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INTRODUCTION
Weddings are a wonderful experience but can be financially overwhelming. When I was engaged and decided to get married in 4 months, planning a wedding became economically demanding. I was working hard towards financial freedom, and a wedding was unexpected. It felt like a “setback” on my financial journey. When I looked online for guidance, I only found generic wedding budgets that seemed out of touch with what I was going through. I wanted to develop a way to continue building wealth beyond a wedding.
I had seen people who started a blog ten years ago, built profitable businesses, and reached financial independence while living a life they loved because of blogging. Maybe you were thinking about a blog even while planning a wedding or as an additional source of income in general. I want to share why I started a blog after preparing for a wedding, and how you can, too. We'll explore the steps to launch your blog while navigating the intricacies of wedding planning and lay the foundation for a prosperous future.
3 REASONS WHY I STARTED A BLOG
1. SHARE MY EXPERIENCE
A blog is a great way to share your financial journey with other people. I found much inspiration on personal finances from websites like Making Sense of Cents and FinSavvy Panda from Pinterest. However, I didn't see many blogging sites that comforted me while planning a wedding and trying to build wealth. There were plenty of wedding websites on how to save money, which is a part of building wealth in terms of spending less than you earn, but I still felt those websites were missing something. I want to share how it is possible to create a wedding you want while still building wealth, and blogging seems to be a great place to start.
2. DO SOMETHING THAT INSPIRES ME
Blogging isn't just about sharing pretty pictures or curated content but sharing what matters to you, what you enjoy, or what you learned. I love personal finance because money is a tool to create a future you hope for and reflects what you value in life. However, not many people were applying values and future hopes to how to plan for a wedding financially.
Blogging about my experiences with a wedding and personal finances may inspire others who feel the “sticker shock” of the wedding but still want to reach financial independence. Other personal finance blogs helped me with my financial journey, and I think there needs to be a space where women can talk about how significant life events don't have to derail their dreams of financial independence.
3. CREATE EXTRA INCOME FOR THE FUTURE
I remember reading this blog called Making Sense of Cents back in 2011, and I was stunned that her blog is now making millions of dollars. Another blogger from FinSavvy Panda, who loves personal finance, released a similar post on how blogging made her a millionaire.
Am I saying that blogging will give the same experience? Maybe not. Would a couple of hundred or thousands of dollars a month help? YES! Even though I wish I could have a written story like “I'm a millionaire after blogging for ten years,” maybe starting now and seeing what is possible is the next best thing. And why not make money doing or talking about something you already enjoy? It sounds like a luxury to do something you love, but it is possible, and blogging can be an avenue to accomplish this.
11 STEPS TO START A BLOG
After over ten years of watching others start blogs, I'm finally motivated to begin one. What about you? Are you dreaming of funding your wedding, honeymoon, or future family home through blogging? Do you have a passion you're eager to share with the world? Starting a blog can be fulfilling and financially rewarding, whether in personal finance, travel, cooking, or any other niche. Here are 11 essential steps to kickstart your blogging journey.
1. RESEARCH RESOURCES AND CHOOSE 1 TO FOLLOW
Learning from those who have already succeeded in blogging can be invaluable. Many bloggers, including Making Sense of Cents, create free email courses on how to start a blog. FinSavvy Panda also has a similar email series on how to start a blog. There are many excellent tutorials, courses, ebooks, blogging websites, and YouTube videos on blogging. Find one source that works for your learning style and stick to that source. Choosing one to follow through on will help you get started and feel more relaxed and relaxed.
I received many free emails about blogging before purchasing FinSavvy Panda‘s ebook, YOUR TREASURE MAP TO BLOGGING SUCCESS IN 30 DAYS. Her ebook is a detailed step-by-step guide on setting up your blog and why each step is essential. If you want to learn how to start a blog, start with the free resources first, then invest in one resource like YOUR TREASURE MAP TO BLOGGING SUCCESS IN 30 DAYS to help you get started.
2. PICK A NICHE
Talking about something you are passionate about gets people's attention and can help others. Your voice matters. What lights your soul on fire matters. Choose a blog niche that reflects your passions and interests. Not what you think is famous, will make money, or what your mother thinks is a good blogging topic. It may take time for your blog to succeed, so you might as well enjoy the journey and write about something that profoundly motivates you.
3. GET STARTED WITH BLUEHOST
I used Bluehost, and several bloggers recommend this website when you are first starting. It is fast and easy to set up. You can also choose a name for your blog that will reflect your topic and be easy to remember. FinSavvy Panda‘s ebook YOUR TREASURE MAP TO BLOGGING SUCCESS IN 30 DAYS also has a step-by-step guide to using Bluehost, which was very helpful for me.
4. GET LEGAL TEMPLATES FOR YOUR BLOG
Protect yourself and your blog by having the necessary legal documents in place. You can find free privacy statements, disclaimers, and terms templates. However, the templates must be thorough and adaptable to your blog. I recommend checking out blogger legal templates at A Self Guru.com. This company has several online business legal templates, from privacy policies to disclaimers to coaching contracts. She also has several free guides to help you get started. A Self Guru‘s templates are easy to set up regardless of your blog or online business. You can check out her store and shop for whatever you need for your online blog or business.
5. ESTABLISH A ROUTINE OR HABIT
Consistent effort creates successful results. Create a blogging routine or system so that you are regularly creating blog posts. You can create a blog post every day, week, month, or quarter. The more high-quality content you make, the more readers will be interested. It may be easy if you plan to write about something you are passionate about. Research your blog topic by looking at what others have done to start. You can also use tools like Grammarly or ChatGPT to help you write your posts. If you use AI tools for your blog, check ASelfGuru.com's legal store, where she released an AI legal template for online businesses using AI.
6. DECIDE ON A STRATEGY
There are many ways to promote your blog, but choosing one strategy to focus on may feel more manageable. Start by learning how to market your blog on Google, Pinterest, or whatever social media platform you use the most. Utilize social media platforms like Pinterest to drive traffic to your blog, which will create more interest. Pinterest is particularly effective for bloggers with its visual format and strong community engagement. I used these Pinterest pin templates and FinSavvy Panda's Pinterest strategy tutorial to help me get started. Check out her resources here.
7. MONETIZE YOUR BLOG
You must intentionally promote your blog to others and create a monetizing strategy to generate income. Displaying ads can provide a steady stream of passive income as your blog grows in traffic. Monetizing your blog through advertising networks like Google AdSense or Mediavine requires consistent traffic to your blog. You can also partner with companies and promote their products or services on your blog through affiliate links. When your readers purchase through your link, you earn a commission. Research affiliate programs relevant to your niche and integrate them seamlessly into your content.
Many bloggers with “How to Start a Blog” courses will also have “How to Start Affiliate Program” courses. Some bloggers offer free tutorials for affiliate marketing, but there are also several online courses you can pay for to learn how to do affiliate marketing. However, remember that these resources describe how they became successful, and you may have to adapt several tools before you find something that works for you and your blog. I used this program to get started with affiliate marketing with helpful ideas and easy strategies I could implement quickly.
8. SET GOALS
Consistency is crucial to blogging success, but first, define your goals. Maybe you want to start blogging to save for your wedding or honeymoon (start now). Perhaps you want to leave your job and blog to create financial freedom. Set your big goal of what the blog does for you and why you want to start. Then, set up smaller goals that will support that bigger goal. For instance, publishing one blog post per week can help you keep yourself accountable and maintain momentum for blogging. By the end of the year, you'll have 52 blog posts! Create weekly, monthly, and yearly goals that can help you achieve your definition of “blogging success.”
FinSavvy Panda also has a blogging binder that can help you stay organized during your blogging journey. It's thorough and can help you create goals for the entire year. I broke her tracker into 3-month goals because that works for me. The goal is to do what works for you and create achievable steps towards your goals and, ultimately, your big goals for your blog.
9. BUILD YOUR NETWORK
Connect with other bloggers in your niche through social media, online forums, and networking events. Fellow bloggers can also inspire you and help you grow your blog. Being in a community makes you feel less alone and overwhelmed by the process. Building relationships with fellow bloggers can lead to collaboration opportunities, guest posting, and valuable advice. When you sign up for this affiliate course, you will get access to a private Facebook group to grow your blog with friends.
10. CONTINUE GROWING YOUR BLOG
Invest in your blogging education by taking courses or workshops to grow your blog. It is easy to keep “learning” about something and never actually do what you set out to do, like hitting “publish” on your blog. Once you establish your blog, invest in other courses to grow it. Other bloggers often recommend courses that they like to expand their blogs. Try to stick to free resources when starting your blogging journey before investing in more courses.
11. CELEBRATE MILESTONES
Take time to celebrate your blogging achievement. Starting a blog, making your first $100 from blogging, or having a million subscribers are all incredible accomplishments! When I celebrate even small victories in my life, it invites more victories in my life. It also makes me less likely to compare myself to someone who has had a blog 5-10 years longer than I have and feels more encouraging for me. Recognizing your progress will motivate you to continue growing your blog and have fun.
CONCLUSION
I started a blog after planning a wedding because it was the best way to share my passion for my personal finance journey. It is also possible to not only help other people who want to build wealth beyond the wedding but inspire others, too. Starting a blog to fund your dreams and even a wedding is achievable and incredibly rewarding. Following these 11 steps and staying dedicated to your blogging journey can turn your passion into a profitable online business. Remember, success doesn't happen overnight, so stay patient, persist, and, most importantly, enjoy the journey!
IN SUMMARY
Why Start A Blog
- To share experience.
- Inspires others.
- Create more income.
11 Steps to Start a Blog
- Research the free “how to start a blog” resources, then consider a resource like YOUR TREASURE MAP TO BLOGGING SUCCESS IN 30 DAYS.
- Choose a blog niche.
- Get started with Bluehost.
- Use blogger legal templates for your blog. Check out theses easy-to-use and adaptable resources at A Self Guru.com.
- Establish a blogging routine.
- Decide on a blogging marketing strategy. Try this course for a comprehensive introduction to Pinterest and great pin templates.
- Monetize your blog with this free affiliate marketing ebook, or use this course for more extensive marketing strategies.
- Set blogging goals.
- Build your blogging network.
- Continue growing your blog.
- Celebrate milestones.
Are you ready to start a blog?
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