How to Start a Blogging Business

Do you have a passion for writing and sharing your knowledge with the world? Maybe you already have a blog but want to know how to monetise it? If you’ve been dreaming of starting a blogging business, you are in the right place. We’ll share what skills you need to start a blogging business, considerations to make and how to legally establish your business for success.

What Is a Blogger?

A blogger is someone who writes on a subject of interest or expertise on an online platform. Blogging has been around for as long as the internet but to make blogging a business, you have to do more than just write your rambling thoughts and post them online.

There are millions of blogs, so you’ll want to find a topic that you are not only passionate about but have a lot of knowledge on. Entrepreneurs start blogs as a marketing tool for their business, or people start a blog from their non-professional passions as a project in their free time. If you want to make an income from your blog, here are a few specialisations to consider that are known to do well:

1. Food. Everyone loves food and food blogs are probably the most read and loved. If you have a knack for creating recipes and storytelling, a food blog is right up your alley.
2. News. If you love rambling about current events and your friends hang on your every word at parties, a news blog might be the right choice for you.
3. Lifestyle. A lifestyle blog can encompass many topics from health and wellness, interior or fashion design and parenting, to empowerment or fitness.
4. Business. If you are an expert in anything business-related, like management, marketing, finance or real estate, these topics make for popular websites.
5. Technology. As above, if you have a technical background that is a good place to start with a blog, as people want technical information explained to them in an easy to digest manner.
6. Travel. Travel writing is a well-loved category, especially for those who can’t travel themselves. Readers want to be transported to a location through your words and learn the history, culture, special sights, and food of a certain destination. If you love to travel, this might be the type of blog you want to start.

Do any of these topics apply to you? Find your niche and then start creating content that people want to read!

How to Get Started with a Blogging Business?

Before you jump into making blogging a business, you’ll want to start a blog and post your writing to see how people respond to it. Since there are so many blogs trying to capture the eyes of readers, we recommend getting your feet wet by just jumping in. Use a free platform and share your writing with friends and family and on social media. If they love your writing and people share your blogs, you have a better chance of making blogging into a business.

Blogging is not like other careers where you follow a traditional career path — go to university, get hired at a company and move up the corporate ladder. It takes a lot of determination and knowledge to create a business out of blogging. If you already have a blog with a good readership and are ready to step into monetising — and making it a full-time business — we have some important points for you to consider that will help you decide if a blogging business is right for you.

• What skills do you need? There are no specific qualifications required to be a blogger, but it can be helpful to have some education and qualification in writing. If your writing skills are not excellent, it will be hard to hold the attention of your readers. Depending on the type of blog you have, you might want to learn how to take great photographs. Having gorgeous photos on your blog will keep readers on your site for longer and that’s what you want. Lastly, SEO really is a necessary skill to utilise on your blog.
• What platform will you use? Several good blog platforms are available that are user-friendly and easy to start. It will be a matter of personal preference, so research the different options and ask your blogger friends what platform they love.
• Who is your reader? You can’t write for everyone. Just like with any business, you need to have a target audience for your blog. Create a vision board with your ideal reader and ask these questions: who are they, where do they live, what do they do for work and fun, how do they spend money, etc.
• What are your start-up costs and expenses? There are free website builders you can use for a basic blog. But if you want to make blogging into a business, you’ll need a strong platform and dedicated website hosting to be successful. You’ll need to buy a domain name, hosting package, SSL certificate, and eventually, you may want to collect emails for email marketing.
• How much income can you make? Making an income from a blog alone can be a challenge, so you need to be realistic. Think about having paid advertising on your site and if you want to take sponsored posts, which can bring in a substantial amount depending on your readership. You may want to become an Amazon affiliate and have other affiliate opportunities on your blog. Or maybe you want to create online programs and courses. The more streams of income you have from your blog, the better.

How to Set Your Blog Apart from the Masses

The best way to make a blogging business successful is to create something unique. You also have to possess a ton of passion for the subject you write about. Any seasoned writer will tell you that creativity and words do not flow endlessly, so there will be times where you don’t feel like writing a blog. Set up a monthly content calendar with your ideas, so you aren’t scrambling to come up with something to write about each day/week.

Research your competition, see what is lacking and figure out how you can set yourself apart from the endless sea of blogs. Read our post on creating unique selling points (USPs) and how important they are to your success. Is there something unique about you that pulls in the reader? Can they relate to you? Spend some time developing your USP and use that throughout your content and marketing. This will help a reader want to come back week after week to read your content.

Ready to Form Your Company?

If you are ready to turn your blog into a business, it’s time to form your company. You have a couple of options for a blogging business — either form a limited company or go the sole trader route. Deciding and completing your company formation can be the most challenging part of starting a business, but it’s crucial to your success. At Mint Formations, we help you form your limited company or self-employed business and take away all the stress that comes with starting a business.

Are you ready to start a blogging business? We’ll secure your business name and get your company registered fast so you can start doing what you love.

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