How I Started A Blog That Made Money
My journey from 0 to 100k subscribers
Do what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life again.
How many times have you heard the above saying? I’m willing to bet you’re here reading this to find out how YOU could turn your passion for writing into a profitable business so that YOU, too, NEVER have to work a day in your life again. Ok, ok… Let’s say you’re sold on this idea of never having to work another day in your life again.
And that’s good. I like your tender optimism with just the right amount of scepticism, topped with some curiosity and just enough naivety, which I hope is enough to propel you to join me on a little tour into the world of online writing. So grab a cup of Chamomile tea, or whatever you’re drinking nowadays, and put some Alpha waves on.
Yes, Alpha waves in the background so you can absorb vast information without genuine effort and reprogram your mind to become what you always wanted to be. Your higher self is already living in a reality where you never have to work another day again… But let’s not jump too far ahead; we’re yet to walk through the portal of change. And at the end of the day, the journey matters, not the destination.
The possibilities are endless, yet, you are not making any money
I don’t know where you are in your writing journey. Do you write for a magazine? Are you a freelancer, a ghostwriter, or a casual blogger? Frankly, it doesn’t matter. Because I do know that despite the endless possibilities of making money from doing what you love, you are not likely to make enough, no matter how exquisite your writing is, it’s sad, but it’s true.
But it doesn’t mean that it has to stay this way. As with anything in life, you call the shots. If you choose to become a ‘successful’ writer, whatever that means to you, then all you have to do is follow these next steps right down to the last dot.
Now that I have your full attention let the journey begin.
Setting yourself up for success
I know you are already pouring your heart and soul into your craft. You know you were born to be a writer, to compose masterpieces that touch millions of hearts across the globe. You know your poems are the light that will lead humanity to reach new heights. And then you read somewhere that this new platform is where you can set up a blog in minutes, start writing, and make money online. It will cost you a lot less than a WordPress site that is famously complex and time-consuming to start.
Who wants to spend time and money on these things, right, when you’ve just set out on a mission to make money online? Maybe you thought long and hard about your website name. Perhaps you even bought a domain and started writing.
You looked into SEO and set up social media accounts, posting reels, shorts, and whatever, only to attract a few pity comments. Days, weeks, months, and maybe even a year goes by, and you realise that perhaps writing isn’t for you.
It’s sad, but it’s true. You might have wasted weeks, months, or even years chasing this dream. And if so, know that you’re not alone. You see, we live in an era where we’re bombarded with information. And while having access to information is great, it is only sometimes beneficial.
Especially if you have yet to gain experience and rely on a stranger with a dodgy affiliate link to advise you about the next chapter of your life, all I’m saying is don’t try and reinvent the wheel. The playbook has been written, tried, and tested — all you have to do is pay attention and get to work.
The biggest blogging myths and why most bloggers fail
•You don’t need a WordPress site• — sorry, but YOU DO! (but only once you have a niche!) Yes, I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’ve been there and tried them all. Don’t just take this from someone who makes money from writing online, but also from my eight years of building websites for the public. As a freelance graphic designer and technical writer, I had the chance to make several websites using various platforms. I’ve seen everything from WordPress to Wix, Webflow, Squarespace, and Shopify. I’ve also seen individuals like you and businesses starting on these new and beautiful platforms only to pay a large amount of cash to migrate their precious content to a WordPress site. WordPress is not the most beginner-friendly platform, but it is the grandfather of blogging. It has been around for 20 years and is built for bloggers. Everything is at your fingertips. SEO, email marketing, and online shopping are just a few. If you are serious about making money from your content online and, of course, about a life where you never have to work another day again, consider getting a WordPress site. (but only after you’ve figured out your niche!)
•Anyone can be a successful blogger• —While anyone can start a blog, not everyone will become successful. Effective blogging requires writing, marketing, SEO, and audience engagement skills. It’s more complex than just writing a few posts and watching readers flock to your blog.
While here on Medium, I can post about my blogging journey one day and my spiritual awakening the next and still make money and bring readers to my stories; you can’t do this with a blog.
You need a niche.
You must know enough about the people/ person you are writing for.
Any successful blogger will tell you that to get anyone to sign up for your blog, let alone sign up for your subscription, you need something that solves their problem. Think of a pain point.
You have to become a solution for their specific problem.
This is why my first blog could have done better. I was blogging about my ‘dark night of the soul’, but no one cared :(.
Even after paying $$$ for an agency to manage my SEO, the world wasn’t ready for my heartfelt blog posts. On the other hand, my second blog gave answers to the online digital nomad wannabees and influencers.
I gathered all my technical skills and showed them how to do it, from creating and selling Canva templates, building profitable WordPress sites, and making and selling ebooks online. Everything I wrote about in that blog solved a problem.
My ebooks were selling like sugar. Thanks to this, I live a life where I never have to work another day again. I write cos I love it, not because I have to.
•Blogging is free• — While you can start a blog for free on platforms like WordPress or Blogger, serious bloggers often invest in domain names, hosting, design, marketing tools, and courses. Yes, courses! I invested £560.00 into a blogging course that didn’t bring me any return, and I know WHY. But I made it back ten times the second time, and I know WHY. If you are committed to this and have faith in your abilities, you might as well do it right from the beginning. You heard the saying, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”
•Blogging is expensive •— OK, I’ve just told you you must invest in your blog. And yes, I still agree with that, but before you go and splash out all your hard-earned cash on expensive marketing tools, let’s attract your first subscriber. How? With the help of a search engine — PINTEREST. I write a lot about this phenomenon because many writers are unaware of its full potential. But the truth is, if you are a blogger, your website is YOU, and Pinterest is your right hand. The assistant that brings the customers in. The PA does all the work for you while you sit on the beach and live a life where you never have to work another day again. Just kidding, but yes. Pinterest is an evergreen platform. With the right strategy, keywords, visuals, and headlines — it can potentially attract more subscribers than any other social media platform. Could you not take my word for it? Try it out for yourself.
Oh, and remember to network. Read, like, share and subscribe to others. They will return the favour. So, that’s all from me for today. Thank you for reading, and if you’d like to know more about blogging and how to drive traffic to your own stories, let me know.
Thank you for reading.
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