Blogging FAQs

Thinking of starting a blog or do you already have one but aren’t sure where to take it? Here are blogging FAQs I get asked most frequently!

How do I start a blog?

Starting a blog is easy! First, think of a domain name. If you are having trouble coming up with one, use your name. This makes you the brand, and it gives you the ability to change your blog topics as you wish!

Then, head over to my tutorial on how to start a profitable blog. This will walk you through (with pictures!) exactly how to start a blog.

And finally – send me an email once you start a blog (sbrooks52111 @ gmail.com) (no spaces) and I’ll send you a copy of my blogging ebook for free!

What Should I Blog About?

The beauty of a blog is you can blog about anything! And yes, you can make money off of any type of blog (more on that below). Here’s a post on how to choose your blogging niche.

If you don’t have one specific category you want to write about, or if you’re afraid you’ll grow tired of the topic you chose, I highly recommend using your own name as your blog name. I wish I would have done that, and might re-brand towards the end of the year.

Using your own name allows you to write about whatever you please and it allows your blog to grow with you. My blog started out just about finances, but now I talk about blogging and family life. My blog name doesn’t quite fit with that, which is why I wish I would have gone with simply my name.

How Do I Make Money Blogging?

I make money blogging in four different ways.

Ads. I used Google Adsense when I first started my blog. Within five months, I received my first payment of $100. Now, I use Monumetric. They require 30,000 pageviews to join. Once you hit that, apply! They set up all of your ads for you and I’m making triple what I was making with Adsense!

Affiliate Sales. This is my absolute favorite way to make money blogging. I recommend a product, and if someone purchases it through my unique link, I get a commission. I’ve recommended courses, products and services across my blog that I use and love. The best thing about affiliate sales is the post can continue to make money for years to come as your blog grows!

Sponsored Posts. Every once in a while, companies will reach out to me to review their product on my blog. I don’t always take sponsored posts that come my way; instead, I make sure it’s something I think would be a good fit for my readers. I charge anywhere from $125-$300 for a sponsored post. You can charge more or less depending on your traffic and how you plan on promoting the post.

Product Sales. And lastly, I make money through selling my own products. Right now I have two – my ebook The Beginner’s Guide to Blogging and my blogging course How to Make Money as a Web Hosting Affiliate. I plan to add more products over the coming months and years. Like affiliate marketing, this income is relatively passive once the product is listed for sale (you do have to market your product, though).

If you need specific money-making post ideas, sign up for my free guide below!

I’m Not Good at Technology. Can I Still Blog?

YES! I am the worst person at technology ever. Just ask my coworkers 🙂 That’s why I created The Beginner’s Guide to Blogging. It walks you through how to get your blog up and running if you aren’t good at technology at all. It’s a super simple guide that will save you hours upon hours of Googling and trying to figure stuff out on your own.

I’m Not a Good Writer. Can I Still Blog?

Absolutely!! Let me let you in on a little secret: Blogging is mostly marketing 🙂 Of course, you have to write. But if there’s no one to read your content, it doesn’t matter if it’s the best content in the world. And remember – you’re writing for internet readers (think lots of headlines, get-to-the-point-style posts) – you’re not writing novels or collegiate essays.

How Do I Market My Blog?

Once you start your blog and have a few solid posts published, you’ll want to focus on marketing. I wish I would have spent more time marketing in the beginning than I did. You should be spending MORE time marketing than writing, which is actually what separates good bloggers from great ones.

Every day, I comment on a few other blogs in my niche and on blogs that I like. This takes maybe 15-30 minutes. I also pin (using pin scheduler Tailwind – try it for free here!) 100 pins per day. Yup – 100 pins going to Pinterest every single day. This would not be possible without Tailwind!! Tailwind lets me schedule my pins weeks in advance. I spend about 20 minutes pinning every 2-3 weeks!

I also promote my blog on Stumbleupon, Google Plus, Facebook, sometimes Instagram, and Twitter. Here’s a post on 10 ways to gain traffic to your blog!

How Much Does It Cost to Blog?

That’s the great thing about blogging – you’re running a business with very little overhead. Your biggest expense at first will be starting your blog. With my Bluehost link, you’ll pay just $2.95 per month instead of the regular $3.95 rate. You pay upfront for the whole year, but then you are completely done with blogging expenses if you want to be!

You can also choose to purchase a theme which is around $50 (or you can use a free theme) and pay for marketing services like Tailwind. But, you don’t have to! Blogging can really be as cheap as you want it to be, and you will still make money!

Is Blogging Fun?

Blogging has been the best hobby I’ve ever had. I’ve made some life-long friends (people I talk to every single day but have never meant in person!) and I get to contribute to our family finances! We are now able to save more, spend a bit more and just live more comfortably than we were before my blog. It did take a good year to start making consistent income, but honestly my only regret is not starting my blog sooner.

If you’re ready to take the leap and start a blog, head over to my tutorial now! We are in this together!! 🙂

What questions do you have for me?