So, you’re thinking about the possibility of starting a blog and turning it into a business, huh?

Hey there, I see you. You’re over there hearing about people making blogs and actually making money, right?

I’m sure you are interested especially during the times in which we’re living. Look, I get it!

You probably don’t believe all the fluff you’ve read and I don’t blame you. However, would you believe me if I told you that it’s all true? You could really earn a living just from blogging!

I know you see everyone else online with their blog and you’re contemplating whether you should start one of your own.

I’m sure you’re intrigued and skeptical at the same time. Look, I don’t blame you.

I was the same way just two years ago! I wanted to blog but didn’t know how to get started. Most importantly, I didn’t think I’d be any good at it. After doubting myself for months, I’ve finally got the courage and just did it! I’ve been blogging for a year now and listen, starting a family blog was the best decision I ever made. I now have two blogs that I’ve started, a family blog and a faith & personal development blog.

I truly enjoy blogging. I love connecting with my readers and sharing my knowledge and experience with them. Blogging has allowed me to stay at home with my children and create a living from it.

Being a mama of 5 is so rewarding and being able to care for my family full-time is even more rewarding. I homeschool my children and we are able to travel over 12 weeks a year and still tithe since blogging full-time. I don’t have to worry about daycare. I don’t have to worry about calling in sick because my children have days off of school for no apparent reason. Listen, it’s so convenient for me now that I am home full-time with my children.

I plan out my schedule for the week around my children’s schedule. I incorporate time that they need for sports and doctor appointments as well. I now live a totally different lifestyle because of blogging. I’m sure you want the same. I’m sure you could benefit from the freedom that blogging gives.

Let me just make this clear, blogging does allow you to make money however, you must be willing to put forth the effort it requires to grow and build your blog up. There are many successful bloggers who are now making 5 to 6 figures a month from their blog. I am not making that much just yet however, I confident that I will get there. I am making close to $2000 a month from blogging alone. I also get sponsored vacations for my family in addition which is worth over $2000 a month.

There are so many moms that want to blog, however, they don’t know where to start!

If that’s you and you truly want to start a mom, family, or even a lifestyle blog, I want to help you because it’s easy and quick! It a misconception that you need to be a great writer, a tech whiz, and extra tech-savvy. Believe me, going into blogging I knew nothing about starting a blog or building a website. However, I was able to do so using Bluehost.

Let’s jump right into it!

1. Find Your Niche and Main Subject

I know you’re probably wondering, “what’s a niche”? Well listen, I struggled with this at first as well. I didn’t know what I quite wanted to blog about. I just wanted to share my life. I wanted to get my foot in the door just blogging.

However, before you can truly start blogging, it’s imperative that you have a plan of what you’ll blog about. You need to start thinking about your audience. Although you don’t have much of an audience now, you need to think of what they want to hear from you the most. What do people know you for? Think about your talents and skills.

When I first started blogging, I knew for sure that I didn’t want to be another ordinary mommy blogger. I knew that I wanted to share my expertise in traveling as a large family. So initially, I started out as a travel mom blogger sorta.

Now, I am now transitioning my blog to focus more on teaching other mompreneurs how to gain more freedom through blogging. I want to educate moms on how they can leave their 9-5’s and began a career of blogging. I remember when I first started, it was so complicated! Like, the free information you get is broken pieces of the puzzle. Obviously, you can not build a solid foundation with broken or even worst, missing pieces of the puzzle.

Therefore, you need to come up with a niche. Come up with a broad subject that you’ll start blogging about. Within a few months of blogging, you’ll be able to evaluate your blog and see if you need to change your niche and become more specific.

There are many niches, such as lifestyle, travel, beauty, health, wellness, education, and the list literally goes on.

Pick one and go from there. What this will do is help you grow your blog because people will know what to come to you for. You will stand out because of your niche and content.

Finding your niche doesn’t have to be complicated. Just start thinking about what is unique about yourself and what you can bring to the table.

What Do You Love?

Start thinking about your hobbies and find something that is unique to you. Think of the skills you have acquired. What is some previous experience you have learned over the last few years? Draw from your experiences and prior education.

In my case, I have a Master’s degree in education and my favorite hobby is traveling. Therefore, I have taken both of those to craft my niche. Sometimes, I talk about my motherhood but I really enjoy writing about travel and educating people on my knowledge. Find a niche that you’ll love writing about!

Is There Room For Me to Blog?

This is a common question. Trust me, if you’re thinking this, you’re not alone. I thought the same. There are many people on Pinterest writing about traveling and educating mompreneurs. However, again, whatever makes you unique is what people will remember you for.

So, sure there are thousands of successful bloggers already writing about your niche however, it’s not you! You have a specific audience that is attached to your name and to your voice. People will follow you just because it’s you. Don’t worry if there are people already blogging. Once you get started, then you’ll add to what’s already out there.

A good way to start brainstorming is to look at what’s already out there. Look into joining other Facebook groups. There are great groups that share tons of ideas for getting started. I love Facebook groups because it’s a great resource for information from people who have been blogging for decades and from beginners like yourself.

Also, don’t forget about Google! Just type in a niche of your choice and research it.

How Can You Make Money With Your Blog?

Listen, we’ve all had this very important question! I know I have. I needed to know how on earth was I going to be able to leave my 9-5 job that was time-consuming and annoying. I needed to know the scoop ASAP! Listen, I feel you.

The way you can start to monetize your blog is by doing sponsored posts, providing a service through your blog, or by affiliate marketing. These 3 ways will get you started on monetizing your blog. It does take a few months of constant credible content but it’s possible. Don’t give up just yet! It’s possible and I know you can do it! You’ve got this far by researching about blogging, I bet that you have what it takes to become a success at it too.

2. Pick Your Domain Name

Now that you know what you’ll blog about it, let’s get started with a domain name. A domain name is your address on the world wide web. My domain name is https://theashwayoflife.com.

Your domain name should be something unique to you. It should be relative to your niche. However, it isn’t necessary. Your domain name could be anything. You just want it to stand out to your readers.

When I was thinking about my domain name, I wanted something the was unique to me and my family. My domain name is my husband’s and I initials ASH (Antwan& Samvia Henry). I probably should have made something a little catchy and cute but it’s quite alright!

Look, be creative but don’t spend days on ends thinking about a name! Again, there are many, I mean tons of successful bloggers with blog names that aren’t catchy or cute. It’s alright! Some bloggers use their names too. Most importantly, it is the content on the blog, not the name.

Just be sure not to use any offensive terms or names for your domain name. Many affiliates and companies will not want to work with you if your domain name is offensive. Be smart and think twice.

Here are some cool domain names:

Life As A Silly Mama

Journeytoneverland.com

ridiculouslycreative.com

Raising Little Creatures

Living the Daydream Life

Remember, short and simple does the trick! Keep it clean and cool.

Have fun, be creative, most of all don’t overthink it!

3. Pick a Reliable Web Host

Now onto the major stuff! Listen, blogging is an investment in your future business of blogging. In order, to have something you never had, you have to do something you have never done. Trust me, there are tons of free blogging platforms that many people start their blog on. However, if you are considering actually making money from blogging you SHOULD absolutely invest in a self-hosted website such as Bluehost.

The reason why it’s so important to get on a self-hosted website is that most free blogging platforms either limit your ability to monetize your blog or just don’t allow you to monetize your blog at all. When I first started out, I created a blog using Wix. It was so easy to set up and I through I was the coolest people because of it. However, I later realized that Wix is not a self-hosted website. I then created my website using WordPress through Bluehost.

So basically trying to make money on a free platform is pretty much impossible. Save yourself the time and effort. Just create the website of your dreams using a self-hosted platform.

There are many fortune 500 companies that all built their website through WordPress and self-hosted with Bluehost.

This shows your potential affiliates and other companies that you are serious about blogging. When they see that you are serious about your blogging business, they will be more likely to work with you. Put your best foot forward when it comes to your image and blog. I can’t stress this enough.

This page contains affiliate links and I can earn a commission if your purchase at no additional cost to you.

4. Start Your Bluehost and WordPress Website.

Listen up, there’s a lot of hosts to choose from and I know you’re probably wondering why choose Bluehost?

I know all about it so here’s why I jotted down some of my main reasons to start your blog with Bluehost.

1. Look This Is The Best Reason-They Give You a Free Domain to Start

Bluehost gives you a completely free domain name for the entire year when you sign up using my special link.

That saves you $15 or more right up front! This is super important if you want to bootstrap your blogging expenses.

Most other web hosting providers don’t offer a free domain to their customers.

2. 24/7 Support For Any and All Questions

I love how if you run into a problem or question, you don’t have to wait a long time on hold for a representative. Bluehost has some great customer service.

They also give you the option to either have phone support or live online support through the chat which is available 24/7.

3. Bluehost Automatically Installs WordPress Once Signed Up

Trust me, this is so convenient! You don’t have to figure out all of the technicalities. Just a couple of clicks and boom!

This gives you the convenience of starting your blog in just minutes after you register with Bluehost.

4. Bluehost is Budget Friendly

After I started my Wix blog and realized that I needed to switch to a self-hosted platform, I considered the money aspect of it all. I didn’t want to spend any money going into blogging and later realized that I was being ridiculous! Just like any business opportunity, you have to be willing to invest something before expecting to receive much back. However, I do understand that we all have different budgets and circumstances.

Which is why Bluehost has made it super affordable starting off blogging.

When you use my special link, Bluehost gives you a discount up to 60% off to start a blog as low as $3.95/month!

Trust me, it’ll be the best investment you’ll make!

Here’s how WordPress Dashboard looks once inside.

5. Pick a Theme of WordPress

This is so important! A theme is a template used to make your WordPress site look personalized. I’m sure you’ve seen some beautifully unique blogs out there and wondered how they were so creative, right? Well, most likely they paid for a nicely designed theme that can easily be imported onto their site just with a click of a button.  Having a theme can give your blog the specific look you’re going for.

Themes can be found on your site by going to Appearance, then click on Themes. There you will find thousands of “Free” themes that are included with all WordPress installations. Some of the themes listed are pretty. However, the key point is that free themes are limited to the features. They only allow you to do certain things unless you upgrade and buy their “pro theme.”

Another downside to free themes is that everyone has access to them. I am sure that you do not want a blog that is cookie cutter to everyone else. Also, the free themes have their name at the bottom of the site however, you have the right to remove it with the pro option. Basically, they want to have free marketing on your site for using their free theme.  

Decide and move forward with it. Again, do not let this decision stop you from moving forward in this process. If you want a free theme, it is quite alright! Remember, you can always change it, if you want.

Boom! Just Like That You Have Started Your Blog!

Let’s Begin Writing Your First Post!

I am so proud of you and you should be too! You took the necessary steps to get started in your very own blogging business. Are you excited? Write down the next 10-15 blog posts you will begin writing about. It is recommended that you complete those first few posts before even launching. Each post should be at least 1000 words for SEO benefits.

I know it sounds overwhelmingly scary but listen, you don’t want people coming to your blog who are interested and you only have two posts up. It does not send the right message at all. Again, start off with your best foot forward. Do your research and most of all have fun bloggers!

Remember, it’s a journey and not a destination!