The Essence of Blogging (+ How to Earn Money Online)

The Essence of Blogging (+ How to Earn Money Online)

Someone on Facebook messaged me the other day, asking “What is blogging?”

I was a bit speechless. I didn’t know how to answer, because really, how can you explain what blogging is to someone who doesn’t really know?

So I directed him to my post 5 Things New Bloggers Need to Know, and said, “This will help you.”

Yet… just four years ago, I had the same question. 

I was a newbie blogger back then.

I was clueless.

And I still remember the struggles I’ve endured over the years as I’ve journeyed from “newbie” to “pro.”

It wasn’t easy. It was time-consuming. I was constantly learning. (I still am!)

To help speed up my learning process, I followed these 8 Action Tips For Guppy-Bloggers In An Ocean Of Sharks.

I also followed these 30+ Blogger-Sharks Spouting Oceans of Knowledge… and still follow some.

I’ve come quite far in my blogging journey. I’ve practiced the 10 Effective Strategies to Becoming a Successful Blogger.

I’ve also built a solid business from it.

The thing that really amazes me it that most people think blogging is a quick way to earn money.

But blogging is NOT a quick way to earn money… not at first.

In today’s post, I am going to share a few things I’ve learned about blogging and earning money online. I will reveal how I earn money through blogging, explain what blogging really is (the essence of blogging), and hopefully give you some ideas about how you can increase your blogging strategy and income streams.

By the end of the post, you should have most of your questions answered! Of course, chances are, you will likely have a bunch of new ones! LOL

But at least you will know more about how to earn money online!

WTF is Blogging?

Blogging is more than just writing articles (also called blog posts) and publishing them online.

If you’re a blogger, you likely already know that blogging involves:

  • creating and then running your own website  — read Blogging Resources + How To Start a Blog (if you don’t already have one)
  • learning how to install and update plugins
  • moderating and replying to comments
  • figuring out how to be noticed by search engines (hint: make sure you submit a sitemap to the search engines! You can use this free sitemap plugin to help you with this.)
  • learning how to create images for your posts (hint: use Canva or PicMonkey to help you — they are both FREE to use!)
  • learning how to take and then use screenshots in your blog posts
  • learning how to use Click-to-Tweet links in your blog posts (hint: read How to Use “Click-to-Tweet” Links In Your Blog Posts (for FREE))
  • figuring out who to link to within your posts (promote your friends, but also link to top posts in Google that provide good information or complement your message)
  • determining how to promote your posts on social media (hint: you have to have accounts everywhere!)
  • learning why networking with other bloggers is important (especially “blogger-sharks” — the big bloggers who you constantly learn from — such as the ones in
  • doing guest posting (and following proper guest posting etiquette)
  • providing value to your audience
  • growing your audience (usually by offering them an incentive to sign up to your mailing list, such as a freebie or a content upgrade)
  • determining which email marketing platform to use (Mailchimp, GetResponse, Aweber, MadMimi, Constant Contact, etc.)
  • figuring out how to monetize your site (hint: you can start by using AdSense)
  • creating content on a regular basis (remember, you can always hire someone to help you do this… such as me!)
  • AND SO MUCH MORE!
Read More

Blogging Resources + How To Start a Blog (if you don’t already have one)

Woman blogging on a laptop

It’s easy to become lost and confused when it comes to blogging.

Even with all of the resources out there, things can get REALLY overwhelming.

(And if you’re a perfectionist like me, it’s even harder to meet those high expectations!)

However, I have some good news for you if you are:

  • a new blogger
  • a semi-experienced blogger who wants to get better at blogging, or
  • someone who simply wants to start a website but doesn’t know where to begin.

This post will help you… despite which of these categories you fall into!

Where to Begin (Especially if You Have NO Money)???

First of all, if you have NO website BUT WANT ONE, you need to learn about a million things. (LOL)

(For instance, here are 40 Things to Know Before You Start a Blog: A Day-by-Day Guide.)

Seriously. I won’t lie to you. There’s A LOT to know!

Don’t be scared, though.

Just take things one step at a time.

It’s MUCH EASIER that way!

Sure, you can Google “how to start a blog,” but that’s not going to be much help, as you don’t know who to trust or who is going to try to scam you out of your precious, hard-earned dollars by telling you that you NEED certain things that you don’t.

Take me, for example. I started out with ZERO dollars, and I created a free website on WordPress.com. I called it Lorraine Reguly’s Life, because, after all, I was writing about things that happened to me.

I also wasn’t sure if  which version of WordPress was right for me. After all I was a newbie blogger! (Hint: Read WordPress.Com Versus WordPress.Org: Which WordPress Version Is Best For Me?)

After about a year, I weighed the pros and cons of having my own site. Because there were more pros, I moved my site to this one (using WordPress.org), gave it a new name, and built my business around it.

Before I made the move, however, I had to decide upon a hosting provider.

(Related: 9 Best Options For Managed WordPress Hosting Compared)

(Also related: Best WordPress Hosting • TOP 8 Options Compared • 2017)

(Also related: Best WordPress Hosting by Performance: 10 Options Compared… with Results!)

(Also related: The 7 Best WordPress Hosts For 2018 Compared)

I ultimately decided to use Abivia to host my site, but switched to CanSpace (aff link) because they offered me a deal that I couldn’t refuse!

There are many other companies you can use, such as GreenGeeks (aff link) or any of the ones listed in Wording Well’s Hosting Guide as well as The Ultimate Guide to WordPress Hosting for more information.

(My original intention was to make a name for myself online, to attract readers for my autobiography – which I’m STILL writing! – but then I discovered I could earn money by offering my expertise to others, which I do via the four different freelancing services I offer.)

So don’t fret if you don’t have a ton of money to invest! You don’t need it!

What You Need to Know

First of all, there are going to be a ton of people who will tell you which blogging platform to use. Your options include:

  • WordPress.com
  • WordPress.org
  • Blogger (Blogspot)
  • Weebly
  • Wix
  • TypePad
  • Tumblr
  • SBI
  • and many more!

There are also a ton of good articles out there that compare different sites, which should aid you in your decision.

First Things First: What do you want to do with your blog?

Figure out what you want to accomplish with your blog.

Read articles that will help you decide which you should choose. Then, if you decide to get your own host (which you really should, as the pros outweigh the cons!), I’d strongly urge you to read this web-hosting guide. It’s chock-full of great info!

(And yes, I wrote that darn thing. Took me forever, too! But my research was worth it, as I love my hosting provider! If you’re wondering why… here’s why!)

I’d also highly recommend checking out these many Easy to Follow Video Tutorials. They not only compare the different platforms, but they show you how to use WordPress, which, in my opinion, is one of the best if not THE best platform to use!

If You Decide to Blog On WordPress… (my personal fave)

Take a look at these guides so you can learn how to install and use WordPress.

They’re all GREAT! 

That’s because there are more than 440 million active users using WordPress!

In no particular order of greatness, they are:

If You Choose Blogger (AKA Blogspot)

Read this guide. It’s the best I’ve found.

It’s a bit biased, as it’s geared toward authors. But, really, most of what’s in it applies to everyone!

It’s called How to Start a Blog in 20 Easy Steps: A Guide for New Author-Bloggers.

What to Learn Next?

Another million-and-one things! (LOL) Learn how to maximize your social media skills.

Learn the gazillion tips and tricks used by pro bloggers everywhere.

Learn who to follow, and who to befriend. Influencers have power! Leverage that!

And keep dropping by Wording Well to learn more blogging tips!

Additional Blogging Resources

My Plea

Show everyone some love and share this post!!! (And not just on Twitter, but on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc.!!!)

Need a Blog Post Writer?

I’m available. I can do it all, too! Images, text, uploading posts directly to your site… whatever you need, I’m your gal!

Feel free to check out the different services I offer! (There are FOUR.) Then contact me and let me know what you need! Me at Starbucks 367x275

Full disclosure notice: In a way, this was a bit of a sponsored post, as Wording Well was paid by a few different people/companies/website owners to include links in this post to their sites and/or articles. However, I would not have recommended them if they were not GOOD!