How to start a blog with no money (a beginners guide to starting a blog as a side hustle)
You’ve been thinking about starting a blog for a while now.
But how do you start a blow with no money?
You’ve read all the tips and tricks online but don’t have the money to invest in it. You don’t even know where to start.
Starting a blog with no money can seem daunting, but it’s really not as difficult as it seems.
With a little bit of creativity and determination, you can have a successful blog up and running in no time.
Read on to hear how to start a free blog.
Why start a blog?
You’re probably wondering why should you start blogging?
There are 4 principal reasons why you might want to start a blog, including
- To share your passion with the world
- To build an online presence
- To connect with likeminded people
- To make money
Any of these reasons are good enough to start a blog.
Depending on which one is your focus will determine how you go about setting up your blog and what you write about.
What will your blog be about?
The first step to starting a blog is to decide what you’re going to write about. This is called your “niche.”
Your niche should be something you’re interested in and know about. It can be anything from fashion to food to fitness.
Topics under the YMYL term; your money or your life, can be harder to rank for in Google unless you have some sort of credentials.
Some bloggers will choose to write about multiple topics, but it’s best to focus on one thing if you’re just starting out.
You can always branch out later once you’ve established yourself
Your niche should also be something that has an audience. There’s no point in writing about something no one is interested in reading.
Do some research to see if other bloggers are writing about your topic. See what kind of content they’re creating and how popular their blog is.
This will give you an idea of whether or not there’s a demand for the type of content you want to create.
So once you’ve decided on your niche, it’s time to move on to the next step.
Choose a platform
The first thing to do is choose your blogging platform, i.e. where your blog will sit.
The most common free blogging sites are WordPress and Blogger.
These two platforms are free to use.
You can also find other platforms like Tumblr and Medium, but they are not as popular as WordPress and Blogger.
WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms in the world, and setting up a blog on WordPress.com is quick and easy. Best of all, it’s free!
Plus, there are tons of helpful online resources if you need help getting started.
You don’t need to worry about separate hosting, as WordPress.com will take care of all of that for you.
Head to WordPress and select the “Start a free blog” option.
There are four simple steps to follow in order to get your blog up and running:
1) Choose a name for your free WordPress blog. This can be anything you want – it doesn’t have to be related to your blog’s content. The end result of your choice will be a custom domain name looking like this: http://yourblogname.wordpress.com.
2) Pick a theme. WordPress.com has a wide variety of themes to choose from, so you can find one that fits your style.
3) Write your first post! This can be anything you want – it doesn’t have to be perfect. Just start writing, and you can always edit it later.
4) Share your post with the world. Once you’re happy with your post, hit the “Publish” button and share it with your friends and family!
Set up your blog’s design
Now that you have a platform and hosting set up, it’s time to start working on your blog’s design.
The design of your blog should reflect the topic you’ll be blogging about.
For example, if you’re going to blog about fashion, you’ll want a sleek and stylish design. If you’re going to blog about travel, you might want a more adventurous design.
WordPress.com has a wide variety of free themes to choose from, so you can find one that fits your style.
Don’t let this part slow you down. Just choose a design or WordPress theme and move on. You can change it later; just don’t procrastinate over it too long.
Start writing content
Now that your blog is all set up, it’s time to start writing content!
You will need to come up with a long list of blog post ideas from beginners to advanced articles about your niche. Just think about all the questions you had about the niche before you became interested or an expert in it.
Search engines like google and google keyword research can be a great way to discover lots and lots of ideas for your blog content.
Remember, your content should be helpful, interesting, and relevant to your target audience. Write engaging posts that will keep people coming back for more.
Writing just what you are interested in will not only bore your audience, but it will also make your blog look like a personal journal instead of a professional blog – if that’s what you want to achieve
When creating content, be sure to:
1) Write catchy headlines that will make people want to read your posts.
2) Use short paragraphs and simple language so that people can easily read and understand your posts.
3) Engage with your readers by responding to comments and questions.
4) Use images, videos, and infographics to break up your text and make your posts more visually appealing.
5) Promote your blog on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest on social media platforms. More on this below!
Don’t wait to get perfect at writing just publish your first blog post and learn as you go on.
Promote your blog
Once you have some great content on your blog, it’s time to start promoting it!
There are many different ways to promote your blog, but some of the most effective include social media, guest blogging, and email marketing.
Social media is a great way to get your blog in front of more people
Be sure to post links to your latest blog posts on all of your social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.) and encourage your friends and followers to share them
Guest blogging is another great way to promote your blog
Find other blogs in your niche that accept guest posts and offer to write a post for them
In exchange, most guest bloggers can include a link to their own blog in their posts. This is a great way to get exposure for your blog and drive traffic back to your site
Email marketing is another effective way to promote your blog
Start collecting email addresses from your readers so that you can send them updates whenever you publish a new blog post
You can do this by including an email sign-up form on your blog or by using a service like MailChimp, which is free up to a point.
Monetize your blog
There are many different ways to monetize a blog, but some of the most common include affiliate marketing, selling products or services, and display advertising.
Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate’s own marketing efforts
For example, if you have a blog about travel, you could sign up for an affiliate program with a travel company and receive a commission for every person who books a trip through your link.
Selling products or services is another great way to monetize your blog
If you have a product or service that you think your readers would be interested in, you can promote it on your blog and drive traffic to your website or online store
Display advertising is a type of advertising that allows you to place ads on your website and earn money whenever someone clicks on them
One of the most popular display ad networks is Google AdSense, which will give you ad code to insert into your blog’s sidebar
When someone clicks on one of the ads, you’ll earn money. The amount you earn will depend on the advertisement and how much traffic your blog gets.
Another display ad network is Ezoic*, which works similarly to AdSense by displaying ads across your blog but with the chance to earn higher pay rates. *Affiliate link below for this*
Now that you know how to start a blog with no money, it’s time to get started!
FAQ how to start a blog for free
How do I start a blog with no money?
Starting a blog can be a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world, but it can also be expensive. If you don’t have the money to invest in a domain name, hosting, and design, there are still ways to get your blog up and running.
There are a few free blogging platforms that you can use to start your blog, such as WordPress.com, Blogger, and Tumblr. These platforms will provide you with a basic template and allow you to customize your blog to a certain extent. However, you will not have your own domain name, and your blog will be hosted on the platform’s website.
If you’re looking to start a more professional blog, you can use a self-hosted platform like WordPress.org. With a self-hosted platform, you’ll need to pay for hosting and a domain name, but you’ll have more control over your blog’s design and functionality
Is a blog free of cost?
Yes it can be, there are a few free blogging platforms that you can use to start your blog, such as WordPress.com, Blogger, and Tumblr. These platforms will provide you with a basic template and allow you to customize your blog to a certain extent. However, you will not have your own domain name, and your blog will be hosted on
Do free blogs earn money?
Yes, it is possible to make money from a free blog. There are a few ways that you can monetize your blog, such as through advertising, affiliate marketing, and selling products or services. You can also earn money by guest blogging for other websites.
Should I name my blog after myself?
This is a personal decision that you will have to make based on your goals and objectives for your blog. If you want people to know who you are and what you’re blogging about, it might make sense to name your blog yourself. However, if you’re not interested in promoting yourself and would rather focus on the content, you might want to consider a different name for your blog.
How can a beginner start blogging?
Blogging can be a great way for beginners to start building an online presence and share their thoughts and ideas with the world. Assuming you don’t have any money to start with, there are still a few ways you can get started blogging. One option is to use a free platform such as WordPress.com or Blogger.com. These platforms will provide you with everything you need to get started, including a domain name and hosting. However, you will be limited in terms of customization and control.
How often should I post?
This is up to you really, but a good rule of thumb is to try and post at least once a week. This will give you enough content to keep people coming back, but not so much that it becomes overwhelming. Of course, if you have the time and energy; you can post more often than that.
How do bloggers get paid?
There are a number of different ways for bloggers to get paid. One popular option is to use affiliate marketing, which involves promoting products or services on your blog and earning a commission for each sale that you make. Other options include selling advertising space on your blog or using services such as Patreon or Kickstarter to solicit donations from readers.
Final thoughts: How to start a blog with no money
Congratulations!
You’ve now learned how to start a blog with no money.
Using WordPress, you can get your personal blog online in no time and not need to worry about the costs as you will get a free domain name and free site hosting package.
By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to having a successful blog that attracts readers worldwide.
If you would like help with starting a blog and turning it into an asset that earns you money, set up your call here.
Thanks for reading, and good luck!
