Blogging

As someone who’s been blogging since 2009, I can say it’s one of my favorite side hustles, and I’ve certainly learned a lot about it during that time.

For one, I’ve found the writing to be a great creative outlet and a powerful medium to reach a wide audience. (Although the podcast has grown much faster.)

But it was a loooooong time before my blog made any real money, and one of the mistakes I made was not having a focus. I would write about whatever came into my head; current events, our travels, our dog, and occasionally I might throw in something about business or marketing.

There was no coherent theme or really any reason for someone to stick around unless they were interested in me personally. In 2013, I narrowed the focus of my writing to be about side businesses, and that’s when the site traffic started to grow.

How to Start a Blog

If you want to start a blog of your own, check out my free 6-part video tutorial series that walks you through:

  1. 4 reasons to consider blogging as a side hustle.
  2. Why a “blog” is probably a bad name.
  3. 8 ways blogs and websites make money.
  4. How to pick a topic for your blog.
  5. How to choose a domain name and get your site online.
  6. How to install WordPress and begin creating.

I had a lot of fun creating the free “how to start a blog” course and hope you enjoy it too!

Greatest Hits

Whether you already have a blog or are looking to start one, here are some of the best blogging-related articles and podcast episodes from the archives:

The Best Blogging Podcast

I compiled a binge-worthy selection of blogging podcast episodes from The Side Hustle Show into this playlist. I think you’ll like it!

Enjoy!

49: Blogging to a $1 Million and Staying Sexy

BudgetsAreSexy.com is one of the most popular personal finance blogs in the world, and surprise surprise, it started as a side hustle.

In today’s show (Episode 49 of The Side Hustle Show), I’m joined by J. Money, the mysterious author of the aforementioned blog. We talk blogging as a business model, monetization strategies, the Side Hustle Series, and how to stand out in the crowded online world.

I’ve been a BudgetsAreSexy reader off and on for several years, and one thing that J. does an excellent job of is injecting his personality into the posts each and every day.

46: Blogging in Your Spare Time: From $0 to $17,000 a month

In episode 46 of The Side Hustle show, we get to hear the incredible story of Lindsay and Bjork Ostrom, who built PinchofYum.com up to a massive audience all while working a day job. In fact, they spent a full year volunteering in the Philippines but still managed to keep the site growing and thriving!

In January, the site generated more than a million pageviews and earned over $17,000! In this interview we dive into how they got started, how the readership grew, and how they monetize the site.

45: How to Build Your Personal Brand and Maximize Your Time, with Chris Ducker

In Episode 45 of The Side Hustle Show, I’m joined by Chris Ducker to discuss personal branding and utilizing virtual team members to make the most of your time.

As side hustlers, it makes a lot of sense since we only have limited time to work on our business projects. Why not buy some more time to accelerate your efforts?

In addition to being a successful entrepreneur in the brick-and-mortar world, Chris is a popular blogger, podcaster, speaker, and author — and someone who’s been one of my “virtual mentors” the last couple years.

10: How to Earn $3000 a Month Blogging in Your Spare Time, with Robert Farrington

Robert Farrington is more successful than 99% of all bloggers on the planet. He routinely earns between $3000 and $5000 a month from his blogs. And the kicker? Yeah, he still has a full-time job completely unrelated to this amazing side hustle! His sites: TheCollegeInvestor.com KidsAintCheap.com EntrepreneurshipLife.com MyMultipleIncomes.com (inactive) BeatThe9to5.com. He shares his tips for … Read more

VigLink vs. Skimlinks

VigLink and Skimlinks are two companies that aim to help bloggers and other website owners monetize their content and traffic. They do this by transforming regular outbound links into affiliate links wherever possible. If any sales result from those links, the website owner earns a commission. (Technically, VigLink or Skimlinks earns the commission, which they … Read more

Usually Hustling, Occasionally Social

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