How To Start a Profitable Blog in 20 Minutes

Blogging is an amazing way to write about topics that you are passionate about and to help others learn, BUT where do you start!? Setting up a blog can feel a little overwhelming when you have no idea where to begin. Luckily you’ve come to the right place!

Before we begin, it’s SUPER important that your blog name is cemented. The last thing you want to do is set up your blog and decide that the name doesn’t work for you a month later. NIGHTMARE. Luckily, my blog name was already set in stone. I created my blog to supplement my etsy shop and offer guidance to my readers so I knew there was no risk of changing my mind.

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Name agreed and cemented? We’re good to go…

PLATFORM: WORDPRESS

You might have already heard of a few popular blogger platforms but hands down, WordPress is the best. It is perfect for those who are completely new to blogging. No HTML or coding knowledge is required and there are literally MILLIONS of plug-ins to help grow your blog. Even better, it’s absolutely FREE to download and install.

WEB HOST: SITEGROUND

Choosing a web host was the most difficult part of setting up a blog for me. I want a host that worked well with WordPress and had good technical support. Siteground is officially recommend by WordPress and so integrates PERFECTLY with the platform. It even has a 1-click installer to make the set-up super easy. No messing around! Technical support is also spot on. They guarantee to respond to an issue within 10 minutes and have 24/7 live chat.

CHOOSE A HOSTING PLAN

Web hosting can be expensive but Siteground starts from as little as $3.95/£2.75 a month. The image below shows the plans available in the UK, but the exact same plans are available in the US and other supported countries too:

For new customers there is a 60% discount meaning that you can host your blog for as little as £33/$47 for the ENTIRE year. I chose the GrowBig plan but you can take advantage of all of the great services with just the StartUp plan too.

SET UP A DOMAIN

Your domain is the web address that people use to search for your website. Mine is www.paperscribblesco.co.uk. This is where it’s vital that your blog name is set in stone. If you’d rather save the hassle of transferring a domain to another web host then you can add one to your Siteground plan for an additional fee. However mine is set up with GoDaddy for just £5 for the year.

SET UP A MAILING LIST

You’ll already know that to encourage your blog to grow, it’s MASSIVELY important that you start a mailing list from day one. Some wait until a few months in but imagine the amount of subscribers you’ve missed out on by stalling. Having a mailing list allows you to reach out to your readers on a personal level and is also an extra method of pushing out your affiliate links for additional income.

ConvertKit is a brilliant email marketing platform. It makes it easy for you to design your own email templates and landing pages that compliment your brand. It has also been proven to radically help grow your blog, both in subscribers and monthly views. Winner!

START MAKING MONEY

Now you’re all set up, it’s time to think about ways in which you can make your blog profitable. There are many methods in which you can do this – advertising, e-courses, sponsored posts, etc. Affiliate marketing is the most popular way to earn an income and for me, it has proven to be the most successful. In case you don’t know what it is, affiliate marketing is where a company pays commission to a website for traffic or sales generated from its referrals.

Don’t know where to start? Take a look at my blog post of The Best Affiliate Programs I Use To Monetize My Blog.