Blogging. Bloggers. Blogs.
According to Master Blogging, there are an astonishing 7.5 million blogs a day posted online. That is one crazy number and it’s only been growing.
So what is a blog? Why do people do it? And how can it make you money?
As an entrepreneur, I’ve found that the best way to grow in life is by asking questions. The more we ask, the more we learn.
So to help you get started in the blogging world, I’m going to answer some of the most common questions about blogging. From what to write about to how to start earning, this article will equip you with the knowledge you need to move forward.
If you already know all this stuff but are looking for the next steps on how to get started, check out
Are you ready? Let’s jump in.
What is a blog and what is it used for?
By definition, a blog is a web page that’s frequently updated and used for personal commentary or business content (posts).
Having evolved from online diaries and journals, blogs are now used by companies and individuals around the world to build an online presence and create brand awareness. Most blogs are also used to make money and improve SEO rankings. Regarded as the most popular form of content, blogs are a powerful marketing tool.
How do blogs make money?
That’s right! Blogs make money! In fact, that is one of the main reasons they are used. There are many different ways to monetize your blog but the most common and profitable options are affiliate marketing and advertising.
With affiliate marketing, influencers earn commissions by promoting the products and services of other brands. Bloggers generate affiliate links through networks such as Amazon Associates. Similarly, advertising networks like Google AdSense pay you to run ads on your blog. Other ways to make money through your blog include brand partnerships, online coaching and digital products like ebooks and online courses.
What should I blog about?
Let’s rephrase this question – what do you WANT to blog about? What are your hobbies? What are you an expert in? Most importantly, what do you want to spend the majority of your time doing?
According to Rank IQ, the highest-earning blog topics are food, personal finance, lifestyle/parenting and travel. This also means the competition is higher, so when choosing your niche, make sure it’s something you’re passionate about and don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
Readers want content that’s authentic and insightful. If you really care about what you’re saying, people will be more engaged. If you don’t, they’re more likely to switch off.
Is it too late to start a website/blog?
Absolutely not! If you’re thinking of starting a blog, then you should do it. Thoughts like “there’s too many bloggers” and “the market is saturated” can hold us back, but when we adopt a growth mindset, we realize that these thoughts do not serve us. Don’t let limiting beliefs stand in the way of you and success.
Whatever type of blog you want to create, 2024 is a great time to do it. Online audiences are growing and many global companies are realizing the potential of affiliate marketing. Yes, it requires a lot of time and effort but if you are willing to put in the work, you will reap the rewards.
My tip? Stop thinking about it and just do it.
How do I come up with a blog name?
Once you’ve chosen a theme for your blog, you can start thinking about a name for your blog.
To do this, you’ll want to do some keyword research and consider your brand values. You could even use a blog name generator like Domain Wheel or Hostinger to help you get started.
The most important thing to remember is not to get too caught up on it. Many people get stuck on finding a name and use it as another excuse to hold them back. If you’re really struggling, you can use your own name to begin with. It’s better to start blogging than to spend months (or even longer) trying to find the name.
How many views does my blog need to make money?
To answer this question, it really depends on how you plan to make money. But depending on your niche, these numbers could be way, way lower than you might imagine.
Think about this, if a blogger has 100,000 users a month visiting their blog, but only 0.5% of them take any action because you’re in a liquidated market where there is lots of competition and alternate sites. Are they any more powerful than someone who engages with 10% of 5000 readers in a niche market? The numbers are the same right?
You might have heard the term ‘micro-influencers’ being used over the last few years, and this is something that businesses of all sizes are jumping on. A micro influencer is someone in a niche industry, with a smaller following but who has high engagement rates. So if we apply this to blogging, you can see how brand partnership and paid content opportunities can start to present themselves to people who are earlier on in their blogging journeys.
As you grow, the opportunities to monetize also increase. Whether that’s through affiliate marketing, selling advertising space using tools like Google Ad Sense, or getting paid to visit tropical locations and luxury hotels so you can write about it on your blog. There is a world of opportunities.
Going by my own experience, I urge you to not get too fixated on the number of views when you are getting started. Focus on building a solid audience with high levels of engagement. Once you’ve achieved this, the numbers will start to follow.
How many blog posts should I have before launching?
Again, this depends on how quickly you want to grow. The short answer is that one blog post is enough to get started. However, if you want meaningful traffic right away, aim for at least ten.
Why so many? The more content you have, the easier it will be for people to find you on Google. 10-12 blog posts will give your audience the chance to get to know you, and will leave them wanting more. It will also give you enough content to share on social media and inevitably grow your audience.
Blogging also takes time. It’s not like posting on Instagram where you only have a caption to write; you might be writing a few thousand words for a longer detailed blog post. Having a few posts in reserve for when you launch, allows you time so that you can get your next articles written, with more flexibility in your personal life. You can take that flight to Ibiza next week happily knowing you’ve got your content prepared.
How do I get my blog noticed by Google?
This is actually one of the most complicated steps of blogging, and you people literally dedicate their careers to helping businesses rank at the top of Google. Essentially getting shown on Google and getting to the top of the search results relies on SEO, or Search Engine Optimization.
Not exactly sure what SEO is?
SEO (search engine optimization) process and the way in which we rank high on search engines like Google and Bing. You essentially send signals to the search engines that say, ‘Hey, I am a well written, informative and factually correct piece of information, written by someone who knows what they are talking about and you should show me to people’.
If you are an expert in your field, and you are writing blogs that share helpful and correct information that answers people’s questions, you are already on the road to ‘doing’ SEO.
SEO is such a massive topic it deserves its own article (which I will get too). But for now, you can find some more information on SEO and how to use it in my recent podcast.
How long does it take for a blog to make money?
The length of time it takes to make money from your blog depends on a variety of factors including what you write about, how often you post and audience engagement.
While making money from your blog isn’t going to happen overnight, if you put in the time you will see the $$$. According to the stats, 27% of bloggers will start to earn money within six months and 38% will have a full-time income within two years.
While that may seem like a long time, you also need to remember that making money from blogging isn’t the only goal. With the use of SEO, your blog will also bring more traffic to your website, increasing the sales of your own products and services.
How much do bloggers get paid?
What I love about blogging is that there isn’t really a limit to how much you can earn. Within the first year, a successful blogger can make anything from $500-$2000 a month. The average travel blogger will earn $200 per sponsored post. Many more bloggers go on to achieve 100k+ a year.
How do they do this? Well, there are many factors. If we look at the stats, bloggers who earn $50,000 or more a year are 4.3 times more likely to conduct keyword research than lower-income bloggers. 45% of these bloggers also sell their own products or services and are five times more likely to have a podcast.
Wrap-up
So, what does this information tell us? Well, to become a successful blogger you need to put in the work. That means focussing on SEO, writing for your target audience, being consistent and marketing your blog as much as you can. The great news is that it can be done!
With the right tools and access to a supportive community like the Digital Nomad Society, starting a blog is totally something you can do too!
Want to learn more? Here are some more helpful articles about blogging
