Blog Monetisation Archives – Katherine McLee https://katherinemclee.com/category/blogging/blog-monetisation/ Digital Marketing, Affiliate Marketing & Blogging Tips! Mon, 17 Jun 2024 18:30:02 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://i0.wp.com/katherinemclee.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/cropped-sdffdg.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Blog Monetisation Archives – Katherine McLee https://katherinemclee.com/category/blogging/blog-monetisation/ 32 32 148049789 7 Ways You Can Make Money From Your Blog https://katherinemclee.com/7-ways-you-can-make-money-from-your-blog/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=7-ways-you-can-make-money-from-your-blog https://katherinemclee.com/7-ways-you-can-make-money-from-your-blog/#comments Fri, 14 Jun 2024 20:13:13 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=1295 In this post we are going to go over the top 7 ways to make money blogging! Making money from your very own website is so exciting, especially knowing the earning potential is completely limitless. But what are the popular ways to be able to actually make money? The niche you are in will of course have some sway over which monetisation options are best for you. The good thing is that there are multiple ways to monetise your blog so there’s definitely something for everyone! While there are of course no income guarantees, you should be able to find at least a few options from the list below that suit you and the way you want to make money from your blog.  Let’s get into the top 7 ways to make money blogging. There’s such a range in the ways you can truly make money from your blog. The beauty in having your own blog is that you can choose whichever strategy and whichever monetisation strategy that suits you. Do you only have to pick one of the options below to make money from your blog? Nope! You can absolutely choose one, a few, or even all the ways listed below. Choose the combination that’s right for you and your blog, and that suits you as to how you want to make an income. Remember there are many more ways not listed also! This post is just to touch on the top 7 ways, but there are many more! The first two on the list I truly believe anyone can implement for you to make money from your blog.  They are also (in my opinion) the easiest to get started with. These are Advertising and Affiliate Marketing. Advertising This is probably the most widely known way to make money blogging.  Adding adverts to your blog can help you to make money passively from your blog. Where Do You Find Adverts For A New Blog? As a new blog you are best signing up for Google Adsense where you can place Google Adverts on your blog.  Google Adsense has a very low threshold as to what’s required to get into their program, so it’s perfect for newbies and people with lower pageviews. You can absolutely stay with Adsense if it suits you so it isn’t only for new bloggers! It’s just the one I would recommend for newer bloggers. With Adsense Google provides the adverts for you. You can choose where the adverts are placed on your site or you can even let Google choose. Google will automatically place them where they feel they will perform the best so you don’t have to do anything, but they don’t always end up where you may have placed them yourself.  Experiment and see which performs the best and which is better aesthetically for your blog and your readers. How Much Can You Get Paid With Adverts? The amount you get paid from advertising can vary dramatically.  It depends on which adverts are showing, where they are placed on your website, how many views your site gets and how many people click onto them. The amount you will get from adverts will go up and down with the seasons too!  Adding adverts to your website is probably one of the simplest of these 7 ways to make money from your blog mentioned here. Personally I would never purely rely on advertising as an income due to the fluctuations mentioned above so I would always choose at least another one from the other options to compliment it. Once you grow a larger following and have more pageviews/sessions you can request to join other advertising companies. With a larger amount of monthly pageviews, you will be able to apply for higher paying advertising. So that’s always something to look forward to as your blog grows! Some people don’t like the look of having adverts on their blog which is personal preference. I’m happy to have adverts on mine as I’m happy seeing adverts on other people’s! Affiliate Marketing This is, hands down, one of my favourite ways you can make money from a blog. The earning potential is limitless, and is more based on your own efforts, rather than the advertising rates set by an external company. It is a term used all over the Internet, but is often portrayed as more complicated than it actually is. It’s one of the ways you can potentially make a lot of money in a short amount of time… BUT Be aware that as with everything, seeing real results will most likely take time and effort. The bigger the audience and the more they trust and respect your opinions and recommendations, the more you will make.  I have a full post explaining Affiliate Marketing in more detail here! As a quick run down though… What Is Affiliate Marketing?  Affiliate Marketing is when you get a commission from selling someone else’s products or services.  How does it work? To start with affiliate marketing, you start by joining an affiliate program with a company or a network that offers these programs. This could be directly with the company such as Amazon, or through an affiliate marketplace such as Clickbank. The company then provides you with your own unique link that tracks any clicks through and any sales. You can then share this link on your blog, social media, or other platforms, recommending the product or service to your readers. Whenever someone clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission, which is a percentage of the sale! This percentage will vary company to company and even product to product. Essentially, you’re getting paid for helping a company sell its products by using your platform to reach more people. It’s basically a win-win! Be careful not to promote any bad products though as the last thing  you want as an affiliate marketer is a bad reputation! Promoting products you use and love is the ideal here as you can openly talk about how much you enjoy them and how they can also benefit others. Most companies have affiliate programs now! If there’s a product or service you already love and want to share with your readers, you can check directly with that company’s website and see if they have an affiliate program you can join. Here’s an example and one anyone with a self hosted blog can do – Share Your Hosting! If you love your hosting company, see if they have an affiliate pgrogram (nearly all of them do), and then talk about them and why you like them! This means no matter what niche your blog – there will absolutely be affiliate programs you can join. If you love your hosting provider – recommend them!  You already use and love them, so share them with your readers.  How Much Can You Make With Affiliate Marketing? The amount you make depends on the company’s commission rate, how big your audience is, and how much your audience trusts you. One of the best parts of affiliate marketing is that you can sign up to as many affiliate programs as you like.  Imagine how much money you can make just by sharing products you already love with your audience. Sponsored Posts Sponsored Posts are an awesome way to get some extra income from your blog. This involves working with brands, where they will pay you to talk about a product/service, sometimes as part of a post, sometimes as the main focus of your post. The brand will pay you to talk about/advertise their product and will most likely then give you an affiliate link to get a commission from all sales made through that blog post also.  When agreeing to do a sponsored post/paid review, make sure the company has not said you HAVE to say only positive things about their product. All reviews should always be completely honest! The larger your audience, the more you will get paid by the company, as the more people the post will reach. Getting asked to do a sponsored post is not something to expect straight away. Give it time, build up your own brand, website and audience and the sponsored posts should start to follow! Do your research to work out how much you should be charging per sponsored post too!  Don’t let yourself be undercharged due to worrying you aren’t good enough. You are. That’s why they asked you. Selling Your Own Digital Products If you are a new blogger, this one will most likely sound scarier than the rest. It doesn’t have to! There are loads of ways to create and sell digital products so if you are interested in going down this route then absolutely do. If you’re unsure just now, have a read and maybe keep this in mind as a potential for the future if you don’t feel ready just yet. This money making option has a few parts to it, but as an overview, you create your own digital products and sell these through your blog or through a site linked to your blog. This could be through sites such as Shopify or Etsy. For a more indepth look at Shopify and who it can benfit the most, check out this post here! There are many different types when it comes to digital products. The types of digital products you can create and sell are things like: One of the great things about digital products is that you only have to create them once but can sell them over and over! Once they are created, your job is then just to promote and share with your audience why they will benefit from your products. If you’ve made a high quality product, this should be fairly simple! Obviously if they need updated/refreshed then do this, but on the whole once created, you can then profit from them over and over again. The overheads for these sorts of products are also very low, which means the profit margin here is very high. This is because as much as you have spent your time creating a product, an unlimited amount of people can then purchase it from you. If you are a newer blogger or new to your niche and don’t feel you could create a full online course yet, you could try for printables!  The beauty in selling digital products is that there really is something for everyone, and they will all be unique to you. Selling Physical Products For some niches, this option can work amazingly well. Say for example your blog was about crochet or healthy dog treats. You could absolutely sell physical products relating to either of those topics. The overheads and time needed can be a lot higher, but that’s not to say it’s a bad option at all. If you love to crochet and are crocheting all the time anyway, why not sell it too!  Making products to order can save you ending up with a large amount of inventory, but puts a little more pressure on you to get the products out in the timescale advertised. You can set up your own online store again through platforms such as Shopify or Etsy. This income stream won’t suit all website niches.  But that’s the beauty in choosing the best ways for you to make money from your blog. It’s all personalised to you. Selling Your Own Services Selling online services is an amazing option if you can offer a service to a person or group of people. This could be one-on-one phone calls (for example a coaching call in your specific niche), personalised video tutorials, online consultations or VA services. You don’t have to talk on the phone to sell a service online either as there are so many options so you can do it as a purely online service if this is what suits you better! If you are knowledgeable about a specific topic but don’t have a large audience to...

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]]> In this post we are going to go over the top 7 ways to make money blogging!

Making money from your very own website is so exciting, especially knowing the earning potential is completely limitless. But what are the popular ways to be able to actually make money?

The niche you are in will of course have some sway over which monetisation options are best for you. The good thing is that there are multiple ways to monetise your blog so there’s definitely something for everyone!

While there are of course no income guarantees, you should be able to find at least a few options from the list below that suit you and the way you want to make money from your blog. 

Let’s get into the top 7 ways to make money blogging.

There’s such a range in the ways you can truly make money from your blog.

The beauty in having your own blog is that you can choose whichever strategy and whichever monetisation strategy that suits you.

Do you only have to pick one of the options below to make money from your blog? Nope! You can absolutely choose one, a few, or even all the ways listed below.

Choose the combination that’s right for you and your blog, and that suits you as to how you want to make an income.

Remember there are many more ways not listed also! This post is just to touch on the top 7 ways, but there are many more!

The first two on the list I truly believe anyone can implement for you to make money from your blog. 

They are also (in my opinion) the easiest to get started with.

These are Advertising and Affiliate Marketing.

Advertising

This is probably the most widely known way to make money blogging. 

Adding adverts to your blog can help you to make money passively from your blog.

Where Do You Find Adverts For A New Blog?

As a new blog you are best signing up for Google Adsense where you can place Google Adverts on your blog. 

Google Adsense has a very low threshold as to what’s required to get into their program, so it’s perfect for newbies and people with lower pageviews.

You can absolutely stay with Adsense if it suits you so it isn’t only for new bloggers! It’s just the one I would recommend for newer bloggers.

With Adsense Google provides the adverts for you. You can choose where the adverts are placed on your site or you can even let Google choose. Google will automatically place them where they feel they will perform the best so you don’t have to do anything, but they don’t always end up where you may have placed them yourself. 

Experiment and see which performs the best and which is better aesthetically for your blog and your readers.

How Much Can You Get Paid With Adverts?

The amount you get paid from advertising can vary dramatically. 

It depends on which adverts are showing, where they are placed on your website, how many views your site gets and how many people click onto them.

The amount you will get from adverts will go up and down with the seasons too! 

Adding adverts to your website is probably one of the simplest of these 7 ways to make money from your blog mentioned here. Personally I would never purely rely on advertising as an income due to the fluctuations mentioned above so I would always choose at least another one from the other options to compliment it.

Once you grow a larger following and have more pageviews/sessions you can request to join other advertising companies.

With a larger amount of monthly pageviews, you will be able to apply for higher paying advertising. So that’s always something to look forward to as your blog grows!

Some people don’t like the look of having adverts on their blog which is personal preference. I’m happy to have adverts on mine as I’m happy seeing adverts on other people’s!

Affiliate Marketing

This is, hands down, one of my favourite ways you can make money from a blog.

The earning potential is limitless, and is more based on your own efforts, rather than the advertising rates set by an external company.

It is a term used all over the Internet, but is often portrayed as more complicated than it actually is.

It’s one of the ways you can potentially make a lot of money in a short amount of time…

BUT

Be aware that as with everything, seeing real results will most likely take time and effort.

The bigger the audience and the more they trust and respect your opinions and recommendations, the more you will make. 

I have a full post explaining Affiliate Marketing in more detail here!

As a quick run down though…

What Is Affiliate Marketing? 

Affiliate Marketing is when you get a commission from selling someone else’s products or services. 

How does it work?

To start with affiliate marketing, you start by joining an affiliate program with a company or a network that offers these programs. This could be directly with the company such as Amazon, or through an affiliate marketplace such as Clickbank.

The company then provides you with your own unique link that tracks any clicks through and any sales.

You can then share this link on your blog, social media, or other platforms, recommending the product or service to your readers.

Whenever someone clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission, which is a percentage of the sale!

This percentage will vary company to company and even product to product.

Essentially, you’re getting paid for helping a company sell its products by using your platform to reach more people.

It’s basically a win-win!

Be careful not to promote any bad products though as the last thing  you want as an affiliate marketer is a bad reputation!

Promoting products you use and love is the ideal here as you can openly talk about how much you enjoy them and how they can also benefit others.

Most companies have affiliate programs now!

If there’s a product or service you already love and want to share with your readers, you can check directly with that company’s website and see if they have an affiliate program you can join.

Here’s an example and one anyone with a self hosted blog can do – Share Your Hosting!

If you love your hosting company, see if they have an affiliate pgrogram (nearly all of them do), and then talk about them and why you like them!

This means no matter what niche your blog – there will absolutely be affiliate programs you can join.

If you love your hosting provider – recommend them! 

You already use and love them, so share them with your readers.

 How Much Can You Make With Affiliate Marketing?

The amount you make depends on the company’s commission rate, how big your audience is, and how much your audience trusts you.

One of the best parts of affiliate marketing is that you can sign up to as many affiliate programs as you like. 

Imagine how much money you can make just by sharing products you already love with your audience.

Sponsored Posts

Sponsored Posts are an awesome way to get some extra income from your blog.

This involves working with brands, where they will pay you to talk about a product/service, sometimes as part of a post, sometimes as the main focus of your post.

The brand will pay you to talk about/advertise their product and will most likely then give you an affiliate link to get a commission from all sales made through that blog post also. 

When agreeing to do a sponsored post/paid review, make sure the company has not said you HAVE to say only positive things about their product. All reviews should always be completely honest!

The larger your audience, the more you will get paid by the company, as the more people the post will reach.

Getting asked to do a sponsored post is not something to expect straight away.

Give it time, build up your own brand, website and audience and the sponsored posts should start to follow!

Do your research to work out how much you should be charging per sponsored post too! 

Don’t let yourself be undercharged due to worrying you aren’t good enough.

You are. That’s why they asked you.

Selling Your Own Digital Products

If you are a new blogger, this one will most likely sound scarier than the rest. It doesn’t have to!

There are loads of ways to create and sell digital products so if you are interested in going down this route then absolutely do.

If you’re unsure just now, have a read and maybe keep this in mind as a potential for the future if you don’t feel ready just yet.

This money making option has a few parts to it, but as an overview, you create your own digital products and sell these through your blog or through a site linked to your blog.

This could be through sites such as Shopify or Etsy.

For a more indepth look at Shopify and who it can benfit the most, check out this post here!

There are many different types when it comes to digital products. The types of digital products you can create and sell are things like:

  • E-Books
  • Courses
  • Planners
  • Subscription Websites
  • Worksheets
  • Checklists
  • Other Printables

One of the great things about digital products is that you only have to create them once but can sell them over and over!

Once they are created, your job is then just to promote and share with your audience why they will benefit from your products. If you’ve made a high quality product, this should be fairly simple!

Obviously if they need updated/refreshed then do this, but on the whole once created, you can then profit from them over and over again.

The overheads for these sorts of products are also very low, which means the profit margin here is very high.

This is because as much as you have spent your time creating a product, an unlimited amount of people can then purchase it from you.

If you are a newer blogger or new to your niche and don’t feel you could create a full online course yet, you could try for printables! 

The beauty in selling digital products is that there really is something for everyone, and they will all be unique to you.

Selling Physical Products

For some niches, this option can work amazingly well.

Say for example your blog was about crochet or healthy dog treats. You could absolutely sell physical products relating to either of those topics.

The overheads and time needed can be a lot higher, but that’s not to say it’s a bad option at all.

If you love to crochet and are crocheting all the time anyway, why not sell it too! 

Making products to order can save you ending up with a large amount of inventory, but puts a little more pressure on you to get the products out in the timescale advertised.

You can set up your own online store again through platforms such as Shopify or Etsy.

This income stream won’t suit all website niches. 

But that’s the beauty in choosing the best ways for you to make money from your blog. It’s all personalised to you.

Selling Your Own Services

Selling online services is an amazing option if you can offer a service to a person or group of people.

This could be one-on-one phone calls (for example a coaching call in your specific niche), personalised video tutorials, online consultations or VA services.

You don’t have to talk on the phone to sell a service online either as there are so many options so you can do it as a purely online service if this is what suits you better!

If you are knowledgeable about a specific topic but don’t have a large audience to be able to fully utilise the above other money making options, this is a great way to make money.

You can promote your services on your blog, on social media or on platforms such as Fiverr.

As with the above points, some niches will do better with this than others. 

If you are knowledgeable on a certain topic, you can absolutely consider sharing your knowledge and advice in the form of a paid service.

This is also one of the “quicker” ways to make actual money from your blog – along with selling digital products – as you will get paid for your services there and then. This is unlike money from adverts or affiliate links where you have to hit payout thresholds and then often only get paid the month after again. 

I wrote a whole post explaining what to expect from making money from your blog if you are looking for more information on the topic!

Click here to check that post out!

The last of the 7 ways to make money from your blog is…

Freelance Writing

Like above, if you love writing about a specific topic or topics and don’t have a large audience of your own yet, you can offer your services as a Freelance Writer.

This is where people hire you to write a specific blog post but for THEIR website, not yours.

Freelance writing is different to offering a guest post for another blog.

With a guest post you will still write content for another blog but will include your own information/links back to your own blog.

The bonus about this is that often you can link that post back to yourself/your own website which will also get your blog more exposure, growing your own audience.

With freelance writing/content creation, you provide a blog post you have been paid for, but purely for the other’s site.

If you have a lot of knowledge in a certain area, or if you are amazing at research/understanding and can learn and then craft a helpful and understandable post for different topics, you may want to look into this!

There is also no limit as to how many people you can write for, so time is your only limitation.

With freelance writing it’s often a good idea to reach out to blogs/companies you would like to write for. Unless you offer your writing services on a platform such as Fiverr, bloggers may never know you offer this as a service.

So that’s it!

Those are my top 7 ways to make money from your blog. 

There are many other ways but those are the most popular and simplest – especially when first starting out.

Some are trickier to learn/implement than others, but all can be very profitable. Whether used alone or combining a few options and having multiple streams of income (always recommended!).

One last thing to note is to not undervalue your time and services!!! 

When starting out it can be very tempting to agree to any amount people offer you. And there’s nothing wrong with this in the early days while you’re building up your blog and experience. As you grow, take some time to really figure out your cost and go with this number. Your time is valuable, and only you can decide how much you want to charge. No matter if it’ a coaching call, written content, personalised placed adverts or selling digital products. Work out what numbers suit you and go with these!

I really hope you enjoyed this explanation of the top 7 ways to make money blogging.

Which of these are jumping out at you as the best options for you and your blog?

Have you already started implementing some of the options above?

Which are your favourites? 

Let me know in the comments!

Speak soon!

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]]> https://katherinemclee.com/7-ways-you-can-make-money-from-your-blog/feed/ 95 1295 Can You Make Money In Your First Month Blogging? The Truth! https://katherinemclee.com/make-money-in-your-first-month-blogging/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=make-money-in-your-first-month-blogging https://katherinemclee.com/make-money-in-your-first-month-blogging/#comments Fri, 07 Apr 2023 04:07:00 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=5914 Can You Make Money In Your First Month Blogging? The Truth! This has to be one of the most common questions new bloggers have! And with good reason. The answer is never fully clear! I touched on this in my post here about blogging myths! Everyone wants to make extra money. Whether it’s a lot or a little is up to you!  Starting a blog purely to make money is never a good idea. It takes a long time to see results and make good money back online. You need the passion for the topic you are talking about to keep your momentum going. It will also help you really enjoy the journey while it takes its time to grow! There are no limits on the earning potential when it comes to blogging. As long as you have set yourself up properly for success, keep growing and learning, and enjoy the journey, you will stay consistent. Consistency is critical with blogging! Let’s dive in and take a look at whether you really can make money in your first month blogging.   The Confusion Over “Making Money” Blogging Firstly I want to clarify something for anyone new to making money with their blog. I do believe there’s a misconception I think when it comes to blogging, social media, youtube etc and that’s when people use the term “making money”. This may sound simple, but I think at times people interchangeably use the terms “making money”, “making money online” or “making money blogging”. There’s a big difference between making the money from your blog, and actually seeing the money in your bank account! What I mean by that is, say for example you have a blog. You choose to monetise it so you get yourself set up with your first adverts and affiliate program. I’ll use AdSense and Amazon as the examples here! (These are rough guides, just to give you the picture of what I mean. Plus different countries will have different thresholds and timeframes.) Now – for example – let’s say you “made” £20 with AdSense that month and made £10 from Amazon sales! This is amazing as you’ve just made your first £30 online! Will that then go straight into your bank? No. Most platforms have a threshold you need to meet to get paid out. PLUS they often only send out the payment a month or so behind.  So to use the above example; Say you made that £30 in January (£20 Adsense and £10 Amazon), and then in February made £40 with Adsense and £20 with Amazon. This gets you over the (current) threshold for each! But they often only pay out at least one month behind. (Amazon can be a couple of months behind due to the 30 day return window on products.) So for Adsense you would get paid your £60 from Jan and Feb – in March. The £30 from Amazon in Jan and Feb would most likely come to you in April or May. You can see from the above that you can absolutely MAKE money straight away/as soon as you monetise, but getting money into your bank will take longer. I think this is where people can get disheartened when they see images on pinterest saying they made all this money in their first month. They may well have done and that’s amazing! But that money won’t have actually gone into their account yet. Everyone is on their journey when it comes to making money from blogging. When you see people talking about how much they made in their first month blogging, they will have made that amount, but only into an online account at that stage! They most likely won’t have received any actual payments yet. How Long Does It ACTUALLY Take To Make Money Blogging? You may now be wondering “well how long does it take to make money from blogging?”. Realistically, to get money into your bank, you can do it in just a couple of months. You can MAKE money from the beginning (you don’t have to, but you can), but it won’t come to you until after a couple of months. I’d say it all depends on your experience and your strategy. If you start a brand new blog but know what you’re doing and already have a following on social media, you will be able to make money a lot quicker. If you are a completely brand new blogger, it will take a little longer, but you can absolutely do it! A lot of the people you see who make money blogging in their first month just have more experience initially.  This doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong if it takes a few months to start earning money from your blog!  Those with experience in Affiliate marketing or Online marketing may have an advantage in how fast they can grow an audience and make money from their blogs.  Quick side note – some people build a website and launch it with only their first post on. Others keep it out of the public eye until their blog is full of posts, pages, and information. So for 2 “brand new” blogs that could have launched on the same day, they are already at very different stages! This is why it’s so important to never compare yourself and your blog to other blogs! Skills can be learned. Your blog and audience will grow and so will your income. Blogging is a long term game. If you keep going, keep growing and keep learning, the money will follow. How you choose to make money will (in part) determine how quickly you will see money in your account. There’s a full post here on 7 different ways to make money blogging if you are looking for more information! Every advertising network, affiliate program, brand deal/sponsorship etc all have different criteria, different payment thresholds and different timescales as to as and when you get paid. Most often when it comes to affiliate programs and advertising, there is a minimum threshold and if you are below this for the month, they don’t pay out but roll your earnings over into the next month. If you reach the payment threshold the next month then the payment will get processed to reach your bank!  If you don’t reach the payment threshold again, not a problem, it will add on to any previous earnings and all roll over into the next month. Some thresholds you may hit month on month so get paid every month from.  Others may take years to see any payouts. It will all depend on the program. One other thing to note here is that some affiliate programs like you have hit a certain number of sales before they pay out too. So even if you are over the threshold, if you haven’t hit the qualifying number of sales yet, you won’t get the money through just yet. Usually by the time you have reached the payment threshold you are over your qualifying sales, but just something to keep in mind! This will be different from program to program. How To Make Money In Your First Month Blogging – Money In Your Bank! One option around this is for any freelancing work where you would get paid directly. In this case you absolutely can get money into your bank from blogging in your first month if you already had the experience! This way you would have a contract with another blogger or a brand and once you provide them with the posts they require, you would get paid. Depending on the terms of the deal, you may get paid really quickly. If you get paid fast then you can absolutely say you have made “actual” money, in your first month blogging! This may be via blogs directly, or on platforms such as Fiverr or Upwork. You can sell your services and earn money from writing posts for other blogs. If you are qualified in a subject or a professional in your chosen field, this can be a great option to make some money before the other streams of income properly kick in. This won’t be the case for a lot of people though. Never worry or feel bad that you haven’t made any money for at least the first few months! Everyone, every situation and every blog is different.  Never worry that someone else seems to be growing their blog quicker than you. We all go at our own pace, with our own set of skills, knowledge and our own experience. There is absolutely nothing stopping you from reaching whatever heights you have set out for yourself and your blog! It will take time to get there – but that’s okay! Enjoy the journey!   I hope this helps to clarify any questions  you may have had as to if you can make money in your first month blogging! Did you find any confusion over when you would actually get any money that you made from your blog? How did you feel when you made your first ever money from your blog? Let me know in the comments below! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask in the comments and I will answer all as best I can!   Speak soon!   📌 Pin for later 📌

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Can You Make Money In Your First Month Blogging? The Truth!

This has to be one of the most common questions new bloggers have!

And with good reason. The answer is never fully clear!

I touched on this in my post here about blogging myths!

Everyone wants to make extra money. Whether it’s a lot or a little is up to you! 

Starting a blog purely to make money is never a good idea. It takes a long time to see results and make good money back online.

You need the passion for the topic you are talking about to keep your momentum going. It will also help you really enjoy the journey while it takes its time to grow!

There are no limits on the earning potential when it comes to blogging.

As long as you have set yourself up properly for success, keep growing and learning, and enjoy the journey, you will stay consistent. Consistency is critical with blogging!

Let’s dive in and take a look at whether you really can make money in your first month blogging.

 

The Confusion Over “Making Money” Blogging

Firstly I want to clarify something for anyone new to making money with their blog.

I do believe there’s a misconception I think when it comes to blogging, social media, youtube etc and that’s when people use the term “making money”.

This may sound simple, but I think at times people interchangeably use the terms “making money”, “making money online” or “making money blogging”.

There’s a big difference between making the money from your blog, and actually seeing the money in your bank account!

What I mean by that is, say for example you have a blog. You choose to monetise it so you get yourself set up with your first adverts and affiliate program. I’ll use AdSense and Amazon as the examples here!

(These are rough guides, just to give you the picture of what I mean. Plus different countries will have different thresholds and timeframes.)

Now – for example – let’s say you “made” £20 with AdSense that month and made £10 from Amazon sales! This is amazing as you’ve just made your first £30 online!

Will that then go straight into your bank?

No.

Most platforms have a threshold you need to meet to get paid out. PLUS they often only send out the payment a month or so behind. 

So to use the above example;

Say you made that £30 in January (£20 Adsense and £10 Amazon), and then in February made £40 with Adsense and £20 with Amazon. This gets you over the (current) threshold for each! But they often only pay out at least one month behind.

(Amazon can be a couple of months behind due to the 30 day return window on products.)

So for Adsense you would get paid your £60 from Jan and Feb – in March. The £30 from Amazon in Jan and Feb would most likely come to you in April or May.

You can see from the above that you can absolutely MAKE money straight away/as soon as you monetise, but getting money into your bank will take longer.

I think this is where people can get disheartened when they see images on pinterest saying they made all this money in their first month. They may well have done and that’s amazing! But that money won’t have actually gone into their account yet.

Everyone is on their journey when it comes to making money from blogging.

When you see people talking about how much they made in their first month blogging, they will have made that amount, but only into an online account at that stage! They most likely won’t have received any actual payments yet.

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How Long Does It ACTUALLY Take To Make Money Blogging?

You may now be wondering “well how long does it take to make money from blogging?”.

Realistically, to get money into your bank, you can do it in just a couple of months.

You can MAKE money from the beginning (you don’t have to, but you can), but it won’t come to you until after a couple of months.

I’d say it all depends on your experience and your strategy.

If you start a brand new blog but know what you’re doing and already have a following on social media, you will be able to make money a lot quicker.

If you are a completely brand new blogger, it will take a little longer, but you can absolutely do it!

A lot of the people you see who make money blogging in their first month just have more experience initially. 

This doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong if it takes a few months to start earning money from your blog! 

Those with experience in Affiliate marketing or Online marketing may have an advantage in how fast they can grow an audience and make money from their blogs. 

Quick side note – some people build a website and launch it with only their first post on. Others keep it out of the public eye until their blog is full of posts, pages, and information. So for 2 “brand new” blogs that could have launched on the same day, they are already at very different stages!

This is why it’s so important to never compare yourself and your blog to other blogs!

Skills can be learned. Your blog and audience will grow and so will your income.

Blogging is a long term game. If you keep going, keep growing and keep learning, the money will follow.

How you choose to make money will (in part) determine how quickly you will see money in your account.

There’s a full post here on 7 different ways to make money blogging if you are looking for more information!

Every advertising network, affiliate program, brand deal/sponsorship etc all have different criteria, different payment thresholds and different timescales as to as and when you get paid.

Most often when it comes to affiliate programs and advertising, there is a minimum threshold and if you are below this for the month, they don’t pay out but roll your earnings over into the next month.

If you reach the payment threshold the next month then the payment will get processed to reach your bank!  If you don’t reach the payment threshold again, not a problem, it will add on to any previous earnings and all roll over into the next month.

Some thresholds you may hit month on month so get paid every month from. 

Others may take years to see any payouts. It will all depend on the program.

One other thing to note here is that some affiliate programs like you have hit a certain number of sales before they pay out too. So even if you are over the threshold, if you haven’t hit the qualifying number of sales yet, you won’t get the money through just yet.

Usually by the time you have reached the payment threshold you are over your qualifying sales, but just something to keep in mind!

This will be different from program to program.

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How To Make Money In Your First Month Blogging – Money In Your Bank!

One option around this is for any freelancing work where you would get paid directly. In this case you absolutely can get money into your bank from blogging in your first month if you already had the experience!

This way you would have a contract with another blogger or a brand and once you provide them with the posts they require, you would get paid.

Depending on the terms of the deal, you may get paid really quickly.

If you get paid fast then you can absolutely say you have made “actual” money, in your first month blogging!

This may be via blogs directly, or on platforms such as Fiverr or Upwork.

You can sell your services and earn money from writing posts for other blogs.

If you are qualified in a subject or a professional in your chosen field, this can be a great option to make some money before the other streams of income properly kick in.

This won’t be the case for a lot of people though. Never worry or feel bad that you haven’t made any money for at least the first few months!

Everyone, every situation and every blog is different. 

Never worry that someone else seems to be growing their blog quicker than you.

We all go at our own pace, with our own set of skills, knowledge and our own experience.

There is absolutely nothing stopping you from reaching whatever heights you have set out for yourself and your blog!

It will take time to get there – but that’s okay!

Enjoy the journey!

 

I hope this helps to clarify any questions  you may have had as to if you can make money in your first month blogging!

Did you find any confusion over when you would actually get any money that you made from your blog?

How did you feel when you made your first ever money from your blog?

Let me know in the comments below!

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask in the comments and I will answer all as best I can!

 

Speak soon!

Katherine McLee signature black and white

 

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]]> https://katherinemclee.com/make-money-in-your-first-month-blogging/feed/ 28 5914 9 Reasons Google Adsense Ads Showing As A Blank Space – How To Fix https://katherinemclee.com/google-ads-showing-as-blank-space/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-ads-showing-as-blank-space https://katherinemclee.com/google-ads-showing-as-blank-space/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2023 15:21:50 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=3178 Why Are My Adsense Ads Showing As A Blank Space?

Why Is There a Blank Space Where a Google Adsense Advert Should Be?

How Do I Fix it?

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Why Are My Adsense Ads Showing As A Blank Space?

Why Is There a Blank Space Where a Google Adsense Advert Should Be?

How Do I Fix it?

 

Chances are if you are a member of the Google AdSense program that you have had these questions at some point! 

Google AdSense adverts are more often than not the first way people monetise their blog.

Or at least are often the first ad network they join! 

The last thing you’d be expecting is for there to be a blank space where the advert should be! 

It can happen with static ads on your site, between blog posts or within the blog posts themselves.

No matter your experience as a blogger, a lot of bloggers have Google Adverts on their blogs as a source of income.

The adverts are designed to show on your website at all times.

If there is no advert, there is no money coming from it.

No matter how small, income is income and no one wants to lose that due to a blank space!

Plus it doesn’t look great having a random blank space in the middle of your blog/blog post.

But what causes these Google Adsense Ads to be showing as a blank space and how do we fix it?

If you do usually see Google Adsense Ads on your website, these simple tricks should fix the issue!

 

Brand New Ad Unit

If you have very recently placed a new ad unit on your blog it can take a bit of time for anything to show up.

(By “a bit of time” I mean around 30 mins. If it’s been a couple of hours and still nothing then you may need to try one of the following tips.)

Google places relevant ads where possible.

This means that sometimes it can take time for Google to analyse your blog/content to match with a relevant advert. 

If this is the very first Ad you’ve placed on your website, it may just be Google needing time to analyse, but also may be worth checking the points below also in case there is another reason you are seeing a blank space instead of an Ad.

 

Google Can’t Find Related Ads

The ideal ads are ones that are relevant/related to your readers.

This is done by Google collecting information from not only previous searches but your current website. 

Google likes content that is easily recognisable to them.

This is why things like optimised blog post titles and posts are key, along with good use of tags and categories.

If Google can’t find a relevant, related ad then it may show up as a blank space.

This isn’t as likely as most blogs especially have enough information on them for Google to understand what they are about.

Even just to some degree.

If your website is mostly images or videos – making sure the Alt text is filled in properly can help here!

 

The Ad Size Is Too Big For The Space

Google Adsense (along with nearly every other ad network) offers varying sizes of adverts/banners for you to display on your website. 

This helps you choose the size and styles to best fit your blog, making sure the reader has the best user experience!

If you accidentally choose a banner that is too wide for example, it will show up as a blank space.

This happens as it physically won’t fit on the page/in the space you have chosen to put it.

For your website itself you can choose auto/responsive ads which will automatically fit in the spaces provided.

These are a great option if you want Google to do the work for you or you aren’t as confident with HTML.

If you are trying to place an Adsense ad manually, e.g. within the post itself, you need to be aware of size limits.

If you feel that a large ad is causing the issue, try swapping it out for a smaller ad to see if this fixes the issue.

Instead of a wide banner ad you could try a half size banner or more of a square ad as these may fit your website better.

 

The Page Contains Illegal or Disallowed Content

Google ads are not allowed on any website that has/promotes any illegal or disallowed content. 

This includes content relating to or inclusive of adult content, gambling, illegal activities, hacking etc.

If you have this sort of content – or similar – on your website, you will not be able to show Google ads and it will just show blank spaces instead.

If your content is nothing related to these sorts of categories, this isn’t something to worry about!

 

keysearch banner ad katherine mclee blog

 

The Ad Code Hasn’t Been Placed Correctly

When placing Adsense ad code (or any ad code), you need to make sure the Ad code has been placed correctly.

One of the most common reasons as to why your Google AdSense ads are showing as a blank space where the advert should be, is that the code isn’t correct.

When presented with the ad code to insert into your website, it’s important you copy the code exactly.

If you need to centralise the image then you can add this code around it but for the advert itself, to make it show as the advert and not just a blank space, the code needs to be copied in exactly.

There is often a button or link that says “copy code” so you can copy all of the code in one go without fear of missing a character. I would advise using this function where possible to avoid any errors in copying the code over.

If you are worried about this or think this may be the issue as to why your advert isn’t showing, you can go back and re-copy the code and swap it for the code with potential errors in.

The other thing that can stop Google Ads showing is if there has been any modification done to the code.

If this is the case I would recommend going back to get the original code and swapping the modified code out for the original ad code.

 

You’ve Updated a Page or Post

Sometimes when a post is updated it causes the Ad to disappear and a blank space to appear!

It’s not uncommon for an advert to suddenly end up as a blank space after updating something within a blog post.

The reasons this can happen are unclear but to solve this you would need to take the code out, save the page, and then reinsert the code back in. You can use the same code in the same place, and the advert should reappear straight away.

If the code doesn’t reappear at this point, even after re-inserting the correct code, leave it for 30 mins and check again.

Sometimes there occasionally will be a short delay in when adverts show up, but it wouldn’t take more than 30 mins.

 

Check A Different Internet Browser

As with anything internet related, it’s always worth double checking on a different browser where possible.

Using the incognito browser function can also work.

This is to double check if the issue is actually with your browser rather than the advert itself. 

If your adverts are showing a blank space on one browser but are showing on a different browser (or incognito window), try clearing your cookies and cache and reloading the browser as this should fix this issue.

 

Remove or Turn Off Ad Blocker

Following on from the point above, if you have an ad blocker this may be the cause as to why certain ads are showing a blank space rather than the advert you expected to see.

Try turning any/all ad blockers off and reload your page to see if this fixes the issue.

 

Your Adsense Account Could Be Under Review Or Suspended

If none of the above options solve the issue at all, your account may be under review or suspended. 

You would be best checking through your emails to make sure you haven’t had an email regarding account suspension or being under review.

If you have or are still having issues with blank spaces instead of adverts showing, you would need to contact Google for assistance and to see what they advise.

These are the simplest ways to fix the main reasons as to what could be causing the Google Adsense Ads to show a blank space where your advert should be.

 

 

What if none of these tips fix the issue?

If none of the above work for you, you would be best getting in touch with Google directly.

Hopefully these have helped you fix the blank space issue and your adverts are all showing as they should!

 

Speak soon! 

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]]> https://katherinemclee.com/google-ads-showing-as-blank-space/feed/ 30 3178 Do You Need To Be a Good Writer To Make Money Blogging? https://katherinemclee.com/do-you-need-to-be-a-good-writer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=do-you-need-to-be-a-good-writer https://katherinemclee.com/do-you-need-to-be-a-good-writer/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2023 14:11:26 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=3041 Do You Need To Be a Good Writer To Make Money Blogging? I recently went through all the steps new bloggers need to take to start their own blog. A self doubt that pops up fairly often though is “but I’m not a great writer”. The question then comes… Do you need to be a good writer to make money blogging? In a word… no!   (Quick disclaimer: there is a difference between a blog and a niche website. If you have a blog – this post is for you! If you have a website with set information that needs to be professionally written (e.g. a financial advice website), then you will need to learn a more professional way of writing. Or hire someone to write for you. That’s not to say a blog can’t be professional and full of the best advice! But the way they come across will be different and people know this.)   Do You Need To Be a Good Writer To Make Money Blogging? I think a lot of people worry about this before they start their blog. There is worry that their writing skills aren’t up to scratch, or their spelling isn’t perfect. Noones is! Online spell/grammar checkers can be used if you’re really not comfortable! You can use things like Grammarly which is literally designed to help you but not change/take over your writing style! On the most part I feel people are better writers than they give themselves credit for. You do not need your writing to come across as “top tier professional”. Especially not to begin with. As with anything, practice makes perfect! The more you blog, the more you will improve and the better you will get   People will be reading a blog for (usually) one of 2 reasons;1 – They are looking for the information you are providing2 – They are on your blog because they are wanting more information from you specifically.   Neither of these are dependent on if you make the odd spelling mistake!  The information you have to share may just be that key piece of information someone is looking for. Sharing this is much more important than being an amazing writer.   Writing Is a Skill That Can Be Learned As with most skills, writing blog posts is a skill you can absolutely learn. The more you practice and hone your skills, the better you will become. Unless you are a professional writer, I wouldn’t be expecting “perfect” posts straight away!  Noone (usually) starts off great at anything. Does that mean they shouldn’t continue to get better?  Absolutely not!  Your blog is your own, to write however you wish. My way of writing has changed quite a lot over the years – for a few reasons! Everyone writes differently, and that comes across in their blog posts. That is why we love blogs!  We can feel someone’s writing style come through. You could read 10 different blog posts telling you exactly the same information, but you will prefer a few over the rest. Are the ones you prefer always going to be the more professional ones? Not always! People like people. You can absolutely get better at writing, but people will enjoy your own style – whatever that looks like to you!     People Are More Bothered About You As just mentioned, the beauty of blogs is that they are all individual. You don’t need to be a good writer to make money blogging, you need to add value to your readers to make money. I suppose saying people are more bothered about you isn’t quite accurate! People are bothered about themselves more than anything! Not even meant in a bad way, but if someone has come across your blog it means they are looking for information for themselves. How you have put that information across will vary from person to person, but it doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Here’s a different example:  You could listen to 10 covers of the same song all by different artists. They are all different and unique in their own ways, yet one of the covers you end up preferring is by a smaller artist rather than the experienced/well known artist!   It’s the same here.   You want people to remember you and like your blog and writing style. It’s natural for this to change and “improve” over time, but never let the fear of not being a good enough writer  stop you from starting a blog. To have a successful blog you want to be putting out the information people want, in a way that they enjoy reading. It can be clean, polished and professional if this is your style, but doesn’t have to be! (Obviously it needs to make sense and have a good flow to it but doesn’t need to be perfect.) Those readers are people too and all enjoy different things. As long as your blog is enjoyable for people to read and the information is put across in a readable way, you can absolutely implement your own writing style into your blog posts too.   Do You Critique Other Blogs? Honest question here!  When was the last time you Googled something and found the answer in a blog, and critiqued their spelling mistake or sentence structure? Not often I’m guessing! You (as the reader) were there for information. If you got that information in a clear, easy to read way – then they did their job! Even if there was a spelling mistake or you felt something didn’t flow like it should, it most likely didn’t put you off reading the information you were looking for!  Of course you can try to not have any/many spelling mistakes and have the text make sense and have a good flow to it, but you are human, and so is your reader. Blogging is all about the reader. If someone does judge you or leave a mean comment, that’s on them as a person – not on you! You are putting yourself out there and are sharing information to help other people – that’s amazing!! Never let anyone get you down with their own negativity when you’re doing something positive.     The Sooner You Start The Sooner You Will Improve Writing blog posts doesn’t come naturally to most of us to begin with! Maybe just not to me lol. These things take practice! Not only for your overall blog post writing skills, but also for your confidence in writing. Don’t put something off that can only be improved by practice and experience! You’ll find quite early into blogging that you will get into the swing of writing blog posts and will find it easier the more you do. To begin with you may be more self conscious about what you’re writing but you’ll get into the rhythm of it and before long it will be second nature!    I have some other posts on blog post writing if you are looking for more information or help on any of the following topics:   How to write a blog post in 1 hour How to structure a blog post Ideal blog post length for 2023   A combination of the tips mentioned here and in the posts mentioned above – along with practice – will have you feeling confident in your own writing abilities in no time!  If you do find you are struggling more with writing posts, there are things you can also do to help. Again if you are worried about spelling or grammar, you can try something like Grammarly – although most text editors can help with this on a basic level.  If you don’t feel your posts “flow” very well then you can try talking them outloud into your phone so it sounds more like a conversation than an essay. Practicing is definitely the best way to improve your confidence with writing blog posts. Nothing can beat practical experience and the only way to gain that experience is to do it!  There are many online resources, blog posts, videos and software that can help, but try not to worry about it too much. Everyone speaks differently, just as everyone types differently. Improvements can be made and will come naturally over time the more you practice (especially with added research of writing posts with SEO in mind and following guides on this).   Do you need to be a good writer to make money blogging? No.   A basic knowledge and a willingness to try, make mistakes and try again will get you so much further ahead in the blogging world than putting it off as you don’t feel “ready” yet! As I mentioned in this post here on How Do You Know If You’re Ready To Start A Blog? – the act of just getting started by going for it is key! Nothing is ever perfect, especially not in the beginning of a project/journey/new skill. The way to get better is to practice. You can ask questions, research and learn to help hone those skills, but writing blog posts is key to improving!  If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments below and I will answer them best I can! If you want to blog for yourself or to make money, go for it – it’s so worth it!    Speak soon!     📌 Pin for later 📌

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]]>

Do You Need To Be a Good Writer To Make Money Blogging?

I recently went through all the steps new bloggers need to take to start their own blog.

A self doubt that pops up fairly often though is “but I’m not a great writer”.

The question then comes… Do you need to be a good writer to make money blogging?

In a word… no!

 

(Quick disclaimer: there is a difference between a blog and a niche website.

If you have a blog – this post is for you!

If you have a website with set information that needs to be professionally written (e.g. a financial advice website), then you will need to learn a more professional way of writing.

Or hire someone to write for you.

That’s not to say a blog can’t be professional and full of the best advice!

But the way they come across will be different and people know this.)

 

Do You Need To Be a Good Writer To Make Money Blogging?

I think a lot of people worry about this before they start their blog.

There is worry that their writing skills aren’t up to scratch, or their spelling isn’t perfect.

Noones is!

Online spell/grammar checkers can be used if you’re really not comfortable!

You can use things like Grammarly which is literally designed to help you but not change/take over your writing style!

On the most part I feel people are better writers than they give themselves credit for.

You do not need your writing to come across as “top tier professional”.

Especially not to begin with.

As with anything, practice makes perfect!

The more you blog, the more you will improve and the better you will get

 

People will be reading a blog for (usually) one of 2 reasons;
1 – They are looking for the information you are providing
2 – They are on your blog because they are wanting more information from you specifically.

 

Neither of these are dependent on if you make the odd spelling mistake! 

The information you have to share may just be that key piece of information someone is looking for.

Sharing this is much more important than being an amazing writer.

 

Writing Is a Skill That Can Be Learned

As with most skills, writing blog posts is a skill you can absolutely learn.

The more you practice and hone your skills, the better you will become.

Unless you are a professional writer, I wouldn’t be expecting “perfect” posts straight away! 

Noone (usually) starts off great at anything.

Does that mean they shouldn’t continue to get better? 

Absolutely not! 

Your blog is your own, to write however you wish.

My way of writing has changed quite a lot over the years – for a few reasons!

Everyone writes differently, and that comes across in their blog posts.

That is why we love blogs! 

We can feel someone’s writing style come through.

You could read 10 different blog posts telling you exactly the same information, but you will prefer a few over the rest.

Are the ones you prefer always going to be the more professional ones?

Not always!

People like people.

You can absolutely get better at writing, but people will enjoy your own style – whatever that looks like to you!

 

 

People Are More Bothered About You

As just mentioned, the beauty of blogs is that they are all individual.

You don’t need to be a good writer to make money blogging, you need to add value to your readers to make money.

I suppose saying people are more bothered about you isn’t quite accurate!

People are bothered about themselves more than anything!

Not even meant in a bad way, but if someone has come across your blog it means they are looking for information for themselves.

How you have put that information across will vary from person to person, but it doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

Here’s a different example: 

You could listen to 10 covers of the same song all by different artists. They are all different and unique in their own ways, yet one of the covers you end up preferring is by a smaller artist rather than the experienced/well known artist!

 

It’s the same here.

 

You want people to remember you and like your blog and writing style.

It’s natural for this to change and “improve” over time, but never let the fear of not being a good enough writer  stop you from starting a blog.

To have a successful blog you want to be putting out the information people want, in a way that they enjoy reading.

It can be clean, polished and professional if this is your style, but doesn’t have to be!

(Obviously it needs to make sense and have a good flow to it but doesn’t need to be perfect.)

Those readers are people too and all enjoy different things.

As long as your blog is enjoyable for people to read and the information is put across in a readable way, you can absolutely implement your own writing style into your blog posts too.

 

Do You Critique Other Blogs?

Honest question here! 

When was the last time you Googled something and found the answer in a blog, and critiqued their spelling mistake or sentence structure?

Not often I’m guessing!

You (as the reader) were there for information.

If you got that information in a clear, easy to read way – then they did their job!

Even if there was a spelling mistake or you felt something didn’t flow like it should, it most likely didn’t put you off reading the information you were looking for! 

Of course you can try to not have any/many spelling mistakes and have the text make sense and have a good flow to it, but you are human, and so is your reader.

Blogging is all about the reader.

If someone does judge you or leave a mean comment, that’s on them as a person – not on you!

You are putting yourself out there and are sharing information to help other people – that’s amazing!!

Never let anyone get you down with their own negativity when you’re doing something positive.

 

 

The Sooner You Start The Sooner You Will Improve

Writing blog posts doesn’t come naturally to most of us to begin with!

Maybe just not to me lol.

These things take practice!

Not only for your overall blog post writing skills, but also for your confidence in writing.

Don’t put something off that can only be improved by practice and experience!

You’ll find quite early into blogging that you will get into the swing of writing blog posts and will find it easier the more you do.

To begin with you may be more self conscious about what you’re writing but you’ll get into the rhythm of it and before long it will be second nature! 

 

I have some other posts on blog post writing if you are looking for more information or help on any of the following topics:

 

How to write a blog post in 1 hour

How to structure a blog post

Ideal blog post length for 2023

 

A combination of the tips mentioned here and in the posts mentioned above – along with practice – will have you feeling confident in your own writing abilities in no time! 

If you do find you are struggling more with writing posts, there are things you can also do to help.

Again if you are worried about spelling or grammar, you can try something like Grammarly – although most text editors can help with this on a basic level. 

If you don’t feel your posts “flow” very well then you can try talking them outloud into your phone so it sounds more like a conversation than an essay.

Practicing is definitely the best way to improve your confidence with writing blog posts. Nothing can beat practical experience and the only way to gain that experience is to do it! 

There are many online resources, blog posts, videos and software that can help, but try not to worry about it too much.

Everyone speaks differently, just as everyone types differently.

Improvements can be made and will come naturally over time the more you practice (especially with added research of writing posts with SEO in mind and following guides on this).

 

Do you need to be a good writer to make money blogging?

No.

 

A basic knowledge and a willingness to try, make mistakes and try again will get you so much further ahead in the blogging world than putting it off as you don’t feel “ready” yet!

As I mentioned in this post here on How Do You Know If You’re Ready To Start A Blog? – the act of just getting started by going for it is key!

Nothing is ever perfect, especially not in the beginning of a project/journey/new skill.

The way to get better is to practice.

You can ask questions, research and learn to help hone those skills, but writing blog posts is key to improving! 

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments below and I will answer them best I can!

If you want to blog for yourself or to make money, go for it – it’s so worth it! 

 

Speak soon!

 

Katherine McLee signature black and white

 

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]]> https://katherinemclee.com/do-you-need-to-be-a-good-writer/feed/ 62 3041 Can Anyone Start a Successful Blog in 2022? https://katherinemclee.com/start-a-successful-blog-in-2022/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=start-a-successful-blog-in-2022 https://katherinemclee.com/start-a-successful-blog-in-2022/#comments Sun, 03 Jul 2022 13:36:53 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=1210 Blogging isn’t as daunting as it’s sometimes made out to be. Can You Start a Successful Blog in 2022? In short, yes. Of course! You would be forgiven for falling into the trap of believing that blogging is dead. It’s a rumour that has been going around for years. But if you take a step back for a moment you will realise that blogs are linked to the largest and most powerful search engine in the entire world. Google. So long as Google is around, blogs/websites will be too. Everyone has a different idea of success but to be transparent, this will take the meaning of success to mean in a financial sense.  So long as your main reason for wanting one is based on you wanting to write and share information, then absolutely you can make a success of it.  If your focus is passion in your niche and not purely for the money, then yes, absolutely anyone can blog. Blogs have been around for many years now. Blogging itself seems to come in and out of popularity. Some say blogging is now pointless (believe me, it’s not), others are making thousands/millions from theirs – and everyone in between. Any time you look up just about anything online, you come across blogs/niche websites. Literally all the time. Not as dead as people make out! Blogging is still an incredible way to have a creative outlet and make money at the same time – if making money from your blog is something you are interested in. Even if you have no interest in making money from your blog, you can still get an amazing amount back from it. That in itself is also a reason to create your own blog. Any positive benefit to you is a reason in itself to have your own corner of the internet.   What is your main reason to want to blog? There are many reasons why you might want to start a blog: …and many more! Any of the reasons above – be it a single reason or a combination – are perfect reasons to start blogging. A word of caution if your only reason is the money. You can absolutely monetise most types of blog, but your want to blog and to be able to stay consistent to get to the point of making an income from it, you will need at least one of the other reasons from the list above as to why you started blogging in the first place.   Personal blog vs niche blog? There are pros and cons to both types of blog.  I know the question here is if anyone can start a successful blog in 2022, but success is subjective. It depends what success looks like to you! Success to some is money or financial freedom. Success to others is a way to escape daily life. It could be that you need that “me time” to focus on whichever topic you choose. Success is what feels right to you. It totally depends on what it is you want from your blog! If it’s because you need an outlet where you can just keep writing to get things out of your head (amazing for your mental health), or to document your own life or a specific journey then a personal blog would be the right fit. It’s your blog, your personal space, you can write about whatever you like!  The biggest drawback with personal blogs is that if you wanted to monetise it down the line, this would be very tricky. Not impossible! But definitely very tricky. Opting for a niche blog on a topic you love and are interested in, whether on a slightly more general topic such as “Garden birds in the UK” or a very specific niche such as focussing on one specific game you love, does take away a lot of the “blog about whatever you like” aspect, but makes it a lot easier to monetise and find like minded bloggers and companies wanting to work with you as they are a perfect fit for that niche. If you are that way inclined. If you are really torn and have reasons for both, then have both!    Either of the above are amazing reasons to jump in and create that blog.   Decide what you want the blog to provide for you longer term (it’s absolutely okay for money to be a reason at this point), and follow that route. Remember there is nothing stopping you from setting up two websites. If you want a personal blog to use as a personal journal for mental health purposes or just an escape, then down the line realise you would like a blog to be on a more specific topic, set up a second one! One thing to remember here; If your blog is a personal one, you are blogging for you. If your blog is in a niche/to be monetised, you are blogging for your readers.     Reasons blogging may be a good fit for you. As I said above, if your main/only goal to start a successful blog in 2012 is purely to make money, it won’t work. And here’s why… Blogging (as a business or for any form of real income) is hard work. Is it fun? Absolutely. Worth it? Definitely. Do you need a heck of a lot of patience due to it taking months to even start to see any return? Yes.  And this is where the problem lies for some. If you adore blogging and the topic you are writing about, you will enjoy the whole process and will most likely keep writing those posts even when it feels like it isn’t “going” anywhere. It will, it just takes time. The important part is to keep up the consistency even when in those early stages. When you love the topic you are talking about, this makes it a hundred times easier than spending your whole time feeling like it’s a chore, which literally defeats the purpose!  If any of your reasons to want to start are because YOU want to (as opposed to because everyone else is), if you want to share your journey or knowledge or ideas, or want to help people or be a part of a community, want it as a space for your own outlet, then you should absolutely do it. You will know yourself if you truly believe you can research/write/learn information on a topic without any return for at least 6-12 months then that sounds like the perfect topic for you.     Do you need to be a good writer to have a successful blog? No.  Haha. Seriously though, you really don’t. One of the biggest worries people have is that people will judge how they write. Isn’t the beauty of why we enjoy different blogs or books, literally that everyone writes differently? With a blog you want to write as you would talk. Obviously some topics would be more professional sounding than chatty, but people will enjoy reading your own quirks and styles. As long as it makes sense and you can put your message across to your readers, this is all you need. Like with anything, the more you do it the better you will get, so over time you may naturally become better at writing, but it isn’t a necessity to sound like a pro from the get go! If you are very self conscious about your writing, there are lots of things you can use to help. You can ask a friend to proofread it, even little sections at a time. The other option is to use a website like Grammarly!    Never let a skill you can learn be the reason you don’t do something you want to do.     Free or paid blog? I wrote a full post on the differences and which is best for you: https://katherinemclee.com/can-you-make-money-with-a-free-blog/ but as a quick summary; If your blog is for your own use, just a journal or a diary of your own life and is purely as your corner of the internet where you can get all thoughts/feelings out and you would never want a large amount of views or to make money from it, then a free blog could be perfect for this. Very little you need to do aside from create an account and pick a theme and you can get started! You should remember though that you don’t own a free blog, the company you get your free blog through does, so they could potentially close it down, but it isn’t too likely to happen. If you want to make money from your blog, have full control over your website, be able to really personalise it or grow a large following of readers, then you absolutely need a self hosted website. Read the full article here: https://katherinemclee.com/can-you-make-money-with-a-free-blog/     What’s holding you back? So often people want to start a blog of their own but something holds them back. The list goes on! These are all completely real and relevant concerns… except none of them matter. Not really. If any of these (or any other) concerns are holding you back and preventing you from starting your own website, put those concerns in the bin!  Flip the situation, if a friend came to you and said they adore crocheting and talking about it and want to have their own blog but were worried no-one would read it or they would get judged, what would you tell them? To ignore any concerns and go for it! They will be great! And so will you. The fact you want to blog is a good enough reason to get set up and start!    Eliminating Concerns Let’s go over some of the concerns listed above and I can explain how all these points are really not anything to worry about.   You may have a fear of no-one reading your blog, or a fear of people reading it!  This was one of mine! I wanted a blog to be able to share ideas (my first blog was reviews of books and beauty products), but I was also so scared about people actually reading it?!  Not sure what exactly it was that worried me, but it’s a common fear a lot of new bloggers start with. I soon realised that I spent a lot of time literally reading other blogs, enjoying the different ways people wrote, not wanting them all to sound the same anyway. Once you decide to go for it, you will most likely find you enjoy writing about your chosen topic to help others who may be searching for that particular information. If you are worried no one will read it, you just have to learn to get your name out there and you can absolutely grow yourself a decent audience! The benefit to having no readers when you first start is that it gives you time to get into the flow of writing before you have that many eyes on your blog. You want to start a successful blog in 2022, just remember that it doesn’t start off as an overnight success. You and your blog/blogging business will grow together.   The worry that people will judge you I think deep down everyone has this fear, even a little bit. If you think about it though, while you are still a new blogger you will have next to no one reading your posts, and by the time you have got more posts up and a small following forming, you’ll be enjoying it so much that the fear of judgement will go out the window. Nobody starts off perfect, embrace that your first few posts may be a little messy or not “perfect” – it’s all part of the process! Everyone has something they enjoy talking to others about, what’s wrong with sharing that knowledge with other people in a way that you enjoy?...

The post Can Anyone Start a Successful Blog in 2022? appeared first on Katherine McLee.

]]>

Blogging isn’t as daunting as it’s sometimes made out to be. Can You Start a Successful Blog in 2022? In short, yes. Of course!

You would be forgiven for falling into the trap of believing that blogging is dead. It’s a rumour that has been going around for years. But if you take a step back for a moment you will realise that blogs are linked to the largest and most powerful search engine in the entire world. Google. So long as Google is around, blogs/websites will be too.

Everyone has a different idea of success but to be transparent, this will take the meaning of success to mean in a financial sense. 

So long as your main reason for wanting one is based on you wanting to write and share information, then absolutely you can make a success of it.  If your focus is passion in your niche and not purely for the money, then yes, absolutely anyone can blog.

Blogs have been around for many years now. Blogging itself seems to come in and out of popularity. Some say blogging is now pointless (believe me, it’s not), others are making thousands/millions from theirs – and everyone in between.

Any time you look up just about anything online, you come across blogs/niche websites. Literally all the time. Not as dead as people make out!

Blogging is still an incredible way to have a creative outlet and make money at the same time – if making money from your blog is something you are interested in.

Even if you have no interest in making money from your blog, you can still get an amazing amount back from it. That in itself is also a reason to create your own blog. Any positive benefit to you is a reason in itself to have your own corner of the internet.

 

What is your main reason to want to blog?

There are many reasons why you might want to start a blog:

  • To have a creative outlet
  • To share information and ideas with likeminded people
  • You feel like you can help/provide value to others with the information you have to share
  • As a personal blog for yourself to document your own life/journey
  • To make money (small or large amounts)
  • You love to write
  • You’ve discovered a new passion you want to learn more about
  • You want the opportunity to work with brands you love

…and many more!

Any of the reasons above – be it a single reason or a combination – are perfect reasons to start blogging.

A word of caution if your only reason is the money. You can absolutely monetise most types of blog, but your want to blog and to be able to stay consistent to get to the point of making an income from it, you will need at least one of the other reasons from the list above as to why you started blogging in the first place.

 

Personal blog vs niche blog?

There are pros and cons to both types of blog. 

I know the question here is if anyone can start a successful blog in 2022, but success is subjective. It depends what success looks like to you!

Success to some is money or financial freedom. Success to others is a way to escape daily life. It could be that you need that “me time” to focus on whichever topic you choose. Success is what feels right to you.

It totally depends on what it is you want from your blog! If it’s because you need an outlet where you can just keep writing to get things out of your head (amazing for your mental health), or to document your own life or a specific journey then a personal blog would be the right fit.

It’s your blog, your personal space, you can write about whatever you like! 

The biggest drawback with personal blogs is that if you wanted to monetise it down the line, this would be very tricky. Not impossible! But definitely very tricky.

Opting for a niche blog on a topic you love and are interested in, whether on a slightly more general topic such as “Garden birds in the UK” or a very specific niche such as focussing on one specific game you love, does take away a lot of the “blog about whatever you like” aspect, but makes it a lot easier to monetise and find like minded bloggers and companies wanting to work with you as they are a perfect fit for that niche. If you are that way inclined.

If you are really torn and have reasons for both, then have both! 

 

Either of the above are amazing reasons to jump in and create that blog.

 

Decide what you want the blog to provide for you longer term (it’s absolutely okay for money to be a reason at this point), and follow that route.

Remember there is nothing stopping you from setting up two websites. If you want a personal blog to use as a personal journal for mental health purposes or just an escape, then down the line realise you would like a blog to be on a more specific topic, set up a second one!

One thing to remember here;

If your blog is a personal one, you are blogging for you.

If your blog is in a niche/to be monetised, you are blogging for your readers.

 

 

Reasons blogging may be a good fit for you.

As I said above, if your main/only goal to start a successful blog in 2012 is purely to make money, it won’t work. And here’s why…

Blogging (as a business or for any form of real income) is hard work. Is it fun? Absolutely. Worth it? Definitely. Do you need a heck of a lot of patience due to it taking months to even start to see any return? Yes. 

And this is where the problem lies for some.

If you adore blogging and the topic you are writing about, you will enjoy the whole process and will most likely keep writing those posts even when it feels like it isn’t “going” anywhere.

It will, it just takes time.

The important part is to keep up the consistency even when in those early stages. When you love the topic you are talking about, this makes it a hundred times easier than spending your whole time feeling like it’s a chore, which literally defeats the purpose! 

If any of your reasons to want to start are because YOU want to (as opposed to because everyone else is), if you want to share your journey or knowledge or ideas, or want to help people or be a part of a community, want it as a space for your own outlet, then you should absolutely do it.

You will know yourself if you truly believe you can research/write/learn information on a topic without any return for at least 6-12 months then that sounds like the perfect topic for you.

 

 

Do you need to be a good writer to have a successful blog?

No. 

Haha.

Seriously though, you really don’t.

One of the biggest worries people have is that people will judge how they write.

Isn’t the beauty of why we enjoy different blogs or books, literally that everyone writes differently?

With a blog you want to write as you would talk. Obviously some topics would be more professional sounding than chatty, but people will enjoy reading your own quirks and styles.

As long as it makes sense and you can put your message across to your readers, this is all you need.

Like with anything, the more you do it the better you will get, so over time you may naturally become better at writing, but it isn’t a necessity to sound like a pro from the get go!

If you are very self conscious about your writing, there are lots of things you can use to help. You can ask a friend to proofread it, even little sections at a time. The other option is to use a website like Grammarly! 

 

Never let a skill you can learn be the reason you don’t do something you want to do.

 

 

Free or paid blog?

I wrote a full post on the differences and which is best for you:

https://katherinemclee.com/can-you-make-money-with-a-free-blog/ but as a quick summary;

If your blog is for your own use, just a journal or a diary of your own life and is purely as your corner of the internet where you can get all thoughts/feelings out and you would never want a large amount of views or to make money from it, then a free blog could be perfect for this.

Very little you need to do aside from create an account and pick a theme and you can get started!

You should remember though that you don’t own a free blog, the company you get your free blog through does, so they could potentially close it down, but it isn’t too likely to happen.

If you want to make money from your blog, have full control over your website, be able to really personalise it or grow a large following of readers, then you absolutely need a self hosted website.

Read the full article here: https://katherinemclee.com/can-you-make-money-with-a-free-blog/

 

 

What’s holding you back?

So often people want to start a blog of their own but something holds them back.

  • You may have a fear of no-one reading your blog, or a fear of people reading it 
  • The worry that people will judge you
  • Feeling like you don’t understand how it works or that there seems to be so much to learn
  • Worried everyone else’s blogs are “better” than yours
  • What if you don’t have the time to find time to blog consistently?
  • Don’t feel you have enough self confidence/why would anyone want to read what you have to say

The list goes on!

These are all completely real and relevant concerns… except none of them matter. Not really.

If any of these (or any other) concerns are holding you back and preventing you from starting your own website, put those concerns in the bin! 

Flip the situation, if a friend came to you and said they adore crocheting and talking about it and want to have their own blog but were worried no-one would read it or they would get judged, what would you tell them? To ignore any concerns and go for it! They will be great! And so will you.

The fact you want to blog is a good enough reason to get set up and start! 

 

Eliminating Concerns

Let’s go over some of the concerns listed above and I can explain how all these points are really not anything to worry about.

 

You may have a fear of no-one reading your blog, or a fear of people reading it! 

This was one of mine! I wanted a blog to be able to share ideas (my first blog was reviews of books and beauty products), but I was also so scared about people actually reading it?! 

Not sure what exactly it was that worried me, but it’s a common fear a lot of new bloggers start with. I soon realised that I spent a lot of time literally reading other blogs, enjoying the different ways people wrote, not wanting them all to sound the same anyway.

Once you decide to go for it, you will most likely find you enjoy writing about your chosen topic to help others who may be searching for that particular information.

If you are worried no one will read it, you just have to learn to get your name out there and you can absolutely grow yourself a decent audience!

The benefit to having no readers when you first start is that it gives you time to get into the flow of writing before you have that many eyes on your blog.

You want to start a successful blog in 2022, just remember that it doesn’t start off as an overnight success. You and your blog/blogging business will grow together.

 

The worry that people will judge you

I think deep down everyone has this fear, even a little bit. If you think about it though, while you are still a new blogger you will have next to no one reading your posts, and by the time you have got more posts up and a small following forming, you’ll be enjoying it so much that the fear of judgement will go out the window. Nobody starts off perfect, embrace that your first few posts may be a little messy or not “perfect” – it’s all part of the process!

Everyone has something they enjoy talking to others about, what’s wrong with sharing that knowledge with other people in a way that you enjoy?

 

Feeling like you don’t understand how it works or that there seems to be so much to learn

This one I do absolutely understand. I’m secretly (probably not so secretly) a bit of a geek. I love reading and learning on topics that interest me and can watch videos or listen to podcasts about mindset and productivity for days. If I’m interested in something I just want to absorb all the information on it.

Personally I adore blogging, the concept, the limitless nature, and love helping other people see their own potential in whichever topics they are interested in themselves.

You don’t need to know everything about your chosen topic to get started. There will always be so much more to learn, so never let this put you off. 

You don’t have to learn/know/perfect everything all at once, just to get started.

Start with the basics, and learn as you go.

As a new blogger (anyone who isn’t already making a good income from their blog) – just blog.

Write content.

Market this content.

You can learn all the other bits as you go on, but just focus on writing those posts on that topic you love. Once you feel comfortable doing this, you can then start to market it. But one step at a time.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

 

You’re worried everyone else’s blogs are “better” than yours

Everyone’s own blog is their own. Their own design, personality and writing style – that’s the beauty of a blog. If everyone’s blog looked the same, how boring would that be?! Nothing would ever stand out.

As with the writing, as you go on you will change and update parts. This is part of the process.

This is the same with everything, things get better with time. Never compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20.

You could listen to the same song by 7 different people and one or two will stand out and you will adore those versions – often you aren’t even sure why – there’s just something a little different that you are just drawn to more than the others.

Blogging is exactly the same. You may be blogging about a topic that lots of other people are too, but you will have people coming back to your blog because it’s YOU.

They will enjoy your writing style or humour or the simplicity of the layout. Could be a number of reasons. 

When they are coming back to read what you have to say in the way you say things and put them across, the look of the blog isn’t as important really, is it?

If you want to start a successful blog in 2022, do it!

 

What if you don’t have the time to find time to blog consistently?

Everyone’s life is different so I can’t sit here and tell you you definitely will have time. That would be silly as I have no crystal ball.

What I can tell you is that there are often ways to make a bit of extra time in your day.

How much time do you spend on Facebook? How do you currently spend your lunch hour? Do you spend 2 hours doing a job that should take 10 minutes to do because you get far too easily distracted? (That one is literally me.) Could you get up an hour earlier? 

If you really want to do something, you will find the time. 

Everyone’s situation is different and some may only have a few hours a week whereas others may have multiple hours every day to work on their blog, but consistent effort will help grow your blog. Doing 10 hours each week is a much better path than 30 hours one week and then nothing for the rest of the month. Keep it manageable so you can stay consistent as this is where the growth happens.

 

Don’t feel you have enough self confidence/why would anyone want to read what you have to say

This one ties in with the point I made earlier regarding you being unique. Your superpower advantage here is that no one else is you. You will portray things differently and people will want to read your blog because they like you and what you have to say, in the way you say it.

The beauty of a blog is that if you don’t use your name and go for something unrelated to yourself or anything identifying, no-one has to know who you are or what you look like. I don’t mean that to sound as creepy as it probably does! 

I just mean that there are no rules to what you have to name or put on your site.

Yes it’s recommended to have a smiling photo of your wonderful face on your blog, but you don’t have to. That can come later when you feel comfortable enough to do so.

Have you ever scrolled through the comments on a blog/YouTube?

(Let’s not mention Tumblr, unless you want to end up in tears laughing as the people on tumblr are hilarious and so random at the same time. Done this so many times. Usually when I’m trying to sleep… not recommended…I digress…)

But yes, have you ever been reading a comments section somewhere and you find a comment you just completely agree with. I don’t mean a comment where someone just said “agreed”, but a comment someone has put thought into, and you instantly feel like you like that person? This will happen with your blog when people read it! 

 

Start the blog!

I really hope this has helped give you some insight as to who can start a successful blog in 2022 (literally everyone).

Ditch all concerns, create your blog for YOU.

People will love what you have to say. Why wouldn’t they?

You will never please everyone, so do things that make you happy.

Learn and grow with your blog. Enjoy it.

If you have a new blog, leave the link in the comments so that I can check it out! 

Speak soon!

Katherine McLee signature black and white

The post Can Anyone Start a Successful Blog in 2022? appeared first on Katherine McLee.

]]> https://katherinemclee.com/start-a-successful-blog-in-2022/feed/ 2 1210 Can You Make Money With a Free Blog? https://katherinemclee.com/can-you-make-money-with-a-free-blog/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=can-you-make-money-with-a-free-blog https://katherinemclee.com/can-you-make-money-with-a-free-blog/#comments Wed, 22 Jun 2022 15:57:33 +0000 https://katherinemclee.com/?p=1140 Can you make money from a free blog? Ahhh the age old question when it comes to blogging. The short answer is yes – but it’s restricted, not reliable and it’s a lot harder. No-one wants to spend money when they don’t have to, and it can be tricky to know what’s a necessary expense and what’s more of a necessity to grow to the level you want your blog and business to grow to.     What’s the Difference between a Free and Paid Blog? There are 2 options when you decide to have your own blog, a free blog, or a self hosted blog. Let’s go over the differences and pros and cons of each so you can make the right decision for you.   Free Blogs Free blogs can be the perfect option if your main goal with your blog is to have an online journal for you. If you want to blog as a hobby but don’t ever plan to monetise it or turn it into a business, then a free blog may be the way to go.  You may choose to opt for a free blog as it can sound like the simpler option. And in some ways it is. But it isn’t the best option if you are wanting to make money from your blog. If your reason to have a blog is to get thoughts out and you do not plan on making money, then absolutely go for a free blog! They can be a great option for people wanting their blog as an outlet, rather than an income. Free blogs are owned by the company, rather than you as an individual. This can cause problems down the line if you are wanting to turn it into a blogging business or make money from your website.     Can you start off with a free blog and then change over to a self-hosted blog down the line?   Of course! But be aware that this isn’t a one-step process and can be a bit of a faff. Here’s a couple of examples as to how it can be trickier to make money from a free blog. Two of the most common ways to make money from your blog are adverts and affiliate marketing. Advertising companies are usually not happy to let you run adverts on your website if you don’t own it yourself. This automatically takes away one income stream from your blog.  You can include affiliate links into your posts on a free blog. This is one of the ways to make money with a free blog. BUT. (And this is a big but), you don’t own your website. If the hosting company decides to close your free blog for whatever reason – that’s the income gone.  I’m not sure the reasons why they would close your free blog but just be aware that they can and no-one wants the disappointment of that!  The second option is to have your own self-hosted website.     Self Hosted Blogs Self hosted blogs are absolutely the best option if you want control over your own website. (You don’t actually host it yourself, you just choose your own website name and who you want to host it, but you own the full website.) You buy a domain name and then you pay someone to host your website for you. It will cost a little for a domain name and hosting, but it doesn’t have to cost a lot! One of the most affordable hosting companies is HostGator – one I’ve personally used on multiple sites for years – including this one at the time of writing this (2022)! If you want to enhance your blog and give it that something extra to make you stand out, I would highly recommend buying a theme for your blog. Buying a theme gives you an edge over free blogs/free themes. They are more customisable and more personalisable, but this is more of an option than a necessity with a new blog, and can always be upgraded later.  This is the one I use (correct in 2022), I started with the free version but quickly realised I wanted to be able to make it more “me” so wanted the extra options so made the one off payment! With a self hosted blog, because you own it, it’s completely your choice how you choose to make money from it, including opening the option of advertising back up again.    You want your blog to look the way YOU want.   I touched on this a little above, but if you want your blog to look exactly the way you want, you need a self hosted website. You can make your blog look lovely as a free blog but you are a lot more restricted with the pre-set themes/colours/layouts/fonts etc.  If you’re putting all this effort in, you want it to look the way you want, right?  You don’t need a custom designed theme (unless you want one obviously), as they can be hella expensive, which is just not necessary as a new blogger.  To start with, a paid or free theme on a self hosted website will give you enough options to get your blog looking how you want it, without spending much at all.  This theme only cost me $30 (around £25) as a one off payment so paid themes really don’t need to be expensive. You can find other ones even cheaper from places like Etsy or WordPress itself!  As with the hosting, I would highly recommend going for your own domain and hosting and then installing your own theme, but these can be as budget-friendly as required. Do not feel you have to spend a fortune getting up and running to make your blog look and feel professional.  As mentioned, you don’t have the same control over a free blog and they appear less professional than self hosted blogs.  You are also a lot more limited on the internal side of things as with a free blog. With a self hosted blog you can download plugins to enhance your website internally and externally. You can’t do this with a free blog.          Making Money If you still decide to go for a free blog and do want to make money, or plan to in the future, then there are some ways it can be done – albeit limited.  I go through the most popular ways to make money blogging here. There are more risks and limitations with a free blog when it comes to making money, but it can be done.  We know advertising is pretty much out of the question but there are other options.  There is something else to consider when it comes to making money on a free blog as opposed to a self hosted blog; credibility.   You are no less credible of a person if you have a free blog! They absolutely have their place.   But in terms of sponsored posts or working with brands, they are more likely to choose bloggers with self hosted websites. They know they are less risky than the free platforms, and makes you stand out as a more serious blogger, rather than a hobby blogger. Some brands may not care whether your blog is free or self hosted, every website and brand is different, but more often than not the free websites aren’t seen as professional so you may find out you are missing out on brand collaborations, purely due to the fact you don’t have a self hosted website. I want you to have all the options and opportunities that suit you, and don’t want any of those closed off! Here’s a not-so-fun fact about free blogs! As mentioned, you don’t own your free blog so you aren’t allowed to display ads on your site. That means no advertising income. BUT, whoever hosts your free site does own it. That means they can put ads on YOUR website and MAKE MONEY FROM THEM. Gutted. This is only a concern if your goal is to make money, but having that option squashed before you even begin isn’t the best. So to answer the question…   Can you make money with a free blog? Yes… but I wouldn’t. It’s too risky – unless for nothing other than your own space to get thoughts out. You are limiting yourself so much and there’s the potential that your website could be closed as you don’t own it. It’s an easy option if your blog is a personal space for thoughts/a hobby, but anything other than this and you absolutely need a self hosted website. Don’t limit yourself before you’ve even started. Get a self hosted website and the sky’s the limit! You own your website and all of your work. It is yours to do with as you please. It’s not as daunting as it sounds, and will be so worth it.    Still unsure which option is right for you?   If you are still unsure whether to dive into paying for a self hosted blog, or if you aren’t sure if you will like blogging enough to warrant paying to have your own website (no matter how small the expense), then I would recommend you getting a free blog to start with and try it! Play with the basic settings and change things up to get it how you like it and try writing some blog posts!  You will most likely find sooner rather than later that you want to be able to change more settings and customise your own website that bit more. That’s the point you can then move to a self hosted website.  If you are happy with the free blog and are happy not monetising your blog to the same extent then the free option is perfect for you!  If your goal at all – no matter how distant or unsure – is to make money from your blog then you absolutely need the self hosted option. This will give you the maximum flexibility and control over your new venture!  If you have any questions over whether you can make money with a free blog or picking between free or self hosted, leave a comment/send a message and I will absolutely try and help you find the right fit! Good luck in whichever you choose!   Speak Soon! Katherine   Pin for later

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Can you make money from a free blog?

Ahhh the age old question when it comes to blogging.

The short answer is yes – but it’s restricted, not reliable and it’s a lot harder. No-one wants to spend money when they don’t have to, and it can be tricky to know what’s a necessary expense and what’s more of a necessity to grow to the level you want your blog and business to grow to.

 

 

What’s the Difference between a Free and Paid Blog?

There are 2 options when you decide to have your own blog, a free blog, or a self hosted blog.

Let’s go over the differences and pros and cons of each so you can make the right decision for you.

 

Free Blogs

Free blogs can be the perfect option if your main goal with your blog is to have an online journal for you.

If you want to blog as a hobby but don’t ever plan to monetise it or turn it into a business, then a free blog may be the way to go. 

You may choose to opt for a free blog as it can sound like the simpler option. And in some ways it is. But it isn’t the best option if you are wanting to make money from your blog.

If your reason to have a blog is to get thoughts out and you do not plan on making money, then absolutely go for a free blog! They can be a great option for people wanting their blog as an outlet, rather than an income.

Free blogs are owned by the company, rather than you as an individual.

This can cause problems down the line if you are wanting to turn it into a blogging business or make money from your website.  

 

Can you start off with a free blog and then change over to a self-hosted blog down the line?

 

Of course! But be aware that this isn’t a one-step process and can be a bit of a faff.

Here’s a couple of examples as to how it can be trickier to make money from a free blog.

Two of the most common ways to make money from your blog are adverts and affiliate marketing.

Advertising companies are usually not happy to let you run adverts on your website if you don’t own it yourself. This automatically takes away one income stream from your blog. 

You can include affiliate links into your posts on a free blog. This is one of the ways to make money with a free blog. BUT. (And this is a big but), you don’t own your website. If the hosting company decides to close your free blog for whatever reason – that’s the income gone. 

I’m not sure the reasons why they would close your free blog but just be aware that they can and no-one wants the disappointment of that! 

The second option is to have your own self-hosted website.

 

 

Self Hosted Blogs

Self hosted blogs are absolutely the best option if you want control over your own website.

(You don’t actually host it yourself, you just choose your own website name and who you want to host it, but you own the full website.)

You buy a domain name and then you pay someone to host your website for you.

It will cost a little for a domain name and hosting, but it doesn’t have to cost a lot! One of the most affordable hosting companies is HostGator – one I’ve personally used on multiple sites for years – including this one at the time of writing this (2022)!

If you want to enhance your blog and give it that something extra to make you stand out, I would highly recommend buying a theme for your blog. Buying a theme gives you an edge over free blogs/free themes. They are more customisable and more personalisable, but this is more of an option than a necessity with a new blog, and can always be upgraded later. 

This is the one I use (correct in 2022), I started with the free version but quickly realised I wanted to be able to make it more “me” so wanted the extra options so made the one off payment!

With a self hosted blog, because you own it, it’s completely your choice how you choose to make money from it, including opening the option of advertising back up again. 

 

You want your blog to look the way YOU want.

 

I touched on this a little above, but if you want your blog to look exactly the way you want, you need a self hosted website.

You can make your blog look lovely as a free blog but you are a lot more restricted with the pre-set themes/colours/layouts/fonts etc. 

If you’re putting all this effort in, you want it to look the way you want, right? 

You don’t need a custom designed theme (unless you want one obviously), as they can be hella expensive, which is just not necessary as a new blogger. 

To start with, a paid or free theme on a self hosted website will give you enough options to get your blog looking how you want it, without spending much at all. 

This theme only cost me $30 (around £25) as a one off payment so paid themes really don’t need to be expensive. You can find other ones even cheaper from places like Etsy or WordPress itself! 

As with the hosting, I would highly recommend going for your own domain and hosting and then installing your own theme, but these can be as budget-friendly as required. Do not feel you have to spend a fortune getting up and running to make your blog look and feel professional. 

As mentioned, you don’t have the same control over a free blog and they appear less professional than self hosted blogs.  You are also a lot more limited on the internal side of things as with a free blog. With a self hosted blog you can download plugins to enhance your website internally and externally. You can’t do this with a free blog. 

 

 

 

 

Making Money

If you still decide to go for a free blog and do want to make money, or plan to in the future, then there are some ways it can be done – albeit limited. 

I go through the most popular ways to make money blogging here.

There are more risks and limitations with a free blog when it comes to making money, but it can be done. 

We know advertising is pretty much out of the question but there are other options. 

There is something else to consider when it comes to making money on a free blog as opposed to a self hosted blog; credibility.

 

You are no less credible of a person if you have a free blog! They absolutely have their place.

 

But in terms of sponsored posts or working with brands, they are more likely to choose bloggers with self hosted websites. They know they are less risky than the free platforms, and makes you stand out as a more serious blogger, rather than a hobby blogger.

Some brands may not care whether your blog is free or self hosted, every website and brand is different, but more often than not the free websites aren’t seen as professional so you may find out you are missing out on brand collaborations, purely due to the fact you don’t have a self hosted website.

I want you to have all the options and opportunities that suit you, and don’t want any of those closed off!

Here’s a not-so-fun fact about free blogs! As mentioned, you don’t own your free blog so you aren’t allowed to display ads on your site. That means no advertising income. BUT, whoever hosts your free site does own it. That means they can put ads on YOUR website and MAKE MONEY FROM THEM. Gutted.

This is only a concern if your goal is to make money, but having that option squashed before you even begin isn’t the best.

So to answer the question…

 

Can you make money with a free blog?

Yes… but I wouldn’t. It’s too risky – unless for nothing other than your own space to get thoughts out.

You are limiting yourself so much and there’s the potential that your website could be closed as you don’t own it.

It’s an easy option if your blog is a personal space for thoughts/a hobby, but anything other than this and you absolutely need a self hosted website. Don’t limit yourself before you’ve even started.

Get a self hosted website and the sky’s the limit!

You own your website and all of your work. It is yours to do with as you please.

It’s not as daunting as it sounds, and will be so worth it. 

 

Still unsure which option is right for you?

 

If you are still unsure whether to dive into paying for a self hosted blog, or if you aren’t sure if you will like blogging enough to warrant paying to have your own website (no matter how small the expense), then I would recommend you getting a free blog to start with and try it! Play with the basic settings and change things up to get it how you like it and try writing some blog posts! 

You will most likely find sooner rather than later that you want to be able to change more settings and customise your own website that bit more. That’s the point you can then move to a self hosted website. 

If you are happy with the free blog and are happy not monetising your blog to the same extent then the free option is perfect for you! 

If your goal at all – no matter how distant or unsure – is to make money from your blog then you absolutely need the self hosted option. This will give you the maximum flexibility and control over your new venture! 

If you have any questions over whether you can make money with a free blog or picking between free or self hosted, leave a comment/send a message and I will absolutely try and help you find the right fit!

Good luck in whichever you choose!

 

Speak Soon!

Katherine

 

📌 Pin for later 📌

can you make money with a free blog? is a free or self hosted blog better for making money - woman smiling holding lots of money

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