How to Become a Blogger: 5 Steps to Make Money (2024)

Do you want to quit your 9 to 5 job and become a full-time blogger? I’ll show you how to start a blog that makes money.

For 5+ years, I’ve been blogging and making money online. This easy step-by-step guide is the best way to start a profitable blog – and the best part is, it’s only takes about 10-15 minutes to get your blog up and running.

Just a few years ago, I didn’t know people could make money at home by blogging. I had no idea how to become a blogger or how to make money online. It was a new concept to me, but I was definitely intrigued.

Now, I earn over $100,000 from blogging. It feels like one of those “pinch me” moments and I can’t believe how much my life has changed since I started blogging!

How to Become a Blogger in 5 Simple Steps

1. Create an action plan to become a full-time blogger.
2. Start your blog with Bluehost.
3. Write awesome content and drive traffic to your blog.
4. Build an email list of engaged readers.
5. Monetize your blog.

If you’re ready to get started on becoming a full-time blogger, you can head straight to Step One.

How I quit my 9-5 job to become a blogger

When I got my first 9 to 5 job, and I was earning an entry-level salary. I quickly learned that the traditional idea of climbing the corporate ladder didn’t exist anymore, and unless I jumped from job to job, it was difficult to get ahead.

Waking up every morning at 6:00am and riding a jam-packed metro train wasn’t fun. Then, I would get into work and realize that my introvert personality didn’t fit in the office’s extrovert world.

I was miserable and constantly questioned what I was doing with my life. Then one day, I read this quote:

“Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for – in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.”

This absolutely terrified me. I couldn’t help but think that this was becoming my new “normal”.

This forced me to do some soul searching and determine what I really wanted to do in life. So, I saved enough money to quit my job and go back to school.

I started this blog shortly after I quit my corporate 9-5 job. I was looking for a creative outlet while I was in school, and it felt like God was calling me to start writing.

I didn’t know anything about how to become a blogger and make money. I learned everything through trial and error.

Blogging is a skill that takes practice. The first blog post I wrote a TOTAL MESS. but that’s OKAY! Done is better than perfect. It takes time to develop your own voice.

In the beginning, I devored tons of free articles on how to make money blogging, but the best information came from thispaid course I took.

There was no “aha” moment in my blogging journey. I became a full-time blogger because I worked hard to make it happen. It was my dream to be my own boss and make money doing what I love!

Now it’s YOUR turn to make your dream of becoming a full-time blogger come true.

But first, you may be wondering – what is a blog?

What is a blog and should I start one?

A blog is a website that is regularly updated with new content on a frequent basis. This new content is referred to as “Blog Posts” or “Posts”, which are usually written in an informal or conversational style.

The goal of a writing new blog posts is often to attract new readers or to earn an income online.

Right now you’re visiting my blog and reading this blog post on how to become a blogger. Pretty awesome, right?

So the big question is, should you start a blog? In short, yes! If you enjoy writing, blogging is one of the easiest (and most affordable) ways to launch your own business from home.

You don’t need to be professional writer, know any coding, or even be an expert on the topic you decide to blog about. NOPE! You just need to 1) Choose a niche that you’re passionate and 2) Make sure that it has the potential to make money.

Sounds good? Yeah? Then let’s get started!

Here are the five steps I took to turn my hobby blog into a full-time job. In this post, you’ll learn how to become a blogger and get paid to do what you love, regardless of your age, location, or experience.

I’ll also share some of the blogging resources that I used to help me grow my blog traffic and generate more income.

Related Posts:

• How to start a WordPress blog with Bluehost
• What NOT to do when starting a blog: 10 rookie mistakes
• How to choose a profitable blog niche

STEP 1. Create an action plan to become a full-time blogger

The first step to becoming a full-time blogger is to create an action plan. This is the step you need to do BEFORE starting your blog.

PRO TIP: You don’t want to skip this step. It’s important for building the foundation of your blog. Once you have your game plan laid out, it will accelerate your ability to become a full-time blogger.

What should your blogging game plan include? You’ll want to include these key things:

Decide what you want to blog about

This is the hardest step because it’s the first thing you have to do before starting your blog. Isn’t the first step always the hardest?

When deciding what you want to blog about, I recommend choosing a topic you’re passionate about. This is the best way to keep blogging fun and not feel like a chore. Here’s a prompt that can help you start brainstorming ideas:

“What topic(s) could I enjoy talking / writing about everyday?”

The great thing about blogging is that your website can be about anything! It’s really up to you what you want to blog about. Pretty cool, right?

What type of blogs make the most money? Below are some ideas:

• Finance (side hustles, budgeting, frugal living, investing)
• Lifestyle (mom blog, dad blog, religion, well-being, fashion, beauty, home decor)
• Fashion (luxury fashion, street fashion, budget fashion, capsule wardrobe)
• Animals (pet care, gift ideas, behavior and training, pet health and food)
• Education (homeschooling, tutorials for kids, tutorials and training for adults)
• DIY (crafts, reviews, respurposing furniture, holiday crafts, home decor, sewing)
• Home (decor, flooring, painting, DIY projects)
• Fitness & Health (at-home fitness, yoga, cycling, strength traning, crossfit)
• Travel (luxury travel, budget travel, family travel, solo travel, region specific travel)
• Relationships (dating advice, marriage advice, wedding and engagement, pregnancy)
• Food (vegan, family meals, keto, paleo, healthy cooking, baking, ethnic food)
• Family, and more!

This is definitely not a complete list. The possibilities are endless when it comes to blogging.

Still not sure what to blog about? Read more tips here on How to Choose a Profitable Blog Niche.

Choose your blog name (domain name)

Your blog name doesn’t have to be complicated, but many people overthink and get stuck on this step!

My advice is to always keep it simple. Having a catchy blog name is not going to make you more money. Simple names (that are easy to spell) are the best option.

Your domain name is the URL for your website. For example, my domain name ismintnotion.com. Here are a few helpful tips for choosing your domain name:

• Search for your domain name online
  I recommend doing a Google search to see if any websites exist with a similar name to the one you’re thinking of using. You’ll also want to check social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram) to see if the handles you want to use are available.
• When in doubt, use your own name as your domain name
  Using your own name as your domain name is a simple choice. Especially if your blog’s brand is going to be about you – such as you’re an author, coach, or you want to be an influencer.
• Things to avoid
  Try to use .com for your website and avoid using hyphens in your name. Short names are often easier to remember than long or descriptive names.

Remember these are just my suggestions, and you are welcome to choose any name you wish. This is your blog, have fun with it!

Determine your ideal reader / target audience

Many people don’t even think about this step, but it’s super important if you want to be a full-time blogger. Having a clear target audience can help your blog grow faster and make more money.

Ask yourself – Who is your ideal reader?

Many people start a blog to help others overcome a struggle they used to have. Here are some examples:

• Example #1: Someone who wants to get healthy and lose weight starts a fitness blog to share their journey with others. Their blog can inspire others who are in a similar situation as the author.
• Example #2: Someone who wants to pay off student loans starts a blog to share their journey towards getting out of debt. Their blog can inspire others who want to get out of debt too.
• Example #3: Someone who wants to eat healthy meals at home starts a food blog sharing delicious recipes for couples. Their blog can help other couples who are looking for easy recipes they can cook at home.

Here are some questions that you’ll want to answer when determining your ideal reader:

• Why are you blogging?
• Who is your target audience?
• What is their pain or problem?
• How can you solve it?

Set goals for your blog

Setting a goal for your blog is important for building the foundation of a successful website. Every full-time blogger sets goals for their blog.

Here are some goals that you should ideally set for your blog:

• How many blog posts you plan to write each month. For beginners, I recommend writing one new blog post per week.
• When you plan to work on your blog (For example, if you currently have a full-time job, you can work on your blog in the mornings, evenings, or on the weekends).
• How you plan to drive traffic to your blog (I recommend focusing on SEO and Pinterest. You can also share your blog with your friends and family).
• How you plan to make money from your blog (You can earn money from display ads, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, or selling your own products / services).

Setting goals puts you on the right path. It helps you know what you’re working towards so you can become a full-time blogger faster.

STEP 2. Start your awesome blog

Now that you’ve laid out the game plan for your blog, it’s time to start your awesome blog. (This is the exciting part that I know you’ve been waiting for!)

By starting your blog today, you’ll be miles ahead of everyone else who hasn’t started their blog yet.

Choose your web hosting

To start a blog, you need to get web hosting. This is where your blog will “live” on the internet. Your web host provided storage space and access for your blog.

What is the best web host? While there are many web hosting companies to choose from, I recommend Bluehost.

This is one of the most established, reliable, and affordable companies in the industry. The blogging platform and web host combination I used when I first started was a WordPress blog, hosted by Bluehost.

You can create your own blog here in my easy, step-by-step tutorial. For as little as $2.95 USD per month, you can start a blog within minutes, plus you’ll get a free domain name when using my tutorial.

I also recommend signing up for my free 5-day blogging course if you need extra guidance.

Choosing a WordPress theme

Now that you’ve started your blog, it’s time to make it pretty!

Bluehost uses WordPress because it’s one of the best blogging platforms. It’s an easy-to-use content management system and most professional bloggers use WordPress.

I recommend choosing a good WordPress theme for your blog. This is important for creating a blog that provides a good experience for your readers.

If you want to choose a premium theme, I recommend going with a Kadence theme for your new site. This makes it easy to change the look and feel of your blog.

Once your site runs on the Kadence Framework, you can choose from a variety of Child Themes, which is the design of your blog. Below are some of my favorite WordPress themes:

• Splendor Theme – This is the theme that I’m currently using on this website.
• Sage Theme – This theme is great for food or lifestyle bloggers.
• Willow Theme – This theme is great for travel or lifestyle bloggers.
• Farmhouse Theme – This theme is great for mom blogs, lifestyle blogs, home decor sites and more.
• Beloved Theme – This theme is great for any type of blogger.

If you need some guidance, take this quiz to find out which WordPress theme is best for your blog – Which theme is best for your website?

Paid vs. Free WordPress theme:Don’t worry if you’re not sure which paid theme to get in the beginning. You can choose a free theme for now. This is a great way to play around with WordPress and help you figure out what you want when choosing a paid theme later.

How to write a blog post

You’ll need to create high quality conent if you want to become a full-time blogger. Don’t worry about perfecting your blog posts in the beginning. Remember, done is better than perfect.

The more you practice writing, the better your blog posts will get over time. I write all my blog posts in Word, then copy and paste into my WordPress dashboard.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when writing blog posts:

• Keep your ideal reader in mind
  When writing your blog posts, you want to make sure your content is directed towards your target audience. The best way to do this is to pretend that your audience is a single person and you’re writing an email to him or her (like you’re sending a message to a friend).
• Provide value
  Your blog posts should have a take-home message. This can be to encourage your reader to take action, inspire your reader, motivate your reader, or help your reader learn how to do something. (For example: I am teaching you how to become a full-time blogger in this post).
• Re-read and edit your blog posts
  You want to make sure that your blog posts are free from spelling and grammar mistakes. I recommend using Grammarly, which is a free tool, to help you proofread your blog posts.
• Include quality photos
  Blog posts that contain at least one photo usually receive more engagement than articles that contain no photos. You can take your own photos or use free stock photo sites like Canva to find quality photos.

STEP 3. Drive traffic to your blog

Now that you’ve started your blog and published a few blog posts – it’s time to drive traffic to your blog!

When I first started my blog, I used to think,“if you build it, they will come”.

Unfortunately, this was a terrible strategy because if you a build a blog (no matter how amazing it is), no one will come UNLESS you know how to drive people to your site.

How do you get people to your site? You NEED to find where your ideal reader (target audience) hangs out and drive them to your blog.

How do you find where your audience hangs out?

• Be active on social media
  Pinterest is my favorite social media platform to drive traffic to my blog. A lot of my readers hang out on Pinterest, so it’s a great place to share content that my audience finds interesting. Other social media platforms you might find helpful are YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Twitter.
• Make your blog posts easy to share
  When people visit your blog, you want to make sure your content is easy to share. This means your sharing icons should be easy to find. I like using Social Pug for this.
• Make it easy for your readers to explore your website
  If you want to increase your page views, make it easy for your readers to check out more blog posts on your website. I like doing this with an easy-to-navigate menu and sharing related content in my blog posts.
• Post regularly
  You should aim to publish a new blog post once per week. If you go for months without publishing new content, your readers might forget about your blog.
• Learn SEO
  Improving your SEO (search engine optimization) will help your blog posts rank higher in Google search. I recommend using the Yoast SEO plugin (it’s free) to help guide you.

Traffic from Google is considered better quality traffic than from social media. This is because people who are searing for content on Google, are actively looking for information to help them solve a problem and they’re more likely to buy than someone who is scrolling through Instagram or Facebbok.

I took the course, Stupid Simple SEO, which helped me grow my organic traffic by 278%! It’ll teach you everything you need to know about Google search console and keyword research to help you blog posts rank high on Google.

By using these tips, my blog now receives 200,000 monthly visitors! This is all FREE traffic by the way. I have never used paid ads to get traffic to my blog.

Drive traffic to your blog – Check out this free traffic bonus guide here. It includes practical tips on how to grow your blog quickly.

STEP 4. Build your email list

Want to build a loyal following? Start your email list!

Once people start visiting your blog, you want to make sure they can subscribe to your email list. This lets you send them new blog posts, make them aware of special offers, and provide them with quick tips.

The best part about building your email list is that you own your email list.

Social networks come and go and algorithms can change, but your email list remains the same. Plus, your email subscribers are more likely to be product buyers. This means if you ever decide to sell a product or service, you need an email list.

I recommend using one of these email providers:

• Mailchimp(free for up to 2,000 subscribers)
• Convertkit (created specifically for bloggers and the one I personally use)

STEP 5. Make money from your blog

This step is obvious if you want to become a full-time blogger. You need to figure out how you’re going to make money from blogging. You’ll also want to decide what a full-time blogger income means for you.

Do you want to make $2,000 per month? $5,000 per month? $10,000+ per month?

How do bloggers get paid?

There are lots of ways you can monetize your blog. Below are the most common ways beginner bloggers make money. By combing a few of these popular strategies, you’ll be able to earn a full-time income from blogging.

Read Next: 5 ways to make money on Pinterest

PRO TIP: Don’t put your eggs into one basket. All successful bloggers have multiple income streams. This means they make money by using at least 2 or more of the following monetization methods.

Display advertising

Almost all new bloggers start by making money from display ads. This monetization method is based on page views. The more page views your blog gets, the more money you’ll make.

Most people use Google Adsense in the beginning. But I recommend focusing on growing your traffic so you can apply for Mediavine or AdThrive. These are higher-paying ad companies.

Affiliate Marketing

This is where you promote someone’s product or service. You can earn a small commission for each qualified sale you make. This is the BEST way for new bloggers to make money (from my own experience).

I took the e-course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, which taught me how to earn thousands of dollars each month from blogging.

Below is a screenshot of my blog income. Before I signed up for Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, I was making $0.

When I signed up for the course in September and starting applying the strategies taught in the course, I made over $1,000 in the first month. The course paid for itself within two weeks of enrolling! BOOM!

FREE GUIDE: Check out this free 36-page book from my friend Michelle, who makes $50,000 per month from affiliate marketing. This ebook will teach you all about how affiliate marketing works, as well as give you 26 affiliate marketing tips so that you can get started.

Read Next: The best affiliate marketing programs for beginners

Sponsored Posts

The most common form of sponsorships is where a brand or company pays you to write a blog post about their product or service. Many bloggers earn a good income by doing brand sponsorships.

Read Next: How to make money blogging as a beginner

Creating your own product (digital or physical)

This is where you sell your own product to your readers. It can be an e-book, an e-course, a physical product, and so on. This is a great way to make money blogging because you can set your own prices. Shopify is what I use to sell my own digital products. You can click here to get a free 14-day trial of of Shopify.

How to become a blogger FAQs

What qualifications do you need to become a blogger?

You don’t need any formal education to become a blogger, you just need to have a willingness to learn and develop the skills you already have. Below are some skills that you’ll want to focus on in order to be a successful blogger:

• Writing – Bloggers are good at writing for their target audience. They know how to write content that is easy for their audience to understand and helps them solve a problem or pain point. If you don’t enjoy writing, you can always hire writers for your blog.
• Marketing – If you want to become a blogger and make money, you need to know basic marketing skills. This includes knowing how to promote your content, engage with your target audience, and sell products or services through your blog.
• Google SEO – Learning SEO is essential if you want to become a blogger. This is the best way to grow your traffic on Google.
• Consistent – Google favors blogs that post on a regular basis and have up-to-date information. This can help you grow your site and build trust with your audience.

Do you get paid to be a blogger?

If you’re running your own blog, such as self-hosted on WordPres.org, you’ll get paid if you choose to monetize your site using one of the ways mentioned in this post.

Otherwise, you can find blogging jobs on sites like Fiverr or UpWork where you’ll usually be paid per blog post. This can be a good option for those who enjoy writing but aren’t ready to start their own blog.

What education do you need to become a blogger?

The goods news is that you don’t need any formal education to become a blogger. You can start a successful blog without a degree. Having these skills can help you become a profitable blogger:

• Good writing skills. Bloggers are good at writing and communicating with their audience. If you prefer not to write, you can hire others to write content for your blog.
• Good marketing skills. Bloggers are good at promoting their blog and content. Marketing is important if you plan to sell products or make money blogging.
• Understanding SEO and anayltics. Learning SEO and analytics can help you get a good Google ranking and grow your blog traffic.
• Understanding your audience. If you understand your audience’s fears and what motivates them, you can help solve a reader’s problem.

How do bloggers get paid?

Depending on how you choose to make money from you blog, such as display advertising, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing or selling your own products, there are a few different ways you can get paid.

• Get paid via PayPal – Most affiliate marketing and display advertising companies will send your payment via PayPal. If you want to become a blogger, I recommend getting a Business PayPal account.
• Get paid via check – Some companies, such as Amazon’s Affiliate Marketing program will send your payment by a check in the mail. Alternatively, you can choose to get paid via direct desposit if you live in the USA.
• Get paid via direct deposit – Some companies will send your payment via direct desposit into your bank account.

Do bloggers make money?

Yes, bloggers can make money. But not all blogs make money. Some blogs earn over $10,000 a month and some blogs make $0.

It depends on the type of blog you have (I recommend starting a self-hosted website), if you choose to monetize your blog, how much engaged traffic your blog gets, among other various factors.

If you want to become a blogger and make money, it’s important to choose a profitable niche, start a self-hosted website, drive engaged readers to your blog, and focus on at least one monetization strategy.

How much do you get paid to blog?

The amount you make will depend on how you choose to monetize your blog. Some bloggers will earn up to $2,000 per month in their first year of blogging. Other bloggers earn up to $10,000+ per month within the first few years of blogging. Top bloggers earn seven-figure incomes from their blog.

How do beginner blogs make money?

The best way for beginner blogs to make money is to focus on affiliate marketing or selling your own products.

This is because most new blogs don’t have enough traffic to make money from display advertising or sponsored posts. Many brands want to work with bloggers that already have an established audience.

Affiliate marketing and selling your own products is a great way to make money for beginners. This is because you don’t need a lot of traffic to make money. Instead, you can have a small blog with a HIGHLY ENGAGED audience to make good money.

Once your traffic starts to grow, then you can start working with brands to do sponsored content or add display advertising to your website for more streams of income.

How can I make $1,000 a month blogging?

If you want to make $1,00 a month blogging, even as a beginner, below are the steps you’ll need to follow.

1. `Choose a blog niche that makes money. Ideas include, fashion, personal finance, crafts & DIY, food and recipes, health and fitness, mom blog, tech, travel, beauty, and so on.
2. Set up your blog the right way. You can follow my easy step-by-step guide here.
3. Create helpful content for your audience. Write tutorials, product comparison posts, guides, problem-solving posts, product reviews, and so on.
4. Make money from your blog. Use display ads, do sponsored posts, share affiliate links, sell your own products.
5. Become an expert at one social media platform. Choose ONE social media platform that your audience hangs out on and master it. This can help you drive traffic to your blog.
6. Learn SEO. Search engine optimization can help you grow your organic traffic on Google.

How do I start a blog with no money?

If you want to blog just for fun and have NO desire to make money blogging, then you start a blog using a free platform, such as Blogger or WordPress.com.

If you want to start a money-making blog, then you’ll need to pay for web hosting, which costs as little as $2.95 per month. Paying for web hosting gives you a professional website and allows you to monetize with any advertising company or affiliate you wish.

Is a blogger and writer the same thing?

All bloggers write, but not all writers blog. There is a lot more moving parts in running a blog than just being a writer. It involves learning SEO, email marketing, affiliate promotion, networking with brands, social media, and more.

What is the best blog platform?

While there are many blog platforms available, WordPress is the most popular choice because it gives you full control of your website.

Other blog platforms include Blogger, Tumblr, Squarspace, Weebly, and Medium.

Final note on becoming a full-time blogger

There you have it – these are the 5 steps I recommend following if you want to become a full-time blogger.

If you haven’t started your blog yet, I know all this information can seem a little overwhelming.

Don’t worry. It’s okay to take it slow. I blogged for two years as a hobby before turning my blog into full-time business. Remember that everyone’s blogging journey will look different.

The take-home point is to just get started today and stick with it. You never know if you’ll enjoy blogging, or being a full-time blogger, unless you start one.

Imagine starting your blog today, working hard and turning your blog into a full-time career. How would your life look?

Imagine being able to set your own schedule and finally earn a living doing what you love.

Imagine being able to make a positive difference in people’s lives. You can make it happen.

Here’s a quick recap of how to become a blogger and make money online:

1. Create a plan
2. Start your awesome blog
3. Drive traffic to your blog
4. Build your email list
5. Monetize your blog