Make Money Blogging Pt. 1 - Creating Your Blog

Blogs. Millions of people have 'em. Tens of thousands make an income from them.

And you can, too.

If you're the kind of person that enjoys writing, drawing, taking pictures, or making videos, you can start a blog and make money off of it!

Starting a blog can be free and very easy. All you have to do is create an account with a blogging site (e.g. Blogspot, Wordpress, Tumblr ect) and start posting!

What to think about before getting started...
Your Blog Topic
What is your topic? Do you get excited about it? Do you know a lot about your topic? Can you see yourself still writing on this topic six months from now? 

You should consider all of these things before starting a blog. I've failed at this upon starting some blogs in the past. I never continued them because I just wasn't motivated enough to move forward - the topics bored me. Either that, or I kidded myself into thinking that I knew a lot about the subject when I really didn't.

Your readers will be visiting because they're interested in what you have to offer, and if it's clear that you have no idea what you're talking about (or just aren't being serious about it), they'll leave and probably never come back.

Darren Rowse from Problogger put it best when he said, "If you're not interested in your topic, your readers will sense this and your chances for success will fall." So, think about a topic you're fluent in and that you would have fun writing about.

Your Blog Name
Before you can start blogging, you will be asked to create a url for your blog. Your url will most likely be the same as your blog name. For example, this blog's name is The Kid is Rich. The url is: http://www.thekidisrich.blogspot.com/

Your blog name is very important because it is how people will recognize you in business. Say you're a photographer and you feature your photos on a blog. You'll probably want to be sharing your url with people offline. Unless you're handing out business cards or flyers displaying your blog name, it might be hard for potential readers to remember the url.

So, when possible, it's a good idea to keep the url short and catchy. And of course, it must be relevant to what your blog is about. If Bob is blogging about different motorcycle brands, he doesn't want his blog url to be http://www.thepinkfairyprincess.blogspot.com/

It won't make sense and will turn off your readers.

Also keep in mind: with so many blogs on the Internet, great simple url names can be hard to come by. You may want to come up with a list of names you like in case one is already taken.

Creating Your Blog
Now that you have a plan (you know your blog topic and your blog name), you can begin the process of setting up your blog. Today, there are many sites which allow you to create free blogs. Some of the most popular include Blogger (you're looking at it right now), Wordpress, and Tumblr. I have never personally tried Wordpress or Tumblr, but with Blogger, all you need to do is sign up with your email address, blog name, and desired blog url. Next, they ask you to choose a Template from a list that they have created, and then you can either customize how your blog looks or start posting.

If you aren't satisfied with your blog's "look", then go ahead and change it. If you don't like any of the Blogger templates (don't worry - I'm picky about it, too ;), you can always find more (*for FREE*) at btemplates.com. Remember: blogging is not only about content, it's also about the experience. When a template is ugly or hard to navigate, it can cause potential readers to close out of the tab.

Posting
Posting is the most important part of any blog - your content is your blog: what will attract readers and keep them coming back. If your content isn't any good, it will be harder for you to succeed in making money. No one wants to read boring, useless information. You have to show your enthusiasm through your writing. Make it interesting and make it fun! For more info on writing great posts, check out 7 Powerful Ways To Get Your Blog Post Noticed.

Making Moolah
Okay. You have a blog. You've written some posts. And now you're asking the big question...

How do I make cash??

Before you think about monetizing your blog (explained in Make Money Blogging Pt. 2 - Monetize), it's a good idea to start building your reputation. Write a lot of posts - invite friends, family, and other bloggers to come and check out your blog. Interact with other bloggers - comment your opinions (respectfully) on others' posts that you're interested in.

Think about monetizing after you've blogged for a while - a few months or so. Long enough to where you've written quite a few posts and accumulated some followers!

Don't be all about the money. Sure, your goal in the end is to make an income from your blog, but that shouldn't be the only reason you're blogging. It should be fun - something for you to take up as hobby and do in your spare time because you enjoy doing it. People are going to be less inclined to visit your blog if they see that you're only doing it to make a few bucks. It makes you look greedy and your blog loses it's meaning.

More on Blogging
Blogging is a lot of fun and can earn you a LOT of cash! Some adults make so much money doing it that they are able to quit their jobs and work from home. One example of such a success is Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.

"Back in 2002 I stumbled upon an article about ‘Blogging’. I didn’t know it at the time but that moment changed my life. I know that statements like that belong on those cheesy ‘buy my $1000 training program’ sites (don’t worry I’m not selling anything more than a book) but it is actually true."

He currently runs a blog that offers insightful articles on how to successfully earn an income from blogging. In doing so, he makes *hundreds of thousands of dollars* every year! You can also learn how he did it and get tips on improving your own blog by checking out http://www.problogger.net/


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