How to Become a Successful Blogger & Earn Money

Last Updated on May 4, 2020 by ellduclos

Are you wondering if it is possible to create a successful blog and earn money? Before I started my first blog in April 2017 I had always wondered the same thing! 6 months later I was earning over $1,500 a month from my blog and in 2020 it’s my full time job averaging $5,000 a month! I put together this post to share with you my top tips for creating a successful blog that earns money!

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Disclosure: Affiliate links are used. Read my full disclosure here.

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How To Start A Successful Blog That Earns Money

Choose a Domain and Self Host

The first step to creating a successful blog is purchasing a domain and host. When I first started blogging I foolishly created my blog on wordpress.com rather than self hosting right from the start. I have a blog post that shares why I decided to go self hosted that you can read. If you don’t plan on turning your blog into a business then wordpress.com may be an okay option for you. However, if you do plan on growing your following and turning blogging into a career, I recommend you self host!

A lot of bloggers ask, “Would it be worth it to get the business plan on wordpress.com ?” In my honest opinion, NO. It’s over priced and you can get the same thing with faster server speeds when you self host.

You are probably thinking “Who should I use as a self host?” I use Site Ground and I absolutely love them. The best part about Siteground is that their servers are fast. My readers are always complimenting my site load speed.

When I first switched to a self hosted I was very overwhelmed. I had no idea how to move my content from one server to another. Siteground has 24/7 support who messages you promptly and efficiently! They transferred my site for me when I purchased the Grow Big plan. It was so easy to make the switch! Check them out here.

You can also purchase your domain name from them as well!

MUST HAVE PLUG INS

1. Mailer Lite: I recommend using Mailerlite to build your e-mail list. These plug ins help to grow your email list/subscribers. It is so important that you are growing your email list to if you want to have a successful blog. This allows you to keep in touch with your readers. You can share newsletters, let them know about important updates, etc.
2. Akismet Anti-Spam: This is a life saver. I get on the daily, spam comments that are annoying. This anti-spam block plugin helps keep the spam comments away. Instead the comments are sent to a spam folder. Makes such a difference! I was so sick of reading spam comments and sorting through all of them.
3. Instagram Feed: I love this plugin because it adds my Instagram feed to my blog as well as a follow button. This makes it easier for my readers to know how to connect with me on other social media platforms.
4. Yoast SEO: This is such an important plugin for me. This plugin is a great guide to SEO. You put in the keyword you want to rank for and it will tell you what you have to fix in order to improve your chances of ranking on google search for that keyword.
5. Google Analytics: This will help keep track of your site stats and all that jazz! I don’t recommend using Jetpack as it slows your site down.

Join Facebook Groups

Facebook groups have been a great contributing factor when it comes to having a successful blog. I also host my own Facebook group that helps other bloggers succeed in their blogging journey and not feel so alone! You can check out my Facebook group boss girl bloggers here! In this group you also have the opportunity to collaborate.

When it comes to Facebook groups, make sure that you are engaging. If you don’t engage and you remain idle, then you are really defeating the purpose. Most Facebook groups will have daily threads where you can interact and promote your blog. Take advantage of these threads. The more you interact within these groups, the more engagement you will notice on your blog and social media accounts.

Use Pinterest To Grow Your Blog Traffic

When it comes to promoting my blog, I love to do so through Pinterest! I created a guide on how I am able to get over 6 million Pinterest views a month on my lifestyle blog’s Pinterest which converts to over 100,000 monthly Pinterest views.  My click through rate from Pinterest is higher than with any other platform.That just goes to show you how big of a role Pinterest plays when it comes to having a successful blog.

Create A Consistent Schedule And Stay Dedicated

Keeping your blog on a consistent schedule is so important. I try my absolute best to keep up with a  schedule but of course life happens. I find that planning my blog week out every Sunday helps to maintain my consistency. If you are dedicated and take your blog seriously, so will your readers. Don’t take big breaks away, treat it like your job. I put together a money making blog schedule here that you might find helpful! I also like to create a monthly blog vision 

Guest Post / Collaborate

If you want to create a successful blog that earns you money, it’s great to collaborate with other bloggers. Guest posting and collaborating is a great way to get your blog noticed. It can help you grow your blog traffic as well. When you do a guest post or collaborate, be sure to not go ghost on the host. Keep in contact and show support. They appreciate it more than you know and it makes you a good guest post candidate. Usually when you guest post they will link back to your blog on the post which can help build your domain authority which can help you rank higher on Google.

Comment on others’ blog posts.

Make sure to engage and interact on other bloggers’ blog posts. This shows that you are personable and supporting. Not to mention they might return the favor and check out your blog as well. Bloggers love to support one another. If you share the love, you will most likely receive the love back. Make sure your comments are adding to the conversation. The more personal and authentic you are, the better. Make sure to read the post and know what you are talking about when commenting.

How To Earn Money From Your Blog

Affiliate Marketing

One of my favorite ways to earn money through my blog is with affiliate marketing. This is when you use affiliate links when recommending products you love. If someone makes a purchase through your affiliate links you earn a small commission.

Here are some of my favorite affiliate marketing programs:

Share A Sale – shareasale.com Which is an affiliate program and allows you to earn extra cash!

Amazon Affiliate Program – Another goodie!

Shop Style Collective – This one is one of my favorites! You can also use this one with Pinterest! Amazing!

I share all of my favorite affiliate marketing tips here.

Earn Money From Creating A Digital Product

This is one of my biggest earners on this blog. I offer a Pinterest Growth E-Course that earns me thousands of dollars each month. Maybe you are wondering what digital product you can offer to your audience? Think about what your audience needs, what do they struggle with? Make the product related to your niche and it will be sure to sell like wildfire.

I share my best tips for creating and selling a digital product here.

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Read my updated more in depth money making guide here.

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Be Real

Make sure you are being 100% you. Your readers will turn into subscribers and eventually those subscribers will help you earn income.

Throughout your blogging journey there may come a time where you feel as if you want to stop, give up, and just quit. You may think you are wasting your time or that you won’t be able to get where you want to be.

The thing is…it takes time. Success doesn’t happen over night. If you are loving what you are doing the success will follow. As long as you are doing something you love then I believe you have already won.