Teen Blogger Guide: How To Start A Blog And Make Money
Who would have thought that being a blogger, YouTuber or social media influencer would have been a legit career option?
There’s no doubt that it sounds like a really cool thing to do, but how do you go about setting up a successful blog and more importantly how do you actually make money from it? Here’s everything that you need to know…
Setting Up A Blog
You don’t need any money to setup a blog.
Blogger and WordPress.com are free to use. But if you want to use blogging as a career starting point we would recommend putting a bit of an investment into setting up properly. You can buy a domain name for a few euro and get a year’s hosting package relatively cheaply. We recommend Hosting Ireland. It also doesn’t have to cost a fortune to make your blog look super professional. You can buy pre-made themes on Etsy and Creative Market for as little as €10. 17th Avenue also have some great design options.
How To Get Followers
Ahh, the age old question in the blogging world!
Sorry to tell you, but there’s not really a magic formula. This best thing is to work hard on being you. Think about what you would like to see from a blog. The secret is to try find a little gap in the market that no one else is getting quite right. Will you be the go-to for everything Penneys beauty related? Or the go-to for how to style clothes on a budget? Find something and do it really, really well.
Setting Up A Blog
You don’t need any money to setup a blog.
Blogger and WordPress.com are free to use. But if you want to use blogging as a career starting point we would recommend putting a bit of an investment into setting up properly. You can buy a domain name for a few euro and get a year’s hosting package relatively cheaply. We recommend Hosting Ireland. It also doesn’t have to cost a future to make your blog look super professional. You can buy pre-made themes on Etsy and Creative Market for as little as €10. 17th Avenue also have some great design options.
How To Get Followers
Ahh, the age old question in the blogging world!
Sorry to tell you, but there’s not really a magic formula. This best thing is to work hard on being you. Think about what you would like to see from a blog. The secret is to try find a little gap in the market that no one else is getting quite right. Will you be the go-to for everything Penneys beauty related? Or the go-to for how to style clothes on a budget? Find something and do it really, really well.
Be Consistent
There’s no point being a mad thing and publishing 10 posts a week and then suddenly dropping off of the face of the earth for 2 months.
You may have noticed that some of the most successful YouTubers have an upload schedule. This way their followers know when to expect new videos. Do they same for your blog. Upload every Monday at 9am. Or Tuesday and Thursday. Pick a realistic schedule and stick to it. Once people know the content is there, they will keep coming back for it. Most blogging platforms allow you to schedule posts in advance.
Network Online
It’s called social media for a reason, so be social. Leave meaningful comments on other bloggers Insta pictures and blogs. Chances are they might notice you or their followers might be nosy and look at your profile and decide to follow you too. But don’t over do it. And forget about leaving comments like #follow4follow. Compliment the person instead.
Don’t Buy Followers
That unethical ship has long sailed and it’s now super obvious to most people when follows, likes and engagement is bought.
Blog Photograhy 101
Sadly the days of photographing your fav beauty products on your wrinkled bedcovers is gone. Clean backgrounds, are the way to go. There’s room for lots of creativity in taking photos. Play around until you find a style that you love. Flatlays can be great, but try mix it up too. You don’t need a huge expensive camera like a lot of pro bloggers. The camera on your phone will work fine. Just make sure images are clear and bright. Try setting up a little area in your room that you can dedicate to taking blog photos.
Apps like VSCO and A Color Story are great for adding a professional touch to your pictures.
Words Matter
Everyone makes mistakes, but having a blog post littered with tons of spelling mistakes and bad grammar is a huge no. Read and re-read everything that you write. If possible get someone to read over your work. Our advice is to write something, save it and then come back to it later. It’s always easier to pick out mistakes once you’re not consumed by it. And it goes without saying that you need to use capitol letters and full stops. A brand isn’t going to want to collaborate with you if your work is messy.
The HUGE No When It Comes To Blogging
Don’t expect free things. Yes, it makes us all jealous when we see blogger receive free products, but the fact of the matter is, they have worked very hard for a number of years to get those products. And in return the brand is expecting people to actually go out and buy it said product. You can’t expect brands to send you free products the day after you set up your new blog.
So, how do you start working with brands? You need to have a lot of work put in before. With the rise of micro-influencers it’s not entirely necessary to have a hundred thousands followers, but having a certain amount of a following is key. Blog views and engagement on social media is more important than follower numbers.
Think about what you can really offer a brand and be honest with yourself as brands do sometime ask to see how many views your blog gets. If you feel like you can’t say “x amount of people read my blog and would buy your product”, you need to put in a bit more work. Don’t worry though, it will be worth the effort in the end.
Instead of asking for products do some posts on products that you love and tag the brand or PR company on social media so they will see it. This could put you on the company’s radar.
Realise That It’s Tough Work
It seems like everyone has a billion followers on social media these days, but it didn’t happen over night for them. If you see blogging as a future career, stick with it. If you’re only in it for the “free stuff” hit delete on the blog now.
Study Up
Blogging is a great way to learn lots of skills, from writing and SEO, to digital marketing all the way to coding. Although you in no way need experience or a fancy degree, it is good to learn as much as you possibly can to be the best you can be and to further your career.
If you’re really serious about turning a blog into a business then The Blogger Course by Monica from The Travel Hack is an amazing way to learn all the insider tips and tricks to not only build a successful blog, but also how to earn money from blogging. With modules on social media, working with brands, creating content, affiliate marketing, how to gain readers, photography tips and how to make money from blogging it’s perfect for anyone starting out in the blogging world and for those looking to up their game.
Another great option is the book, The Million Dollar Blog“. Yes, the name is a bit cringe, but there lots of great information in it about building a blog as well as interviews with some of the biggest UK bloggers like Lily Pebbles.
Comparison Is The Thief of Joy
It can be easy to compare our photography skills, makeup collection and even our looks with others. Try not to let this get you down. So, what you couldn’t get that picture exactly how you pictured it. Keep trying. You’re not going to get it in the first snap. Most bloggers phones are full with 100s of the same images.
Be Careful
Did you know that most of the top bloggers have private Instagram accounts just for family and friends? It’s true and you should too. Protecting your privacy is super important. So, keep one page for the things that you want your squad to see and a separate account for blogging.
Make sure that you have permission from the parental unit to be blogging. Show them your blog and your social media accounts so they understand what you’re doing.
Unfortunately, there are some very dodgy companies out there who try to prey on new bloggers. Don’t give your address out to receive products unless you’ve done a bit of background research on the company first. Or better still, get your mam or dad to suss them out. Even here at missy.ie we get some very suspect messages on social media and via email on a daily basis, but this isn’t our first rodeo and we know what to expect from professional companies. So, be careful. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Read More: How To Keep Yourself Safe Online
Have you any advice that we could add to our teen blogger guide?