Many people don’t understand how a blog makes money. I’ve worked online from home since 2008. Needless to say, people have envied me for that, and many have wanted specifics as to what I do. I usually reply with, “I’m an affiliate marketer.” I get either a totally blank look from those who are willing to admit they have no idea what that is, or else I get “Ah ha…” from those who are pretending they know what I’m talking about. LOL!
Regardless of the initial response, I usually go on to explain that “I have blogs that make money.” That explanation seems to satisfy most people and prevents me from having to explain in more detail about what I do for a living. After all, explaining to people how to create a blog to make money in casual conversation isn’t that easy. And as much as I love my business and am so glad I chose to start my own online business, it sure would be easier if I could just say, “I’m an accountant,” or “I’m a secretary!”
How to Make a Blog to Make Money
In order to understand how to make a blog to make money, you have to
understand how you can make money online to begin with. This can be most easily explained by describing the four steps it takes:
4 Steps to Making Money Online:
- Choose a niche/topic
- Create a blog
- Drive traffic to your blog
- Earn commissions/revenue
How to Start a Blog to Make Money
The best way I know to tell you how to start a blog to make money is to tell you how I learned. I learned from a company called, Wealthy Affiliate. They teach people, in step-by-step video trainings, how to become an affiliate marketer. They teach, in a nutshell, the 4 steps I just described:
1. They teach you how to choose a niche/topic you enjoy (and one that will be profitable)
2. They teach you how to create a blog site (I mean it, step-by-step, easy-to-follow instructions. They taught me how to make this blog you’re on right now!)
3. They teach you how to drive traffic to your blog, and
4. They teach you how to earn revenue/commissions – in other words, they show you WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM. That’s the thing I think that confuses most people when they hear what I do for a living. They’re like, “Ok, you have blogs that make money. But how do your blogs make money?”
That’s Where Wealthy Affiliate Comes In
Wealthy Affiliate teaches you how to be an affiliate marketer. Affiliate marketing is where you sign up to be an affiliate (or “rep”) for different products and services, you promote them on your blog in the form of articles and blog posts (or videos if you like the YouTube idea), and whenever someone uses your affiliate link to purchase a product or service you’re promoting, you get a commission. That’s where the money comes from. That’s how you create a blog to make money.
Can You Make Money With a Blog?
You might be having a hard time picturing this. Most people wonder what they could possibly sell, or what they could possibly write blog posts about. Here are a few examples just to get your brain started in the right direction…
Example: Say you like skiing. First, do you know anything about it? Of course you do. You could write blog posts about what you like about it, how you started. You could tell stories about your experiences, places you’ve skied, etc. The money could come from you recommending products and services relating to skiing. In my mind, that list is absolutely endless…everything from skis, to boots, to goggles, to hats, gloves, warm socks…see? The list of links you could have within your blog posts is endless. All things you link to where you get a commission if they buy.
Example: Let’s say you love the NY Yankees. Again, do you know anything about it? Of course you do. You could write blog posts about what you like about baseball, why you like the Yankees. You could write endless articles about the history of the Yankees, you could write articles about each and every player. You could write about your experiences going to games, or maybe how your dad got you hooked when you were a kid. The blog post ideas are endless. And, as I’ve said, the list of products you could recommend are endless. T-shirts, hats, mugs, blankets, lunch boxes, slippers, pajamas…everything Yankees!
You Get the Idea, Right?
Those are just a couple of examples of what your blog could be like. Right now, grab a pen and paper and write down 5 or 10 things you’re interested in. I mean it – do it now – grab a pen and start mindlessly jotting down anything that comes to mind when you think, “Things I Like.” I bet you, within that list you’ve just quickly made, you have a topic/niche you could make a blog out of to make money.
It Costs Nothing To Give It a Try
Wealthy Affiliate has an absolutely free Starter Membership where you can sign up with your email and go through 10 beginner classes to first, get a handle on this so you understand what it is, and second, to pick a topic, and actually create a blog to make money. Yes, you’ll get that in the free training. After that, if you like what you’re doing and you think you’d like to continue, you can upgrade to their Premium Membership (which isn’t expensive). But you’re under no obligation. The Starter Membership is totally free.
Read my full review of Wealthy Affiliate HERE.
This is How I Did It
This is How I Did ItThis is how I learned how to build a blog to make money online. I signed up for Wealthy Affiliate’s free starter program, did the beginner training, then upgraded to the premium membership and I’ve been a premium member ever since. I have several websites and am now a full time affiliate marketer. Join me! Go ahead and give it a try. And please feel free to comment below with any questions. I’ll be glad to help! Debra 🙂
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