You’ve probably reached this page because either you have a blog, or are thinking of starting one and want to make money from it. I’ve got a few tips on how to make money blogging and how to start the right way so that you have a better chance of success.
A Self-Hosted Blog Is A Must
A self-hosted blog is a must if you are serious about making money. Free blogging platforms like Blogger and WordPress.com are okay for hobby bloggers, but you will be limited with what you can do.
If you want to work make a business out of your blog then self-hosting is the way to go.
See my post on how to set up a self-hosted WordPress blog. This is with WordPress.org and not to be confused with WordPress.com. The post goes through the steps of installing WordPress on Ionos. I use Ionos and Siteground for my blogs.
Through my Ionos Referral Link, you can earn up to £150 depending on which services you take out.
Install A WordPress Theme
Once you install WordPress you’ll need a theme. There are plenty of free WordPress themes to choose from that can be installed from your dashboard, however, I highly recommend investing in a well designed paid theme that comes with support and is regularly updated by the developer.
I recommend Bluchic themes, all their themes can be used on multiple sites without any additional fees. Updates and support are free for life.
I use Bluchic themes on all my blogs. They provide an installation service if you don’t feel that you can do it yourself. I also have a post that will show you how to install your theme.
Install Recommended Plugins & Create Legal Pages
You’re going to need a privacy policy, terms and conditions, disclaimer and cookie policy with a popup that appears when visitors come to your site allowing them to accept cookies if they wish to.
Legal Pages
Sorting out legal pages for your blog can be a headache, especially if you have no idea about the legalities. Luckily, there’s a handy Legal Bundle that’s as easy as filling in your details and copy and pasting it to each page. This bundle can be bought once and used on multiple blogs that you own.
Plugins
I recommend using the following plugins:
GDPR Cookie Consent – A simple way to show your website complies with the EU Cookie Law / GDPR. Provides a popup and creates a cookie page for you.
Yoast, Rank Math or All in one SEO – These are all good SEO plugins.
Broken Link Checker – This will notify you when there are any broken links on your blog.
Pretty Links – Shrink, track and share any URL using your website and brand! Read my post on how Pretty Links works.
Smush – Reduce image file sizes, improve performance and boost your SEO using the free WPMU DEV WordPress Smush API.
Updraft Plus – Backup and restore: take backups locally, or backup to Amazon S3, Dropbox, Google Drive, Rackspace, (S)FTP, WebDAV & email, on automatic schedules.
Wordfence Security – Wordfence Security – Anti-virus, Firewall and Malware Scan
WP-Optimize – Clean, Compress, Cache. WP-Optimize makes your site fast and efficient. It cleans the database, compresses images and caches pages. Fast sites attract more traffic and users.
WPForms Lite – Beginner-friendly. WordPress contact form plugin. Use our Drag & Drop form builder to create your WordPress forms.
Join Affiliate Networks & Programs
Once you’ve set up and have a few posts published, you can monetize them by adding affiliate links to products and services. If someone clicks on a link and makes a purchase, you receive a commission. For help on adding affiliate links the correct way, my e-book shows you how.
Here are some great affiliate networks and programmes to join:
Amazon Associates – The link to the Associate’s Program can be found at the bottom of the page. This is the UK website.
Awin – A global affiliate marketing network.
Clickbank – Clickbank is an affiliate marketing network offering top quality lifestyle products.
ShareAsale – An affiliate marketing network based in Chicago.
Skimlinks – Skimlinks affiliates product links from your content automatically. Simply add a link and let Skimlinks do the work!
Ultimate Bundles – Offer e-books, courses, printables and resources to your readers for a discounted price.
Place Ads On Your Blog
Apply for Google Adsense and other advertising networks when you have some traffic coming to your blog. You won’t be able to join straight away. Make sure you use Google Analytics and keep an eye on your traffic and sessions over the months.
Mediavine – You’ll be able to apply once your blog reaches 50,000 sessions per month.
Ezoic – To use this ad network it’s recommended you have an average of 10,000 sessions per month.
Join Influencer Marketing Platforms
Find work by joining influencer marketing platforms. I recommend joining the following:
Intellifluence – Get paid to do influencer reviews.
Get Blogged – Join the network of publishers and gain access to paid assignments easily and quickly.
Set Up An Amazon Store On Your Blog
Once you’re receiving affiliate sales through Amazon, try using this Amazon Affiliates Plugin that will quickly add Amazon products to Woocommerce.
I use this plugin on a couple of my blogs. You can find out how it works by reading my post on creating an Amazon store.
There are many ways to monetise your blog and make money blogging. It does take some initial work, but it’s well worth the effort!
