Looking for ways to earn your first check from your blog?
If you are just starting out blogging or been blogging for months, but arenβt sure how to generate your first $100 from your blog… I am here to let you know IT’S POSSIBLE!
Many bloggers make money in different ways so really think about how you want to earn your money from your blog. Do you want to suggest products to your audience and use affiliate marketing as one of the ways you make money from your blog? Do you want to create a product like an Ebook or Ecourse and sell it to earn money from your blog + biz?.
So, really think about the different ways you would like to make money from your blog and go from there. I actually made my first $100 from blogging through affiliate marketing when I was working as an affiliate for different survey companies. I was so happy the month I made my first $100 bucks because I knew that I could actually make a full-time living right from my blog + biz. Just recently I shared in a post how I made over $1800 blogging in one month! So, you can TOTALLY make great money from blogging and doing what you love!
In this post, I will share the knowledge I’ve gained and the steps I took in order to make my first $100 from blogging! These tips just might give you a leg up on how you can earn your first check too!
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Table of Contents
How I Made My First $100 Blog Pay Check
1. I Started My Blog
I started my blog by first mapping out my niche. I knew what niche I was passionate about writing but, I first began studying what readers in my niche struggled with and began focusing on those areas. Once I started Arts and Budgets I began to write posts like ways to side hustle, or ways to grow a blog + biz by using effective online strategies.
I thought about the following areas when I started writing posts for my audience:
- When you think about my readers, I think about what they need help with and how can I help them solve their problems?
- What are they interested in and not interested in?
- What blog posts do they typically like?
- Who am I speaking to when I write ( Men, Women, both)?
- What would be a great freebie or resource for them when they sign up for my mailing list?
If I’m being honest, I actually only had about three blog posts ready to go before I launched Arts and Budgets, but I now suggest to new bloggers to have at least 10 to 15 blog posts ready before launching.
So, if you havenβt started a blog but were thinking about starting one soon, you totally should take the leap of faith and get your voice heard! π I have a step by step tutorial that will guide you through setting up a profitable blog within minutes! You can check it out by clicking here. To top things off, last month I had my first income + traffic report where I show my readers how I made over $1800 blogging in one month! You can check it out by clicking here!
2. I Created Content
I really started to focus on giving my readers more value in my posts. So, as a result, I started writing longer posts filled with examples and more information that would help my audience solve their problems. Not only does Google like when you write longer more detailed posts but your readers love it too.
Just think about the last blog post that you really got inspired by or learned something from when you read it. Was it filled with details? Did you learn something new? Really think about that and try to capture that inspiration in your writing.
Writing longer posts and going the extra mile may take more time but itβs totally worth your readers gaining a ton of knowledge and value from reading your posts. Another area I focused on was SEO! I stepped up my SEO game and started putting relevant keywords in my post titles and pictures used in my blog posts. To help with this, I started using the WordPress plugin SEO Yoast and it has been nothing short of AMAZING.
3. I Focused on PINTEREST & Facebook Groups
Using Facebook and Pinterest together has seriously been a game-changer for me! Pinterest rapidly grew my website traffic, and using Facebook groups has boosted my engagement a ton! On Pinterest, I focused on pinning more often throughout the week. In Facebook groups, I focused on being more active withinβ the communities and reaching out to other bloggers.
As a matter of fact, my first webinar was with a blogger that I met in a Facebook Group! We found out that we lived 5 minutes from each other! Talk about #MindBlown! So, utilizing Facebook groups to connect with other bloggers is a major key to building your blog + biz! If you are looking for a new Facebook Group filled with Creatives! Check out my Group Creative Ninjas!
4. I Joined Affiliate Programs Around My Niche
With Affiliate Marketing you are rewarded for recommending and promoting products and services that you have on your blog. You will receive a commission for any sales that occur from your referral link. For example, if you are an affiliate for a survey site and post your direct link on your website, you will get rewarded every time someone signs up through your link. Last month I made over $1000 right from affiliate marketing.
There’s something for everyone in affiliate marketing.
Some of the products you can promote as an affiliate are as follows: Cell phone companies, digital products, other bloggerβs Ebooks and E-courses (after you have purchased them), clothes, crafts, blog-related products such as web design, web hosting and more. Some of my favorite affiliate programs to check out are: ShareASale, Bluehost, Shopify, IGain, Offer Juice, Flex Offers, and Max Bounty!
5. I Joined an Ad Revenue Company
Thatβs right, you can get paid by having different ads on your website. Basically, you can have ads throughout your website and every time someone clicks on an ad on your site, you will get rewarded.
One of my favorite ways to make passive income is through working with an ad company. Right now I am currently with Mediavine which requires that you get at least 25,000 sessions per month. So far, I love working with them due to the fact that last month I made over $600 just through ads with them. My favorite ad revenue programs are Google Adsense, Adthrive, Mediavine, and MediaNet.
6. I Created A Schedule To Stay Consistent
Being consistent played a huge part in making my first $100 with my blog. I set up a posting schedule for my blog + social media posts and made sure to stick to the schedule each month. If a blogger isnβt consistent, their readers might forget about their blog. Your audience should expect to see something from you daily. Even if itβs an Instagram post, a post on your Facebook group, A Twitter tweet… Something to keep them up to date with whatβs going on when you put new content out!
Schedulers such as Hootsuite, Board Booster, and Tailwind have all helped me with consistency and saving time. I take a couple of hours out of my day at the end of the week to schedule all of my Instagram posts, Pinterest Pins, Twitter tweets, and blog posts for the upcoming week. It helps me stay ahead of the game and not get behind.
Additional Ways You Can Make Your First $100 From Your Blog
7. Sponsored Posts
If you have a high following on social media (platforms like Twitter or Instagram) then you can totally do sponsored posts! With sponsored posts, you can share and promote products that you actually love and get paid for it. Most of the time, you have to apply directly to the different companies in order to see if you get accepted. Some of my favorites are Linqia, IZEA, and TapInfluence.
8. Sell Product
Yesss! Sell your product and services yo! Everyone is great at something and everyone knows a lot about a particular subject. So why not put that knowledge into an E-Book or E-course? You can also create a planner or sell an informative guide. Think outside the box, take your idea and develop an awesome value-packed product.
A great example of this is from Regina at ByRegina.com. She has an amazing product page that you can check out here. She has different pricing for her products which is awesome and on top of that, Regina always gives you QUALITY content and I mean ALWAYS! You will definitely learn something new when you read one of her posts, plus her products are always filled with amazing and helpful information.
Great post! I started my blog a few weeks ago out of passion and a desire to make money while traveling…right now I’m focused on creating good content but I also have Google Adsense on there and a couple affiliate links. I’m learning so much from reading blogs like yours…thanks!
Hi, Kristin! π
Yay! Congrats on starting your blog! I love your niche.
Also, I totally agree! Creating good content is a huge plus and will definitely keep your readers coming back! π
Thanks a ton for stopping by and I look forward to following your blogging journey.
Kristen, blast from the past, good to see your familiar face and name as I am reading up on different blogger’s articles. Small world.
Consistency definitely plays a big part in successfully making money from your blog. Great examples!
Lots of great ideas on this post! I think a schedule will really help me.
These are some really great tips. You’re so right; consistency is key! Thank you for these ideas. I am going to give some of them a try.
This is an awesome post! I use Izea and love it! I do struggle with affiliate marketing. Like I’m a member of some different programs, but actually driving a sale has been hard for me. I wish I could find some resources on how to do that more effectively.
Yes, these are all so helpful to starting to gain more followers.
Thanks a ton, Jenny! π
I love that you shared how you made your first $100. People are so used to seeing 6 figure income reports that they forget that we all start from $0.
Being consistent is how I got my business and blog to where it is today. Babe Ruth said “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up. It’s so true!
Hi, Tiffany! π
Thanks a ton! I totally agree. I love reading how other bloggers made their first blogging checks. Thanks so much for stopping by.:)
As a new blogger these tips gave me some real insight, thank you so much for sharing!
I’m still really learning about blogging and I am going to have to bookmark this because it is going to be SOOO helpful in the future. You really covered so much and I am so appreciative!
These are great tips! Consistency is hard, something I need to focus on!
Hi, Chevelle!
I totally agree! Consistency is so important. π
Wow! what a great article with useful information. Thank you so much for sharing it. I have bookmarked your article. Have a great day π
Monika
http://splashofflavours.com
This is so awesome, congrats on your first $100! I’ll have to try some of these for my own blog!
Hi, Emily! π
Thanks so much and thanks for stopping by.:)
This is a great list! I definitely need to put some of these into place so I can make my first $100!
Great tips! I was late the game with using FB groups. Little stuff like this is so important to newbie bloggers. They have no idea! Thanks, pinned for future reference!
Hi, Sharon.
Oh, Yes! Facebook Groups rock! π Thanks for visiting!
These are awesome tips. I totally agree about growing your blog traffic through pinterest. Such great advice.
Hi, Taylor! π
Yes, I love Pinterest! π Thanks for visiting.
Great tips! Facebook groups are a Godsend! They’re sooo resourceful! I haven’t heard of some of the affiliate programs you listed, I’ll definitely have to check them out!
Can you make a detailed post on how to utilise Facebook groups? Most of the posts on your blog tends to highlight the importance of Facebook groups.
Thanks for blogging about this! I am definitely keeping this for future reference. π
I love reading success stories, they really motivate me on my journey blogging ) thank you for the post?
Very informative and motivational article. Beginners like me always need such a great story to stay motivated. Thanks for inspiring us always. The struggle of today will pave the way for success.
Hi Alok!
Thanks a ton.