I started my blogging journey in 2004, and while it was a lot of fun, it was hard work too. At the time, I had a full-time job in digital marketing, but I’d daydream about running a blog.
But fast-forward to today, and content creation is my sole business. I work for less than an hour a day, thanks to blogging.
And it’s still fun.
But sometimes a blogger might just want to express their thoughts or share a story without making any money from it. However, there are many ways to blog and get paid too. In this post, we will explore 11 different ways to start blogging and have some fun at the same time.
Now, I think blogging can be a lot of fun for you if you enjoy writing. It is one of the best ways to make money from home without any previous experience. Anyone can start blogging; the sky’s the limit with the right strategy.
The first step on your journey is to choose a web host and domain name if you want your blog to look professional.
11 ways to start blogging for fun and profit
Here are 11 ways to start blogging for fun and profit.
Choose a niche
* Choose a niche and write about it. Try to find what you enjoy writing about most, then choose an area of interest that aligns with your interests (e.g., DIY projects).
Choose a platform
* Choose a platform. Blogging platforms abound, as well as different tools for each blogging site (e.g., WordPress). It’s a good idea to invest in a professional-grade hosting platform.
Do your research
* Do research on your topic, especially if it’s for a target audience. Researching will help make sure that what you’re writing is accurate and interesting enough so people will keep reading without getting bored or frustrated with a lack of information.
Edit
* Edit – Make sure everything is right before publishing. The content should be well-written, free from any typographical errors, and spellchecker; the images should not be taken illegally or without consent; potential conflicts of interest need to be disclosed appropriately; etcetera.
Get the word out
* Get the word out – Find readers by getting on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter and start following blogs related to your topic/interests for sharing purposes (like links) as you post new blog posts online so people know where they can find you.
Go for depth
* Don’t just think about how many views or likes something got when deciding whether or not it was successful–think about who liked/viewed it as well (i.e., were they relevant or the people you wanted to attract?
Only say what you need to
* Be brief and concise (no one likes reading long-winded content)–but make sure you include enough information so that your reader is not left in the dark; don’t forget links or pictures where appropriate.
Check for plagiarism
* Always be careful about plagiarizing text from others’ blog posts, especially if they are well known for publishing quality work online. It’s also important to cite any relevant sources used within your own writing when necessary.
Use your unique voice
* Try to be original or provide your own spin on what you are writing about. Some ways that bloggers can do this would include adding an opinion piece or a personal narrative to their content or simply trying and blog with different styles than they typically have before.
Be authentic
* Readers will always appreciate honesty; being genuine draws people in a while; conversely, lying pushes them away. Bloggers who want more followers should promote transparency within their posts from time to time (i.e., if something interesting happened during their day, which makes for good reading material).
Build an email list
* Start building an email list. Your email list will be a group of people who have subscribed to your blog in some way, usually by signing up for a newsletter. Having an email list will help you reach out to readers when new content is posted or if any sales are happening on your site.
Bonus tip
* Bonus tip: Invite guest contributors-inviting others into the conversation can be beneficial for both parties involved as it offers insight from perspectives outside of just one person’s life–i.e., different points of view give bloggers more material and their audience something fresh and interesting to read about.
5 blogging platforms
No matter what your motive is, be it a hobby blog or for a business, you’ll need to choose the right blogging platform.
I recommend WordPress; it’s the platform I use on all of my websites.
WordPress comes in two flavors: hosted and self-hosted.
WordPress Self-Hosted
* WordPress Self-Hosted: The most popular blog platform on the market, WordPress is easy to use and customize with a plugin for every occasion.
WordPress Hosted
* WordPress Hosted: If you don’t want to go the self-hosted route, WordPress will give you a hosted blog for free. However, this is not recommended because you will not own your blog.
Blogger
* Blogger: Strictly for those who don’t want to deal with the technicalities of hosting their own blog, blogger is a simple solution for bloggers without any coding skills. Not every blogger likes it because they feel like it has too many restrictions or that you can’t customize your site in as much detail as other platforms allow. And again, you don’t really own your blog.
Tumblr
* Tumblr: Tumblr’s claim to fame is its social media capabilities; blogs on Tumblr make use of reblogging (the ability to share posts from one account onto another) and hashtags, so content finds an audience more easily than if posted by itself on WordPress or Blogspot. It provides less control over design elements.
Medium
* Medium: Medium is a blogging platform designed to publish content in the form of articles rather than blog posts. You can publish a limited number of blog posts each month for free. This is my least recommended choice.
11 Tools for Bloggers
Once you’ve decided on your platform, you’ll need the right tools to get the most from your blog posts.
Here are some of my favorites:
Google Keyword Planner
* Google Keyword Planner – Keywords provide a vital tool for content and search engine optimization, but they can be difficult to generate on your own. The Google keyword planner helps you find the most relevant keywords not just for SEO purposes but also for other people to find you when searching online.
Buffer
* Buffer – This allows you to schedule your posts ahead of time so that they appear at a set date and time- perfect for bloggers who want more control over when their blog is updated.
Evernote
* Evernote – Evernote is great if you’re looking for something with which to organize all those thoughts and ideas bouncing around in your head. It’s also an easy way to store images without having them clog up on your hard drive or computer storage space. Plus, it syncs across devices. This one should be a high priority since blogging can involve lots of different content types from pictures, text documents, video files, etc., not
Pixlr Editor
* Pixlr Editor – For those looking for something free and simple that will allow them to create blog images without having to purchase expensive software first, Pixlr editor has got you covered. The design options are limited when compared with some programs, but it does have everything needed by most bloggers: crop/resize an image; change the background color, gradient and add effects; load images from the web, or upload new ones of your own.
Canva
* Canva – If you want a little more freedom with design, Canva is an excellent option as it offers hundreds of templates for bloggers to create graphics quickly using stock photos and fonts that are easy on the wallet. Plus, they offer some professional options if you need something fancier than “basic.”
Grammarly
* Grammarly – This is a great tool for bloggers to check their grammar and punctuation. It also offers a blog-friendly interface with spellcheck, word count, synonyms, and more all in one spot.
Trello
* Trello – This is a great tool to use to keep track of your blogging goals and progress (or any other type of project). You can set up boards for each goal or category, move tasks from one board to another, add due dates, attach files- the list goes on. It’s perfect for bloggers who are juggling multiple projects at once.
Google Docs
* Google Docs – Google’s suite of apps is perfect for blogging because they provide everything you need in one place: word processor, spreadsheet editor, presentation builder, etc., plus access from anywhere. One downside might be that there isn’t an easy way to blog directly from Google Docs, but if you have an Internet connection while working on other things like this post… maybe not such a bad thing?
Frase
* Frase – I use Frase to create blog outlines. In fact, I wrote this one with the help of Frase. It examines the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) and tells you which keywords to include in your blog posts.
Google Analytics
* Google Analytics – As a blogger, you can’t afford to miss Google Analytics. It’s so important that they’re one of the first things I install when setting up new blog platforms. It provides detailed analytics about your blog.
Google Search Console
* Google Search Console – This is one of the tools I use to monitor my blog, and with this tool, you can see how your posts are doing on Google Search. You’ll also be able to find out which keywords people type into Google when they’re looking for sites like yours.
11 Tips and Tricks for Getting Started on Blogging
Practice
* Understand the blogging platform before you commit to it. Getting started on Blogger or WordPress? Figure out what your needs are, and then act accordingly.
Mobile-friendly
* Make sure that your blog is mobile-friendly. This means choosing the right theme. If you go with WordPress, you can choose from a wide range of free and premium blog themes.
Create a Schedule
* Create a schedule and stick to it. This will help you know when to publish new posts, edit old ones, and design graphics. It’ll also keep you accountable so that you don’t take too much time off from blogging.
Create a content calendar
* Create a content calendar. Planning your posts ahead of time will help you to stay on top of things and give you the best chance for success. But don’t plan too far ahead, be flexible and open to change.
Use social media
* Use social media as an extension of your blog – it can be used in ways beyond just “liking” or sharing posts on Facebook and Twitter. Follow others in your space, share their content, tag them in posts, ask questions and create a relationship with them. They may promote your content if they like what they see.
Build communities
* Create groups on Facebook or LinkedIn for maximum exposure. And don’t be afraid to use hashtags when you post so that other people can find them too.
Your tagline
* Don’t forget about your blog’s tagline. It should be short and catchy, but it also needs to say something important about what you’re trying to do with the site.
Get feedback
* Ask for feedback – this will give people who are on social media more of an incentive to follow you when they see other users interacting with posts or articles.
Repurpose your content
* Repurpose your blog posts into podcasts and videos. Create a podcast and use services such as iTunes Podcasts, or upload your videos to Youtube. Now you’ve created three pieces of content from one, giving you three times the potential exposure.
SEO
* Optimize your content for search engines. You can use common keywords throughout your blog post (don’t stuff it, though), which will help increase traffic from search engines for those who have never been there before. As long as you know what you’re doing, this can lead to more readers and followers because of increased exposure over time.
Guest post
* Start guest posting on another blog to increase exposure. This will help you to reach a wider audience and share your knowledge with others. Not to mention increase traffic to your website and get more backlinks.
Conclusion
Is blogging worth it? Well, while blogging for fun is possible, considering the amount of effort involved, I think it’s only fair to earn something back for all your hard work.
Following these tips will help you become a successful blogger, even if it’s just for fun.