How To Start A Blog On Wordpress And Make Money

Today, you will learn all about how to get paid for blogging on WordPress. Blogging has allowed me to share my passion for saving and making extra money with others, and earn thousands of dollars helping others, doing something I love.

I specifically mention WordPress, as this is the platform I use, so it's not really fair for me to comment on other platforms, as I haven't used them. WordPress is easy to use, and well respected. You can start a money-making blog for just a few dollars a month.

In the guide below, I have included discounted pricing from Bluehost, so you too can start a blog for cheap and learn how to get paid blogging on WordPress. You will also receive a free blog domain through my link. I don't know how long their discount lasts and when it will end, so act quickly if you want the preferential pricing.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate for Bluehost, and will receive a commission if you sign up through my referral link. This is at no additional cost to you, and you will get great pricing and a free domain name through my link.

How To Get Paid For Blogging On WordPress: 8 Steps

Choose a name
Set up hosting with Bluehost
Install website builder WordPress
Pick a theme
Design a logo
Install essential plugins
Learn how to get paid
Start driving traffic to your site

Cost

Hosting :$3.95p/m (for 36 months)

Domain name: FREE with Bluehost

WordPress and theme: FREE

———————————————————————-

Total cost:$3.95 per month

Related Posts On Blogging:

6 Simple Ways to Make Money Blogging
Best Pinterest Courses to Help You Explode Your Website Traffic
31 Best Affiliate Programs For Travel Bloggers [2022 Update!]
How To Start A Sports Blog That Makes Money
How To Flip A Website For Profit (In 12 Months)
31 Blog Posts Ideas for Beginners (Who Want Traffic Fast!)

How To Get Paid For Blogging On WordPress: 8 Steps

Here are the 8 step I followed exactly to set up this blog and many other blogs.I hope it will simplify the process so you can set your blog up and start writing asap!

1. Choose A Name For Your Blog

The first step of learning how to get paid for blogging on WordPress is finding a name for your blog.

This can be difficult because you may have many ideas but you aren't sure which to pick.

I recommend you spend some time brainstorming, do a spider diagram, ask that uncle who seems to know everything about everything, whatever works for you.

Make it relevant.

Try and make it related to what the blog is about, so people associate your blog with that. OutandBeyond started as a travel blog, which then progressed into a personal finance blog. I wanted something which resonated with my values.

I try to always go out and beyond in everything I do (I don't always get there.. but I try eh! ), so that's where OutandBeyond came in.

Keep it classy.

One day, your blog is going to make it big (positive thinking! ), and when it does, you will be invited to press trips and conferences. But you don't want a blog that is called 'f**k it anyway' to represent you. You will put people off. Keep it neutral and classy.

Don't pigeon hole yourself.

You never know what the future holds.

Your blog will evolve as you grow. Similar to how OutandBeyond started as a travel blog and then moved into personal finance.

If I had named it Traveling About, it would have been harder for me to transition into finance.

Instead, I would have probably had to start a different blog all over again. You may want to write about budget travel, but you may be interested in flashpacking later down the road. Don't limit your blog potential with a name.

Keep it short and easy to remember. When you set up a blog and start sharing it, you don't want to have to say ' my site is Aisha hyphen Preece hyphen travels, use two hyphens'. People will find it too complicated. Keep a maximum of 4-5 words.

Make sure the .com domain name is available:People are used to seeing .com, so try and make it easier for them to find you by having a .com domain.

You can check if your domain name is available here.

2. Set up hosting with Bluehost

Hosting is a place for your website to hang out. Imagine your website is a house, it needs land to be built on, right?

Hosting is the plot of land for your website. You own it and no one can kick you off, as you paid for it. Hosting also allows you to monetize your website with adverts, as you own it.

If you want to know how to get paid for blogging on WordPress, Bluehost are your best option for a hosting provider because they are the best blogging platform to make money but also they have :

Competitive pricing

Bluehost has affordable plans and when you use my special link you can get started for as low as $3.95/mo).

You get a FREE domain

With Bluehost, you receive a free domain when you sign up using my special link. Straight away you are saving 15$.

Not all web hosting providers offer free domains for their customers, so this is something you should take advantage of.

They have 24/7 support

When you are just starting with learning how to get paid for blogging on WordPress, there is so much to learn, and the smallest technical problem can throw you off and slow you down.

This is why I was so relieved when I found out Bluehost offer 24/7 live support via their online chat.

I use it ALL the time.

Automatic WordPress installation

WordPress is a website builder.

It's one of the most popular and best websites builders on the market, and it's free.

Now, just starting with learning how to get paid for blogging on WordPress, you need to minimize the stress and confusion with IT-related matters.

When you choose Bluehost, WordPress is automatically installed when you sign up and you don't have to do a thing!

For me, this was extremely important as I didn't want to figure out another additional IT step on how to link my host with my website builder.

Bluehost links your WordPress for you.

Ok so head over to Bluehost's home page and you will see this :

How To Get Paid For Blogging On WordPress .

Hit that green button that says "get started" and you'll be redirected to a page outlining their different hosting plans:

Since you are just starting, I recommend the cheapest plan, for $3.95 per month .

It is still early stages and you don't know what is going to happen to your website in the future so you can always upgrade later on when you start making money on your blog.

Press select on the basic plan and you'll be sent to the following page where we will set up your domain

Here is where you input your blog name. Keep it simple and professional. Make sure you check for spelling errors!

Note- Sometimes the name has been taken (boooo!), so the domain name won't be available.

Don't worry, pick a variation of your domain name. For example, 'I love Mondays' was taken, so I chose 'Outandbeyond'.

The next step is to fill in your account information:

Now it's time to pick your package. Here's what I always choose when I'm starting a new blog:

You save the most money when you choose the 36-month plan and you don't have to worry about paying for hosting for the next three years.

I recommend starting with the 36-month plan. The reason for this is, it works out to be $3.95 per month instead of $5.95 a month for the 12-month plan.

Also, when you starting your journey on how to get paid for blogging on WordPress, success won't come overnight, you need to be committed and aim to succeed from the beginning. Mindset is everything.

So, if you know your site blog till be running in 3 years, you're giving yourself a realistic time frame to succeed. Life is difficult enough as it is without putting unnecessary pressure on yourself.

NOTE- Untick everything else except Domain privacy, Code Guard Basic and Sitelock Essential Security as they protect spammers from getting your contact information, back up your site so you don't lose everything and protect you from malware. I think it is worth the money.

Finally, fill in your payment information and you are ready to move on to the next stage.

Voila! You've now set up your hosting and domain name — simple, right?

3- Install WordPress

Now that you've signed up for hosting, it's time to install WordPress.

Since you bought your hosting with Bluehost, you can automatically set up WordPress and they will link it for you. You will be asked to choose your password for WordPress.

Bluehost will then ask you to pick a theme. If you want an idea of good themes, try The Theme Detector, to see what themes other bloggers are using.

The current theme for my website is ' Astra'.

When I began learning how to get paid for blogging on WordPress, I started with a free theme and then progressed on to a paid one, more on that later. Your themes can be changed back and forth, so you can change your theme later on down the road but for now, we need something simple and free.

From here, Bluehost directs you to the backend of your WordPress website!

After you've chosen a theme, you will see a button that says start building, and it's time to start building!

Next, you're going to be asked whether your site is business or personal. You're going to want to make money from your blog should click on business (wahoo!)

Now you are the proud owner of a blog! What next?

How to log into your WordPress site:

It's super-simple. Head to http://yourdomainname.com/wp-admin and you'll see this screen:

Now you need to move to the next stage of learning how to get paid for blogging on WordPress

4. Pick A Theme

By now you have a free theme which is fine, especially when you are starting.

But I want to share a personal experience.

At the beginning of my journey on how to get paid for blogging on WordPress, I picked a free theme and spent A WHOLE WEEK trying to make it look like how I wanted it to. And it looked like a dog's butthole. I was so upset and frustrated.

Then I spent $50, and the beautiful site you see now was created in one day.

Perhaps you try a free theme to start with and if you need something a little more user-friendly, you can pick a paid theme.

Alternatively, Astra or Genesis Pro are also pretty good! I plan to use Astra for the next blog I start (because blogs make money, so why not create more! )

Once you've bought a theme it's time to install it on your site.

Themes will usually include installation instructions that guide you on how to set it up. For example, on Envato, you'll be able to download an installable WordPress file.

Once you've downloaded the file, you can log into WordPress, click on Appearance – Themes – Upload, upload the file you've just downloaded from Envato, and voila! You have an easy-to-use beautiful site.

Customizing your site is going to take a lot of your time, so be prepared to spend time on it.

Note- if you don't have time just hire someone on Fiverr, it is super cheap and they can get it done for you in a couple of hours.

I can highly recommend this guy I have been using to help me with my websites. He is reliable, professional and most importantly, he will follow up until everything is resolved. Trust is a big factor for me when I hire people to help with my site, and he has proved again and again that I can trust him.

You can find his profile on Fiverr here.

5. Design a Logo

Having your own logo will allow you to stand out from the crowd and catch your reader's eye. HOWEVER, Don't stress too much about this.

I spent too long worrying about it and then decided to create one in an hour and forget about it. I haven't changed it since and I really should, but so far, no one has complained about it!

There are two ways you crate your logo easily:

Canva- FREE
Fiverr – Super cheap

Canva allows you to create free logos and play around with fonts for your site. You can also click on the pre-made logo designs and use any one of them for FREE.

Alternatively, you can hire someone to design your logo for you on Fiverr, for really cheap! Input 'logo creation' in the search bar and you will find logo creation for as little as $5. It saves you time and stress, if you aren't confident in your own design skills.

If you want to know how to install your logo on your WordPress site, watch this video by WordPress.

Remember there are tons of free videos on YouTube too.

6. Install Essential Plugins

A big part of how to get paid for blogging on WordPress is learning to use tools that help your website, and make your life easier.

If you want to improve the functionality of your site and have access to some cool FREE features which will protect your site and make it look better, you should install some WordPress plugins.

Think about them like little health supplements for your website to make it feel and look better.

Go to Plugins > Add New and search for these names:

Akismet: It protects you from spam comments by catching them and deleting them automatically. Essentially a spam protection plugin.

Comments Not Replied To: This shows you a list of comments you haven't replied to yet. It's important to engage and respond to your readers since they have taken the time to comment on your blog.

Contact Form 7: This will add a form to your contact page so that people can get in contact with you. I receive lots of freelance writing jobs this way.

Ultimate Social Media Icon: Allows you to connect all your social media profiles to build your credibility and connect you with prospective clients. Use this plugin to promote your social media profiles.

Yoast SEO:Yoast SEO is a must-have plugin for your website. It helps to improve your rankings on Google (SEO). Just install it, it's important.

7. How To Get Paid For Blogging On WordPress

Now you have set your blog up, it's TIME TO GET PAID! But HOW do bloggers get paid? If you want to know how to make money blogging, you can make money 5 main ways. There are other ways, but I will explain the easiest and quickest ones for now.

Display Advertising
Blog sponsorships
Affiliate marketing
Digital courses
Writing

Allright, lets get to the first method you can earn from your blog!

Display Advertising

You can get paid every time someone views a page on your blog or every time someone clicks on an advertisement place on your blog. (The advertising company will place the advertisement for you).

It is as simple and signing up, getting approved and watching the passive income roll in as your blog page views increase. (Crazy right?! )

Most advertising networks have a minimum number of page views they require before they accept you, but I can recommend a few that don't.

Here is a list of advertising networks you can sign up to for FREE:

Google AdSense- No minimum pageviews
Pop Ads- No minimum pageviews
Vigilink –No minimum pageviews
Media.net- No minimum pageviews
Ezoic- Minimum 10,000 pageviews (Now change to 0, yahoo! get in there now!)
Monumetic- Minimum 10,000 pageviews – Now they charge $99 for signup
Mediavine- Minimum 50,000 SESSIONS*
Adthrive- Minimum 100,000 pageviews

Since you are just starting and don't have any page views yet, the best way to know how to make money with a blog for beginners is to sign up to Google AdSense or any of the networks mentioned above with no minimum page views. requirements.

I have been advised its good to experiment with ad sizes and placements and to download the Quick Adsense plugin, too, as it makes placing the ad code anywhere on your site straightforward. (Google this)

You should be able to make about $1 per 1,000 visitors to your site if you have enough placements.

I know this doesn't sound like much, but once you reach 10k page views, you can apply for higher paying advertising networks that pay much more.

I know this, as I earn at least $500 a month from display advertising but I haven't optimized my ad placements and I switched off the ads for quite a few of my pages, so I could be earning MUCH MORE. I know bloggers earning $2000 and more from advertising networks.

Update !!

I now earn over$3,700 from display advertising from my first blog. WILD! O_O

Display advertising is the first thing you need to learn if you want to know how to get paid for blogging on WordPress.

Sponsorships

The second method of learning how to get paid for blogging on WordPress is Sponsorships. This is where you get paid to write a review or post about a product or service.

BIG TIP: Don't undersell yourself and don't promote stuff you don't believe in. Your readers will never trust you and go elsewhere.

For example, I don't spend much money on make-up, purely because I really like food and traveling… so I spend all my money on that instead!

So, despite the fact that I have been approached and offered hundreds of dollars by beauty companies to write and recommend their products… I refuse. Because I would be promoting something I don't use or believe in, which isn't fair to you guys and it doesn't sit right with me.

Here is a list of sponsorship networks that offer sponsored posts.

6 Degrees
Acorn Influence
Blog Meets Brand
Bloggin Mamas
Clever
CJ
Find Your Influence
IZEA
Activate– International
Blog Meets Brand– International
Influenceher– International
Influence-Central– the United States and Canada

Note – It's best if you focus on getting traffic first as most will have minimum traffic requirements.

I know you want to know how to make money blogging for beginners, but if you apply and you don't meet the traffic requirements, you will be rejected and it will be difficult to apply again. Hold fire and be patient.

A really good course on how to make money on Sponsored Posts is the: Making Sense of Sponsored Posts Course.

I bought it for myself and it is amazing. Michelle and Alexis have earned over $7,000 from sponsored posts alone. They teach you where to find sponsored posts, what to charge, how to set yourself apart from the competition and negotiate a higher rate.

Most importantly, you get a FREE Media Kit. So if you want to approach sponsors or they approach you, you have a pre-made media kit instead of having to hire someone to make it for you. You will look professional and snazzy and can charge more.

Affiliate Marketing

This involves you recommending a product or service and getting paid a commission if someone purchases something using your link.

The buyer pays the same price as they would if they purchased without your link, the seller pays the commission to you.

Here is a list of affiliate marking programs for beginners:

Shareasale
Max bounty
CJ affiliates
Awin
Amazon Affiliates – Perfect for beginners, easy approval
Flex offers
Impact
Rakuten network

Also, here is a course that teaches you how to make money using Affiliate Marketing by Michelle. She has made over $100,000, per month, on affiliate marketing and her course is a game-changer.

My blog was making a big fat ZERO on Affiliate Marketing and then I took the course. Within 3 months I made $300 per month and it continued to go up.

Highly recommend this course if you want to start earning decent money from your blog, every well-paid blogger out there uses Affiliate Marketing.

Digital Products

Another great way I learned how to get paid for blogging on WordPress was digital courses. You can sell e-books or a digital course to help people.

For example, the courses I mentioned above were digital courses that I paid for. Those bloggers earned from selling the e-courses. It's a win-win, because I got to learn something valuable from the comfort of my own home and they earned from sharing their knowledge.

One day I plan to write an e-book on: 'How to earn $5000 within 6 months, as an online teacher, when you have no experience'.If someone buys it… I will earn from the sale. (Finger crossed! )

Writing

Your blog is essentially a portfolio of your writing. Potential clients will see your work and hire you if they like it.

Which is why it's important to show your personality but keep it kosher on your blog. I have received numerous job offers from my blog. It's another way you can get paid for blogging on WordPress.

8. Start Driving Traffic To Your Site

The crucial part of learning how to get paid for blogging on WordPress is website traffic. This is the MOST IMPORTANT thing you need to focus on right now.

Any of the methods mentioned above to make money require some traffic and pageviews to your blog.

You can drive visitors to your blog in a few ways :

Write AT LEAST 1 blog post a week and share it on ALL your social media channels
Master Pinterest
Master Search Engine Optimisation 'SEO'

Write AT LEAST 1 blog post a week

You need to be consistent and write at least once a week if you want to gain any traffic. Carve time out and write one post then share it on FB, IG, Twitter and any other social media channels you have.

Pinterest

Every single successful blogger I know has recommended Pinterest. I ignored it for ages and started trying this 2 months ago. It has SKYROCKETED my pageviews.

Here is a book by Carly called Pinteresting Strategies , that teaches you about how to succeed on Pinterest. It's the cheapest but most valuable ones out there. I have tried both expensive and cheap Pinterest courses and this book is both cheap AND valuable.

Ps; Carly gets at least 200,000 views from Pinterest to her blog … every month, while being a busy mom. Amazing eh!

Search Engine Optimisation 'SEO'

This is where you learn how to rank high on google. SEO takes longer than Pinterest but it lasts longer and is more valuable.

Because SEO takes a long time to kick in (like 6-12 months) and you can get demotivated as a new blogger having to wait that long without seeing results (or making any money!).

So it might be worth also learning about Pinterest while you wait, so you get some traction to your site before you give up 🙁

Here are some good SEO books if you want to get started with SEO.

FAQ

How long does it take to make money on a blog?

As soon as you start getting traffic. You can earn money from Display Advertising right away. So set up your blog now!

How often should I post?

At least once a week until you have a decent bank of content which you can then update to ensure your site content is fresh and relevant. I am aiming for 300 blog posts.

How much does it cost to start a blog?

Bare bones blog: $3.95 per month

User-friendly blog that is sexy and functional: $3.95 per month and a one-off $50 for a nice theme.

How much money can you make blogging on WordPress?

As little as $0 to over $100,000 per month, it all about whether you try and monetize it using the methods above. Have a quick google of 'blogging income reports' and you will see it's entirely possible to earn decent money 🙂

Note- This blog earns between $8,000 to $15,000 a month.

Types of blogs that make money?

There are experts that can give more advice on this but your blog should either:

Provide value i.e. is useful
Solve a problem
Motivate
Entertain

Talking about your daily struggle with your cat is cute, but it isn't going to get you readers and income. Before you write a blog post, ask yourself if it falls in any of the categories above.

How do I know how many page views I have ?

Sign up and link Google Analytics to your blog for FREE! It will share how many page views you have, from where, when and which source.

So there you are, 8 steps that teach you how to get paid for blogging on WordPress. Earning from your blog allows you to generate money, pay your bills and save … all from the comfort of your own home.

So, now you know how to start a blog and make money, what are you waiting for?

If there are any questions that I missed out on, please mention them in the comments below and I will answer them when I can.