Looking for a little extra pocket money? or maybe you are looking for a new full time job that you can do from home? Well maybe Blogging is for you. There are many successful Bloggers out there who earn a decent living by Blogging on their own Blogs, if this sounds like it may interest you just keep reading.
Before you do anything you need to decide the topic you will be Blogging about, for example I try to stick to writing articles related to Technology and Computing. You could choose anything you want from Animals to Sport, but its always best to pick a subject you are actually interested in.
Now if you haven’t already you will need a Blog, there are free services that offer a hosted Blog for you like blogger.com but I have heard of people having them randomly deleted for no reason. Also you will have less control over what you can do with your Blog and how it can be customised.
So now you will need a basic hosting account to get you started, this can be upgraded at a later date. For hosting I suggest Vidahost, they offer great support via phone or email and the service is very reliable. You will get a free domain name included, for example mine is chrislowthian.co.uk. Try an pick a domain name which reflects you or the subject you are writing about.
Once your Web Hosting is sorted you will either need to Download and Install WordPress or some Web Hosts (including Vidahost) offer a one click install of WordPress from your Web Hosting Control Panel.
Above is only a quick guide to help you get your Blog online so if you need any help or advice please use the comment form below and I will do my best to help you.
Now lets assume your Blog is online and you have started posting some really interesting articles. You now need to start earning money from it too. Here are some ways you can start to earn money:
Google Adsense
Adsense is probably the most popular way to earn money, it works by adding targeted ads to your website and when people click on the ads you will earn money, you can see examples of these adverts in the sidebar and the post pages of this Blog. There are also similar services including adbrite.com and directcpv.com.
Kontera
This service automatically adds links to certain keywords on your site and when your sites visitors click on these links you will earn money, it won’t be a huge amount but over time it does build up. You can see examples of the Kontera links in this article. Sign up here.
Uploading.com
This service will offer two services for you, it will host your files for you that you want to share with your visitors, it will also pay you every time someone downloads one of the files you have uploaded. You will be surprised how much money you will earn over time, you can sign up here.
Affiliate Links
This can be a big money earner for Bloggers, I use one main affiliate link on my blog and that is for Vidahost Web Hosting they give me a whopping 25% commission for anyone that signs up to a hosting package using my link. You can get an affiliate link for pretty much anything including Web Hosting, WordPress Themes and Insurance Companies.
Product / Service Reviews
This is more for when your Blog is more established and you have a good following. You can start writing product reviews for manufactures and software developers, you may be able to ask for a fixed amount for reviews or they may offer you a certain amount per review.
Content
Post at regular intervals, don’t post one week and then leave it for 3 weeks. You need to post every few days if possible, at the end of the day the more posts you have made the more chance you have of people finding your posts and continuing to follow you. Another thing which will help gain visitors to your site is to post about current trends, for example if a new iPhone got released create a post talking about its new features, how it compares to the older model and what the retail price is. You could even setup an affiliate link to a mobile phone supplier to earn you a little more money.
Simple and Easy to Navigate Design
If you look at the theme I am using on this Blog you will notice it is fast loading, simple in the way it is designed and easy to navigate. This is great for user experience, if your visitors feel comfortable when viewing your site they will be more likely to come back.
Patience
The last and most important thing to remember is to BE PATIENT don’t expect to start a Blog and have loads of traffic and earn loads of money, it will take a few months, just don’t give up and keep posting. All of a sudden you will see an increase in visitors which is one of the best feelings in the world.
If you have any questions or need help or advice just post below using the comment form and I will do my best to help. I can offer advice on anything WordPress, Web Hosting and Blogging Related.
