I have been blogging since 2012 and only recently have a seen how to turn a blog into a business and earn a real income from it.
Blogging is a great way for women like myself, a stay at home mom, to keep connected and feel like we are contributing to our communities and our family’s finances.
I have been treating my blog as a business instead of just a hobby for about 3 months now and I have seen a major impact money wise.
It takes a lot of time and effort but I actually enjoy what I am doing instead of sitting at a job that I despise. Here are a few things I think hobby bloggers needs in order to turn a blog into a business.
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How to Turn a Blog into a Business
You do not have to be tech savvy to be a blogger, I certainly am not. You can even start a blog for only $3.95 a month.
One of the ways I learned how to make a real income from my blog was by taking the Elite Blog Academy course. I can’t recommend it enough. They will be open again for registration from March 4th-8th for EBA 4.0 so you can start saving up if you are interested in the course.
Ruth Soukup, the creator of EBA, actually has some free training videos that she is offering from EBA 2.0. You can sign up for that free training to get some great tips.
Check out this list of free blogging courses to help get you started on the right track!
Consistency
I try to post new content twice a week (I used to do it everyday when I was first starting out). My readers know when they can stop by for new posts and what to expect from me.
You don’t have to post as much as I do but you do need to set a schedule about when you will post. Is it going to be twice a week, 3 times a week?
Sit down and figure out what works for your schedule and when you will actually sit down and write. This will help keep you accountable and you are giving your blog “business hours”.
I write when my daughter naps, that is the only time I can really focus and have some quiet. Sometimes life happens and things come up but I try my best to stick to the schedule I have set for myself.
RELATED POSTS:
- How to Start a Profitable Blog on a Budget: The Beginner’s Guide
- The Blogging Tool you Need to Grow your Blog
- Escaping the 9 to 5: How I Finally Quit My Job to do What I Love
Social Media
Now that you are consistent, you have to start promoting those posts. No one will see what you have written if they don’t know it is there.
I suggest getting active on Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter if you are just starting out. These are usually the top 3 referrers for bloggers. Once you get the hang of these 3, then you can branch out.
Figure out how many times a day you will post to social media. I find it really helpful to use scheduling tools for my blog. I schedule directly on Facebook every morning and on Twitter using Hootsuite( I use the free plan).
I love using Tailwind to schedule for Pinterest. Your first 100 pins are free so you can see if it will work for you! This helps you stay active on social media throughout the day without having to constantly be on it.
Make Money Blogging
Great Photos
If you want to get more traffic, especially from Pinterest, you have to have great quality photos. You can take them yourself, take some photo classes, or you can use stock photos.
I like using StockUnlimited and Deposit Photos to get amazing quality photos for my blog.
You also want your blog itself to look clean and professional. There are free themes available that you can use if you want to spruce up your blog and make it more appealing.
I personally use the Genesis framework and I love the themes that are available from Studiopress. They have a lot of beautiful professional themes that can help take your blog to the next level.
Sign up with Blogger Networks
I like using blogger networks as a way to work with companies and get sponsored post opportunities. I am a member of several but my favorites are Clever Girls Collective, iSway, and TapInfluence.
They are all different and looking for small and large blogs alike. Just make sure to read their requirements before you sign up and apply for any campaigns that will be a good match for your blog.
This is a great way to get to work with brands and companies to start getting your name out there and turn a blog into a business.
Have a Self Hosted Blog
To really be taken seriously by brands and companies, you really need to own your domain name and be self hosted. There are several options out there but you can use to help set up your self hosted blog. I personally use Siteground.
I have nothing but good things to say about SiteGround. They provide 24/7 support so if you ever need any help with your site, they can walk you through it online or over the phone.
They even provide affordable plans for every budget, so you can grow with them as your blog income grows! I am not the best with computers and coding so I like knowing that SiteGround can take care of all of that for me while I focus on producing great content.
I hope this will help guide you in the right direction to start turning a blog into a business. This is just the tip of the iceburg.
For even more info, check out my other blogging posts to help get your started.
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