to be self-hosted to join their programs. And if your goal is to offer paid services to your readers, create an online shop, or try to sell anything on your site, you’ll look so much more professional, reliable, and serious when you’re self-hosted. (And those are all very important things!)
There really are a lot of different web hosting providers to choose from, but there are a few things you should consider when shopping around for one. First and foremost, you want your host to be efficient and reliable, you want your website to be fast and you want little to no website downtime. Second, you want an easy to use platform, (because who has time to deal with something that’s difficult to learn and maintain?), and a good support team. Third, is price. You want your host to be affordable.
And guess what?! Siteground has all of them! I use their GrowBig Plan to run Blogging Babes and my other website for the past year, and I really can’t say enough good things about them! Siteground is reliable, easy to use, and has the absolute best support system!
A domain name
If you make the choice to go self-hosted with your blog, which like mentioned above is highly recommended, you’re going to need a domain name.
A domain name is basically your website. For example like bloggingbabes.co or alexandraquinlann.com. Your domain name should be the same as your blog name, you don’t want to confuse your readers!
A quick domain name tip: come up with a list of a few different names you like. There is a chance someone may have already purchased the domain name you want and is trying to resell it for an absurd amount of money, (we’re talking hundreds). Have a good backup plan, like other names, and don’t be afraid to try out other domain extensions like .co or .blog if your .com name is already taken!
There are a number of websites you can purchase a domain name from like NameCheap, GoDaddy, or GoogleDomains. When searching for a domain name, try shopping around and see what prices different sites offer you. Or if you’re planning to use Siteground as your host, you can actually purchase and register your domain name directly through them! Another reason why I love Siteground!
An About + Contact Pages
You may not think these two things have anything to do with starting a money making blog, but they have a lot to do with it. Your “About: and “Contact” pages are two of the most important pages on your blog!
Your “About” page is where you tell your readers a little about yourself and what your blog is all about. The “About” page on your blog is also where people and brands who might want to work with you, can figure out if you’re the right fit for them or not! This is part of why it’s an important page on your site.
Quick tip: when writing your “About” page focus mostly on what your blog is about and what you’ll be providing your readers, and then provide a little bit of information about yourself.
The “Contact” page on your blog is where people will find your contact information. You can set it up however you want, but there are a few things you definitely want to include. Make sure you leave an email address that you can be reached at, and don’t forget to let brands know on your “Contact” page if you’re available for sponsorships or collaborations.
Need a little “Contact” page inspo? Feel free to check out ours!
Disclaimer/Privacy Policy/Terms and Conditions
If you want to start a money making blog, you need to have three pages set up on your blog. Those three pages are your Disclaimer, your Privacy Policy and your Terms and Conditions. These pages protect you and your site legally.
If you’re planning on running ads, selling items or services, collecting email addresses, or using affiliate links on your site you absolutely need to have these three pages.
It is recommended to have your Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, and Terms and Conditions written up by a professional. If you try writing them yourself, you could possibly forget something, leaving yourself vulnerable to lawsuits and potentially a loss of money. And that’s obviously not fun!
Having a professional write up your legal pages could end up costing you a bit of money, but Amira at A Self Guru offers an affordable, one-time solution. She offers a Legal Bundle that includes a template for your Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, and Terms and Conditions. Her templates are easy to use and help protect you and your site legally. This is one of the most important investments you can make for your blog, and I strongly recommend Amira and her Legal Bundle to everyone!
Join Affiliate Networks
You have our website up and running, and you have your legal protection set up, so now it’s time to start applying to and joining affiliate networks!
Affiliate networks are programs you can join to access affiliate links to use on your blog and social media sites. Every program has different rules and different requirements to sign up. Be sure to read and follow all of their rules. Not adhering to their rules could result in you being removed from their affiliate program, which is so not cool.
Also, try not to go affiliate-crazy, and sign up for every single affiliate program around. Instead, join programs and use links that relate to what you blog about. This makes it look way more natural when you include affiliate links in your content, instead of just looking like you’re trying to sell something.
Don’t know where to start when it comes to joining affiliate programs?
Here are a few of my favorite, and some of the most popular, affiliate programs to join:
Social media accounts
Imagine you just wrote the best blog post ever. Now imagine no one ever reading that post because they have no idea it’s been published.
Social media is one of the best ways to promote all of your latest blog content. Utilizing your social media accounts to drive more traffic to your site can definitely help you turn it into a real money making blog.
Each platform is different, so different strategies are key. Twitter is great for post promotion and engaging with your readers on a more personal level. Instagram is great for showcasing your photos, whether you choose to share behind the scenes of your blog, show off your makeup skills, or post inspiring quotes. Facebook is great for short-form blog content, so you can certainly use it to expand on some topics and ideas you’ve talked about in a post on your site before.
Play around and take your time figuring out the social media strategies that work for you and your blog! Oh, and don’t underestimate the power of organic promotion via social media!
The right mindset
Be patient. Understand that from the beginning there will be failures and things won’t always go your way. It will be a lot of work and a bit of a learning curve, but you will get there and you will succeed.
Starting a money making blog isn’t an overnight thing, but if you work hard, and if you make sure you have the 7 things mentioned in this post, you will definitetly get there!
Now go out there and slay the blogging game bb!
Thanks for sharing these tips, I learned a lot. ❤❤
So happy to hear that! (:
Great uplifting post and information. Thank you.
Thank you! (:
Very great tips for a newbie like me! Especially the legal part!
It’s sometimes overlooked, but it’s so important to have your site legally protected!
Great post! I’ve been working on making this year the year that I make some money on my blog. While I’ve always made a very little amount on my blog, I’m going to take some of these steps to allow me to make more than I ever have before. xxx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Yay! I can’t wait to see where your blog takes you!! (:
Eh! You really know your way around life online (see what I did there)…
These are good tips. Thank you! I’m done with steps 1-3. Twendekazi
Haha! Thank you! (:
Loved this! It’s really insightful
Thank you!! (:
Awesome tips! There’s things I definitely want to accomplish with my blog site. One of the plans would be to transition to a self hosted site. ♥️
That’s a great idea! So many more opportunities for your blog when you’re self-hosted! (:
Thanks so much for these helpful tips! I will be saving this! 🙂
So happy you found this helpful! (:
Cool tips. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you! (:
Beginning is harder but all hard works pay off and worth it. Very helpful post. Thank you so much!
That’s true! It’s a little challenging at the beginning, but once you get more comfortable, it becomes easier!
This is a great list of items you need to start making money one a blog. Mindset is huge! There are some weeks when I am burnt out with life and don’t feel like blogging. Those weeks I try to push myself to get something typed up or I just end up missing that week, which is a bummer. My blog is fairly new, so I am trying to be patient and hope that there is an awesome outcome at some point.
There will be! Be patient, be consistent, and take breaks when you need to! You will find success blogging! (: