I Started a Blog, Built a Life I Love, And Here’s How You Can Too

Should you had instructed me over a decade in the past that beginning a weblog would fully change my life, I most likely would have laughed.

Again in 2011, I used to be working as a monetary analyst in a demanding job. I used to be commuting to work, spending my days in a small windowless workplace, and dreaming of extra freedom. I had scholar loans to repay, no enterprise expertise, and no concept learn how to run a web site. However I did actually take pleasure in studying about private finance, and I needed to speak in regards to the cash decisions I used to be making – like paying off $38,000 in scholar mortgage debt.

So, I began a weblog – this weblog – Making Sense of Cents – and I started writing about budgeting, aspect hustles, and saving cash. I had no plan to show it right into a enterprise, however I stored writing, studying, and connecting with readers. And slowly, issues began to develop.

At the moment, that little weblog has changed into a multimillion-dollar on-line enterprise. I’ve labored from an RV, a sailboat, a cruise world wide, from essentially the most lovely seashores, and extra. Most significantly, I get to spend extra time with my household and design a life that matches what issues most to me.

Should you’ve ever dreamed of working from house, being your individual boss, or creating one thing that’s truly yours – running a blog may be the trail that will get you there.

On this article, I wish to share:

• How I bought began
• Why I feel running a blog remains to be a sensible concept proper now
• The precise steps you possibly can take to begin your individual weblog
• How one can develop your viewers and generate income from it

Additionally, you possibly can discover ways to begin a weblog in my free How To Begin A Weblog Course. On this free course, I present you learn how to create a weblog, and over 80,000 individuals have taken it!

Why I began my weblog

Like many individuals, I began my weblog as a aspect passion. I didn’t know what I used to be doing, however I loved studying blogs. On the time, I used to be working full-time in finance, and whereas I used to be good at my job, I didn’t really feel fulfilled by it. I needed extra freedom, extra creativity, and extra management over my time.

I additionally had a significant monetary purpose: to cease residing paycheck to paycheck and repay my debt. I used to be studying tons of private finance blogs on the time and thought, “Why not begin my very own?”

I didn’t know learn how to code. I had by no means taken a writing class (effectively, exterior of highschool lessons that I by no means took severely). However I signed up for a weblog and revealed my first weblog publish. That first publish wasn’t fancy, and I didn’t have any readers. And, I had no concept what I used to be doing. However I stored writing.

Over time, I discovered my voice. I discovered about affiliate internet marketing, learn how to develop my pageviews, and learn how to join with readers. I began incomes a number of hundred {dollars} a month, which grew into 1000’s and finally rather more.

What made the largest distinction was consistency. I confirmed up, even when my weblog was small. I shared what I used to be studying and stayed targeted on serving to others. Should you’re pondering of beginning a weblog, you don’t must have all of it found out.

You simply want to begin.

Why you need to begin a weblog too

There are such a lot of causes to begin a weblog, even if you happen to assume the market is saturated. I feel running a blog remains to be nice today as a result of:

• Folks nonetheless learn blogs day by day. Take into consideration what number of occasions you Google one thing and land on a weblog publish.
• Blogs construct belief and authority. If you wish to develop a enterprise, entice purchasers, or share your concepts, a weblog may help you do this.
• It’s low-cost and beginner-friendly. Beginning a weblog prices lower than a dinner out today and doesn’t require a level.
• You may make cash in a number of methods. In contrast to a job the place your earnings is mounted, running a blog permits you to earn from totally different streams (extra on that beneath).

Plus, running a blog is versatile. You possibly can weblog in your lunch break, after the children go to mattress, or on the weekends. I do know many bloggers who began with just some hours per week and now make full-time incomes.

And even if you happen to by no means wish to flip your weblog right into a enterprise, it might probably nonetheless be price it. A weblog provides you a spot to be artistic, construct a group, and share what issues most to you.

Advisable studying: The 25 Most-Requested Running a blog Questions To Get You Began At the moment

What running a blog has finished for my life

Running a blog didn’t simply change my profession – it modified my complete life.

Once I first began, I by no means imagined it will flip right into a full-time earnings, not to mention a enterprise that will enable me to journey the world, work from wherever, and have whole management over my time. I’ve earned thousands and thousands of {dollars} on-line by means of my weblog, however actually, the nonfinancial rewards have meant simply as a lot to me.

Running a blog gave me the liberty to work by myself schedule. I’ve made cash running a blog whereas crusing the Caribbean, climbing in Alaska, and spending mornings with my daughter. I now not have to decide on between work and household, and I can construct my enterprise across the life I truly wish to stay.

It’s additionally introduced me confidence, creativity, and group. I’ve met so many superb individuals by means of running a blog – readers, different bloggers, enterprise house owners, and types I by no means dreamed of working with. I’ve grown in methods I by no means anticipated, all as a result of I made a decision to begin a weblog.

And that’s why I share a lot about running a blog – not as a result of I feel everybody has to weblog, however as a result of I do know what’s potential once you do.

How To Begin a Weblog At the moment

Listed here are the steps I like to recommend if you wish to begin a weblog.

1. Select your weblog subject

Begin by interested by what you like to speak about. What might you write about each week for a 12 months? What do buddies come to you for recommendation on?

You don’t must be an professional. You simply must be desirous about your subject and prepared to assist others.

Some weblog subject concepts embrace:

• Private finance
• Motherhood or parenting
• Journey or RV life
• Well being and wellness
• Crafts or DIY
• Meals and recipes
• Profession recommendation
• Sustainability

Should you’re caught, learn my publish on How To Determine What To Weblog About.

2. Decide a weblog title and area

Selecting your weblog title is a enjoyable a part of the method, however I do know it might probably additionally really feel a bit overwhelming and like a giant choice.

In any case, that is the title that folks will affiliate along with your content material, your story, and your model. However right here’s the reality: You don’t want the “excellent” title to begin. What issues most is that you just begin.

Listed here are a number of tricks to make this step simpler:

• Maintain it easy and straightforward to spell. Keep away from complicated phrases, hard-to-pronounce combos, or lengthy phrases which are arduous to kind. If you need to clarify it each time, it’s most likely too difficult.
• Make it memorable. A catchy title that sticks in individuals’s minds will go a great distance in serving to your weblog stand out.
• Use your individual title (if you wish to). Should you’re constructing a private model or are not sure what area of interest to deal with but, utilizing your individual title provides you flexibility in your weblog subject.
• Test availability. Earlier than you fall in love with a reputation, test that the area (the “.com”) is accessible. You are able to do this simply when signing up for internet hosting by means of Bluehost. It’s additionally sensible to test Instagram and different social platforms to see if the accounts can be found, too. Additionally, I do wish to say that it’s fully regular on your concepts to be taken, you simply need to assume a bit more durable, use a thesaurus, and even ask ChatGPT for extra concepts that sound much like what you’re on the lookout for.

Professional tip: When you’ve chosen your weblog title, go forward and join the matching Instagram and Pinterest handles in the event that they’re obtainable. Even if you happen to don’t plan to make use of them instantly, it’s sensible to lock them in!

3. Arrange internet hosting and set up WordPress

Establishing your internet hosting and putting in WordPress would possibly sound technical, nevertheless it’s truly one of many best components.

Internet hosting is what makes your weblog seen on the web. Consider it like renting area on-line. Your weblog’s textual content, pictures, and content material all stay in your host’s server, and when somebody varieties in your area title, your host delivers your content material to their display.

I personally use and suggest Bluehost as a result of:

• It’s reasonably priced (you will get began for just some {dollars} a month).
• It comes with a free area title on your first 12 months.
• They’ve 24/7 help if you happen to need assistance.

Right here’s a fast overview of what the setup appears like:

1. Go to Bluehost and click on “Get Began”.
2. Select your internet hosting plan – I like to recommend the most affordable plan if you happen to’re simply beginning out.
3. Decide your free area title (or join one you already personal).
4. Bluehost will routinely set up WordPress for you!

As soon as that’s finished, you possibly can log into your WordPress dashboard – that is the place you’ll write your weblog posts, add photographs, and handle all the pieces.

The following factor you may be interested by is learn how to make your weblog look good. Fortunately, you don’t must be a designer to have a pleasant, professional-looking weblog.

Listed here are a number of nice design choices to take a look at:

• DIY Dream Website: These are premade website designs which are simple to make use of, even if you happen to’re not tech-savvy. I truly labored with this similar designer for my very own customized weblog design, and I can personally vouch for a way proficient and detail-oriented she is. Her premade themes are reasonably priced, skilled, and ideal in order for you a great-looking weblog with out spending a ton of cash or hours figuring all of it out. This is without doubt one of the best methods to get your weblog stay, and I like to recommend it you probably have it in your finances.
• Restored 316: These are a few of my favourite WordPress themes as effectively. They’re clear and made particularly for bloggers.
• Begin easy: You may as well select certainly one of WordPress’s free themes to start with. Don’t stress an excessive amount of about design to start with as a result of you possibly can at all times replace your look later.

Your focus proper now ought to be getting your weblog stay and prepared on your first publish. You possibly can at all times refine and rebrand as you develop!

Don’t fear if it feels overwhelming and scary at first. Everybody begins out feeling like a newbie, and also you’ll be taught as you go. You don’t must have your complete website completed as we speak; you simply must take this primary step.

For an in depth tutorial (with screenshots!), take a look at my full publish: How To Begin A WordPress Weblog.

4. Begin writing!

You don’t must publish day by day. Begin with a number of useful weblog posts associated to your subject and reply widespread questions your future readers might need.

Some simple first weblog publish concepts:

• Your private story: Share who you’re, what introduced you to running a blog, and what readers can count on out of your weblog.
• Why you began your weblog: Discuss your targets – whether or not it’s to earn cash along with your website, assist others, or doc a journey.
• 5 or 10 suggestions for one thing in your area of interest: For instance, “10 Methods to Save Cash on Groceries,” “5 Straightforward Toddler Lunches for Daycare,” or “10 Small Habits That Have Made My Life Higher.”
• A newbie’s information: Educate one thing easy, like “Budgeting 101” or “How one can Plan Your First RV Journey.”
• Errors you’ve made: A publish like “5 Errors I Made in My 20s” or “What I Want I Knew Earlier than I Began Freelancing” could be each relatable and useful.
• A problem or purpose: Write about one thing you’re engaged on, like “My No-Spend Month Problem” or “My Plan to Pay Off $10,000 in Debt.”
• Reply a typical query: Take into consideration what individuals usually ask you after which flip your reply right into a useful publish.

I at all times suggest that you just intention to be useful as a result of the extra worth you give, the extra your weblog will develop.

5. Discover methods to develop your weblog

When you’ve began writing, your subsequent purpose is to convey readers to your weblog. Writing is only one a part of running a blog – rising your viewers is what helps you flip your weblog into one thing larger.

Listed here are methods I’d completely use if I have been beginning over as we speak:

• Deal with evergreen, high-value content material – Evergreen content material is content material that stays related over time. These posts proceed to usher in readers lengthy after they’re revealed. Assume posts like “How To Create a Easy Morning Routine That Sticks,” “Methods To Make Further Cash,” or “Suggestions for Touring With a Toddler.” Content material that may be very particular, resembling an occasion that occurs in March 2026, is more durable as a result of as soon as the date has handed, individuals received’t learn it ever once more. After all, content material like this nonetheless works, however it’s one thing to consider so as to hold getting pageviews to your weblog posts for years to come back.
• Construct an e-mail record from day one – Your e-mail record may be very useful and vital. These are your most loyal readers – those who wish to hear from you straight. Create a freebie (like a guidelines or information) to encourage individuals to enroll, and ship common, useful emails. In contrast to social media, you personal your record and might at all times attain your viewers.
• Use Pinterest to drive site visitors – Pinterest works like a search engine, and it’s top-of-the-line free site visitors sources for brand spanking new bloggers. You’ll wish to create eye-catching vertical pins for every weblog publish, write keyword-rich descriptions, and hyperlink again to your content material. Over time, Pinterest can grow to be a significant supply of each day site visitors.
• Use Fb – Sharing your weblog posts on Fb is an effective way to develop a weblog. It’s additionally the place I plan on focusing quite a lot of my time this 12 months. You possibly can be taught extra about this at How I Bought Paid $39,177 Immediately From Fb in One Month Simply To Put up Content material.
• Write persistently – Whether or not you publish as soon as per week or a number of occasions a month, consistency is vital. Google and your readers each wish to know you’re dependable. A gradual posting schedule helps you construct momentum, retains you accountable, and builds belief along with your viewers.
• Community with different bloggers – Among the finest methods to develop is by connecting with others within the running a blog world. Touch upon different blogs, be a part of Fb teams, and collaborate when you possibly can. You’ll be taught a lot and discover alternatives to develop by means of visitor posts, partnerships, and shared audiences.

These progress methods have helped me through the years!

How To Make Cash Running a blog

Running a blog can completely be a enterprise, and it doesn’t need to really feel salesy. Listed here are the principle methods I’ve made cash through the years:

1. Affiliate internet marketing

Affiliate internet marketing is certainly one of my favourite methods to generate income running a blog, and it’s truly how I made my very first weblog earnings. It’s additionally one of the vital beginner-friendly monetization strategies since you don’t must create your individual product or handle stock.

Right here’s the way it works: You suggest a services or products you like, and when somebody clicks your particular monitoring hyperlink and makes a purchase order, you earn a fee. It’s so simple as that. What’s vital is that you just solely promote stuff you really imagine in and which are a pure match on your viewers.

Some examples of affiliate merchandise you would possibly promote embrace (beneath are affiliate hyperlinks or weblog posts that include affiliate hyperlinks so as to see examples):

Affiliate earnings could be semi-passive, too. As soon as your weblog publish or assessment is revealed and ranks on Google or will get shared on Pinterest, it might probably hold incomes you earnings for months and even years without having to be up to date continuously.

My high suggestions for achievement with affiliate internet marketing:

• Be sincere. Share your actual expertise with the product and the way it helped you.
• Write useful, in-depth content material. For instance, tutorials, opinions, comparability posts, and roundups work nice.
• Use clear calls to motion. Inform your readers the place to click on and what they’ll get. For instance: “Click on right here to enroll in _____.”
• Don’t depend on only one affiliate product to advertise. Over time, construct up a mixture of merchandise throughout totally different posts.

Wish to be taught precisely how I earn affiliate earnings by means of my weblog? I train all of it in my course: Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing

2. Sponsored content material

Sponsored content material is when an organization pays you to characteristic their services or products in your weblog, in your e-newsletter, or in your social media. It’s an effective way to monetize your viewers when you’ve constructed up some site visitors and belief.

These partnerships can appear like:

• A weblog publish reviewing or showcasing the product
• A tutorial that options the model naturally
• A point out in your e-mail e-newsletter or a roundup publish

I’ve had the chance to work with many manufacturers through the years. And, you don’t need to be an enormous blogger to get sponsored offers. Many manufacturers work with smaller blogs as a result of they’ve readers.

Suggestions for getting began with sponsored content material:

• Begin by writing about merchandise you already use. Construct up a number of instance posts.
• Tag and point out manufacturers you like on social media and in your weblog posts.
• Pitch straight! Attain out with a brief e-mail explaining who you’re, what your weblog is about, your viewers stats, and the way you’d characteristic them.
• All the time disclose sponsored content material to your viewers.

As your weblog grows, sponsored content material can grow to be a big a part of your earnings, and it really works effectively alongside affiliate internet marketing, too.

You possibly can be taught extra about my sponsored partnership technique in my course Making Sense of Sponsored Posts.

3. Show advertisements

Show advertisements are one of the vital passive methods to earn cash out of your weblog. As soon as your website begins getting constant site visitors, you possibly can apply to premium advert networks like Raptive or Mediavine, and so they’ll deal with the advert placements for you.

These networks pay you primarily based on pageviews, so the extra site visitors you get, the extra you possibly can earn. You don’t need to promote something, write further posts, or pitch manufacturers. You simply earn earnings from readers visiting your website.

Listed here are a number of tricks to benefit from show advertisements:

• Deal with rising your site visitors first (particularly from Google, Fb, and Pinterest).
• Write long-form, useful content material that retains readers in your web page longer.
• Don’t overload your website with too many advertisements – it ought to nonetheless really feel simple to learn and navigate. Too many advertisements could be annoying to a reader (in any case, take into consideration the final time you have been on a website with quite a lot of advertisements – you most likely closed out of the browser quick).

The show advert community I exploit is Raptive, and you may apply when you get 25,000 month-to-month pageviews.

4. Digital merchandise

Promoting your individual digital merchandise is an effective way to develop your weblog earnings and hold full management over what you are promoting. In contrast to affiliate hyperlinks, you get to maintain a lot of the revenue.

Examples of digital merchandise embrace:

I promote digital merchandise, and my first was a course on affiliate internet marketing – it’s grow to be certainly one of my most dependable earnings streams.

Suggestions for getting began:

• Take note of what your viewers is asking for. What issues have they got? What are they making an attempt to be taught?
• Begin small. You don’t want an enormous course to start – a brief information or useful printable is nice.
• Promote your product in your weblog, Pinterest, and e-mail record.

Digital merchandise take a while to create, however as soon as they’re stay, they’ll earn earnings across the clock.

Do you wish to generate income promoting printables on-line? This free coaching gives you nice concepts on what you possibly can promote, learn how to get began, the prices, and learn how to make gross sales.

Regularly Requested Questions

Under are solutions to widespread questions on beginning a weblog and making a living.

How a lot does it price to begin a weblog?

You can begin a weblog for below $100 in your first 12 months for internet hosting and your area title. After that, your prices can keep low until you select to spend money on design, e-mail advertising instruments, or programs.

Do I must be an excellent author to weblog?

By no means. Running a blog is about connecting along with your viewers, not writing a novel. Many profitable bloggers are merely clear, sincere, and useful of their writing. I positively didn’t assume I used to be an excellent author after I began my weblog, and it was not a powerful ability of mine after I was youthful. However, look the place I’m as we speak!

Can I begin a weblog even when I work full-time or have children?

Sure! You possibly can weblog throughout nap time, within the evenings, or on weekends. I do know many individuals who began their blogs with just some hours per week.

How lengthy does it take to generate income from running a blog?

It relies upon, and it is a arduous query to reply, though I do know that most individuals are questioning about this! Some individuals generate income of their first few months, whereas others take a 12 months or extra. The reply relies on quite a lot of issues, like consistency, high quality content material, and site visitors.

Are you able to make $1,000 a month with a weblog?

Sure, you can also make $1,000 a month with a weblog. Many bloggers earn $1,000 a month (or rather more) from their blogs. That earnings would possibly come from affiliate internet marketing, show advertisements, sponsored content material, or digital merchandise. It often doesn’t occur in a single day as a result of it takes time to construct up your content material and site visitors, however with consistency and sensible methods, it’s an actual purpose. In truth, I do know bloggers who reached that stage inside their first 12 months.

Is running a blog nonetheless price it?

Sure, individuals are studying blogs day by day, and running a blog stays one of the vital versatile, scalable methods to construct a web based enterprise or model. I like studying blogs, and it’s nonetheless certainly one of my favourite hobbies.

I Began a Weblog, Constructed a Life I Love, and Right here’s How You Can Too – Abstract

I hope you loved my article on how I began a weblog and constructed a life I like, and how one can too!

Beginning a weblog was the very best choice I ever made. It helped me repay debt, go away a job I didn’t love, and construct a enterprise that matches round my life.

Should you’re even a bit interested in running a blog, I encourage you to take step one. You don’t must know all the pieces. You simply want to start.

Able to get began? Observe my free step-by-step tutorial: How To Begin A WordPress Weblog On Bluehost.

You may as well be a part of my Free How To Begin A Weblog Course, the place I stroll you thru all of it: Free Running a blog Course.

Please go away a remark or ship me an e-mail you probably have any questions.

Thanks!

— Michelle

Are you interested by working from house and making a living running a blog? What would you weblog about?

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