The internet has facilitated countless possibilities. You can, for instance, use it to make money by showing other people how to save money. Of course, this is what starting and running a personal finance blog is all about. With there already being a few million blogs online, you’ll certainly have some competition.
However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more! You just need a solid foundation and a unique take on the topic. In this guide, we explore how you can establish a successful money saving blog while raking in a little cash along the way.
Find Your Niche
We know that there are already a lot of personal finance blogs out there. To stand out, you need to identify and focus on a specific niche. The more targeted and segmented your audience, the better. It raises your likelihood of becoming an authority in your category, thus having the greatest influence on the largest share of readers.
Let’s assume you want to target millennials. That alone is not specific enough. You might take it a step further and focus your content around being frugal when traveling or saving for retirement as a millennial. In any case, be sure to research the behaviors and preferences of your audience. Ask questions such as:
- Where do they spend their time online?
- What kind of designs are they attracted to?
- Which type of content do they engage in most?
- Who will be your competition?
Choose Your Platform
Before you can begin posting, you need somewhere to put your content. There are many blogging platforms to consider. Some (including Blogger, Squarespace and Wix) offer free plans for beginners. While enticing, it’s important to note that free plans have major drawbacks, including an unprofessional look and little to no monetization options.
The general consensus is to stick to WordPress. A self-hosted premium WordPress site with an effective domain name and a couple of useful plugins will do the trick. Take some time to look around for add-ons that can enhance your site, like this WordPress coupon plugin which comes with attractive widgets that motivate users to click.
Plan Your Content
Instead of diving right in, start by creating a content calendar. This simply means compiling a list of topics that you’ve found to be suitable for your target audience before planning when to write and post them. You might prefer to allocate a week to your content, then post it later as opposed to having to write new articles every day.
Cover the Details
After determining what you want to talk about and who your content is for, you can start focusing on the (vital) technical details of running a website.
This includes factors such as SEO and keywords, as well as site design and optimization. It may take a while to handle all of these areas, but your efforts will pay off in the long run.
When it comes to actually monetizing your blog, there are several methods. You can look into affiliate marketing to start. For now, though, it’s best to focus on getting your website up and running.