Have you been thinking about starting a blog and turning it into a full-time, money-making business? While it’s not an easy path, it’s absolutely possible!

Sure, anyone can start a blog and journal their thoughts now and then. But a blog that brings in money? That takes dedication, hard work, and a bit of strategy.

So, are you ready to learn how to start a money-making blog? Keep reading to find out the four essential characteristics you need to succeed as a profitable blogger.

And if you already know you’re ready to jump in and start your blog, don’t miss out on my free ebook: Everything You Need to Start a Money-Making Blog. Plus, you’ll get a website audit checklist when you join my email list. Grab your freebies from my resources page here.

This post may contain affiliate links. We may earn compensation when you click on the links in this post at no cost to you. For more information, see our terms and conditions. All opinions are my own.

Writing and Storytelling Ability

Let’s get the obvious requirements for being a blogger out of the way. You need to be able to write. You don’t have to be the next Shakespeare, but you need to be able to at least use spellcheck and good grammar.

If grammar isn’t your strong suit, a free web extension like Grammarly is great. It’s a helpful tool that will check your grammar and spelling. It has saved me from publishing tons of embarrassing errors.

These days, many writers use AI yo help them write their blog posts. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking AI can write your blog for you!

If an artificial intelligence app is writing all of your content, then it’s not telling your stories and experiences. Use AI as a tool if you like. It’s great for creating outlines, helping you brainstorm titles and content ideas, and even some keyword research. But it can’t create like you can, infusing your emotion, skill, and soul into your writing.

Patience

It takes a long time to make a profitable blog. I know that’s not what anybody wants to hear, but this is not a “get rich quick” thing. You may see the occasional post like “How I made $1000 in my first month of blogging!” That’s awesome and inspiring, but that’s not the norm.

I’m not saying it can’t be done; it most certainly can! But for most people, it takes a while. Maybe even years before you begin to see a profit.

What does this depend on? The amount of work you are willing to put in.

Hard work and perseverance are essential to creating a profitable blog. I know some of you have reasons why you can’t put everything into this right now. Maybe you are a parent and you can only work on your blog after the kids fall asleep. Or maybe you are like me, working a full-time job and you’re only able to do so much in your off time.

That’s okay.

It’s okay if you don’t make a million dollars in your first year of blogging. The important thing is that you enjoy it. I know that sounds cheesy, but if blogging becomes a chore, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it. If working on your blog and brainstorming ways to make it better becomes something you put off and dread doing, then how is that better than that 9-to-5 job life you’re trying to get away from?

If you don’t want to post for a week because you have a lot on your plate, nobody is making you! All this is just to say, your blog will be as good as the amount of work you put in and no more. If you want your blog to be a profitable business, then you have to treat it like a business.

Skill or Knowledge to Share

What do you want your blog to be about? If you want it to be a money-making blog, how is it going to provide you with income?

A conventional business makes money by selling a product or service. Your blog should be the same way. So what skill can you bring to the table to make your blog into a business?

You can sell phyisical or digital products. For example, many bloggers sell online courses on literally any topic you can think of. That’s where your skills and knowledge come in.

So what if you aren’t the most knowledgeable person in the world about the topic? As long as you are one step ahead of your readers, you have valuable knowledge to offer them.

My first resource library on my old blog

In addition, you don’t have to sell your knowledge within a digital product to make money! Let’s say you know a lot about photography. You could offer a course in photography as I mentioned before, or you could try a different stream of income. If you write blog posts filled with information about photography that people need and want to read, you will attract your ideal audience.

As your audience reads your blog posts, you could be making money from ads. Or if you make a post about different cameras and photography gear that you like, you can make commissions through affiliate marketing. Those are just a few of the ways that you can make income from your blog without ever selling a product.

Putting Yourself Out There

No one is going to be able to find your blog if you don’t put it where people can see it. The internet is too big of a place for someone to randomly stumble across your blog and then you magically hit it big.

You need to use social media to get your work in front of people. I know it can be scary. For years I didn’t really like talking about my blog to people I know! But it’s the only way to grow.

Follow me on Instagram: @MaryLaurenMills

As scary as it might seem, you need to put yourself out there. But you can do it! If making money with your blog is something you really want to do, you’re going to have to drive people to your blog using Pinterest, Facebook, and other social media.

Do you think you have what it takes to start a money-making blog? Then go for it! You’ll never know how far you’ll go until you try.

Now comes the fun part: creating your blog! I’ve written a free ebook that tells you how to start a blog including everything you need to do before you hit publish.

Or if you already have a website or blog and want to know how to improve it, I also have a free Website Audit Checklist in my free resources.

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