Do you want to start a blog and make your first $100 this month? You’re not alone. Thousands of people are making money online through blogging — and the best part is, you don’t need to be a tech expert or writer to start.
All you need is the right strategy, consistency, and a beginner-friendly guide (like this one) to show you how.
In this guide, I’ll walk you step-by-step through how to start a blog, drive traffic, and make your first $100 in your very first month — even if you’re starting from scratch.
✅ Why Blogging Is Still a Great Way to Make Money
Blogging may seem old-school, but it’s still one of the most powerful ways to build a personal brand, earn passive income, and eventually start a full-time online business.
Reasons to start a blog today:
- Low investment (you can start under $50)
- No technical skills needed
- Multiple income streams (ads, affiliate marketing, services, etc.)
- Freedom to work from anywhere
- Opportunity to grow into a brand or business
🧠 Step 1: Choose a Profitable Niche
Your niche determines the success of your blog. A good niche is a balance of passion, demand, and profitability.
🔍 How to choose your niche:
- List your interests or skills
Ask yourself: What do I love talking about or doing? - Validate the market
Use tools like Google Trends, Ubersuggest, or AnswerThePublic to see if people are searching for it. - Check monetization potential
Search your niche on YouTube or Google and see if there are products, ads, or affiliate links. This is a good sign!
💡 Examples of profitable blog niches:
- Personal finance & money-making
- Health, fitness, and weight loss
- Travel
- Food and recipes
- Tech & gadgets
- Self-improvement
- Digital marketing
Pro Tip: Go niche within a niche. For example, instead of a broad “fitness” blog, go for “fitness for busy moms” or “weight loss after pregnancy”.
🌐 Step 2: Pick a Domain Name and Hosting
Your domain name is your blog’s address (like yourblog.com). Your hosting provider stores your blog on the internet.
✅ Domain Tips:
- Keep it short, brandable, and easy to spell
- Avoid hyphens and numbers
- Use .com if possible
🚀 Recommended Hosting for Beginners:
Hostinger – Fast, affordable, and beginner-friendly.
You can start for less than ₹100/month (or $2/month).
👉 Go to Hostinger and claim your discount
💻 Steps to set up:
- Go to Hostinger
- Choose a basic plan (shared hosting is fine)
- Register your free domain (included in most plans)
- Install WordPress with 1-click
⚙️ Step 3: Set Up Your Blog (WordPress)
WordPress is the most popular and flexible blogging platform in the world. With 1-click install from your hosting dashboard, you’ll be ready in minutes.
🎯 Must-do setup steps:
- Change your site title and tagline in “Settings”
- Install an SEO-friendly theme (Astra, Kadence, or GeneratePress)
- Delete sample content (Hello World post, etc.)
- Set your permalink structure to
Post Name
🔌 Must-Have Plugins:
- Rank Math or Yoast SEO – SEO optimization
- WP Super Cache – Speed
- Elementor – Drag-and-drop design
- UpdraftPlus – Backup
- ShortPixel – Image compression
🎨 Step 4: Design Your Blog Professionally
First impressions matter. Your blog should look trustworthy, clean, and easy to navigate — especially if you want people to buy or click affiliate links.
Design tips:
- Use 2-3 colors max (brand colors)
- Choose a legible Google font
- Include:
✅ A home page
✅ About page
✅ Contact page
✅ Blog/posts page
✅ Disclaimer/privacy policy
✅ Bonus Tip:
Use Canva to create a free logo for your blog and upload it to your header.
✍️ Step 5: Create High-Quality, Helpful Content
Content is king. To make money from blogging, you need to create blog posts that help people, solve problems, and provide value.
🧩 Your first 5 blog posts could be:
- How-to guide (e.g., How to Lose Weight Without Gym)
- Listicle (e.g., 10 Best Apps for Freelancers)
- Product review (e.g., Hostinger Review 2024)
- Comparison post (e.g., Bluehost vs Hostinger)
- Beginner’s guide (e.g., Affiliate Marketing for Beginners)
🧠 Content writing tips:
- Start with keyword research (use Ubersuggest or Google Autosuggest)
- Write in a conversational tone (like talking to a friend)
- Add images, subheadings, and bullet points
- End with a call-to-action (subscribe, comment, or buy)
🚦 Step 6: Drive Traffic to Your Blog (Free Methods)
Without traffic, you won’t make money. But you don’t need paid ads to start. Use free and organic methods that work.
💥 Free ways to get traffic:
- Pinterest
Create eye-catching pins that link to your blog posts. - Quora
Answer questions and link back to your post if relevant. - Facebook groups
Engage in niche-related groups (without spamming). - SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Optimize blog posts with keywords and backlinks. - Medium & Reddit
Repurpose blog posts or link to your content in niche subreddits.
💸 Step 7: Monetize and Make Your First $100
Now comes the exciting part — making your first $100 from your blog. There are several ways to do this, even in your first month.
💡 Monetization methods:
1. Affiliate Marketing (Easiest way to start)
Promote other people’s products using a special link. When someone buys through your link, you earn a commission.
Examples:
- Hostinger (60% commission)
- Amazon Associates
- Coursera, Bluehost, Canva, etc.
2. Display Ads (Google AdSense or Ezoic)
You get paid for every 1,000 views (CPM). Once you get 1,000+ visits/month, apply to AdSense or Ezoic.
3. Sell Digital Products
Create and sell eBooks, guides, templates, or printables.
4. Freelance Services
Offer writing, graphic design, SEO services, or coaching.
📈 Step 8: Track, Improve, and Scale
To grow faster, you need to track what’s working.
Use These Tools:
- Google Analytics – Track visitors
- Google Search Console – See what keywords are ranking
- Hotjar – Understand user behavior
- Notion or Trello – Plan your content calendar
📊 Focus on:
- Improving top-performing posts
- Updating old content regularly
- Adding internal links
- Building backlinks from forums, guest posts
Once you’re making $100/month, it’s much easier to scale to $500, then $1000, and beyond.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I start a blog for free?
Yes, platforms like Blogger and WordPress.com offer free blogs. But if you’re serious about earning money, invest in a custom domain and hosting.
How long does it take to earn money?
Some earn in the first month. For most, it takes 3–6 months to build steady traffic and income.
What’s the best way to make money quickly?
Affiliate marketing + freelancing gives fast results while building passive income through SEO.
Do I need to be a great writer?
Not at all! Just focus on solving problems. Write like you’re talking to a friend.
🏁 Final Thoughts
Starting a blog and making your first $100 this month is absolutely possible — even for beginners. But you must take action and stay consistent. Don’t overthink or aim for perfection.
Here’s a quick recap:
✅ Pick a niche
✅ Get hosting and set up WordPress
✅ Write helpful blog posts
✅ Drive traffic using free methods
✅ Monetize with affiliate links or services
You got this. Start today, not someday.
👉 Ready to Start Your Blog?
Use my favorite hosting platform to get started today
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