Blogging; everybody seems to be doing it. Over the last few years, there has been a lot of hype about Blogging as the new frontier for making money. However, amidst all this din, the actual art of blogging has not received the attention it deserves. It is no wonder that many people who jumped into the blogging craze are still struggling to make a mark. Truth be told, blogging is lucrative if you approach it as an enterprise and not as a hobby.

Must Read: 41 Easy Ways To Make Money Quickly

Blogging for money is not the preserve of the rich and famous anymore. Many of the most recognized blogs including Huffington Post and Techcrunch started humbly but with a vision. More importantly, these blogs were started by individuals who were passionate about their areas of work. If you are planning to start a blog and monetize it, you have to change your perception.

To you, blogging will no longer be a hobby or a platform to boost your personal profile. Instead, you will have to put in a lot of effort, just as you would when building a new business. Like with any entrepreneurial effort, you have to start with hard facts.

One major challenge that beginners in blogging will face is of course lack of concrete information. Luckily, for you, this guide will breakdown and demystify the art of blogging to help you start making money at the end of it all. Below are some of the main questions you will be asked about blogging as you progress towards making money:

Is it Possible to Make Money from Blogging?

How would your family and friends react if you told them you are leaving your well-paying job to focus on your travel blog full time? They will most likely advise you to go for counseling but this should not discourage you because you can actually make good money as a blogger. The Huffing Post, started by Ariana Huffington, rakes in $2.33 million per month while Mashable, started by Pete Cashmore, brings in $600,000 per month.

Well, these figures are not representative of what other blogs make but research shows 14% of bloggers make good money from blogging. They make about $2,000 and considering you will most likely be working alone, this is not a bad start. Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income made $164,274.92 in November 2017.This shows that there is no limit to the amount of money you can make. From a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, you can only limit your potential.

How to Start Making Money through Blogging

Now that you agree that it is possible to make money from blogging, the next step is, of course, learning how it can be done. One mistake most bloggers make is jumping head-on into blogging due to the lure of the lucre. While it is true you can make money from blogging, you have to appreciate that like with any other business, only proper planning will get you the results you desire.

The following are the steps you should follow when setting up a blog:

1. Determine your blogging goals – Before creating your blog, consider what you want to achieve. Are you interested in promoting your blog in order to make money through adverts? Are you selling products or services? You have to choose what to focus on in order to achieve these goals.
2. Identify and understand target audience –You have to get into the element of your target audience in order to create content that suits them. This involves creating personas that define your target readers. Make sure you understand their demographics and preferences and use analytics to get more insight on them. You can also assess the competition to find out how they target your audience.
3. Choose a blogging platform – To build a good blog, you need to choose the best platform. Creating a WordPress blog is easy and fast and this is the most recommended self-hosted blog platform. You should also find a hosting option if you want to create a professional blog that will make you some money.
4. Have great content – This is the holy grail of blogging. You might have the best blog templates but what actually brings readers to this page is content. This means doing research on what your target audience would like to read. There are many online tools to help you determine which keywords to use and these will also help to boost your blog. However, avoid keyword stuffing.
5. Leverage online marketing tools – Video and social media are some of the most popular online marketing techniques and you can also use them to promote your blog. Your content should be highly shareable and include video will make it easier for readers to share the same on social media. Internet users love sharing and this is one reason to include video and image content on your blog posts.
6. Build your audience – You have to promote your content and to do this, borrow search engine optimization (SEO) ideas from webmasters. Social media networks are your first port of call if you want to grow your blog audience. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Reddit, and Instagram are just a few of the platforms you should use to share your posts. Paid advertising can also work to promote your blog and email lists should also be considered to drive traffic.

Ideas for Making Money from Your Blog

Some of the best methods you can leverage to make money from your blog include:

• Advertising banners
• CPM/ PPC/ CPC marketing
• Affiliate Marketing – Your blog gets a commission for every customer brought to a company through your own advertising (Read More About Affiliate Marketing)
• Selling services – These range from consulting and training, writing, and design among other things.
• Product selling – It is now easier to sell on many platforms such as Shopify and Etsy.

The secret to successful blogging for money lies in blending great content, choosing the right niche and targeted marketing. It is important to stay abreast of the best practices in blogging in order to tweak your blog and stay ahead of the competition in your niche. More importantly, make sure you are in control of your blog in terms of meeting objectives, choosing the content, engaging with readers and tracking and evaluating the blog’s performance.

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