Beginners Guide To Blogging
I starting blogging in 2011. I got started by accident. Due to the show Extreme Couponing I was going to learn to do this even if it killed me. I started first following bloggers I saw on the show, then I noticed occasionally there was a link to another blogger and I would end up following them too.
At one point there was a blogger looking for a VA (virtual assistant), which is someone who works on a site for a commission or a flat fee. I did this from October 2011 to April 2012.
The lady I had worked for didn’t need a VA anymore, but in those few months I learned so much and really enjoyed what I was doing. I think I started my blog just a few days after I stopped working for her. To start my site, with hosting and domain name it cost me a total of maybe $25. I will explain more below.
I had to figure out what my niche would be. I chose couponing, freebies, and deals because this is what I was doing with the blogger I worked for. This year 2014 I switched to doing more reviews, no coupons, and more writing.
Now don’t get me wrong I am no expert, I am still learning. Just like with anything, when you stop learning new things it’s time to get out, what I am here to tell you is how to get started.
1. We have already talked about the first step, and that is finding your niche. Meaning know what you want to talk about, or you can go trial and error till you find something that works for you.
2 A blogging platform
- WordPress: My site is built on WordPress. I think this is my favorite platform, I have worked with several others and I am now glued on this one. I initially tried WordPress.com (the free version) then decided I wanted my own domain name and switched to WordPress.org the .org is what you have to have to have your own domain.
- Blogger: I started with Blogger and although I don’t have anything negative to say about it, I fell in love with my current platform and haven’t fallen out of love. Blogger is attached to your Google account.
- Tumbler: I tried it and honestly I hated it, sorry. I just couldn’t figure out how to work it, for lack of a better term
There are others out there, but I really don’t know enough about them to talk about them.
3. Hosting
- If you are going to have a custom domain then you will need to host your own site. There are quite a few options or these. You can get more info here.
Now that, that’s out of the way, let’s talk about different ways to make money blogging.
- Affiliates: You get paid a commission to promote products and services for other companies
- Sponsored Posts
- Ad Networks
- Etsy: Promote your Etsy shop on your blog, once you have built an audience this is a great way to get some buzz to your shop.
- Make an ebook and sell it on your site.