How to Start a Money Making Blog (The Right Way)

Few blogs are profitable, because they skip right over the important stuff. Here’s how to start a blog and make money…for REAL. Proven tips from a full-time blogger!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Back when blogging was purely a hobby, no one ever really thought about ever making money with it….at least not that I knew of anyway.

Bloggers started writing because they wanted to update their family after moving away, or chronicle improvements to their first home. Most of them had no idea they could actually monetize what they were doing!

Flash forward to 2016, and blogging is now an incredibly profitable profession. You’ll see earnings anywhere from a couple hundred dollars a month, all the way up to six figures, and hundreds of blogs start every single day to cash in on the potential profits.

But there’s also a lot of blogs that fail.

They don’t make it past the first 3 months, and many quit before they’ve reached a full year. That’s because blogging is not easy money. It’s HARD work that requires huge sacrifices without a whole lot of reward….at least at first. But if you stick with it, I promise you’ll see results.

Right now, I earn a full-time income with KalynBrooke.com (previously Creative Savings), which supports both my husband and myself. But it wasn’t always that way.

I also had two blogs that completely failed and didn’t bring in a penny. Even though I felt totally defeated at the time, I learned many valuable lessons along the way, that ultimately helped me make this blog a smashing success.

So what’s made the biggest difference between those two blogs and this one?

In my own experience, I’ve found three crucially defining elements that set money making blogs apart from hobby blogs. So, if you want to start a blog that makes money too, you must do these things first—no excuses!

1. Identify Your Mission

A mission statement might sound too corporate for a blog, but if you want to make money, you need to treat your blog like a business from day one. And that, my friend, starts with a detailed mission statement!

Think of a mission statement as the foundation to absolutely everything you do. It defines who you are, what you want to write about, and who should read your blog.

If you’re not sure what to include in a mission statement, the following template makes this SUPER easy. This 2-page worksheet includes five core elements needed in every blog mission statement, and asks specific questions to help you create and hone your core message.

After you’ve filled out your mission statement, hang it where you’ll see it every day. Remember, this is the foundation to your entire blogging business, so keep your mission statement handy and reference often!

2. Build the Right Framework

Next, you need to set up an online space for your blog. A self-hosted WordPress website is essential to professional blogging and is what I always recommend. Free options might sound enticing, but they do way more harm than good. Trust me on this!

Here are the ONLY two hosting companies I would ever use for my site: {This is after trying about 5 different ones—ha!}

• Bluehost: Bluehost is insanely cheap, which makes it the perfect option if you’re just starting out. Plus, they’re not overly technical. Bluehost walks you through everything from start to finish, and the entire process only takes about 15 minutes to set up with a super easy one-click WordPress install. Read more about why I recommend Bluehost HERE, and use my step-by-step guide to get started. Psst…you get a FREE domain name too!

• Servously: When you start bringing in more money and traffic, you will want to consider a dedicated host with extra bandwidth for those viral posts. Servously gives you a dedicated VPS server, starting at $10/month. Anytime I’ve had a problem {which is rare!}, I can contact Shauna and she fixes it right away. There is also a private Facebook group for support.

A host might not seem like a big deal, but it can literally make or break your website. You want to place your blog in the best of hands!

Once you have your blog set up, it’s time to choose a theme. A theme is like a blueprint for your new WordPress site. It provides a sidebar, navigation menu, and other important widgets you need for your site to function properly.

• I personally love the Genesis Framework and child themes provided by StudioPress. They are mobile responsive {which is very important in today’s online culture}, and very customizable.

• Or, you can go with a theme from Restored316 or Angie Makes if you like the look of those better.

• Of course, you can always hire someone to do a custom theme for you, but expect to spend between $500-$3,000 for a professional design.

Now you’re set up to completely rock the blogging world with a professional website!

3. Create the Right Content

The final and most important element is to fill in your framework with mind-blowing content.

Maybe you’ve heard other bloggers talk about this before, and you’d rather roll your eyes and gloss over this part. Please don’t! Because it’s not just about creating quality content, it’s about creating the right content.

The right content is:

1. Extremely valuable – a.k.a. lots of tips and unique tricks!
2. Has viral potential – overpromises AND overdelivers. It’s not clickbait, but rather a juicy filled post that’s as good as it’s headline.
3. Leaves readers begging for more – when you write in an engaging way, readers can’t help but fall in love with your personality. Share your stories, and your quirks. Be awesomely you.

I want you to write down 25 different post ideas based on the core mission you defined in step #1. What problem keep your readers up at night that only YOU can solve for them?

Then flesh these ideas out based on the three elements of right content. These are the posts that belong on your blog, and will show everything you have to offer!

One Final Thought

It’s not enough to *hope* that you’ll make money with your blog, even if you start with that initial goal in mind. You either REALLY want it or you don’t.

A ho-hum commitment of 2-5 hours a week will never yield results, and any results you do have, will take years for you to earn more than a pennies.

I hate to say that, but it’s not because I don’t think you can do it, it’s because I know you can. You just need to be willing to put in the time and effort to help you get there. And I promise, if you’re willing to do the work now, you will absolutely love the payoff later!

Are You Ready to Start a Blog?

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.