If you’ve got a penchant for the pen, and you’ve got a passion that you could reliably write to, then you might have what it takes to make money from blogging. But how, exactly, does one begin with blogging as a professional? Here are a few of the first step that can help you find your seat.

Build the website

The first thing to do is to build your blog. There are plenty of guides that go into detail on how to build a WordPress website from scratch. While you’re building it, it’s worth investing a little into a premium theme and some visual assets that won’t be so readily ripped and used by other websites. Think about what kind of content you have the passion and authority to write, too, of course.

Get online

With the website set up, it’s time to get it online. Find a URL that’s available, that’s memorable, easy to type, and fits your blog and your voice. Then partner up with a fast managed WordPress hosting business to get it online. Be sure to get your social media presence up and running before too long, as well. Twitter and Facebook should be considered essential, but other platforms like Instagram might work well for you, too.

Start engaging

Start planning, researching, and writing content. Make sure it’s valuable to your audience, nothing too personal or indulgent unless it also has some insight or value to them. You want to keep it mostly informative, newsworthy, educational, or at least interesting. Besides writing content, you should be posting it on social media, responding to people in your comments section, reaching them through an email list, and chatting to your audience on whichever platforms they’re active in. The personal connection is a strong motivator for them to stick around.

Find a monetisation strategy

With a growing community of readers, both on the blog and on the website, you should be able to monetise the blog in a variety of ways. Ways to make money from blogging include getting involved in affiliate marketing campaigns or securing sponsorships from other brands. If you have a sizeable readership that is genuinely invested in your voice, you can sell your own products, such as ebooks, courses, webinars, coaching services, and the like.

Get networking

Now, you have to keep growing your monetisation strategy. Get out there to networking events and writing get-together. You might find opportunities for paid writing on other sites, or affiliate marketing teams who want to connect your blog to a range of brands willing to pay for the privilege. The more you put yourself out there, shake some hands, and let others know what your website can do for them, the more likely you are to find new money-making ventures for it.

Blogging can take some time to start making money from. The majority who do it won’t see more than a little extra cash here and there but, if you treat it as a business, and devote your time to growing and managing it, you can find yourself writing your way into some lucrative opportunities.