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I am going to take a wild guess and assume this is not the first article you have read about starting a blog. Trust me, I know they are everywhere. I read a lot of articles myself before starting this blog. Although blogging is a great side hustle, it does take work. I am going to be upfront with you in this post because I do not want you to assume that you can be a millionaire next week if you start a blog today. Just like any other part-time job, it takes dedication, time, and concentration. If you truly treat blogging as a part-time job, you will be able to make a part-time income.

This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links just mean that I get a little wine money if you decide to use or purchase any of the products I mention. See Terms and Conditions for more information.

If you are looking for a side hustle, blogging can be an excellent option. Blogging has a flexible schedule and you can write in the comforts of your own home. It’s a lot of fun and a great learning experience. I enjoy blogging in the evening time after my kids are in bed. I don’t have to leave the house and I can type in my pajamas…it’s awesome. But if you decide to blog for money, make sure your blog is set up for that.

Setting Up Your Blog

Step One: Pick a Domain Name

Picking a domain name for your blog may be easier said than done. It took me almost a month of constant brainstorming to come up with Budget Like a Lady. Make sure the domain name is easy to read, try to stay away from misspelling words if you can. My experience is when people remember your blog name, they are going to type in the correct spelling in Google Search. You don’t want another blog with a similar name as yours getting your traffic.

Step Two: Get Hosting and WordPress

This is extremely important because this is where you blog is going to live. I suggest Bluehost hosting and WordPress for your platform. Make sure you are signed up with WordPress.org, NOT WordPress.com. Having a WordPress.org blog makes it easier to monetize your blog which that is the goal.

The reason I chose Bluehost for my hosting platform was that many other bloggers recommended it and they have a one-click feature that makes installing WordPress on Bluehost pretty easy. I don’t know about you but I am not technical.

Step Three: Select a Theme

Let’s talk about the “look” of your blog. WordPress has lots of free themes to choose from. If none of those make you happy, you can purchase a theme for under $50 from many reliable websites such as Thrive and Elegant Themes.

Step Four: Add Plugins

Referring to WordPress, there are a lot of plugins available for download for free and for purchase. My top favorite plugins are:

• Sumo (email opt-ins)
• Yoast SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• Updraft Plus (Website Backup)
• WP Smush (Photo size reducer)

Step Five: Write and Publish

Now it is time for you to shine! Write from your heart and be sure to be genuine. Be yourself. Remember, the reader is on your site to hear from you. Don’t be discouraged if the information you write about can be found on a bigger, more popular, website. Your readers don’t care; they want to hear it from you.

Ways to Make Money from a Blog

Now that you have your website ready to make money, how are you going to do that? One of the great things about blogging is that there are many different ways to make money on your blog.

Advertising

Although this is not a revenue stream for me, many bloggers start making money by advertising because it is familiar and the ease of use is good. I do not use advertising on my site. I am not against advertising; it’s just I have not found a platform I would like to use.  There are two main types of advertising on a blog:

Private Advertising – This is when you control who can advertise on your site and what you will charge.

Ad Networks – This refers to networks such as Google Adsense.

Sell a Product or Service

Selling a product or service is a great way to make money from your blog. You already have the traffic, use that to your advantage.

Collect email addresses through Mailchimp (free and paid versions) or Convertkit (paid only but good results) to always have a “warm” list to market to. Your email list will be the foundation of any money making channel you chose so be sure to set that up as soon as possible.

You can sell worksheets, ebooks, planners, and courses. I have bought all of those before from bloggers and those purchases were better than taking a class at any university (sorry Ohio State, my alma mater).

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is when you sell other companies products or services. This is mainly through affiliate links (which are in this post…thanks for helping me out, by the way). Affiliate commissions are often referred to as passive income. In other words, you do the work once and it keeps making you money. This is how many bloggers earn their money. It will work but don’t expect to be a millionaire in the first or second month…or even the20th month. Although it is possible, it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and sleepless months (yes, I said months not nights).

Pet peeve – do not recommend something just to get the commission. I know it may be tempting but if you would not use the product yourself, do not recommend it. Your readers are loyal and trust what you say. Don’t ruin that over money. All of my affiliate links are products I have used (or currently using).

The Reality of Blogging

If you want to make money blogging, you must treat it like a job. You need to market your blog consistently, learn all the SEO tips and tricks, and days off must be scheduled (just like a job).

I don’t want to scare you away from blogging but I am sure you have read the “I have made $121,341 in my first month of blogging” stories. There is a BIG chance this will not be you so don’t get your hopes up to quit your job next week. But it can be you…in time…in a lot of time…

Welp, there you have it. You have started a blog, and now go out and make that money!

Are you ready to make money from your blog?