How to Start a WordPress Blog and Make Money blogging 2023 | Free Download

If you are looking for a step-by-step guide on how to start a WordPress blog, your search ends here.

In this complete tutorial, I will share everything you need to know to start a WordPress blog and make money blogging when your blog grows.

I hadn’t had a clue what I was doing before starting this WordPress blog. But after endless hours of researching and studying, I found my way out.

Starting this little blog allows me to work at home full-time, make money online, and have a flexible working schedule. But, in retrospect, I wish I had started this lifestyle MUCH MUCH Earlier.

Did you know you can create a WordPress blog in less than 20 minutes with zero experience by following the simple steps in this post?

Starting a WordPress blog is simple.

However, I have to admit that it is pretty challenging and overwhelming to run a popular blog when you are an absolute beginner as there is so much to learn every day.

So I hope this blog post can help you have a smoother start.

This is an in-depth guide as I try to cover all you need to know to start a blog and how to make money blogging on WordPress.

Benefits of Starting a WordPress Blog

Before we talk about how to start a blog, let’s have a look at the benefits of running a successful blog first.

• make money online
• have financial independence
• be your own boss
• have fun 
• have holidays whenever you want 
• pay off your debt
• quit the job you hate
• change a lifestyle
• do things that you actually enjoy 
• sell your own products or services 
• join affiliate programs
• promote your business 
• get your voice heard 
• share your ideas and interact with like-minded people
• have a great life experience
• network with famous companies worldwide
• try new things and learn new skills 
• become a better self
• build self-confidence 
• help others around the globe 
• retire at an early age
• and more

If you want some or all of the juicy outcomes, keep reading.  

Myths about Starting a WordPress Blog

Many people never take the action of starting a blog because they have concerns and questions. Here I will demystify a few of them.

Free Blogging Sites 2022

Many people have asked this question. Is it possible to create aWordPress blog for free?

Yes.

Creating a WordPress blog can be completely free, but I don’t recommend starting a free blog for the following four reasons.

1. Free blogging platforms have strict restrictions on monetization and minimal features (such as the choice of themes and plugins) that won’t get you anywhere unless you only want to start a free blog for self-entertainment.

2. You DON’T own the blog site, and the free blogging platform can take your site down anytime or access your backend if they want to.

3. The free domain name won’t look professional because it might contain random numbers and the platform’s name. 

For example, a free domain name might look like this: www.yourdomainname128678319900.wordpress.com. On the other hand, A paid domain name on a self-hosted site will look like this: www.yourdomainname.com (simple and clean).

4. On top of that, some affiliate managers might not take you seriously without a self-hosted site; read here to learn why your affiliate applications get declined.

If you have a self-hosted website (professional and legit), you OWN your blog site and have unlimited monetization opportunities.

You only need two things to create a self-hosted website: a domain name and a hosting provider. And they are NOT expensive.

I will show you how to do it step by step soon. Keep reading.

Perfect Grammar

You don’t need perfect grammar to start writing blog posts. It is not an academic paper or test in college.

If you have compelling content that can bring tremendous value to your audience, trust me, your readers will appreciate your online presence, and they probably wish they could have found your blog earlier.

That said, grammar is important in writing for a better user experience and effective communication.You can always learn and improve your writing skill after starting a WordPress blog.

High Risk

Honestly, blogging is the lowest risky career you can have because you can do it for as long as you like and have unlimited earning potential with very little investment to get started.

You might ask, “how much does it cost to start a blog?”

Great question!

To create a WordPress blog, you only need to have a reliable hosting provider (special price $3.99/month with SiteGround) and a domain name ($8/year or less).

Say you purchase a yearly plan on SiteGround and a domain name: $3.99*12+$8=$55.88. That’s less than $60. And if you choose a domain name less than $8, you can keep the cost even lower.

That is all the costs you need to start a WordPress blog.

Don’t miss out on the best price as I don’t know when the promotion will finish.

Special Knowledge

I started this blog site WITHOUT touching a piece of code and previous training about blogging.

I just jumped in, and I am SO glad I started a blog without overthinking. I am sure you can do the same regardless of your nationality, age, geographical location, and educational background.

Imagine if I had overthought at that time; I probably would not be writing this blog post and sharing my experience with you here on my site now.

One of the quickest ways to learn something is learning by doing.

You don’t have to be an expert/guru at the start. All you need is to start now and learn as much as you can along the way.

Time-Consuming

You might wonder how long it takes to succeed as a blogger.

As I said, creating a WordPress blog site is simple, and I will show you step by step in a few minutes.

You will spend most of your time in producing valuable content, promoting your posts, and maintaining your site, especially when your site is still in its infancy.

It takes time to grow (roughly 6 months to 2 years) your blog like any other real business.

BUT it is exponential growth (It starts slowly and then increases faster and faster after a certain point).

All your hard work will be paid off after hitting a certain threshold.

So are you ready to bring your idea to life? 🙂 Let’s do it.

How to Start a Popular Blog 2022

There are only 6 simple steps to start a WordPress blog. 

All you need is a laptop or computer, which you probably already have, and a stable internet connection.

Now let’s get started.

1. Pick a profitable niche
2. Choose a blogging platform
3. Get a hosting provider
4. Choose a domain name
5. Choose a theme
6. Design your blog site

1. Pick a Profitable Niche

If you want to start a blog, you need to figure out what niche you want to blog about.

You can ask yourself some questions when choosing a niche.

1. Why do you want to start a blog site in the first place?
2. What are your passion, interests, and strengths?
3. What are you curious/excited about?
4. Is there anything new you would like to learn?
5. Who will be your target audience?
6. Is there a huge audience for your niche? 
7. What problems, concerns, challenges, and issues will your potential audience have?
8. How can you bring value to your audience?
9. Which language do you want to use (a question for a bilingual or a polyglot)?

Your Niche

Your chosen niche should be a combination of your passion, strengths, interests, market demands, and audiencepotential.

Money should not be the only reason to start a WordPress blog, and you certainly don’t want to blog about something that you don’t have a genuine interest in because blogging is a long-term game (years instead of days and months).

If you don’t enjoy the process, you will have a tough time when things are not working out the way you expect, and it is easier for you to give up.

However, if you like what you are doing, you will be okay even if you are not making money initially.

If you have a hard time finding what you love or simply have too many interests, it is perfectly okay and normal. You can narrow down the scope, choose one, and start researching (e.g., the market demands and your potential audience).

Popular Blog Types

Popular blog types are usually closely related to our daily life. Here are some ideas.

Note: They are not in any particular order.

• Beauty & Fashion
• Personal Finance & Business
• Health & Fitness
• Lifestyle
• Parenting
• Food
• Pets
• Service Or Product Reviews
• Make Money Online
• Travel
• Real Estate
• DIY
• Home Décor
• Relationships (Love, Marriage, Family)
• Self-Growth

Depending on the market/public demands and audience potential, some niches might be more competitive (such as travel) and profitable (such as finance) than others.

Don’t blindly follow the trends or let them limit your creativity and imagination. Popularity could also be a signal of fierce competition or oversaturation.

2. Choose the Best Blogging Platform to Start a Blog

A blogging platform allows you to manage your blog or website online. 

I only recommend and personally use WordPress.org (FREE), the best and most powerful content management system. WordPress powers many famous sites, such as CNN.com. 

It is NOT WordPress.com (a hosting company). DON’T use WordPress.com.

If you want complete control and freedom to monetize your website, use WordPress.org.

3. How to Start a WordPress Blog with SiteGround (Step by Step)

Hosting Provider

A hosting provider can make sure your website is online to the public worldwide. All your files and databases will be placed and stored with the hosting provider.

I recommend SiteGround (my hosting provider on this site you are visiting) for the following reasons.

• It has a fully managed WordPress service (FREE), and it is recommended by WordPress.org.
• It is affordable with all the great features.
• SiteGround offers a FREE SSL certificate (secures your site with sensitive information), FREE Cloudflare CDN (helps your site load fast from any part of the world), and free automated daily website backups on ALL plans.
• Great site speed comes with an in-house caching tool (named SuperCacher).
• With EVERY plan, you can have an unlimited number of FREE email accounts at your domain name (e.g., hello@yourdomainname.com or info@yourdomainname.com). 
• They offer 24/7 professional customer support via live chat, ticket, and phone. I often use live chat to get immediate assistance. The ticket is more for advanced technical support. 
• FREE website migration is available if you already have a host and consider migrating to SiteGround. 

You can get a colossal 73% off with the special promotion here to start a WordPress blog on SiteGround and only pay $3.99/month for an annual subscription when you first sign up.

Definitely take advantage of the current promotional price because I don’t know when the price will go up.

Domain Name

A domain name is a name that people use to find your site on the internet.

For example, the full URL of this site is https://www.createearnlive.com/, and the domain name iscreateearnlive.

Don’t know how to pick up a catchy domain name for your blog site? No worries, I have got a post for you.

The rule of thumb is to make sure your domain is simple, catchy, and easy to pronounce and spell.

Now you can follow the 4 simple steps to sign up with SiteGround.

Yes. Only 4 simple steps.

Are you ready?

Step 1. Choose a Plan

Click here to be directed to the SiteGround WordPress Hosting page.

Note: The pricing stated in the image below was before the special discount. You will see $3.99/m for the StartUp plan on the SiteGround website as long as the promotion is available.

There are three different plans on SiteGround: StartUp, GrowBig, and GoGeek.

You can choose the StartUp plan to get started if you only want to build one website and try it out.

I personally purchased the GrowBig plan because I wanted more options, which is a great value for me. You can check my review here.

GoGeek plan is more for advanced users with larger sites. You don’t need it as a beginner.

Note that you can always upgrade your plan if needed. So rest assured.

Once you choose a plan, you can click on GET PLAN. Then you will be taken to Step 2.

Step 2. Get a Domain Name for Your WordPress Blog

You can choose a domain name with SiteGround from their wide selection of domain extensions at great prices. 

The cost of a domain name on SiteGround starts from $15.95/year, depending on the extension you choose.

Having your domain name in the same place is convenient and efficient because you don’t have to point your domain name to your hosting provider. Plus, you know where to get help if something is wrong.

That said, you can buy a domain name from other sites like Namecheap at a lower price (recommended). Check this post to learn how to buy a domain name on Namecheap.

If you decide to purchase a domain name on SiteGround, you can select the Register a New Domain option, then enter a domain name.

In the meantime, you can choose an extension (such as .com, .org, .net, .biz) in the drop-down menu (click on .com) next to the domain name box.

Although it is a personal preference, I highly recommend using .com because it is the most familiar and popular domain extension to the public.

When you have chosen the domain name, you can click on the Proceed button.

Then you will know if your domain name is available or not. If not, you will have to either think of another domain name or make tweaks to the existing one.

If you have purchased a domain name somewhere else, you can choose the “I already have a Domain” option and enter your domain. Then click PROCEED.

If your domain is not purchased on SiteGround, don’t forget to point the name servers of your existing domain to the SiteGround server after completing the order.

You can learn how to do it by reading the same article on how to pick a domain name here.

Alternatively, SiteGround live chat support team can walk you through the details about how to point your domain to SiteGround. Ignore this part if you get a domain name from SiteGround.

Step 3. Review and Complete the Order

When you click on PROCEED in Step 2, you will be taken to the last page.

On the last page, you will need to enter your account information (email address and password) and client information.

Make sure the information is updated and accurate. You don’t need to provide the company and VAT/Tax ID information as they are optional.

After that, you can enter your payment information.

Next, you can review your purchase information to see if everything is correct.

The 12-month period would be the best deal for beginners to try out with the current special discount ($3.99/month).

If you want to change your plan, data center, or period, simply click on the drop-down icons. Note that if you change to another plan or period, price changes.

After that, you will see the extra services (Domain Registration, Domain Privacy, and SG Site Scanner).

If you purchase a domain on Namecheap, the Domain Registration box will be unticked here.Domain Privacy is free forever on Namecheap.

As for the SG Site Scanner, I didn’t use them at the start. However, you can always add it later if needed.

Then you can read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

You can choose if you want to receive emails about the latest news and special offer from SiteGround or not. I recommend ticking it because it keeps you updated.

After checking all the information, you can complete the order by clicking PAY NOW.

Once the purchase is complete, a welcome email and receipt will be sent to your registered email address. Double-check your spam folders if you haven’t received them.

Congratulations! You have just created a blog officially.

Step 4: How to Install WordPress on Website

Now you can log in to your SiteGround account (https://login.siteground.com/login) with your email address and password.

After the login, click on Websites and choose the website to install WordPress. In this case, there would only be one site at the moment. 

Choose your site name and click on Site Tools > WordPress > Install & Manage WordPress > Install New WordPress.

Next, click on Select (WordPress), complete the details on the page, and click Install.

Now you have successfully installed WordPress on your website.

Choose a Theme for Your WordPress Blog

A theme is the appearance of your blog site on the front end. There are tons of themes (free and paid ones) on the market. 

You can start with a free theme but it has limited customization and features.

If you are serious about making money blogging, consider a Pro one. 

I use and recommend the Astra theme as it is beginner-friendly, lightweight, and customizable.

How to Install the Astra Theme

1. Click here to go to the Astra homepage and download the freemium theme.
2. Then go to your WordPress Admin Menu > Themes > Add Themes > Upload Theme (see image below).
3. Choose the Astra zip file that was downloaded to your laptop/computer and then upload the file. Don’t unzip it.
4. After uploading, click on Install Now > Activate.

Done! Note that you can upgrade to the Pro version at any time.

Delete the Plugins that You don’t Need

Plugins (free/paid) are like apps on your phone that add specific functions to your site.

Your WordPress site will come with a few pre-installed plugins, but you probably don’t need some of them at the start or will never use them.

Don’t hesitate to delete the unneeded plugins to save space and increase your site speed.

Install the Plugins that You Need 

As for a new site, you really don’t need many plugins. 10-12 will be a good range. 

Before installing a plugin (take the MonsterInsights plugin as an example), you can check the following information.

The number of active installations: The number of active users indicates the popularity of the plugin.

Last updated: The frequency of updates suggests if the plugin is up-to-date with the latest features. For example, you don’t want to install a plugin that hasn’t been updated for a long time (like years long).

Compatible with your version of WordPress: Your site might be messed up if the plugin is not tested or compatible. You can check your site right after installation if this is the case. Deactivate and delete the plugin if something is wrong with your site and get an alternative.

More details: You can check the description, screenshots, and review to learn more about the plugin.

Get Familiar with Your WordPress Dashboard 

Woohoo! Now you have just started a WordPress blog if you have followed the previous steps.

It is time to familiarize yourself with the WordPress dashboard.

First, type yourdomainname.com/wp-admin/ into your web browser, and then you will be prompted to the WordPress login page.

Now type in your username or email address and password to log in. Then, tick Remember Me, so you don’t have to type the same information next time.

For your convenience, you can bookmark your WordPress blog site after the first login or add a shortcut to your web browser’s homepage.

I have listed the essential parts of the WordPress menu for your reference. Your menu will display more content when you add more things later on, such as plugins.

The menu on your backend will look like this:

1. Dashboard
2. Posts 
3. Media 
4. Pages
5. Comments 
6. Appearance
7. Plugins
8. Users
9. Tools
10. Settings
11. Collapse menu 

Dashboard

Home: You can choose the screen elements you want to see on your dashboard. This gives you an overview of the backend of your site. 

Updates: You can see the updates (themes or plugins, and the version of WordPress).

Posts

This section is where you create and publish all your posts and make changes if needed.

When you hover/click on the Posts, you will see four sections.

All Posts: See all your posts.

Add New: Add a new post.

Categories: Organize your posts into different categories.

Tags: Add tags to different posts.

Media

This is where you can add visual/audio files, such as images and videos.

Library: See all the uploaded visual/audio files.

Add New: Upload your visual/audio files here.

Pages

This is where you can find all your pages on your WordPress blog site.

All pages: All pages (e.g., contact page, privacy policy, and disclaimer) on the site will appear here. 

Add New: You can add a new page by clicking Add New.

Note: Compared to posts, pages are not updated that often once created.

Comments

Here, you can view and reply to all comments (Pending, Approved, Spam, Trash).

Your comments section would be empty when you just start a WordPress blog.

However, once you have more traffic, this section comes in handy.

Appearance

This is where you can design and customize the appearance of the whole site.

Theme: You will see the chosen theme here. If you don’t have one yet, you will see a default theme on WordPress.

I am using the Astra theme. You might not see the same elements in the red box on your menu if you are using another theme.

Customize: Customize the site with provided options. You can preview the changes when you are customizing your site. 

Widgets: You can add widgets to different spots, such as your sidebar or footer areas, to make your WordPress blog site easier to navigate. 

Menus: Customize your menu for easy navigation on your site. 

For example, I have a header menu and footer menu that take visitors to different pages by clicking on the links.

Theme Editor: This is the coding area for your theme. don’t touch it if you don’t know what you are doing.

Focus on creating quality content because there is no way to drive traffic to your site without great content.

Plugins

Plugins (free and paid ones) are helpful software that adds more functions to your website, so you don’t need to be a coder or developer to run a professional site.

However, it doesn’t mean the more plugins, the better. Only install the ones you often use because too many plugins can slow down your site speed.

Users

In this section, you can see all users on your site, update your user profile and add new users to your site.

Tools

You will see tools like Import and Export (Personal Data), Erase/Export Personal Data, Site Health, or other plugins you have installed here.

Settings

Here you can find General settings (such as Site Title and Tagline), Writing, Reading, Discussion, and more.

Collapse Menu 

If you click on Collapse Menu, the menu will collapse, and you will only see the icons instead of icons and words.

It takes a bit of time to get yourself comfortable using the WordPress dashboard. But once you get used to it, it is easy to use.

This is the overview of the backend of your site. However, if you want to go to the front end (the site that your visitors see) of your site, hover on the House Icon > Visit Site, or click on the House Icon, then you will be prompted to the front end.

Your front end might look plain and empty at this very moment because you haven’t started to customize it yet (no logo, site icon, blog posts, and images). It is like you have just purchased a house, but you haven’t decorated the house yet.

What to Blog About

When you find your niche and start a WordPress blog, you may wonder what topics you can blog about.

The internet has reshaped our lifestyle in this modern world.

We always look for information online, whether to find a solution, get inspired, or be amused, so there is no need to worry about running out of topics.

Here are several ways that could help you choose the topics. 

1. Passion: Write about what you are genuinely interested in.
2. Search Intent: Research what the public is searching for, and that could be your next topic. 
3. Content with Most Shares: Find out the blog content with the most shares on social media in your niche and write a similar/same topic yet better one.
4. Long-Term Potential: Produce evergreen content that is always helpful. 

Passion

It is always easier and more enjoyable to write about something you are passionate about. Besides that, this is your blog, and you have complete control of the blog content.

It is best if your interest also resonates with the public search intent.

You can simply use some tools below to find out the search intent.

Search Intent

Search intent is what people are actually searching for on the internet. This information is vital for you to produce viewer-generated content.

I will walk you through an example so you can have a better idea of how to find out what the public is asking.

For example, I want to write about things to do in Thailand; then, I will research what people ask about this topic using different tools below.

Google Search 

Once you type in some keywords, Google will automatically generate some most popular search ideas. These ideas are generated by real people searching for answers to their questions on Google.

Besides, you can see a list of results, including People also ask. You can also use these questions in your FAQ section.

If you scroll down to the bottom of the search page, you can find related searches. 

These are the freshest ideas for your blog content.

You can use the keywords in your headings, subheadings, title, meta description, slug, alt texts, and paragraphs.

Try to distribute keywords evenly and naturally. Don’t just use the keywords for the sake of them. If words are not natural, they wouldn’t be pleasant to read.

Keywords Everywhere

You can install Keywords Everywhere (a browser add-on available on Chrome and Firefox), which shows long-tail keywords, monthly search volume, and much more.

You could also download the list of keywords in CSV, Excel, or PDF file formats.

You can pick up your long-tail keywords for your blog post with the given keywords.

Long-tail keywords, compared to short-tail keywords, are longer and more specific. Therefore, if you use long-tail keywords, you can have less competition and more chances to rank higher in the long run.

For example, you can have the long-tail keywords (more than 3 words): things to do in Thailand for couples. And your title could be 18 best things to do in Thailand for couples.

You can also use Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, Quora to get more ideas and accessible data on keyword recommendations.

The best part is that all the tools are FREE.

Content with Most Shares

Another smart move to find blog content is to check the already popular content with the most shares on social media. So you can write about the same or similar topic in your own words (from a different angle with your tone).

You can use a tool like BuzzSumo to check the number of likes, shares, pins, links, and the total engagement of a specific post on different social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Reddit).

As you can see in this image, the first post is most popular on Facebook. So you can consider writing similar content and promoting it on different social media platforms.

With all of these helpful tools and tips mentioned above, you should be able to come up with ideas for your blog content.

Long-Term Potential

Not only do you want to write about topics based on your passion, the most search intent, and social shares, but you want to create something that can last for years and is still helpful for your readers.

Otherwise, you will end up rewriting all the old posts constantly.

With that said, it is good to refresh the old posts periodically to keep your posts up-to-date.

Write Your First Blog Post

Before writing a post, think about the purpose of your post.

Do you want your post to be

Informational?
Entertaining?
Inspiring and Motivating?
Educational?

Are you excited to write your first blog post? Here we go.

Go to your WordPress admin menu, click on Posts > Add New. Then you will see the image below.

Don’t write directly on WordPress because it is NOT convenient and efficient. For example, I usually type on Word documents and then copy-paste the posts to WordPress.

When you finish editing and proofreading your post, don’t forget to preview it before hitting the Publish button.

Want to know how to write awesome blog headlines and improve your blog posts readability? Click here and here.

Download this FREE checklist to write a perfect blog post.

Promote Your WordPress Blog

Start Your WordPress Blog with SiteGround at a Special Discount >>

After customizing your blog site and publishing more than 10-15 posts, you can start to promote your blog to drive traffic.

With enough time and the right strategies, visitors will find you on Google.

In addition to that, there are other ways you can get more audience.

Take Advantage of Social Media

There are many social media platforms, but I recommend starting with one (such as Pinterest).

Promoting on different social media platforms requires a lot of time and energy.

If you have a lot of spare time and are familiar with different channels, feel free to reach a broader audience on various platforms.

Start an Email List

It is hard to ask visitors to subscribe to your newly-built site without anything in return.

Instead, you can offer valuable free content (free downloads) related to specific blog posts or the whole site in exchange for their email addresses.

People are more likely to sign up with immediate benefits.

Interact with Other bloggers by Leaving Blog Comments

When you start a WordPress blog, you can search out some other blog sites in your niche.

You can leave genuine and helpful comments to get more attention from different readers and bloggers, but DON’T spam.

Connect with Other Bloggers in Your Niche

Make sure you research the bloggers and perhaps leave comments on their blog to show genuine interest.

Suppose you have built a good relationship with the bloggers over time. In that case, there will be many opportunities to cooperate, such as being a guest writer, partners in some projects, and getting your blog site mentioned on their blog.

How to Make Money Blogging

Now it is time to make money blogging after all the hard work you put in.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Getting a mix of income sources not only gains you more revenue but secures you when some methods don’t work out well.

There are unlimited earning potentials to make money blogging. I will share a couple of the most popular ways to make money on your blog site.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the most common ways to monetize your blog, and the sky is the limit when it comes to earning opportunities.

The concept is that you promote a merchant’s product/service on your blog site and if someone purchases it or signs up for something via your affiliate link, you can earn a commission.

Depending on the merchants, there are different types of affiliate marketing and commission structures.

For example, the commission rate could be 5% or 50%+ per sale, or you can get paid per sale as well as per click.

There are affiliate networks that connect tons of merchants and affiliates on the platforms, such as ShareASale.

Once you have joined, you will have access to a wide selection of affiliate programs, promotional materials, and professional support. You can then choose and apply for various programs separately.

It is much easier to get approval from different affiliate programs on the platforms. In addition, you can check all the reports and earnings in one place.

However, independent affiliate programs are not run on affiliate networks, so you will need to find them on their sites and apply for them individually. And you have to log in to each site to get the link, see the reports and earnings.

Ads Networks for Your WordPress blog

Google AdSense

Unlike other monetization methods, this is an easy way to generate income, even with a newly-built blog site.

I recommend Google AdSense when you start a blog.

All you need to do is apply and copy and paste a piece of code to your website.

Once you get approved, you don’t need to do anything unless you want to customize the ads (such as the position and size) on your site; Google AdSense will place ads based on your blog content.

You can read here to learn how to get approved by Google AdSense faster. You don’t have to wait for six months or longer to apply and get an AdSense account.

Here is an example of a Google AdSense Ad on your blog post.

When I started this site, I joined Google AdSense. I was so excited to see $0.20 earnings showing on my Google Adsense account at the very beginning. A financial incentive is always good even though it is minimal.

There are also many other AdSense alternatives out there.

Ezoic

Ezoic requires at least 10,000 sessions per month before applying. In the meantime, you have to keep producing original, quality content and follow Google’s Ad Policy.

Ezoic keeps testing ad placement, size of ads, and much more to maximize your earning potential.

Mediavine

Your site needs to have 50,000 sessions in the past 30 days (stats from Google Analytics) to apply for Mediavine.

The requirement is higher, so is the revenue.

You could expect to see a dramatic increase in your revenue with Mediavine.

They pay you by the number of ad impressions, so you have large traffic; definitely consider applying for this one.

In short, it is good to start with Google AdSense, and when your site hits a certain number of sessions, you can easily switch to another ad network to make more money for your blog.

Products Sale

Apart from ad placement and affiliate marketing, selling your own products is a great way to raise brand awareness and increase sales.

Digital Products

eBooks

You can write eBooks and sell them on Amazon and your blogging site.

Why not write an ebook on a specific topic since you have written blog posts?

If you don’t want to sell it, you can give it away as a free PDF download in exchange for email addresses from visitors.

More unique email addresses could also drive more sales.

Online Courses

When you become an authoritative figure in your niche or know quite a lot about your area, creating online courses is a great opportunity to scale your business.

First, online courses usually are very affordable and easy to purchase. Buyers can adjust their study pace and take the courses anytime, anywhere they want.

Second, you can reach a much wider audience worldwide with online courses than traditional learning methods.

Third, if you can design in-depth course content that satisfies the audience’s appetite, you can make a killing. Make sure your lessons are well organized as well as entertaining.

You can upload your courses to platforms like Teachable and promote them on your blog simultaneously.

Physical Products

If you have more loyal subscribers, you can consider producing physical products such as T-shirts, mugs, or other items that are associated with your niche.

As for a physical product, the production, storage, and sale processes would require an investment. Therefore, it is better to have a stream of income from your blog and then consider selling physical products. 

Believe it or not, the methods mentioned above could earn you a six-figure income or even higher if done correctly.

Freelance Services

Depending on your niche, you can offer different freelance services. For example, if you are a writer, your blog is about blogging and writing. You could provide services such as:

• Writing (such as CV or cover letter)
• Proofreading
• Editing services 

Sponsored Posts

You can write articles talking about a company’s brands or products or allow other authors to publish on your blog.

Some companies are willing to pay hundreds to thousands for a post.

Or sometimes, you get to test products/services for free.

Unlock your imagination and creativity; the world is your oyster.

Keep Learning

Note that you don’t have to be an expert at the start, but you probably will be sooner or later if you never stop learning and sharing. The best way to learn is by doing it.

When you start to make money blogging, use the money to invest in tools and other resources to make your site more robust and make more money.

Final Thoughts on How to Start a Blog in 2022

Starting a WordPress blog is a fantastic experience that offers unlimited earning potential with little investment. 

However, nothing will happen until you take action.

Start a WordPress Blog to Get an up to 73% Discount Right Now >>

I hope this in-depth guide could help you start a WordPress blog and make money blogging when your site grows.

I believe I have covered all you need to know to start a WordPress blog. Let me know in the comments section if I have missed something.

If you have any questions or concerns about starting a WordPress blog, feel free to leave me a comment below. I am more than happy to help you and answer your questions. 😊

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