Blogging can be a great way to work from home, write about something you are passionate about and earn a great income. Starting a blog is easy. However, growing your blog into something that is profitable can take a fair amount of work. To help you find success as a blogger, you'll need to create engaging content, build your following and work with other bloggers.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Building Your Own Blog

  1. 1
    Be ready for the challenges. Blogging about your favorite topics can be a profitable career, allowing you to work from nearly anywhere in the world. However, you should be aware that not every blog is going to be an instant success. Creating a popular blog will take time, effort and dedication. Being aware of what it takes to start a successful blog can help you find success.[1] [2]
    • It can be a good idea to keep a stable source of income while you build your blog.
    • It will take time to build up the content on your blog.
    • Attracting advertising partners will require you to build up the number of readers your blog has.
  2. 2
    Think about your topic. Most blogs will have a specific topic that they focus on. Having a focus can help readers know what to expect and can also help you create more detailed posts. Although you could have a general blog that covers whatever topics you feel like writing about, you may want to consider finding one topic that you love to blog about.
    • You might want to have multiple blogs that cover single topics.
    • You could have one blog that covers many topics.
    • One example of a single topic blog is http://www.nerdfitness.com/
    • http://dooce.com/ is an example of a blog that covers multiple topics.
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  3. 3
    Create content. Once you are ready to start your blog, you'll need to begin creating content. Your content will be the main part of what will draw readers in and keep them there. If your content is lacking in quality, depth or interest, readers won't be as likely to stick around. Always try to keep your content at its best to help engage readers and increase the popularity of your blog.[3]
    • Consider blogging about a specific area of knowledge or a skill set that you can share.[4]
    • Make sure your posts are informative, educational, and entertaining.
    • Longer content usually gets more readers.
    • Make sure your posts are written properly, using correct grammar and punctuation.
    • Keep your audience in mind when considering what writing tone to use.
    • If you sell a product or service, try using your blog posts to direct your readers to them.
  4. 4
    Promote your blog. Simply creating a stylish blog and great content isn't enough to succeed in blogging. You'll need to attract regular readers and a good way to find them is by actively promoting your blog. You'll want to inform and reach as many potential readers as you can to increase traffic and start earning money.[5]
    • Try hosting a webinar to gain readers and generate extra income.
    • Don't worry too much about creating social media accounts at first. These will be more important once you've grown a large reader base.
    • Guest writing for another blog can be a good way to bring readers to your own.
    • Get involved with other blogging communities and websites to promote your own blog.
    • Know how to use tags properly for search engine optimization. For example, a blog about cars might use the tags "Car blog, auto restoration, custom cars".[6]
  5. 5
    Use social media for outreach. Thanks to modern technology and social media, connecting with others has never been easier. You can use these mediums to instantly inform your followers of any updates or changes that you make to your blog. Your fans will also help build your blog by sharing your content with other people they know. Although social media isn't extremely important at the start of your blog, you'll still want to get familiar with some of the basic applications of it as your blog grows.[7]
    • You'll want to learn which social media platforms most of your target audience uses. For example, a blog about crafts might be promoted on Pintrest.
    • Consider the amount of traffic social media platforms get on average. Facebook and Twitter are some of the most active sites.
    • It can be helpful to set your blog up to auto-share your new posts and content.
    • Learn the best methods of sharing on your selected social media platforms. For example, knowing which #'s to use on Twitter can be a big help when sharing your posts.
  6. 6
    Reach out to other bloggers. One way you can get more readers is by contacting other bloggers. You'll want to find other influential bloggers in your field, make contact, build a relationship and begin sharing content. Having a well-respected blogger vouch for your content can bring a huge amount of interest and readers your way. Try taking these steps to work with other bloggers:[8]
    • Find influential blogs that cover similar topics you do.
    • Get involved in other blogs. Write comments, be helpful and share the blog with others.
    • Contact the writer of the blog directly once you've been noticed.
    • Ask them to check out your blog or offer examples of your content to get a spot as a guest writer.
    • Continue building your relationship and sharing readers with one another.
  7. 7
    Be prepared to work. Although you can work from anywhere you have an Internet connection, you will still need to work hard. Creating a successful blog will take a lot of time, effort and dedication. Keep in mind, you won't just be writing blog posts. You'll be spending an equal amount of time building contacts, promoting your site, and managing your community. Although being a blogger can be a lot of fun and provide a convenient way to earn a living, you'll still need to work hard at it in order to find success.[9] [10]
    • It's recommended that you spend as much time creating content as you do networking and promoting your blog.
    • You will need to be highly self-motivated.
    • You'll likely spend a lot of time responding to comments and interacting with your readers.
  8. 8
    Consider using advertisements to generate income. Many blogs will sell space on their website to ad services. These services will place advertisements on your website and will pay you for either renting the ad space or by how much exposure the ad gets. These ad services can be a great way to passively generate income as people read your blog.[11] [12]
    • Ad services may pay based on how many people see or click an ad.
    • Some ad services may pay a flat rate based on the traffic your website receives.
    • Chances are that ad revenue will be cumulative, rather than selling one big advertisement.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Blogging For Another Website

  1. 1
    Find a site to work with. There are many well established sites that are looking for bloggers and writers to create content for them. Most of these sites will offer pay that is based on the article you provide for them. Take some time and look around online for blogs that you might want to create content for.[13]
    • Try to find a blog or website that publishes content you are interested in.
    • Some sites may pay you per published article or base your pay on how popular your article was.
    • Each site or blog will likely have its own requirements in terms of formatting, length, tone and style.
  2. 2
    Know how to contact the site. The method that you use to inquire about writing for another site will vary, depending on that site's own requirements. If you don't use the right method, you may have a tough time getting selected to write for that blog. Take a look at the site or blog that you want to write for and learn how you should submit your proposal:
    • Make sure you contact the correct email address or use the right submission form.
    • Some blogs won't require previous contact before you contact them.
    • You may need to know the author or manager of a blog before contacting them about writing opportunities.
    • Some sites and blogs may want you to have an example of your past work ready to share.
  3. 3
    Create your content. Once you find a site that you want to work with, you can begin creating content for that site. Each site will have its own requirements for your article, so make sure you keep these in mind as you write. Have fun creating your own article before submitting it for approval and receiving your payment.
  4. 4
    Promote your content. After your article has been published, you may want to promote it. Sharing your articles can help give you exposure to other potential clients and drive traffic to the site you are working with. After your article has been accepted and posted online, try sharing it with others to help make it a successful one.
    • Some sites will pay you a share of ad revenue. In this case, it's important that you help drive up traffic to your article.[14]
    • Make sure to add tags and keywords to your article to help people find it more easily.
    • Share your article on social media to reach a lot of people easily.
    • Ask your blogger contacts to inform their readers about your new article.
  5. 5
    Collect your revenue. Getting a successful article published on another website is a great way to earn an income by blogging. However, many sites will vary in regards to their payment criteria and methods. Make sure you understand the payment process that the site you write for uses in order to collect your payment.
    • Some sites won't pay out until your article earns a minimum amount of money.
    • Many sites pay through a third party site, such as PayPal, instead of direct payments.
    • Certain sites may require your article to reach a specific level of views or likes before they will pay.
  6. 6
    Look for other clients. Once you've started working with a certain website, you may want to consider reaching out to other sites. Working with multiple sites can help increase your income and protect you financially if one site doesn't need content. Working with many different sites can also help you to make professional contacts, allowing you to get even more out of your blogging career.[15]
    • Use your content as an example when securing work with other blogging sites.
    • Use your contacts to look for new writing opportunities.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Look for Free-lance Wiki Work

  1. 1
    Check online for freelance postings. Many people who need writers for wiki pages or articles will search for freelance writers to create them. There are many websites that post jobs for freelancers and these can be a great place to start your search. Try looking for postings that need wiki editors or creators to get started. [16]
    • https://www.upwork.com/freelance-jobs/wikipedia/ can be a good place to look.
    • Search for any positions that require you to edit or create a wiki page or pages.
    • Carefully review any jobs you find to make sure you are qualified and capable of doing them.
  2. 2
    Put in your bid for the posting. Once you've found a position you believe you are qualified for, you can apply for it. You'll need to create a profile on the site you are using to look for gigs, filling in your contact information and qualifications. Keep in mind, others will be applying for the job as well, so you'll want to present yourself as best you can.[17]
    • Make sure you are qualified and feel capable of fulfilling the tasks required by the position.
    • You'll need to fill out your profile with personal contact information and your qualifications.
    • Apply fast. There will be many other people looking to secure the position.
    • You'll need to compete with others when stating your rate of pay.
  3. 3
    Talk with your client. If you won the bid for the position, you can begin working with your client to learn more about their needs. The job listing will have provided the basics. However, now is the time to ask your client for more detailed information about the job. Make sure you learn exactly what they want before getting to work.[18]
    • Make sure you understand the details of the job.
    • It's a good idea to stay in regular contact with your client during the project.
    • Always ask if you have a question about something.
    • Sending regular updates to your client can be a good idea.
  4. 4
    Produce the Wiki article. After you feel you have a good understanding of the client's needs, you can begin writing their content. Stick to the client's guidelines as you work to build the content that they have requested. Try to work efficiently to meet the deadlines and schedules that your client will have provided. When you are finished with the task, submit the work for final approval with your client.[19]
  5. 5
    Receive your payment. After you have submitted the wiki work to your client and they have approved it, you can collect your payment. Make sure you are paid the correct amount you agreed to before accepting the job. If everything is in order, you can collect your payment and begin looking for your next wiki building job.[20]
    • Make sure you know how your client plans on paying you and provide them with any information necessary.
    • Ask your client if you can use your work as part of your portfolio.
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Expert Q&A

  • Question
    What are some tips to make a blog successful?
    Melissa Newman
    Melissa Newman
    Social Media Strategist & Content Developer
    Melissa Newman is a Social Media Strategist & Content Developer based in Bristol, Pennsylvania. With six years of experience, she specializes in social media strategy, content development, and community management. Melissa earned an MS in Digital Innovation in Marketing from the Fox School of Business at Temple University and a BS from Temple University. She also holds certifications from Facebook, Google Analytics, Hootsuite, and HubSpot Academy. Melissa has won awards for her social media campaigns, including the Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Use of Social Media, a Hermes Creative Award, and an Azbee Award for Best Social Media Campaign.
    Melissa Newman
    Social Media Strategist & Content Developer
    Expert Answer
    It's important to know your audience, know the reason you're doing it, and then set up best practices. One best practice may be to have a template so you can remember to write a meta description, intro, three bodies of content, a conclusion, and keywords anywhere from five to six times throughout the article itself. Also, make sure that the title is optimized with that keyword. Make sure there's a keyword strategy based on current trends or common questions. Then implement a backlink strategy to either other content on your website or any collaborators or other sites. Google also helps with ranking when there's consistency, so find a schedule that works for you.
  • Question
    Can I write a blog for wikiHow?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    wikiHow does not feature blogs.
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About This Article

Melissa Newman
Co-authored by:
Social Media Strategist & Content Developer
This article was co-authored by Melissa Newman. Melissa Newman is a Social Media Strategist & Content Developer based in Bristol, Pennsylvania. With six years of experience, she specializes in social media strategy, content development, and community management. Melissa earned an MS in Digital Innovation in Marketing from the Fox School of Business at Temple University and a BS from Temple University. She also holds certifications from Facebook, Google Analytics, Hootsuite, and HubSpot Academy. Melissa has won awards for her social media campaigns, including the Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Use of Social Media, a Hermes Creative Award, and an Azbee Award for Best Social Media Campaign. This article has been viewed 89,689 times.
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Co-authors: 52
Updated: January 23, 2023
Views: 89,689
Categories: Freelance Writing | Blogs
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