How to Start a Blog in 2021 with bluehost — Easy Guide to Create a Blog

in webhosting •  3 years ago  (edited)

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Are you looking for a step-by-step guide to starting a blog?

This page’s step-by-step instructions will show you how to establish a blog in 20 minutes using only basic computer abilities.

After following this guide, you will have a lovely blog that you can share with the rest of the world.

This guide is designed just for newcomers. I’ll walk you through each stage, with plenty of photographs and videos to help you understand everything.

If you get stuck or have any questions, just send me a note and I’ll try my best to assist you.

My name is Jerry, and I’ll show you how to get started blogging right away. Since 2002, I’ve been creating websites and blogs. In that time, I’ve started several blogs of my own and assisted hundreds of others in doing the same.

I understand how frightening and overwhelming it may be to start a blog. This free guide to blogging for beginners will show you how to start blogging with only the most basic computer abilities. So, whether you’re eight or eighty-eight, you can start your own blog in under 20 minutes.

I’m not ashamed to say that I made a lot of blunders when I initially started learning how to establish a blog. You may learn from my more than a decade of experience to avoid making the same mistakes when starting your own blog. This free guide was developed to help a complete newbie learn how to blog quickly and effortlessly.

So, how do you get started with a blog?

Follow these instructions to learn how to make a blog in around 20 minutes:

How to Create a Blog in 6 Easy Steps

1-Decide on a blog name. Choose a name for your blog that is descriptive.
2-Get your blog up and running. Create a blog and get it hosted.
3-Make your blog unique. Pick a free blog design template and make changes to it.
4-Compose and submit your first blog entry. Let the world know what you’re thinking. This is the exciting part!
5-Advertise your blog. With the right marketing, you can get more people to read your site.
6-Blog for a living. To monetize your blog, you have several alternatives.

Should you start a blog?

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One of the common misunderstandings about beginning a blog is that you must be a fantastic writer. The opposite could not be further from the truth. People read blogs to obtain a personal viewpoint on topics, thus most bloggers write in a casual, conversational tone.

Many successful bloggers will write about a variety of topics on the same site due to the format.

Furthermore, to have a great blog, you do not need to be an expert on any of the things you write about. Visitors to a cooking blog, for example, don’t want to read a textbook from a food scientist; instead, they want to hear about someone’s real-life cooking experiences, faults and all.

To be a successful blogger, you just need one thing: a passion for your subject.

Blogging is, at its core, about sharing your expertise with the rest of the world. It is much easier to create a successful blog if you write about topics that you are enthusiastic about. Your passion will come through and keep your visitors intrigued as long as you write about topics that you actually care about.

So, what makes you want to blog in the first place? There are several causes for this:

Tell us about your experience. A blog gives you a platform to express yourself and be heard. If you want to, you can tell your tale to the entire world. One of the most prevalent uses for blogs is as a diary, in which the blogger writes about their daily activities so that friends, family, and others can follow along.

Make money while sitting at home. If done right, blogging may be highly rewarding. The world’s greatest bloggers certainly make a lot of money, but even a part-time blogger may expect to make a tidy profit if everything is done right. The best thing is that blogging is a type of passive income, because you can spend just a few hours a week writing a piece of material and earn from it long after you’ve done it. Later in this tutorial, I go into much more depth about how to make money blogging.

You or your company may be recognized. No, you are unlikely to be followed by paparazzi as a result of your recent post. A successful blog, on the other hand, turns your idea into a reality and can help you achieve a lot of attention in your sector. Many bloggers have gained notoriety as specialists solely as a result of their blogs, and some have even landed book and film agreements as a result of their blogs.

Look for a group to join. Blogging is, at its core, an interactive medium. You publish a blog post, and others respond to it. This is a great method to meet others who are passionate about the same topics you are. Blogging allows you to teach these folks from your own experience while also allowing you to learn from your viewers.

What exactly is a blog?

In a nutshell, a blog is a website that focuses primarily on written content, sometimes referred to as blog entries. We commonly hear about news blogs or celebrity blog sites in popular culture, but as you’ll see in this article, you can establish a successful blog on almost any topic.

Bloggers frequently write from a personal standpoint, allowing them to connect with their audience on a more intimate level. Most blogs also have a “comments” section where readers can interact with the blogger. Interacting with your visitors in the comments section allows you to strengthen the bond between you and your readers.

One of the biggest advantages of beginning a blog is the direct connection with the reader. This link allows you to communicate with and share ideas with other people who share your interests. It also allows you to gain your readers’ trust. Having your readers’ trust and loyalty also opens the door to producing money from your blog, which I’ll go over later in this tutorial.

The good news is that the internet is currently experiencing explosive expansion. There are more people online than ever before. This rapid expansion indicates that there are more people who might be interested in reading your site. In short, if you’ve been considering creating a blog, there’s no better time than now.

Let’s get started on your blog!

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Step 1: Choose a name for your blog.

Skip to the next section if you’re not sure what to call your blog or what to write about.

If you already have a name for your blog, you can check to see if anyone else has registered, Go to name.com and check if your blog name is available.

A domain name cannot contain any spaces or punctuation other than dashes.

If you discover that the name you want is already taken, you have a few options:

Changing the domain extension is a good idea. If the.com form of the domain name is already taken, you might be able to get the .net or .org version.
Small words can be added. Words like “a,” “my,” “best,” and “the.” For example thebloghelper.com instead of bloghelper.com.

Between words use dashes. For instance, take a look at scott-chow.com.

How to Pick a Blog Name and Topic

If you don’t already have a name in mind, the first step is to decide on a blog topic.

There are a few strategies to come up with an excellent blog topic if you don’t know what to write about:

Experiences throughout life. Everyone has gained lessons from their life experiences. Sharing this knowledge with others in similar situations can be quite beneficial.

For example, I recently assisted a woman in starting a blog about her life as a firefighter’s wife. She has a lot of expertise and experience to contribute about this topic, and it has helped her connect with others in similar situations.
Consider what you’ve gone through in your life. This could be about your family (for example, a blog about being a stay-at-home parent), work (for example, a blog about client interactions), or other life events (a blog about dealing with a troubling time such as a disease or divorce, or about a happy time such as preparing for a wedding or a birth of a child)

A blog about myself. A personal blog is one that is entirely focused on the author. This can range from daily activities to spontaneous ideas and musings. This is a fantastic method to share your ideas with the rest of the world without having to limit yourself to a single subject.

Hobbies or other passions are excellent places to begin. Cooking, travel, clothes, athletics, and automobiles are all examples of traditional activities. However, because your audience is literally anyone with access to the internet, even blogs about unusual hobbies can be effective.

Once you’ve decided on a topic, you’ll need to choose a blog name, also known as a domain name.

A good blog name should be descriptive enough for potential visitors to figure out what your site is about just by looking at it.

If you’re going to be writing about a specific topic, you’ll want to include it into your domain name in some way. But try not to get too focused on a single word. A cooking blog, for instance, does not have to contain the term “cooking.” The phrases “food,” “recipes,” and “meals” would further indicate that your site focuses on cooking.

Since your blog will be about you, I recommend choosing your name, or a variation of it, if you plan to develop a personal blog where you will cover a variety of themes. For instance, I am the owner of the blog scottchow.com. If your first and last names are already taken, you can add your middle name or initial. You might also go with something like “Scott Chow Blog” or “Blogging with Scott.”

After you’ve come up with a few names, you’ll need to decide on a domain extension.

The most popular domain extension is.com, but .net and.org can also be used. It’s also worth noting that there can’t be any spaces between words when creating a blog domain. As a result, “Blogging with Jerry” is bloggingwithJerry.com.

Step 2: Set up your blog on the internet.

Now that you’ve decided on a name for your blog, it’s time to get it online. This may appear difficult or complicated, but the instructions below will guide you through the process and make it simple.

Blog hosting (also known as web hosting) and blogging software are both required to get your blog up and running. The good news is that these are usually provided in a package.

A blog host is a corporation that stores all of your blog’s files and makes them available to visitors when they enter in your blog’s name. A blog cannot exist without a blog host.

In order to create a blog, you’ll need need software. Because WordPress is the most popular, adaptable, and user-friendly blogging software, I’ll show you how to create a blog using it in this guide.

Bluehost is the web host that I suggest and the one I explain how to use in this tutorial. I personally use Bluehost and strongly recommend them to all wordpress sites and bloggers for the following reasons:

1-They will purchase your custom domain name for you for free, ensuring that it is not taken by anybody else.
2-If you are dissatisfied for any reason, they provide a 30-day money back guarantee.
3-They provide a free, automatic WordPress installation. i will show you how to do that.
4-Since 2005, they’ve provided dependable web hosting that has been recommended by WordPress, and they now host over 2 million blogs and websites.
5-They offer helpful customer care via phone or web chat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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### 1. Click here to Activate Bluehost Coupon discount $2.95 per month and then click on “get started ” button.

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2. Pick on a plan. I propose that new bloggers start with the basic plan. To choose your plan, press “Select.”

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3. In the left field, type your domain name and then click “next” to begin the registration process.

If you already have a domain name that you want to use for your blog, type it in the right field and then click “next.” If you’ve already paid to register a domain, use the right box!

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4. On the registration page, fill in your billing information.

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5. You’ll also have to pick a hosting package and options.

1- Each BlueHost plans includes everything you’ll need to get your blog up and running, including free Domain, simple Auto WordPress Install, web hosting, and professional business email (for example, [email protected]).

2- The 36-month deal offers the best monthly rate, while the 12-month option offers a cheaper upfront cost.

3- Except for “Domain Privacy & Protection,” I uncheck the boxes next to the bundle extras. Domain privacy keeps your personal information (name, address, phone, and email) hidden from the public database of registered domain owners, even if it isn’t strictly needed.

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6. Next, you must create a BlueHost account and password.

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After that, you’ll be directed to an installation assistant. Because you’re following this guide, you can skip the next few pages and go straight to the dashboard by clicking “Skip this step.”

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7. Set up WordPress as your blogging platform.

WordPress will now be installed automatically by the system. Once the installation is complete, click the blue “WordPress” icon to access your blog’s administrative section.

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Step 3: how to Customize your blog

How can I get started with a blog? Here’s a link to a video of me creating and customising a stunning blog from the ground up:

The video above should explain most of your inquiries on how to build up a website and customise it. Here’s a step-by-step guide to some of the topics I demonstrate in the video.

Logging in to your account

If you haven’t already done so, go to Bluehost.com and click “Login” in the top right corner to access the login screen. Then, using your domain name and the password you created earlier step, log in. If you’ve forgotten your password, click the “Forgot Password” link to reset it.

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You’ll be sent to your Bluehost Portal once you’ve logged in. You can log in to your Wordpress site automatically by clicking the blue “WordPress” link from the website.

how to Change your blog design

You’ll be in the WordPress dashboard once you’ve logged in. You can make any changes to your blog here.

Everyone has their own design for how their website should look. One of the best features of WordPress is the ability to modify your whole layout and style with a few clicks.

Blog layouts are referred to as “Themes” in WordPress. What is the definition of a blog theme? Themes are in charge of your WordPress blog’s overall design. To change your theme, go to the left menu and pick the “Appearance” button.

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Multiple free WordPress themes, such as Twenty Seventeen, Twenty Sixteen, and others, are already available on your blog. These are attractive, well-designed templates that may be used for almost any type of blog. Many of the world’s top blogs, in fact, have one of these templates.

I recommend starting with one of these themes unless you have a really specific style and design for your blog. Let’s use the WordPress template “Twenty Sixteen” as an example. Hover over the theme and click the “Activate” button to make it active on your blog. That concludes our discussion. With just one click, you’ve transformed the entire look of your blog.

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If you don’t like any of the pre-installed themes, there are many of additional free WordPress themes to pick from. To instal a new WordPress theme, go to the left menu and select “Appearance,” then “Add New Theme.”

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The WordPress theme search interface looks like this. There are lots of different themes from which to choose. Just by activating a new WordPress theme, you can modify your entire appearance at any time. To select a theme that you like, go to the “Popular” section and begin browsing. Click the blue “Install” button when you discover one you like.

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To activate the theme on your blog, click “Activate” after it has been installed. Go to your blog and have a look at your new theme in action.

The most basic way to personalise your WordPress blog is to change the theme, but there are many additional options. For a detailed step-by-step guide, see my full post on customising your WordPress blog. You can also see me completely customise a Wordpress site from scratch in the video above.

Step 4: How to submit a new blog post and publish it

It’s time to start blogging now that your site is up and running! Let’s get started on creating your first blog post.

Go to the left menu and click on “Posts”.

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by default for new blog There is already a post there, as you can see. We don’t need this article, which comes as default with every new blog. To delete it click on “Trash” under the post title.

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Click the “Add New” option to start writing a new post.

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You’ve arrived to the post editor. In the top box, type your post’s title, and then start writing in the below area.

If you want to include a photo in your post, click the “Add Image” icon and then “Upload” to upload a file from your computer. On the next screen, you can change the size of the image. When you’re finished, click “Insert into post” to insert the image.

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Once you’ve finished writing your post, simply click the “Publish” button in the top right corner of the screen to publish it.

What Content Should You Post on Your Blog?
Static and dynamic content are the two forms of material that your blog should supply.

Static Content: Your blog should have a few essential pages that are specifically created to give visitors the resources they require. The content on these pages is static, which means that it does not change frequently, if at all. These are usually top-level pages that may be accessed via your blog’s navigation.

These static content pages should be in place before you go public with your blog.

Include the following static pages in your website:

About Me (Us) — A biographical description of the creator(s) as well as a vision and mission should be included on this page. Consider the following questions and their answers: How did your interest in the subject matter increase? What message do you wish to send to the rest of the world? What is your ultimate purpose?

Contact Me (Us) — A contact page gives visitors a way to contact the owner, which gives them peace of mind that you are a real person who can be reached. Your actual address, phone number, and professional business email can all be added. Instead, to keep your personal identifying information anonymous, you can use a simple contact form. You should also provide links to all of your social media pages.

Apart from your website, which is usually provided on the home/main page, these two important pages should be easily accessible and displayed on your top (header) menu.

Other notable but less well-known static pages include:

Disclaimer Page: If you want to monetize your blog, you’ll need to include a disclaimer page that explains how you’ll make money. According to FTC rules, this is an absolute must-have page that should not be ignored. For instance, if you are discussing and recommending a product and stand to earn from a referral to the product, you must disclose this relationship.

Privacy Policy: If you collect information / data from your visitors in any method, you must have a privacy policy page that explains how you gather data, how you use it, and whether or not you share it with others. A Privacy Policy is required if you utilise Google Adsense or a Google Analytics account on your blog. The CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) and the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) both require this page, which is provided by default on your WordPress blog.

Terms of Service: If your website also serves as a store or sells services, a Terms of Service page is a good idea to reduce your potential liabilities.

A blog’s footer menu usually has a link to these needed static pages. They should be visible and reachable from the home page at the very least. Check out the example at the bottom of this page to see how this works in practise.

Other static pages, depending on your blog and business, can be included. An advertising page, which solicits paid adverts, a donation page, a resource page, which directs readers to your favourite sites in your profession, and a page for submitting ideas and material are all examples of static pages.

Your blog is your dynamic content, and it is the most crucial piece of content you have to give. This is where you, as the author, will inject your unique brand of educational content into the blog, providing your readers with helpful tips, facts, opinions, and tales. This is how you keep your visitors interested and returning for more.

Your blog content should be updated on a regular basis and at regular intervals. A following will never be built by waiting months to develop material. Creating weekly content and driving traffic to it will help you establish your brand.

What is the best way to write amazing blog content?
Each article should be long, informative, and interesting. It can be difficult to come up with new blog post ideas on a regular basis, and you can vary the tone and even the topic matter to keep things lively and intriguing. After all, it’s your space. However, there are a few components that should be included in every piece of material.

Define the Content: Write a captivating post title that piques readers’ interest and encourages them to click. Use the first paragraph of your post to clearly explain the topic of your article and to provide a possible hook to keep the reader interested in continuing to read.

The More Information and Detail You Offer,the Better — But Divide It Up: . Visitors, on the other hand, will begin to skim if the content comprises long paragraphs and will leave faster than they arrived. Tidbits are popular with visitors. Use lists and noteworthy quotes, use photos, and always include headings and subheadings so visitors can locate what they’re looking for.

Engage The Reader: Posing a meaningful question to your audience and asking them to respond in the comments is a typical approach used to engage visitors at the end of each article. This single approach can boost engagement by a factor of 10.

Original Content: Your content should be unique at all times. Never plagiarise; you will be called out on it eventually, and you may face consequences. Your content should be derived from your heart, mind, knowledge base, and experience. Others in your area can help you come up with topic ideas, but the substance must come from you.

Original Photos: While using stock images from free image sites is simple, using your own photos and graphic work is even better. Another option is to use a free photo editor to manipulate free photos.

Edit Your Work: Make sure your blog content is well-edited. A slew of typographical and grammatical problems screams unprofessionalism. Consider employing a writing tool if you require a few grammar refresher classes.

Getting Your Blog Published

Even after you’ve published a post, your blog may still display a blank page.

When you’re ready to make your blog public for the first time, go to your WordPress dashboard’s “Bluehost” menu and then click the blue “Launch” button to remove the placeholder page and launch your blog.

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Congratulations! You now know how to create and post material on your own blog.

Step 5: Spread the word about your blog.

Having a well-designed blog and great content is only the beginning. You will need to devote some effort to promoting your blog in order to attract visitors, especially when you initially begin.

The tactics listed below will assist you in getting more people to read your blog. You don’t have to utilise all of them; test a couple and find what works best for you.

Make Your Inner Circle Aware

Your inner circle should be the first people to learn about your blog. Within your field, this includes family, friends, and coworkers. Encourage them to become followers, request that they promote your new site, and, most importantly, express gratitude.

Make use of social media

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You should still make accounts with the “biggies” like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram, even if you don’t want to go overboard. On your accounts, you should include a link to your most recent content, but you can also include pertinent news and links to other sites that your viewers might find useful. Remember to use hashtags and interact with your followers.

Posting links to my blog on my social media accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter, is one of my favourite strategies to attract readers to my site. This is fantastic because not only will your friends see the link, but if they share it with their friends, your visitor count will automatically increase. If you have high-quality content on your site, you may use social media to help it go viral.

Comment on Other Bloggers’ Blogs

Find other blogs in your area and comment on them. Introduce yourself and provide meaningful and constructive comments in the comment box. You will be able to leave a link to your blog on many of them. You will find yourself after establishing ties with renowned bloggers in your town.

Get to Know Your Visitors

Always respond to your readers when they leave comments on your blogs. Respond to their queries and remarks with “likes” and affirmations. Visitors are naturally encouraged to return when it is clear that the author cares about his or her community and readers.

Collaboration with other bloggers is a good idea.

Collaborate with recognised members of your profession to become more enmeshed in your blogging community. Guest writing, supporting one other’s blogs and products, and routinely connecting through comments and social media are all examples of collaboration.

Post on a regular basis

Post content on a regular basis. Create and stick to an editorial calendar. A excellent blogger makes at least one post per week. Your followers will drop off and your growth will be significantly impacted if you have large gaps between updates. It’s not easy to post on a regular basis, but it’s something you must do.

Make a mailing list

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You’ll want to make sure that your present visitors return to your blog in addition to attracting new people. Here’s when email marketing comes in handy. You may alert your readers when you submit new content on your blog by collecting their email addresses (with their consent, of course). This encourages people to return to your blog, which not only increases your readership over time, but also allows you to develop a stronger relationship with your visitors.

Because email marketing is too large a topic to address comprehensively here, I produced a separate tutorial for those who are interested (hint: every blogger who wants more readers needs to read this guide).

Make your blog search engine friendly.

You want your blog to show up as soon as possible in search results.

Create a Google Webmaster account and log in to the Search Console. To add your blog, go to “Add Property” and follow the instructions.

Bing: Create a Bing Webmaster account and link your blog to it.

The first stage in the search engine optimization process is to submit your blog (SEO).

Keep in mind that traffic to a completely new blog will be limited at first. This, however, will alter over time if you continue to post useful and relevant information on a regular basis.

Each page of your blog should include the following basic features to optimise this process:

1- Header Tags: Header tags should be used to wrap section heads and subheadings. Change the left item of the block you’re writing in to “Heading” to accomplish this. Then you can choose from H1, H2, H3, and so on.

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2- Categorization: Your content should be divided into distinct and relevant categories. Click “Document” on the right menu in the post editing screen, then “Categories” and “Add New Category.”

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3- Permalinks: The “slug” of each blog post is the last part of the URL. You should make sure that each post has a unique slug and that it does not finish in an article number. By navigating to “Settings” -> “Permalinks” in your WordPress dashboard, you can easily adjust this. Click “Save Changes” after selecting “Post Name.”

There are many other aspects to consider, such as using a WordPress plugin like Yoast, but these are the most important ones that will help you enhance your search ranks sooner rather than later.

Check out my in-depth guide to blog marketing for more information on how to promote your blog.

Step 6: Turn your blog into a money-making machine.

Making money from your blog is actually the simple part once you’ve put in the effort of developing outstanding blog material and promoting your blog.

Although blogs have the potential to be incredibly profitable, don’t expect to start making money in the first week, or even the first month. Starting to see a continuous stream of revenue could take anywhere from six months to a year. Blogging takes time and effort, but if you’ve built up a large enough readership, there are various ways to make money from your blog.

Advertisement space is for sale.

Advertisers will be hounding you for the opportunity to advertise once you have a popular blog. Using Google Adsense is the greatest approach to take advantage of this circumstance. Google will identify advertisers for you, and all you have to do now is paste the Google Adsense code into your site to begin running ads. Google Adsense does all of the legwork for you and simply sends you a check.

I go over how to set up Google Adsense for your WordPress blog in great detail here.

Offer affiliate products for sale.

An affiliate programme is a form of advertising that pays you a commission. When a reader clicks on a link on your blog, they are directed to an advertiser’s site, and if they make a purchase, you receive a commission. Affiliate links are a great method to make money by writing product reviews. You must, however, mention that you are an affiliate for the product.

Product and Service Sales

Increasing your income by selling your own products and services directly on your blog is a terrific method to do so. Your products and services will begin to market themselves as your blog expands and attracts a larger audience.

Use graphic images and a link to your storefront page in the sidebar of your blog to boost the visibility of what you sell.

Offer digital downloads for sale.

The most popular digital materials sold by bloggers are ebooks, video tutorials, and e-courses. You can keep the price cheap and enticing by having minimal to no overhead and no shipping fees.

An ebook can nearly write itself if you are exceptionally skilled in your topic. Give it a shot; you might be surprised!

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Memberships should be sold.

Adding subscription choices to your blog is a good idea. This enables you to provide users with additional exclusive content that is only available to paying members. You may, for example, provide unlimited digital downloads, free consultations, a private network or forum where community members can meet and mingle, and exclusive content available only to members.

There are numerous ways for a blog to profit from its fame and visitors. The method you use to monetise your blog is determined by your goals and the purpose of your blog. Those offering services, physical items, or digital goods, for example, may not want to join in affiliate programmes because their traffic may be diverted to another site.

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