This post contains affiliate links. See affiliate disclaimer here.
Actually having success is kind of weird. You hear so many success stories for so long that becoming one starts to feel so distant. It’s tiring.. until you become one. Now I’m not trying to sound cliche (I swear), it’s just really hard not to share how I felt or how I became one. Seriously, it’s like once you have a door open for you (finally), you start to see all of the doors that could open for you. You realize that nothing’s actually impossible and you want to share that with basically everyone.
So here I am! Sharing some awesome tips on how you can make Pinterest your full-time job. Pretty cool right? Well before I get into it, I’ll just quickly share why I was prompted to start working at home and how I got started.
WARNING: There are some important points in here, so make sure to read it over.
Bullet point session! Go!
- My husband and I both wanted to travel bad.
- Husband worked horrible soul-sucking (no joke) corporate jobs.
- We both wanted him to get out of them.
- Money was really tight because said corporate jobs didn’t pay very well.
- Were tempted to have me work a part-time job (because I didn’t have a college degree)
- Instead made the sacrifice to research ways to work at home.
- Found an awesome podcast from The Side Hustle Show featuring Rosemarie Groner from The Busy Budgeter that changed EVERYTHING.
- Found out that it was possible to start a blog and get massive traffic from Pinterest (we didn’t even want to start a blog.)
- Learned how to make an income from traffic with Pinterest.
- Now we’re able to travel full-time.
Ok, done. Well.. not really. I still have to explain what I learned and how Pinterest basically became my full-time job.
Related
How to Start a Blog in Minutes
IMPORTANT Side Note: Down below I have a list of 15 TOP questions that will answer basically everything you wanted to know about blogging.
Here are the questions included…
- So what do I blog about? How do I find my niche?
- I feel like there are too many people in my niche. Should I even bother?
- I feel like my niche is too small. Will anyone read it?
- Where do I even start? It’s overwhelming!
- What are the first steps in starting a blog?
- I feel like I’m going to FAIL as a blogger. I do not have confidence in myself for this. Any advice?
- How do I make money with my blog and niche?
- How do I get people onto my site so that I can start making money?
- I don’t have the money to buy hosting, what should I do?
- I need to be working because I need the money, should I still consider blogging?
- I’m not tech-savvy… Is this complicated?
- How do I find the right name for my blog?
- Where do I find the time to blog?
- Where do I find topics to write on?
- I don’t feel like I’m a good writer, what should I do?
In the podcast I mentioned above that interviewed Rosemarie Groner, I learned how having a blog could be a very lucrative business. Of course there were many blogs out there so I wasn’t sure how I could make mine stand out from the rest. But by using some of Rosemarie’s tips and my own strategies, I knew I could make it work.
Now blogging was NOT my first option, but Rosemarie had so many actionable tips that I knew I could make it work. But first, I’ll give you a very condensed version of what you need to do to get started with a blog.
Step 1
No, I’m not going to start with, “Find your niche!” Or, “Create a super fabulous blog name!” I mean, that’s a given.. right? So first! Write 25-50 blog posts before you even launch a blog. This way you’ll have plenty of content for new readers to go through when they find your site and when Adsense (Google’s ad service – see below) will be more likely to accept your application to host their ads on your site.
Side note, here’s a quick list of the tools I used to make $10,000+ a MONTH with my blog:
If you want to quickly start up your own blog for a cheap price (only $2.95/mo through my special link here), then I would definitely recommend Bluehost. It’s what I used when I first started out, and you need a hosting service if you want to make money through your blog more easily.
Check out my step-by-step guide here that shows you how to sign up quickly.
One of the BEST ways to make money blogging is with affiliate marketing. Basically, you recommend a product you love and when they click through your link and make a purchase, you get a commission at no extra cost to them. And a great place to learn is with the online course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. The creator, Michelle, makes over $50,000 a MONTH through affiliate marketing, so she definitely knows what she’s talking about.
Read my review of the course here to learn more!
Also, you can check out my interview with Michelle here.
If you want a course that will take you by the hand and teach you how to become a full-time blogger, then I would definitely recommend Elite Blog Academy (or EBA). They only open up once a year though (in early March), so it’s best to sign up for their waitlist here and they’ll let you know as soon as the cart has opened.
Read my review of Elite Blog Academy here.
One of the most important things you can do as a new blogger is to start up your email list right away. It’s what I wish I would have done when I first started out because then I would have a LOT more subscribers (and having an email list is the biggest way to make money blogging).
The email provider I use is Convertkit since they’re SUPER easy to use and give you 1 FREE month to try it out.
Read my Convertkit review here.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is one of the most important ways to get traffic to your blog. It’s basically optimizing each blog post so that it shows up in people’s search results on Google. And if you’d like to learn more on how to do that, then check out Stupid Simple SEO. It’s a course that opens up a few times a year and has REALLY helped us out!
Read the review of the course here!
If you’re new to creating images for your blog, and don’t have the money for Photoshop, then I would definitely recommend PicMonkey.com. I started out with it when I was a new blogger and still use it to this day! Also, the monthly price is the same as just a couple Starbucks drinks.
Step 2
Full Disclosure: If you click through one of my referral links for Bluehost web hosting and make a purchase, I will receive a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps me keep Chasing Foxes up and running and providing new content weekly.
Now many people think that they can easily start a blog for free on WordPress.com or Blogger. But you DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS. If you start a blog on a free blogging site, you won’t be able to make income from them. Signing up for ad networks and affiliates will be impossible.
So what do you want to do? You want to sign up for hosting. Hosting is basically like renting a space on the internet so you can have your own site. It allows you a lot of flexibility to work with companies and not have to worry about a site like Blogger kicking you off for no reason at all (I’ve known bloggers who’ve had this happen to them).
Bluehost is what I use, and I wouldn’t recommend them if they weren’t a good company. They’re helpful and will guide you through the process if you have any trouble. You can get it for $2.95 a month, along with a FREE domain name (but only through my special link).
Now some people might be worried that they have to pay for hosting because they’re on a tight budget. I was at the exact same place when I first purchased hosting with Bluehost. But I realized something; if I put money in now, I was going to be able to pay myself back multiple times over later. And I have; because I went with Bluehost for my hosting, I can now make enough to support two people and travel full-time.
You can sign up for Bluehost here and get hosting for just $2.95 a month.
PS – If you want to learn how to set up your OWN blog, then check out my step-by-step guide that’ll show you exactly how here. It’s super easy!
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Step 3
Sign up for Google Adsense, which will place ads on your site and that’s how you’ll most likely get the main portion of your income. How does it work? Well Google pays you from how many people see your ads, pretty sweet right?
Step 4
Get. On. Pinterest.
Side Note: This beginning part is for people without a blog. If you already have one or know the majority of these things, skip to the bottom.
Okay okay, so here’s where it get’s cool. You’ll want to start up a Pinterest Business account. It’s free (and takes a minute to sign up… literally) and it will allow you to connect your website to Pinterest. Sound complicated? It’s not, I promise. It’s pretty straight forward and Pinterest will walk you through it. Once it’s connected, you’ll be able to access your Pinterest analytics in your menu bar and see how many views and click-throughs to your site you’re getting.
Also, it allows you to turn your pins (I’ll explain how to make your own pins later), into rich pins. Now what’s that you may ask? Well ever notice how the majority of pins on Pinterest have a title beneath in bold? Well that’s a rich pin. It basically helps your ranking on Pinterest. In other words, Pinterest will start to see you as an actual influencer on Pinterest and put you in front of more people. Also.. it’s just eye catching.
The Easy Way to Set up “Rich Pins” on Pinterest.
How to Properly Set Up Personal & Group Boards
NEXT! Start up some boards! Create some boards that are related to your niche, and boards that have mass appeal, but can still be related to your niche.
So for instance, if you’re a money blogger, you can have a food board (since food is super popular on Pinterest), but call it, “Cheap & Easy Dinners.”
Important tip: When creating your own boards, you want to make sure that your board names are very specific. So instead of “Gluten-Free Recipes,” it could be “Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes.” This is because when you save a pin that is specific to a certain topic (like a gluten-free dinner recipe), and you save it to a board with that exact topic… Pinterest favors it. Pinterest’s algorithm knows what it’s about and so it makes the pin show up in people’s feeds and searches more.
Just make sure to not go too crazy. So for instance, cat outfits, psychic palm readings, etc.. That just might turn people away from you. You want your account to be follow-worthy and have people go, “Wow, if she has such great content on her Pinterest boards, what kind of content does she have on her blog?”
Then get on group boards, and apply the same rules for them as your own personal boards. So you want to be on group boards that have more specific names than something general like, “Best Bloggers on Pinterest.” There are some boards that aren’t super niche specific and do well on Pinterest, but they are few and far in between.
So what are group boards? Group boards are boards where the main owner of the board allows others to pin with them. So let’s say you get on a group board that has amazing reach (Pinterest likes this board and so the pins on the board show up on people’s screens more) compared to your personal boards’ reach… well then your pins are going to get seen more. That’s the magic of Pinterest.
ALSO, another reason why it’s good to make aesthetically pleasing boards with topics everyone likes is because group board owners will check out your Pinterest profile and decide if you’re someone they want contributing to their board.
Last Note: Just make sure that the majority of your boards are your own boards since Pinterest favors your personal board more.
How To Sign Up for Group Boards… The Right Way
Now how do you find and sign up for group boards? Two ways: first, you can go onto some of your favorite blogger’s Pinterest accounts and see what group boards they’re on (the board will have a small circle on the bottom left corner showing three people’s profile images).
Two, you can go on PinGroupie and search for group boards that fill your niche AND have a great following and repin rate. How do you find those two? Well at the top, there are drop-down lists and you can search for group boards with a high amount of followers and/or a high repin rate (a high repin rate means that the group board has an active following that are pinning a lot of the content from that board).
Important Note: Do NOT be intimidated by how big of a following someone has or how exclusive it is. When I was just a new blogger on Pinterest, I had a small following, but I asked to be apart of as many group boards as I could and got accepted to many. Yes, I was denied many times, but I still got onto huge group boards with huge followings. Had I never taken the chance, I would never have had the reach I have today. Pretty crazy right?
Once you find the boards you want to join, email the board owner (if there’s an email provided in the board description) which will be the first person shown at the top with board contributors. If they don’t have that, go to their site and contact them from there. Now if they don’t have this either, comment on one of their most recent pins and ask to join.
How to write the RIGHT kind of group board request: There are a couple ways to do this. The first is if the group board says they’re open for contributors (or doesn’t say otherwise). You want to be very polite and professional, saying that you follow them and love their content. Ask if you can be added onto their board, then let them know that you won’t spam and follow their rules.
Lastly, let them know that if there’s anything you can do for them, to just let you know. This way they know it’s not just them giving and you taking.
Second: If the board is closed to contributors, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t apply, but you should apply differently. Them saying that the board is closed to new people in the board description is a boundary. So you don’t want to make them feel disrespected by ignoring that boundary. You want to acknowledge that it’s there by saying something along the lines of, “Hey, I saw that your board “blank” was closed to new contributors. But if it ever does open up in the future, I would love to be considered as a contributor.” Again, being professional and polite goes a long way.
Before You Put Your Content Out There, Do These 3 Things:
WIIFM
Now I’ve talked about this before, but WIIFM is pretty darn important. It stands for, “What’s in it for me?” You have to act like everyone has this written on their forehead. Seriously. So don’t go writing content that only talks about you or things you’re interested. Example: “Me and My Dog’s Relationship.” Like that’s cool that you and your dog have a sweet relationship but.. I don’t care. How does that help me? How does this make my day better? What does this do for me?
Now it’s fine if you want to write this sort of thing when you’re an established blogger/well known. Then your audience will basically want to read everything you write. But until then, stick to things people will want to read. This is a business, not a hobby.
Solve an Immediate Problem
Plain and simple, write things that solve a lot of people’s problems (key words here are “a lot of people’s problems” not just a few people), and problems they want solved NOW. Not sometime in the future, but now. It’s ok to not always write on things that solve other people’s problems right then and there, but don’t waste your time putting that content out on Pinterest. As I’ve heard before, put your best 20% out there and that amazing 20% will bring them to the 80% of your results (results being income and traffic).
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The Trick with Pins
Where to Make Them
Ok, so how do you create pins? Well if you’re not super tech savvy or can’t afford Photoshop, head on over to Picmoney.com. It’s a free photo editing/graphic design site (unless you want to upgrade, then it’s $4.99/month or $33 a year, super cheap).
Next! I’m going to direct you to a great post done by Rosemarie Groner (the one mentioned above) on how to create them.
ALSO, I have a post that talks about my own pin making strategy here.
What Kind of Pins to Make
Alright now if you look at other people’s steps on how to create a good pin, they’ll probably tell you the same things, “Make sure they have warm colors, they’re long/vertical, and they don’t have a person’s face in the picture. All of these things get your more repins.” Ok, that’s great and true, but here are a couple of things I’ve learned on making viral pins.
- Study the Big Guys: For me, this means people like Buzzfeed. Their image and their titles are both big eye catchers. Copy their style (vary it a bit of course) and see what works for you.
- A/B/C/D/and E Test Your Pins: Whether you choose a different image or just change the title, I encourage you to make at least 5 pins per post. I can’t tell you how many times this has saved me from a post falling flat. There will be that one pin that I make and feel, “Meh, it’s not the best one but I’ll keep it,” and it ends up being the one that goes viral.
ALSO! Here’s the great part about making multiple pins and having one go viral. I’ve noticed that any other pin that’s linked to that post ends up doing really well too. So one of the pins goes viral and get’s 30k repins in a few days and then BAM! All the rest of the pins end up getting anywhere from 5k to 20k repins. Crazy right?
- Get on Tailwind and Pin those Pins for 2-3 Weeks: Tailwind is an automated pinning service, and with this service, you can use something called a Smartloop which will allow you to set certain pins to go out to specific boards at a specified time in the day. Let those loops run for 2-3 weeks because you never know when it’ll start to do well and/or go viral.
Pinning
Pin. Pin other people’s content onto your boards (and your group boards if desired). And it doesn’t matter if you pin everyday, pin every other day, or pin a couple times a week. Just pin. And pin things that have a high repin rate. Why do you need to do these two things? Well Pinterest doesn’t like it if you just pin your own content, they want you to be sharing other people’s work as well (basically, they want to know that you’re using Pinterest for what it was intended for). And if you pin high quality content (a.k.a. Pins with lot of repins), Pinterest will see that you pin influential images and give you a higher repin rate for your own personal pins. I know, complicated and a bit interesting, but just go with me on this one.
Email List?
Now many people wonder if this is important when they first begin blogging. But guys… those first few subscribers are the most important ones you’ll have. It’s been shown that the ones that stick with you even when you’re just beginning will be your most loyal readers and they’ll be more likely to buy from you when you offer them a product.
ALSO, 99.9% of the people who go on your site are never coming back. That means you want to make sure that they subscribe so you can send them an email with a new post your published every week. Then they’ll become repeat customers and come to your site regularly, giving you more steady traffic.
So Which Email List Builder Should I Use?
Well you could use a free service like Mail Chimp, but there’s a couple things you should know.
First, there have been so many times where I’ve heard bloggers complain about how they regret starting out with free services like Mail Chimp. Because when they decide to switch over to a more efficient email list builder like Convertkit, it take hours for them to transfer their entire list. It’s a complete headache and takes DAYS to do.
Now the reason why I suggest Convertkit is because their services are SO EASY to use! I am not tech savvy… at all. In fact, I get seriously frustrated when something takes way to long to figure out. But with just one video tutorial, I was able to easily understand everything. Convertkit is seriously intuitive and simple.
Now the monthly cost for Convertkit is $29.99 a month BUT (!!!), you can get a FREE 1-month trial when you sign up for Convertkit with my special link.
PS – Feel free to check out my post on how to start an email list! It’s super important for having a successful blog! (There’s a video demo included in the post)
Last But Not Definitely Not Least
Now if you don’t believe in God, then feel free to completely overlook this bit, but I seriously couldn’t have done this without Him. He really guided me to my success by leading me to the right people to listen to and read from. He showed me ways to ramp up my viewership and income and if it wasn’t for Him, I wouldn’t be able to travel full-time with my husband. Now if you do believe in God, I definitely recommend that you make him apart of the process. He’ll show you what to do if you include Him in your path to success.
Now for the Most IMPORTANT Questions Answered on Blogging
Here I will be going over THE MOST asked questions I’ve been asked about blogging. So check them out and let me know if there was anything I missed!
- So what do I blog about? How do I find my niche?
- I feel like there are too many people in my niche. Should I even bother?
- I feel like my niche is too small. Will anyone read it?
- Where do I even start? It’s overwhelming!
- What are the first steps in starting a blog?
- I feel like I’m going to FAIL as a blogger. I do not have confidence in myself for this. Any advice?
- How do I make money with my blog and niche?
- How do I get people onto my site so that I can start making money?
- I don’t have the money to buy hosting, what should I do?
- I need to be working because I need the money, should I still consider blogging?
- I’m not tech-savvy… Is this complicated?
- How do I find the right name for my blog?
- Where do I find the time to blog?
- Where do I find topics to write on?
- I don’t feel like I’m a good writer, what should I do?
Side Note: Throughout these, I’ll be sharing photos of my travels since blogging as allowed me this incredible opportunity. 🙂
1. So what do I blog about? How do I find my niche?
First of all, you want to grab a pencil and a piece of paper (or open a document on your computer), then start writing down your interests and passions (I know, sounds like a no brainer, but there’s more to it, I promise!).
Also, write down your skills (and this doesn’t have to be something you learned in school). Are you great at certain aspects of parenting like getting your children to sleep through the night after just a couple months? That’s a skill!
Then, group together the passions, interests, and skills that all match up. What is the common theme? This is going to help you figure out the kind of topics you want to write on. You can also study other bloggers in the same niche and how they’re able to make it work.
Now if you’re into multiple things that don’t seem to line up, then know that there usually is a common factor in between them all. So for instance, if you like budgeting, but you also love to cook, you can connect them both by writing on recipes you can make – for under $5 or $10. – Just so you know, it really IS ok to blog about more than one topic; we do and it’s turned out very well for us! You just have to find out who you’re writing to and find ways to make the niches fit together. So for instance (going with the example above), does your ideal reader love to find smart ways to save money, but she’s a bit of a foodie? Well, how can you help her explore her foodie side while still staying on a budget?
You don’t have to be an expert…
You can also look into the topics you find yourself regularly talking or reading about. And it’s ok if you’re not an “expert!” I wasn’t when I first started blogging. But you become an expert as you write and learn more on the topic over time. As you search for the questions that aren’t being answered and learn from the bigger bloggers, over time you’ll gain more experience and become a well-trusted voice in your niche. YOU can become the expert.
Quick Note on Making Money with Your Niche: It’s a common concern to want to make sure that they can actually make money with their niche. I get it; unless you’re blogging as a hobby, who wants to write long-term and not see income (no one)? And if this is something you’re worried about, then head down to question #7 How do I make money with my blog and niche?
Related Topic
2. I feel like there are too many people in my niche. Should I even bother?
The easy answer is… yeah! Totally! My husband and I both write on very popular subjects and were able to get over 150k people on our site in our second month after our blog launched.
I understand that there are bigger bloggers that are successful in the niche you want to write on, but you have to realize that there are millions of people on the internet, and those bigger bloggers do NOT have a monopoly on all of them. You can totally have a blog on DIY and get a great following of people who aren’t readers of these other bigger bloggers.
Also, you can look at the blog topics others are writing on and see how you can provide value where they don’t. And you can do this in TWO ways. So for instance, let’s say a big money blogger is writing on “How to Start a $1,000 Emergency Fund Quickly.” Well, they might not be discussing an important aspect that you see as obvious. And that could be the fact that they aren’t mentioning how you can save $1,000 faster by focusing on creating a separate bank account so you don’t dip into your savings.
The SECOND way you can do this is by looking in the comments section of that same post. What questions are people asking that the blogger didn’t answer in the post itself? Find those questions, answer them yourself, and write a more comprehensive blog post that will create a loyal readership.
You want to find ways you can out-perform the other bloggers so you can start seeing bigger results faster. Don’t blend in – stand out for the quality of your work.
3. I feel like my niche is too small. Will anyone read it?
Heck yeah! I know people who have a blog on Medieval history and have a HUGE following! Talk about niche!
(Another great example of a smaller niche blog would be Bridget from Cowboys Specialist. She was able to gather a great readership for her niche, Country Western Lifestyle, and monetize it within a year and a half!)
Now there are two parts to this and the first part is, find where those people are congregating. Facebook groups are an AMAZING place to find people in very specific niches.
Side Note: Forums are as well, all you have to do is Google “XYZ Niche Forum.” Example, “Medieval History Forum.”
All you have to do is search for your niche under ‘Groups’ and then join ones that have a high activity rate (which you will see in the description of the Facebook group saying something like, “7 posts a day” or “10+ posts a day”).
Once you join a few, you can start seeing what kind of questions people are asking and what people are talking about. This will give you a good idea about what people in that niche are actually interested in, instead of shooting in the dark hoping that people will read your blog post.
Then you can start showing yourself to be a helpful person in the group by answering their questions (or finding answers for them for the ones you don’t know). Once you’ve started doing this, then you can start sharing your own in-depth blog posts on the topics that get asked and discussed the most frequently (as long as it’s not against the group owner’s rules).
You want to become an expert to the members in those groups by providing high-quality content so that you’re their go-to when it comes to being a helpful resource.
The second part is dedication. It can (not always) take a bit longer to gain traction with a smaller niche. But if you’re consistently putting out high-quality posts that give your readers a lot of help, then you’re going to gain a loyal following.
Side Note: Down below, I also talk about how to get people to see your blog so that you can start making money in question #8.
PLUS: You can also start up your own Facebook group as you create a following so that you can keep them updated with new posts and create your OWN community of people who love you and love interacting with each other and get readers onto your blog (and groups are favored by Facebook which means they’ll be showing up first in people’s feeds a lot of the time as well as your follower’s Facebook notifications).
Last thoughts on starting a small niche blog… getting subscribers (people who give you their email so that you can send them out newsletters) will keep people interested in your blog and coming back over and over again. It’s something I wish I had done straight away when I was a new blogger.
Also, here’s another reason why you NEED an email list when first starting out: 99.9% of the people who go onto your site are going to leave… and never come back.
So if you can get those people to sign up for your weekly newsletter (let’s say by giving them a free offer – also known as a freebie – so for example, a list of 10 tips that will help them lose 5 pounds in a week), then you can update them every time you publish a new blog post. And when you do that, then, of course, they’re going to come back to your blog.
ALSO, if at some point in the future you decide to sell an ebook or course or some other kind of product, you’ll have an email list of loyal readers who will buy from you. And a great email provider (which is a service that allows you to gather people’s emails and send a newsletter to them) to start off with would be Convertkit; they’re great for people who aren’t tech-savvy, like me!
4. Where do I even start? It’s overwhelming!
One of the best things to do when you’re feeling overwhelmed on where to start is to write down just a few things you want to focus on and research over the course of a few months until you’ve mastered it. So for me personally, it was… writing 25-50 blog posts and put my focus into using Pinterest for my blog (which I talk about in question #8) and learning as much as I could with that ONE social media platform (I didn’t go focusing on Facebook, and Instagram, and Twitter, just Pinterest).
I also focused on blog topics that other big bloggers were writing on that would get my blog a TON of readers. So what pins on Pinterest had gone viral and why? What were they about, what did they look like, what kind of titles did they use?
You want to get very focused on just a few things until you’ve mastered them or you feel that you can add one or two more things. This is a great way to make sure you’re getting rid of that overwhelmed feeling and staying on track towards your goal. It also keeps you from getting discouraged and helps you move onto the next BIGGER thing (like affiliate products – which I’ll talk about down below).
Last thought: Make sure that the things you’re focusing on are going to give you the biggest results sooner. So for me, I wanted to get a lot of readers onto my site and fast, so I put my focus on Pinterest which gave me over 150,000 readers in my second month. Crazy right?
5. What are the first steps in starting a blog?
The first steps of starting a blog depend on where you are in the process. So for instance, if you have an idea of what you want to blog on, but haven’t bought hosting for your blog (hosting: basically a place to rent space on the internet for your site), then that’s your first step (which I show step-by-step here – it takes minutes; super easy!)
If you have bought hosting, then your first step would be to set up the look of your blog (the design/how your blog looks, menu items, a logo which you can easily create with Picmonkey.com for free, colors, etc.). Then get the necessary WordPress plugins (plugins are apps you can easily add to your site that will give your blog certain benefits) that would protect your site from hackers and show how many readers your site has had each day (ex. Jetpack and Google Analytics).
Next you would start brainstorming around 5-10 blog post ideas (doesn’t have to be all in one sitting – it can be over a few days), and start writing them out. Lastly, you would publish those posts and start sharing them on sites like Pinterest (which I talk about more here).
And as I mentioned in the last question (Question #4), you want to write down just a few things you want to focus on for a few months (this could be 3-6 months of your time), so that you don’t get overwhelmed. It’s very important to do this so that you are more directed and you’re getting to where you want to go faster (if you haven’t read the answer to question #4 yet, then definitely check it out – I go over what I focused on in my first few months of blogging that led me to where I am now).
Lastly, make sure to find people who inspire you. When first starting out, it’s important that you find bloggers who have been where you’re at and have actionable and helpful content for you to refer to. Being new to blogging is difficult, but when you have the right people guiding you along, it can go a LONG way!
6. I feel like I’m going to FAIL as a blogger. I don’t have confidence in myself for this. Any advice?
I was there and I TOTALLY get it! I had never done anything like blogging before, so my confidence was at an all-time low. I really didn’t believe in myself and I know that if I had bought into the lie that I could never make it as a blogger…
I wouldn’t be where I am today… Writing this to you in a cute coffee house in an adorable neighborhood in Medellín, Colombia (also, if you want to see our travels, then definitely check them out here on Instagram!)
So here’s what you need to do. Find big bloggers who had a hard time starting their blog (like Sarah Titus who was a single mother of three who made $10,000/mo blogging within a YEAR). It’s good to understand that you’re not alone and that there are others who have gone before you and did it too. I’m sure they struggled a LOT with their self-confidence as well!
Then, write out the lies you’ve been telling yourself about how you feel like a failure and won’t make it blogging. Next, argue with them and replace it with the truth. “This is untrue because if X person can make it as a blogger while working a full-time job and taking care of a kid, then so can I! I am able to make it as a blogger because there is literally nothing holding me back.”
And you know that saying that goes, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars?” Even if you’re shooting to make a certain amount of money after a certain amount of months and miss, you’re still going to land farther than if you had done nothing. Especially if you’re working hard and staying focused on just a few things at a time… how could you not see results (this was something I had to reason against when I first started)?
You also want to keep in mind the quote, “In a year from now, you’ll wish you started today.” That was what my husband told me when I wanted to quit (that’s right, I wanted to give up… just a few months before things took off).
7. How do I make money with my blog and niche?
Riad Yasmine… one of our favorite traditional Moroccan inns.
Now there are two parts to this…
The first part is that you’re completely new to blogging and you don’t know how a blog makes money. If this is you, then here are the basics. 🙂
Ad Revenue: This is where you can join ad companies like Adsense by Google (great for beginners!) or Mediavine. Once you join, they will display ads on your site and you will get paid for how many people click on the ad and how many people see the ad. It’s the most passive and easy way to make money blogging!
Affiliate Products: When you join an affiliate program, you agree to promote a certain product or products. And when someone clicks through your special tracking link (that the program gives you) and makes a purchase, you’ll get a commission at no extra cost to them. Some great examples of this for beginners would be Amazon or Target’s affiliate program. Just make sure it’s something you’ve used yourself and love! That way you don’t recommend something that hurts your reader’s trust in you.
Products: Creating your own product, whether it’s an ebook or a class (written or video), on a certain topic is an amazing way to make income with your blog. Especially if you have a smaller niche, but I’ll talk about that more below.
Sponsored Posts: A sponsored post is where a brand will pay you to write about them and/or their product. A good way to find sponsored post opportunities are on sites like blogher.com.
For the second part, I’m going to discuss how to make money even if you have a smaller niche (or even if your niche isn’t small!)
As you learn how to get readers onto your blog, the most immediate way to make money is through ads, especially since it’s SO passive. However, offering your readership affiliate products and your own products (which could be an online class or written material) is also a great way to make money with your blog.
So for instance, if you’re writing on herbal remedies to improve health, you could create a downloadable PDF that will show people the different herbal remedies that they can start off with as beginners and what it does for their health.
And as an affiliate, you can also promote other people’s herbal remedy kits on Amazon (as an example).
Lastly, you want to look at other blogger’s in your niche and see how they’re making money. What products are they promoting and creating themselves?
Side Note: Just make sure that as you’re creating a following to promote products to, you also have an email list with someone like Convertkit (great if you’re not tech-savvy). Convertkit helps gather people’s email addresses (when they sign up for your newsletter) and allows you to send them emails weekly.
Promoting to your email list is the BIGGEST way to make money with your blog. These people trusted you enough to give you their email which means they’re probably going to trust you enough to buy what you’re sharing with them. Also, they’re already there, so you don’t have to get new people onto your site and HOPE they buy your affiliate or personal product.
8. How do I get people onto my site so that I can start making money?
Fez, Morocco has some incredibly beautiful winding streets.
The ONE way I got readers onto my site fast as a new blogger was Pinterest. I was able to get 150,000 readers in my second month of blogging.
Side Note: If you’re completely new to Pinterest, then here’s is a quick guide to each term I’m going to use:
Pin: This is an image that a person on Pinterest can save for later (example: recipe, DIY project, etc.). Each pin links to a blog post that contains that recipe or DIY project.
Now for those thinking, “I just see an image when I see the pin. How do I actually get to the recipe?” – You will want to click on the pin image. Once it’s made big on the screen, you will click again and it will take you to that person’s site with the actual blog post.
Board: Think of this as a cork board where you can pin pictures and ideas and thoughts to (like the one below!). You can create different boards (such as a DIY board) and save a DIY pin onto that board.
Pinning: This is the exact term for saving a pin image. You can do this by clicking on the “Save” button when hovering over a pin image.
Now if you’re on the Pinterest app on your phone, you can tap and hold your finger on the pin image. When you do this, the other pin images will disappear, and a few options will pop up. Then you can slide your finger (while still keeping your hold) over to the image of a pin. You can see this below! 🙂
Repin: This is how many times a pin has been saved by other people. Think of repins like Facebook likes or shares.
Now getting over 150,000 people onto my site so quickly was such a blessing. But if you’re just starting out, then smartest thing you can do is sign up for a free Business Pinterest account. Then, you’ll want to create 10-20 boards that fit within your niche.
Each board name should have very specific keywords (keywords are words people are searching for on Pinterest). This is just so that when you pin your own images onto those boards, Pinterest understands what that pin is about, and will show it to more people. So for instance, if you have a health and fitness blog, your board names might be “Weight Loss Tips” or “Diet Plan.”
Side Note: You can find these keywords by using the Pinterest search box. Just start typing in a word like “Hair Styles” and see what pops up. The first search results are the most searched for on Pinterest.
Next, you’ll want to pin 10 of other people’s pins onto those boards and make sure that each pin has 800+ repins (which you can find at the side of the pin when you click on it). This just shows Pinterest that you’re pinning high-quality content and helps the boards to do well (in this case, “do well,” means that Pinterest will show the pins you saved to more people). ALSO, you’ll want to make sure each board has a pretty cover and follows a board cover theme (color or image theme) to attract new followers.
Here’s an example of where the repin number is on a laptop or computer.
And here’s an example of the repin number on your phone.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re pinning other people’s content to the different boards daily (30+ pins spread throughout the different boards). This is just so that Pinterest sees that you’re spreading the love and you’re an active Pinterest user (not just someone who wants to only share their own pin images).
Then, you’ll want to start practicing pin making. There are sites like Picmonkey.com which allow you to create images for free. BUT, for a small monthly charge (the price of a few Starbucks drinks), you can get more design abilities and fonts (and not have to see their ads which tend to slow things down).
You can practice pin making by looking at other people’s pins (pins that have done well) and creating images inspired by theirs.
IMPORTANT Side Note: Just make sure you have 4+ different bloggers for pin examples. You DO NOT want another blogger to see that you’re solely using their pin style. And you want to make sure it’s not a full-on copy of their image, but inspired/similar.
Then you’ll want to try out similar fonts and images that you see from their pins so that you can get a feel for how others make pins (there are some great tutorials on YouTube for this if you want more tips and tricks!).
Then, depending on how much you want to start off with, you can a/b test pin images (or a/b/c/and d test like how I do). A/b testing is where you create two (or more) different images and see what does better. Doing this will increase the chances of people clicking through to your blog. This is very important for getting readers.
Another thing you’ll want to do is join other people’s group boards.
So what are group boards? Group boards are boards where the owner of the board allows others to pin with them. So let’s say you get on a group board that is favored by Pinterest (which means Pinterest will show the pins that are saved onto that board to other people more often) compared to your personal boards… well, then your pins are going to get seen more. That’s the magic of Pinterest.
ALSO, another reason why it’s good to make aesthetically pleasing boards with topics everyone likes is because group board owners will check out your Pinterest profile and decide if you’re someone they want contributing to their board.
Last Note: Just make sure that the majority of your boards are your own boards since Pinterest favors your personal boards more. So for instance, 30% of your boards would be group boards while 70% would be your own boards.
Now how do you find and sign up for group boards? Two ways: first, you can go onto some of your favorite blogger’s Pinterest accounts and see what group boards they’re on (the board will have a small circle on the bottom left corner showing three people’s profile images).
Two, you can go on PinGroupie and search for group boards that fill your niche AND have a great following and repin rate (a high repin rate means that the group board has an active following that is pinning a lot of the content from that board). How do you find those two? Well at the top, there are drop-down lists and you can search for group boards with a high amount of followers and/or a high repin rate.
Important Note: Do NOT be intimidated by how big of a following someone has or how exclusive it is. When I was just a new blogger on Pinterest, I had a small following, but I asked to be a part of as many group boards as I could and got accepted to many. Yes, I was denied many times, but I still got onto huge group boards with huge followings. Had I never taken the chance, my Pinterest account would never have been as big as it is right now. Pretty crazy right?
Once you find the boards you want to join, email the board owner (if there’s an email provided in the board description).
If they don’t have that, go to their site and contact them from there. However, to find the owner and their website, you will need to click on the three images at top (these are just a few of the board’s contributors). Then there will be a drop down box which will show you ALL of the contributors. The VERY first one is the board owner.
Then you can find their blog in their profile’s description, click on it, go to their contact page, and ask them to get onto their board.
Now if they don’t have this either, comment on one of their most recent pins and ask to join (or send them a direct message on Pinterest).
How to write the RIGHT kind of group board request: There are a couple of ways to do this. The first way is if the group board says they’re open for contributors (or doesn’t say otherwise). You can find this in the board description at the top.
You want to be very polite and professional, saying that you love their content and would like to be added onto their board. Then let them know that you won’t spam and you will follow their rules.
Lastly, let them know that if there’s anything you can do for them, to just let you know. This way they know it’s not just them giving and you taking.
Second way: If the board is closed to contributors, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t apply, but you should apply differently. Them saying that the board is closed to new people in the board description is a boundary. So you don’t want to make them feel disrespected by ignoring that boundary. You want to acknowledge that it’s there by saying something along the lines of, “Hey, I saw that your board “blank” was closed to new contributors. But if it ever does open up in the future, I would love to be considered as a contributor.” Again, being professional and polite goes a long way.
After that, you’ll want to join a pin scheduler like Tailwind which will pin your images for you to the boards you want. It’s a GREAT way to save time.
One Last Way to Get Readers Onto Your Site: Also, if you want to learn how to get a reliable and CONSISTENT readership from Google to your site, then you should seriously consider taking this online course called Stupid Simple SEO created by SEO expert, Mike Pearson (SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization – basically, you’re creating blog posts that will be at the top of a Google search page). We’ve taken it and it REALLY helps get a lot of readers onto your site. You also get access to a private Facebook support group with Mike, downloads, checklists, & email outreach templates. It opens again on May 13th-17th, so be quick! If you need more info, check out our honest SEO course review.
9. I don’t have the money to buy hosting, what should I do?
Full Disclosure: If you click through one of my referral links for Bluehost web hosting and make a purchase, I will receive a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps me keep Chasing Foxes up and running and providing new content weekly.
We were in the SAME spot when we first started blogging! We were living paycheck-to-paycheck, so even buying something like hosting was a commitment for us.
Hosting: It’s like renting out space on the internet for your blog. So instead of going with a free blogging site like Blogger.com (which is basically impossible to make money on), you purchase hosting so that you have FULL control over your personal site.
So we cut back on the wants like getting coffee out or those extra items at the grocery store (sometimes we don’t realize how much money we spend on things we don’t need). And pretty soon we were able to pay for Bluehost.
And the best part is… I don’t regret it. Getting hosting for my blog was the BEST thing I could have done since it allows us to make income (instead of using a free blogging site where making money on it is VERY hard).
Think of it this way; you’ll be able to pay yourself back MULTIPLE times over what you spent on hosting. We sure did!
You’re basically making a small investment now so that you can have greater time and money freedom later.
And you can get hosting for your blog here for $2.95/mo with a FREE domain name. Just make sure it’s through my special link so that you can actually get that amazing price and free domain. 🙂
Also, feel free to check out my step-by-step guide that will show you how to easily create your own blog here!
10. I need to be working because I need the money, should I still consider blogging?
DEFINITELY!
Just a few months before our blog took off, I wanted to stop researching and blogging. I wanted to get a job so we could actually not feel like we were coming up for air every time payday came around.
Here were the things I said to my husband, Silas, out of desperation…
“Maybe I could get a part-time job at the Dollar Store since that’s close by (side note: we only had one car).”
“Even if I just got paid $500 month, it would still be something to help out.”
But his answers were things I could never forget because, without them, we’d still be stuck in northern Indiana right now.
He asked me where I wanted to be in 5 or 10 years down the road? Working at the Dollar Store and surfing Facebook at night? Or did I want to be traveling the world and working when I wanted to work? He told me that he knew I could do it and we were going to make it out together.
If it wasn’t for his encouragement and help, I honestly don’t know when we would have made it out of our situation.
This is something called opportunity cost…
Now the definition of opportunity cost is, “The loss of other alternatives when one alternative is chosen.”
In my situation, opportunity cost was giving up the easy money I could have made working a part-time retail job, for the chance to make more than I had ever made before. Sure it hurt at the time, but it was so worth it!
I totally understand when sweeping the idea of blogging under the rug feels like the easiest thing to do. It’s hard when you you’re facing serious financial struggles and need to make ends meet.
But guys, I’ve known moms going through a divorce who started blogging and made a full-time income and were able to stay home with their kids. And I’ve even known people with full-time jobs who started a blog as a side-hustle and quit when their blog started making more money than their job.
You CAN do this!
Bali is a beautiful place!
11. I’m not tech-savvy… is this complicated?
Thankfully Bluehost and WordPress have made starting a blog a lot simpler. Now if you had come into the game 10 or 15 years ago… then yeah! It would be SERIOUSLY challenging. But thankfully, things have become a LOT easier, which is great for non-tech-savvy people like you and me.
PLUS, if you are having any sort of trouble with setup, there are people directly on the other end of Bluehost who are there to help you out as well as TONS of free tutorials (video and written) to guide you along. These two factors make the tech side of blogging simple and unintimidating.
12. How do I find the right name for my blog?
If coming up with a blog name is hard for you (it was for me!), then you’ll definitely want to check out my husband’s post on finding the RIGHT blog name for you. It’s filled with great advice, no fluff, I swear!
13. Where do I find the time to blog?
One of the simplest two ways to find time to blog is to narrow down and cut out.
You want to narrow down on your focus right away. You want to find the main few things that will get you to where you want to go the fastest (like how I talked about in the question, #4. Where do I even start? It’s overwhelming!). So basically, the most important things.
Then you want to cut out the unnecessary. Get rid of the blogging tasks that keep you overwhelmed and aren’t going to get you to those pageview (number of readers on your site) and income goal.
NEXT.
Narrow and cut down in your personal life. Are there home tasks or errands outside the home you could delegate to someone else? Would you be willing to cut down on media time (like on Facebook or Netflix)? Because while those things are fun and entertaining, they’re going to keep you away from living a life with time and money freedom. They’re going to keep you away from spending more time with your kids, spouse, friends, family and dreams. They’ll also keep you away from getting ahead financially and paying off the house or credit cards and/or student loan debt. There are SO many things like this that keep us away from living our dreams.
So find what those things are and cut the time you spend on them down or all together.
You’ll also just want to analyze your life in general. There are probably things taking up too much of your time or mental bandwidth throughout the week. So make sure to narrow in on the most important things in your life right now so that you can blog and have more freedom later.
Time blocking is another great way to make time for blogging (Time blocking: a type of scheduling where you dedicate a certain amount of time to a certain task, instead of just giving yourself an undisclosed amount of time to work on something).
If you just keep yourself to 1 hour doing a certain blogging task and 30 minutes for another blogging task, you’ll be able to work on the blog and not feel stressed out. You won’t be expanding the time it takes to finish something.
And the same goes for outside of blogging too. If you can time block your daily or weekly tasks or other parts of your life, then you can create more breathing room for blogging.
And lastly, there are going to be times where you’ll need to sacrifice. I remember there were nights where I would stay up a couple of hours after my husband had gone to bed just to work on the blog. Those extra hours you work will make a BIG difference in your success. And it will get you there faster too.
It’s all about the small sacrifices now for BIG rewards later.
14. Where do I find topics to write on?
In question #2. I feel like there are too many people in my niche. Should I even bother? I go into detail on how you can look to other bigger blogger’s blog posts and see where they’re not adding value.
This is a GREAT way to start brainstorming up awesome blog post ideas. You don’t want to copy them directly, but you do want to understand that the bigger bloggers are writing on those topics for a reason. And that reason is that they know that the topic they’re writing on is popular and will help out their big audience. They understand what’s going to pull in A LOT of readers since they’ve been blogging for a long time. They know what people want to hear about.
Another great way to brainstorm blog posts is to go onto Pinterest and type in a topic like, “frugal living tips” or “weight loss tips,” (depending on your niche) and see what the popular pins at the top of the page are. These pins are popular because their topic hit home with a lot of readers. Then you can go into the person’s blog post and see where you can add value.
Also, just keep a notebook or a place on your phone where you can write down blog post ideas as they come to you while you’re just living life.
Last Note: Just make sure that the blog posts follow WIIFM, which stands for “What’s In It For Me.” Readers want to know how this blog post can change something big or small in their life. And they want to know how they can do it now, not at some point in the far-off future. So give them a title and subject that lets them know how they can solve a problem by reading your blog post.
You can sign up to get my FREE viral blog post checklist here!
15. I don’t feel like I’m a good writer, what should I do?
I feel like this is almost EVERYONE when they first start out, so don’t feel discouraged!
When you’re a new blogger, you’re just finding your voice and discovering how you like to write and what you like to write about.
And one of the best ways to quickly get better is to read a few different bloggers throughout the week in your niche as well as outside your niche.
This is a great way to get a feel for how others write and what their “blog voice” sounds like. Bloggers like Lindsay from Pinch of Yum (who is an amazingly talented and funny writer) who sound SO natural. But when asked about it in an interview, she talked about how she had to read multiple other bloggers to find her own blogging voice. Which was CRAZY for me since she sounds like a complete natural!
So as you start in this process of becoming a better writer and learning how to tell stories and relate to your readers, one of the best things you can do is study the bigger bloggers.
I want to let you know that if you DO start a blog, I’m here to help you along the way. So feel free to email me at contact@chasingfoxes.com!
PLUS! If you have any questions that weren’t addressed here, please let me know in the comments down below!
I’d love to add them!
Here are some more posts on blogging to help you get started!
How to Come Up with an Amazing Blog Name
How to Find Your Blog’s Niche & Make it Successful
How I Made $3,000 in My 3rd Month of Blogging
Why You Need an Email List & How to Set One Up
How this Blogger Went from $0 to Over $50k+ a Month Blogging
The Course That’s Turned Others Into Successful Bloggers
How to Actually Increase Your Blogging Income (Passively!)
3 Things Blogging Pros Do to Get Millions of Views
Alright so that was a lot to read I know, sorry about that. It’s just that I have so much to share. And I really love helping other people out. Seriously, it’s fun to inspire and help others get on their way to living their dreams.
So I hope this was helpful for you (and at least inspired you a little), and if you have any questions or tips yourself, let me know in the comments down below! I’d love to hear them!
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Chasing Foxes was started in 2016 as a way for Grace and her husband, Silas, to start traveling. However, they started to realize that they had a passion for improving themselves, and wanted to help others level up their lives as well. So whether it's with cooking, travel, or staying healthy, they want to help you better your life bit by bit, as they do the same.
Well I definitely enjoyed studying it. This tip provided by you is very constructive for good planning.
Outstanding article dear, thanks for sharing this, and I got new ideas about my Pinterest account. It helped a lot I appreciate your efforts.
“I never heard that anyone can work and earn from Pinterest too. interesting blog thanks
You are most welcome Jayant! 🙂
Thanks so much I loved how plain and simple you made everything sound to get the most from Pinterest.
All my best,
Grace,
I love these actionable steps for succeeding at Pinterest. I’ll definitely look into Pin Groupie now and email some board leaders. Thank you! So helpful!
Wow thanks to you for dis write-up. I have a Pinterest account for the past two years but i don’t know how to go about it. I was so confused, may God bless you for sharing
I am so glad that I found this post and your blog. I am in the process of shutting down my dream store (lots of factors lead up to this) and everyone keeps asking me what I’m going to do next. I have no idea! I spent the last 2 years devoted entirely to this store and now with all my free time I haven’t a clue what to do with myself . I stumbled upon your pin and feel like this may be my next adventure.
The biggest problem I used to face in maintaining my Pinterest account was my irregularity in posts. I started searching for an automation tool, and then I discovered PinPinterest com. PinPinterest is the right tool for those who are unable to give time to their Pinterest account. All it needs is a five-minute setup, and you are free to go, PinPinterest will take care of the rest.
Hi,
Great info here. Never knew that it would be a good idea to make multiple pins for the same post. Will be giving this a nice test.
Thanks for sharing and take care.
Thank you for your great post. I especially love the part about bringing God into it. I am a stay at home mom of 5, and my husband works very hard. I have looked for ways online to work but have not been successful. I’m going to really ask God to guide me in this. Maybe we can talk in the future about steps for me to take to get started. God bless you.
Thank you for sharing. Very helpful!
You are most welcome! 🙂
Silas and Grace; fabulous job guys. Pinterest is a goldmine for generous, intelligent Pinners.
I have been pinning manually and it just is not taking off. I think I might need to automate the process now.
Great Information. I always wondered how people made money on Pinterest.
Hi Grace!
Loved your post. It is so warm and welcoming. Just love your writing style. It’s bubbly and lively with great info and advice. Thank you.
This is so interesting! I had no idea Pinterest could make me money! I like writing and reading blogs and pinterest, so I really should start a blog and follow these tips! Thanks for being so open and sharing your secrets!
Thanks for sharing. I’ve had a Pinterest account for a while but never fully understood it. I’m refocusing to Pinterest no to get my new blog rolling. I’m trying to pay of my mortgage early by building a blog followin gproviding valuable content and hopefully be accepted to a few affiliate networks. But first I have to get this Pinterest strategy down.
You are so welcome Henrico!
Glad to hear you’re going after things with your blog!
Nice blog.
Keep it up.
Thanks Divy!
Hi, I have just started a blog last month. http://www.bitsnblocks.co. I find your tips to be useful. I will put them in my blog and see the difference.
Thanks !
Good to hear Neeraj!
I read this article more than a couple of times now. And I always come back to it. You definitely give genuine helpful tips which I find truly amazing. And just wanted to say Thanks for the awesome posts
Thank you SO much for this post. I started my blog 12 days ago and man oh man, it’s been a wild ride so far. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience so freely and thank you for relying on the Lord to guide you on this journey. It’s what I am striving to do as well.
God bless you and your endeavors!
Wow Grace!!! I have been working online on my side hustle for 5 years and have been putting off starting my blog. This year I stopped any other activities that weren’t yielding any results and decided to focus on my blog. This was the sign from God that I needed to confirm that my decision was guided by Him. I’m coming home to my kids and I know that with God as our captain we will be successful. I’m deleting my original posts that I currently have that are poorly written and starting fresh with your insights.
Looking forward to inspire and help many other people realize their dreams just as you have inspired me. God bless you!
Grace,
This post was THE post that inspired me to believe that I could actually make a blog work. I began working on it part time in October, and I just launched it yesterday. There is sooooo much left to do and learn, but I’ve already done things I never dreamed of doing through this process. I just want to say thank you for publishing such a thorough and helpful article. I have it bookmarked, and I return to it often. I must have read it 10 times already! I’d love you to take a look and I welcome ANY advice you might have for me! And a special thank you for the last paragraph of this article. It affirms what I believe about God being big enough to make this happen for me. < Sincerely, Lisa at https://www.yourbestlifeafter50.com.
Hi Grace! I really enjoyed your post. I’m definitely ready to start my blog now And I absolutely love how you included God at the end. I totally agree, we need Him in everything we do. Peace & Love
It’s so true LaMia. 🙂
Very nice and Sweet Article. Thank u
I’m glad I was able to help you out Danial! 🙂
Thank you so much for creating such a wealth of info. It has helped so much with starting our blog especially PinGroupie. Thank you again!
This was amazing! Thank you!
I came across this yesterday. I felt like I knew you. You have a great way of connecting with your reader. And I was getting so excited just reading it. Then i got to the end–truly feel like this was the exact one I needed to read. I’m pumped to get started. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Grace,
I just ran across your post and decided to click on it which I’m glad I did. I have been looking for ways to make money from home after becoming disabled two years ago, after running into some scams I thought about blogging but all the articles/blogs I read weren’t any help so I moved that idea to the back burner and continued looking elsewhere. You’re blog was very helpful and gave me a clear understanding of what I have to do now I just need to come up with things to blog about. I’m glad you gave glory to God for your success and I know he lead me to your blog. Thank you so much and I’m signing up for your email list.
Best Wishes
I am so inspired by your post on Pinterest and this little voice in my head keeps saying you’re to old to do this- but I keep quieting her and telling myself I can do it! I spend more than a few hours each day on Pinterest and sometimes a few more online with other things so I think I can. I have lots of experiences under my belt and lots of stories to share so I think I’m going to give it a try.
Wow! Absolutely amazing article. First, when I went through the headline, I didn’t even believe that because this is the first time I heard that Pinterest could gain this much traffic to a blog. It was one of the useless apps to me. I rarely open Pinterest.
But, when I finished reading this, I put it into my daily use app folder, and I’m gonna follow your steps.
Thank you very much for revealing this ma’am.
Thanks for this. I have recently started my blog section and I am thinking to earn money from it. Your blog gave me great ideas.
I never got what all the fuss about Pinterest was. Now I KNOW!
Thanks for sharing! I’m very glad I read this post.
Bookmark, here I come!
Wow, since I discovered that there is such a thing as Pinterest I got hooked, I even introduced my colleagues to it. But I never ever knew its benefits and the returns it brings. Being a blogger in Africa (South Africa) is a challenge because many people are not tech savvy, But I am trying. You just motivated me to not give up, there is hope for us African bloggers.
Umm…that was the best thing I’ve read about blogging and generating traffic I’ve come across in…ever. Almost all of the Pinterest pins say the exact same things. They’re useful, but not insightful. I understand the need for the quick steps pins, but I needed advice from experience. You nailed it. Thanks for sharing. BTW, I’ve only left a comment like this once before…a looong time ago. So, I hope you feel super special, and you’re welcome. LOL!
Hi Grace,
I’m just starting out, but blogging has been something I’ve been thinking of for quite some time. One of your articles was the push I needed to stop thinking and start really planning and start doing. Thank you so much for your guidance and being genuine and there to help others. I hope to have good things to show you soon.
Thank you so much for this post. For the longest time, I have been figuring out Pinterest and this post of yours explain it all thoroughly. Thank you once again.
Really enjoyed this post thanks for sharing.
Hello! Thank you for such a great read! I feel so inspired!!
Thank you Silas and Grace! I am literally following this post to the “T” right now. I am new to blogging and love learning more about how to monetize and grow! It’s challenging and fun at the same time! Love the very end! 😉
We can’t do anything without Him!
Thank you so much for the direction! I find myself and my wife in the exact smae position and I love to write. Blogging was never really an idea, but it moved me so I am looking to go full steam ahead! BTW, I absolutely LOVE your Last-but-not-least point!
Hi Silas & Grace, first I would like to say Thank you for composing such an informative post. I’ve been blogging for a while and I’m still learning. Secondly. I’m a firm believer that when you pray God will direct your path. I pray daily for him to guide my hands as I prepare my day blogging. Third, I would love to personallyspeak with you, I hope you would agree. I would love to chat about a few things that you may be able to advise me on. Please let me know and thanks again.
Amazing useful tips right here, i bookmarked this blog post on my desktop sometime ago and i read it 5 or 8 times to understand how Pinterest works and all that.I follow your tips and advice’s especially ones that try different image per post and do not rely on one image only and it really worked out i went from 937 followers to 3500 in 2 moths and this is quiet achievement from my prospective. I don’t use any automated services which really can be a time saver , still old school like to pin old fashion way hahhah… Thank You !
So encouraged! About 6 weeks ago, I felt inspired to start a blog. I’ve been researching and doing the leg work to kick it off early fall 2017 (hopefully). I feel stretched and have found this to be a walk of faith. Tonight, as I went through an online course on blogging, I paused and prayed (once again) asking God to help me…to lead me. I stopped the eCourse and decided to do a little of my own research and came to your page. Initially, I was interested in your site because there’s similarity in our topics/interests. I immediately took action by liking your FB page and being added to your email distribution. THEN, I read your last comment about God. “Now if you do believe in God, I definitely recommend that you make him apart of the process. He’ll show you what to do if you include Him in your path to success.” How encouraging…I had just prayed this minutes before I stumbled to your page. Thank you! Not only is it encouraging, but it’s affirming! I pray the best for your journey and look forward to following along.
Cheers,
Melissa
It was as if I was reading “just another blog” until I’ve got to the “Now Last But Not Definitely Not Least” part. WOW !
It became an UNIQUE post to me at that point. Taking you 500% more serious now. THANKS FOR BEING BRAVE AND SAYING HIS NAME !!!
You have completely changed my view on pinterest! I am a new blogger and like you, want to transform my life so I can do things on my terms. I was not utilizing pinterest nearly as much as you have stressed and what you have written makes so much sense! Thank you for the tips!!
You have inspired me and my husband to embrace our lifestyle and turn it into income. We hunt, we fish, and we pray to God. I am so glad that God led me to your site. I needed to know that I wasn’t the only one that wants to include him in my journey. My website isn’t ready for viewing at the moment, but it is coming soon.
Hey,
Trust! All is well with you. Read your blog you are doing awesome. I don’t know I can do it or not but really want to be a part of this. All I can say is god bless you.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I’ve this bouncing around in my mind for YEARS. Now I finally have a starting place.
Hello! My name is Isabella and honestly I don’t even know where to start.. Within the last year I have overcome a lot of challenges and have been feeling God giving me the occasional nudge to pursue a career in blogging to share my story and his story with others. I am your typical stay at mom who struggles from time to time with feeling lost in the mommy world. Your post first caught my eye because you mentioned making pinterest your full time job. My husband and I joked that if that were a real possibility it would be the perfect job for me. However what got me was at the end of your post when you mentioned God and how he made it possible. I don’t even know where to begin in this blogging world and after trying pyramid schemes, surveys, and even daycare you could say that I am extremely skeptical whether I have what it takes. It seems so daunting. I have always had a passion for writing and I know I have so many interests to right about. I have so many questions.. how to choose a good blog name that will grasp the attention of a multitude of readers, how to introduce myself in the blogging realm, what to write about in that first post. I really appreciate your post and know that God is using you for his good and his work in his might kingdom. Again thanks so much!
I have read and re-read most of your posts at least 3 times each. I leave them open on my iPad and go over them every week or two to really absorb the information. I am launching my blog this summer and I have found your site to be the most helpful and positive one I have come across. I am usually a big planner and have been striving to let go and let God guide me, what a challenge! LOL I really connected with your comment of God guiding you to the right people to learn from, for me, I feel that is you. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your willingness to help others. I just want to let you know that you are appreciated!
Thank you so much for your post. I first saw it back in November 2017 and kind of put it on the back burner as a possibility. Recently, I have started doing a little more research and I am excited about the possibilities. Your post is truly inspiring, I loved how plain and simple you made everything sound.
Thank you so much Mary! I’m so glad my post was able to help you out in your research! I try to provide good value. 🙂
Thank you for this article 🙂 I have a domain, and a blog (technically not “hosted” — 2 of them actually — on Blogger) and I read another article that recommended that I write 25-50 blog posts before launching & monetizing the blog. So would you recommend that as well? And should there be a theme/niche, or can there be blogs that are not aimed at monetizing that people would read just for their own interest? Thanks in advance, if you can pm me, that would be great!
Hey Kelli!
Yep! That’s the exact amount I’d recommend anyone to start with.
And to be honest, it’s up to you. If your aim isn’t to monetize and/or not have a specific niche, you can still get a great audience. It’s the content that gets people in (if its good quality!).
Hope I understood your question right!
When you say we should write 20 to 50 posts before we launch our blog, do you mean write them and then post them and predate them? Sorry if that’s a dumb question. I’m new here!
Hey Kari!
Not dumb at all! When I say write 20-50 posts before launching, I mean save them in a Google Doc, or save them as drafts in your WP dashboard.
Then once you officially launch your blog, you can easily publish them. 🙂
Hi Grace!
I think you are my new best friend! Well, maybe your blog is. I have pinned, read, pinned, read several blogs on starting up a blog. This information has been, by far, the best information I have read. I’ve only read this one post, but will be reading more and signing up for your emails. Probably unsubscribing from others. While I had already started a blog a few years ago, I didn’t keep up with it. I’ve been toying with creating a new one. All of your info was great, but the one point that really resonates with me is to create 25-50 posts BEFORE launching the blog…OMG…makes perfect sense.
Thank you and I’m excited to move forward!
-Sandi
Hey Sandi! I’m SUPER glad I could help and inspire you! I really do try hard to give readers like you actionable advice, so thank you for the feedback!
Again, I’m very happy you enjoyed my post so much! Hope to help you in future blog posts! 🙂
Hello Grace!
It was such a delight to me to come across this post!
My part time tutoring job is coming to a close, so I have been researching for and praying about a way to earn money from home. This was a very inspiring post! Exciting as it seems though, now i must give it a try.
I loved the last section you included in your blog! It definitely is the Lord’s help.
Thanks again for the inspiring post!
-anna
Hey Anna! I’m so glad I could help and inspire you! I really try hard to give my readers great value. 🙂
And definitely, He’s helped us out so much!
Hi Grace, i love your article. I have been looking for ways to earn online for so many reasons. I have read a lot of articles and most of them didn’t really help me understand the process. Your blog made understand what i have to do. It felt sincere. That us a big deal for me. Thank you so much.
I am so glad I could help and inspire you Mary Grace!
I really do try to make sure I provide a lot of value for my readers, so it means a lot when I get feedback from people like you that I’m doing my job well. 🙂
Hi! This was a great post – thank you so much!! I’m getting ready to launch a mommy blog, and I’m incredibly grateful for all the transparent bloggers who share their success and how to’s. I’m looking forward to reading more of your posts! I did have one question about this post – you mentioned pinning pins that have a high re-pin rate. How do I know, when looking at a pin, how many times it’s been re-pinned?
Hey Sarah! I’m really glad my post could provide you with good actionable advice!
At the bottom of each pin, it’ll show you how many repins it has. So for example, you’ll see pins with 383 repins or 11k repins. I hope this makes sense! 🙂
I’ve been learning about blogs for years and no idea how to start. Maybe this is a good start?
Definitely! I’d also check out my most recent income report which will give you even more tips and steps on how to get started. 🙂
Hi, I am interested in blogging, but I am not a social media person, I think I fear social media. Do you have any tips on how I can get over that fear?
Hey Anna, what parts of Social Media scare you? 🙂
Hi!
I have alot of great life experiences and would love to start a blog. I’m sitting here at my 9 to 5 job knowing there is something better! I need to know the VERY FIRST thing to do..lol!
Jill
Hey Jill! If you’re looking for the very first thing to do, then definitely check out this post. I guide you in exactly what you need to do. 🙂
I thought this post was great! Awesome meat and potatoes post with no fluff!!!
And i especially loved your reference to the Alpha and the Omega, the Most High!!!! You have a subbie here!
My blogging journey has been very difficult. i have no idea what i want my niche to be, and im not branded yet!
Im going to pray and ask for guidance
Hey Jojo! I’m so glad I was able to help and inspire you! And definitely, God has been so good to us.:)
Let me know when you come up with a niche! I’d love to hear about it! 🙂
Pretty much amazed when you said, blog about problem solving. If you solve a problem then you are already up for the race. Exactly my point of view. Thanks for the detailed post.
Thank you so much Delwar. 🙂
Hey, there!
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and wisdom about starting a blog! I recently graduated college and had some awful jobs before realizing that the 9-5 lifestyle is not the lifestyle God etched out for me specifically. I’d been wanting to start a blog for a while but I always let something g else get in the way of going for it. So apparently getting fired was really good for me. I’m so thankful that God led me to your post because you’re part of the reason why I had the courage to take the next step. Starting a blog is a lot more work than I realized but I’m excited to see where it takes me! I’ve been referencing your post very frequently and I just felt the need to thank you for your kindness and wisdom during this visit! Thanks so much again!
Hey Donniesha! I’m so glad that I was able to help and inspire you! You can SO do this, I fully encourage you to go after blogging. It’ll change your life.
Wao this is the first time someone is shearing a very expensive blog for free some of the things they teach in a seminar of of 10,000 naira is not even more then this thank u so much.God bless u.
Im so glad I could help and inspire you Bakare! 🙂
Amazing! Just read tge rest of your responses…Look at all these people you inspired, you go girl!!
Hey Kadi! Thank you so much! 🙂
This post has really inspired me, I am a mom of 3 and for the first years of their life I was a stay at home mom. I loved it! I am currently working full time and I miss all the time I had for my children and to volunteer at their school. I am also a Christian and I do believe I stumble with this post for a reason. I am from Puerto Rico and our main language is Spanish although most of us know English too. Do you think a Spanish blog can have the same succes? I need to pray about this. God Bless!!
Hey Esther! I totally understand that you want to stay home with your awesome kids!
As for the language, I sadly think you’ll have to do it in English. I wish I could say that you could do it in Spanish, however, you’ll get more traffic since there are a lot more English speakers on Pinterest. I hope this helps you out and God Bless you too! 🙂
Hi, Silas and Grace,
Thank you for the information. The fact that you gave God the credit and I have been praying for guidance from Him, shows me I am in the right place. My husband and I have recently lost our business of 20 years and I have watched our dreams go down with it. We now must re-invent ourselves and I have been looking for something that we may be able to do to rebuild our life and give us something to dream about again. What you have shared has given me food for thought. Thank you!
I’m so glad I could help you and inspire you Kris! I really am sorry to hear about this, it breaks my heart. But I know you can make it through this. I’ll be praying for you.
Thanks, guys, I will 🙂
Hi, guys, I loved the story! I’m from Peru and got very inspired by reading you! I just wanted to ask you if there is another way (besides the website) to get in touch with Kiera, the visual designer, because I’m really into working my new company image and I would love to talk to her. I wrote her a week ago and there was no reply at all so if maybe there is another way it would be just awesome! You rock!
Hey Nancy! I think I’d definitely just email her a second time and wait. If she doesn’t get back to you again, let me know and I’ll see what I can do. 🙂
Great and inspiring post. How much time do you spend blogging, pinning and posting each week? I have more free time now than ever, and need to start using it wisely. Why not make money doing something enjoyable. I think I can follow your plan. Thank you!
Hey Teresa! I spend about 20 hours a week, but I’ll be upping that to around 30+ hours a week now. I hope this helps you out! 🙂
I love the advice you gave but I have to say that my favorite was when you said you couldn’t have done it without God. I haven’t launched my blog yet but I feel the same way that he is guiding me in learning how to blog into a business. I call him the head of my business and he teaches me things that I know couldn’t do without him. Many blessings and much success to you.
Thank you!!! This is so helpful, and I’m excited to get started!!
First, I want to thank you for all the amazing info that you’ve provided on this subject! It was one your posts that first inspired to me start my own blog. I’ve been writing posts for a while now and just now signed up with BlueHost. I’m trying to figure it all out now and to be honest, I am a little overwhelmed. At the moment, my main goal is getting all the posts that I’ve already written onto my site and making them look good. Once I finish with this, my next step would be to sign up for adsense, correct? Then I would actually pin all of the posts and start trying to get on group boards?
Hey Madison! I would try to get onto as many good group boards as you can while writing posts, and then sign up for Adsense. 🙂
Hello! I have been contemplating a blog for quite some time but I have no idea what to write about! I have many interests! And I skip around constantly! I love Pinterest and pin all the time…. i just do not know hoe to begin writing a blog! ugh…We’ve had quite a bit of downhill slide these last few years and this idea may really help!
Any suggestions ????
Grace F
Hey Grace, I think the best question to start off with is, what are you most passionate/interested in? 🙂
Thanks for posting this informative post…something I am very interested in and will be putting to use… I have a blog on blog post… I will be using your tips for starting my blog elsewhere…. love the ending of your post… God is my director in all I do in my life… Seek and you will find is the only way to go with God in the drivers seat…
Thank u soo much for helping us. I really need ur help through my journey. I like fashion designing. How can i start.will u help me. Thanku
Thank u soo much for helping us. I really need ur help through my journey. I like fashion designing. How can i start.
Hi, Thank you for charing this information. Do you know if the blog can be in another languages? Please advise! Again, Thank You! Good day! God Bless you!
You can blog in whatever language you like. 🙂
Great post! I loved it! When I first clicked on this post, I really didn’t expect to get any new information. But I actually learned quite a few useful things. I think I am going to be able to better narrow down my focus and my pinning strategies with your tips. Thanks so much!
-Rachel@Tidy&Teal | Personal Finance Blog
Your posts are my faaaavorites! Thank you for always being SO clear. I know I speak for many when I say its rare that someone truly writes to help others. I do have a question! When you make a Business Account and create different boards – Are you pinning/saving your OWN posts or others? Like for example say i want to pin something about easy at home workouts. Do I make my board using others posts/articles about this topic or do I create a blog post from my own site and then post THAT? Hope this is clear. God bless you my friend!
Hey Taylor! I would start off using other people’s content first. And if a subject you write on (like workouts) happens to fit to one of your boards (like a fitness/health board), you can put it on that board. But definitely start off with other blogger’s pins. 🙂
Grace, thanks for this amazing and informative article! This is really comprehensive and well put-together. And as a non-theist, I think it’s awesome that you comfortably share everything that’s important to you in your process! Thanks for sharing your faith so friendly-ly, and for giving it its own perfect-sized dose of attention (as opposed to lacing it into everything so much as to be distracting, as happens sometimes on some blogs). Your execution and delivery, all around, really shows off that you’re good at this and adds even more credibility to the great information itself! I just discovered your site for what I think is the first time, and I’m definitely going to be all over it now! 🙂
Hey Emerald! I’m so glad you appreciated my post and delivery! I look forward to hearing more about your own success! 🙂
Great tips! Thank you so much for sharing. I especially love your last tip, and that you didn’t shy away from giving glory to God.
I’m glad I could help you out and inspire you! 🙂
Hi Grace,
This is seriously the first time I’ve ever commented on a blog but it had to be done,lol. I just wanted to say how great it is for you to share your success story AND tell people how they can do it too. I’ve pretty much been a stay at home mom (for over 25 yrs.) But now our 3 boys are gone on to the real world, except our youngest who was killed in a logging accident at 18, and have been having a heck of time trying to figure out what to DO with my time as my husband, also a logger is gone at least 12 hours a day,ugh! I think you may have just saved my sanity,seriously. With Him everything happens for a reason and I think He just opened another door for me, you! I’m going to give this the old one,two and hopefully one day I can be as successful as you. Thank you for that
We’re so happy we were able to help and encourage you, Wendy. Thanks for letting us know. 🙂
Thank You, This is All I need. Great Article, Straight to the point.
We’re happy to be able to help you, Harry.
This was a very informative and clear understanding post. Thank you for breaking it down. I am in the process of starting my own blog and I feel confident after reviewing and taking notes on this. Thank you I loved this!!
We’re so glad we were able to be helpful to you, Chelsea. 🙂
I really admire you for giving God the credit also, so few people recognize Him in our age of unbelief, you’re really inspiring!
Hi Grace,
I am totally inspired by your post. I recently got into a car accident that caused me to have surgery and become disable from driving at this time. I also had a severe post concussion that caused me to have some permanent memory and consitration lost. Long story short, not only am I bored at home, I also would like to make some income to pay for my medical bills. I was reading your post and I am super motivated and excited to try your steps. I was wondering if you can give me some advice and tips on where to start because I dont really know where to begin. I love pinterest, but im not familiar with the whole “pin” thing and sorts. But your post did help explain it. am super nervous yet excited.
Thank You,
Carisa
Hey Carisa! I’m so glad I could help and inspire you! And I’m really sorry to hear about this accident! Definitely give it a try while you’re recovering. Then you can see if it’s something you’re passionate about. 🙂
Hi! I found you’re blog right now in Pinterest. And I’m from Portugal, so sorry for my english.
My dream, my love is travel with my boyfriend so I will take you’re words like the words ou a God!
Thank you so much for your work and I am a fan of you. Kiss from Portugal
We’re both glad our work can help you, Raquel. We’re thinking of you in Portugal from here in Bali. 🙂
Hey there! I just wanted to say, that I’ve been thinking about starting my own blog. I was very scared and intimidated, but then I found you. Thank you so much for your post. You’ve given me a big boost!!
Thanks so much, we’re glad to have helped you out, Heather. 🙂
Thank you so much for this great post! This was one of the ones I came across recently where I knew God was pulling me back in the blogging direction. I have a question regarding having 25-50 posts written before launching a blog. You said having these posts written ahead of time will give readers more content to read when they visit my blog, so I am wondering if that means all of the posts should actually be posted when the blog launches, or just written and then one posted every day or two? And if it’s best to post all 25-50 before launching, does it matter if the visible posted dates are all the same day? Hope that makes sense! Thanks in advance!
We posted all our initial posts at launch so that when people came onto our site they’d have something to see. They’d know that it was a blog someone put work into and would likely be able to find other things to read about. Also, this adds credibility and keeps things from looking bare.
Hi Grace! I loved this post! I am launching my blog this week! I loved how you said that once you become successful, you just can’t help sharing your experience of how you did it. I have been learning a lot about having a growth mindset lately and I can totally see myself becoming a success. Nothing is impossible! You have given me the insight and inspiration I needed to continue to work on getting my blog ready! One question: I went from 200 followers on Pinterest in Sept 2016 to over 8.1k now. All by pinning things in my niche. Once my following started growing fairly rapidly, I made the decision to look into starting my own blog so I could pin my own projects. I understand you need to build followers on all social media platforms, is there a way to help flow Pinterest followers over to Twitter and Instagram?
Hey Shella! I’m so glad you loved my post! Also, love you blog name!
The best way to help Pinterest followers to find your Twitter and Insta is to link pin images (whether it’s a Insa photo or a quote image from Twitter) over to your social media accounts. I hope I understood your question right! 🙂
Great post!! Thanks for laying it out; plain and simple! So many posts go on and on and after reading all of it, it’s things I already knew. Yours was to the point and so very helpful!! Congrats on your success!!
We’re glad we could help you out, Lo. 🙂
Hey! Thanks for this post. It motivates me to start blogging.
We’re glad we can help motivate you, Ritika!
Thank you for sharing! After Pinterest’s algorithm changed, I kinda gave up. I’ve just recently started to work on my Pinterest again! 🙂 You’re so so so helpful, you little angel thank you!
Awww, thanks so much. I’m glad we can help you out.
I can not begin to tell you how enlightening your blog post on how to start a blogging business is. There is so much information out there that makes one close and open the next hoping and praying it will be easier to learn by. I would love to print this information out and read it again and again. There are so many different options out there yet yours makes perfect sense to me. I also think I will need to write down everything you suggested and learn what each one does and why each is so important. I want to thank you for paying it forward because like you said God has held your hand through each step along the way and it is of up most importance to give him thanks in all we do and in all we receive. I will continue to read your blog and take in everything I can. Have a wonderful day and a blessed New Year, mine is off to a great start thanks you to!
Hey Deana! I’ SO glad I could help and inspire you! You can definitely do this and I look forward to hearing about your success! 🙂
Thank you so much for this post! – SO helpful! And thank you for giving such amazing credit to God. I’ve been skeptical to add references to God on my site, but you have definitely boosted my confidence to do so. Thanks!
I’m glad I could help you out Samantha! 🙂
So happy I discovered this! I recently graduated early from high school and have always been interested in blogging and anything related to it and have always wanted to make it a career but felt very discouraged. After so many people telling me I should and finding you talk about how God led you to here I definitely feel like this is what I should do. Thanks for the help 🙂
Hey Damaris! I’m so excited that you want to start blogging this early! I can definitely see you taking off and making great income right out of high school. Definitely give it a go! 🙂
Good Morning Silas & Grace,
To be honest I’ve always wanted to write i just didn’t quite know how or where to start at. I enjoyed reading your info and would appreciate any information you can share with me to keep me going in the right direction.
Thank you so very much for sharing this I have found it quite enjoyable.
Hey Karen! I’d definitely check out our most recent income report. I really feel like this will help you get started. 🙂
Silas and Grace I shall very thankful to you for sharing your experience and success through Pinterest. I am also working on past one year for my client (here is the profile link: https://in.pinterest.com/thelifesquare/), but I think you should missed one important part is image graphics. Those guide is good.
I’m really glad I was able to help and inspire you Sanjeev! 🙂
Hello Grace, thank you so much for the information. We have been looking at blogging site and trying to get so much information, but we had to wait until we were led to the right blogging information. Everywhere we went they gave us half information and we had to pay for the rest. but when you give from your heart the pay cannot be calculated because it is truly so much. I was doing Pinterest at one time and I stopped. You have given us what we were looking for and thank you so much for letting the CREATOR and Universe lead you in sharing this information with others!!! I will be starting my Pinterest blog back asap. I will definitely stay in touch with you and again, thank you for everything Grace. Many blessings to you and Silas!
Hey Tonya! I’m SO glad we were able to help and inspire you! It’s really our passion to give great info to our readers and be very transparent.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
God Bless. 🙂
Hello Grace, thanks for the post. please do one need to have a website before doing all these? cause i have checked bluehost and almost sign up before checking myself to ask this question.please am from nigeria
Hey Ayo! You can start your own Pinterest business account and start getting onto group boards before you even have a site up. It’s great to get started now so that you can hit the ground running when you do have a blog.
Sound Great
Thank you Milton. 🙂
Great article- but I’m missing the part about where the income comes from… is it all from Google AdSense?
Hey Sarah! Most of it used to be from Adsense, but since them I switched ad servers and I’m now with MediaVine. Here’s a post that talks more on who I get paid from.
Thanks so much for this post. We are still trying to get a hang of pinterest and will try some of these tips for sure! Very inspiring!
Hey Laura! I’m so glad I could help you out! Feel free to ask me any questions!
Awesome content, when you stepped forward and gave God credit as you source I started thinking “Hey I should follow this girl!” This was the easiest to follow most humorous info I have seen on blogging to date. I will be back later – gotta go pin this!
Yes! I’m so glad I could help and inspire you Jeanine! And thank you! I’m glad I could provide humor and value. 🙂
Loved the article. I will be following you and learning daily. It’s very inspiring. I have been working on setting up a blog and you’ve given me a much needed roadmap. Without sounding completely daft, please won’t you explain how you actually receive the money? How to go about setting up and ensuring that you are paid, and who actually pays you? Thank you in advance.
Hey Urvashi! I’m so glad I was able to inspire you! And I can totally do that! On my first income report (which you can find here), it explains how I’m able to get paid from ads an affiliates. I hope this helps you out and if you have any other questions, please let me know!
Happy holidays!
Woah! Thank you very much. I m so inspired to start my earning asap?? Thanks for the info?
I’m so glad I could help you Gausiya!
Hi! just wanted to comment that the site you shared to create pins is pinmonKey.com … just a little typo! Thanks for this post, though , I am just starting out and this was very helpful! I’ll update when I have a site to share!!
Thanks for pointing that out to me! I’m so glad I could help you out And please do keep me updated on your future site! 🙂
I am contemplating starting a blog. I am apprehensive about; nno sure if I have enough content. How did you know the content was enough to be money making?
Angela
Hey Angela!
To be honest, I just stuck to 25-50 posts and Adsense accepted my application.
I hope I answered this correctly! 🙂
Do you mean that Adsense accepted your application with no-to-very-few page views (because it sounds like this is something you did before actually launching your blog)?
Thanks so much Grace!
God bless. <3
We had minimal pageviews when we set up AdSense.
Thank you for the information and inspiration. I have wanted to start a blog and love Pinterest. I would not have thought of bridging the two. Your generosity in sharing you knowledge is appreciated and very helpful.
I’m so glad I was able to help you out Lorraine! Feel free to ask me any questions you have!
Happy holidays! 🙂
Hi Grace, my name is Gavin i would like to do this part time, because i got injured at work an need a bit extra cash,please HELP
Hey Gavin! What are some of the questions you have about blogging? I’d love to help you out, I just need to know where to start. 🙂
Hello!
Thank you so much for all of your amazing tips! For the most part I have been able to follow all of the steps! It is because of you that I started my blog 🙂
Brittany
I’m so glad I could help and inspire you Brittany! Keep me updated and your blog.. looks AMAZING!
Hi Silas and Grace! Thank you for this post. I have been interested in starting a blog for a while now but a lot of the blog posts I’ve read seem so intimidating. I really appreciate how thorough this post is and how you went over many things I had not heard about. Thanks again for a most informative post on starting a blog!
Hey Michelle! I’m so glad I could help and inspire you! And thank you so much for your kind words! Happy holidays!
Love this post!! Really inspiring. Do you have to take your own photos for a blog? Or do you find photos on google? So far on my blog I have been taking all my own photos, but I was just wondering.
Hey Chelsey, sorry for the VERY late reply!
I take my own photos when it comes to food posts but when it comes to others, I use free domain sites (such as Pixabay, Pexels and Google’s free domain search tool). I hope this helps you out!
Such a great post, very different from others I’ve seen, on getting started blogging. I am about ready to jump in head first, but am taking your awesome advice of writing 25-50 posts before opening a blog… working on that now, 1 down, lots to go 🙂 Question- how did you choose your name? Is there somewhere to check what others have named their blogs other than just Google?
Thanks a ton for the inspiration!
Hey Mandy! Thanks for your kind words!
To be honest, we chose our name by brainstorming for a couple weeks. It took a little bit of time, but it was worth it.
I’m not sure if there’s a place to check that out, but I’d just say keep a notepad with you or a constantly write down blog post name ideas in your notepad app on your phone.
I hope this helps you out and happy holidays!
I also appreciate the mention of God in this post. Thanks so much for inspiring me, I intend to get off my butt and start that blog now 🙂
Hey Lindsy! I’m so glad I could help and inspire you! Give me updates on your blog once it’s been launched!
Thank you for inspiration! Been thinking about making a blog in my language to help out people with less language skills. However, I’m not certain whether I have to ask everybody for permission to for ecample make a tutorial on a subject (f.ex. Pin owner), do you know anything about that. I find establishing a blog quite overwhelming – however your post above gave me a further taste for it… It goes without saying; I loooove to travel ?????
Thank you for sharing – I’ll def pin you! ???
Hey Henriette! Sorry for the late reply!
I think if I understand you correctly, I’d just give credit to the original owner and link back to them. I hope this answers your question!
That was beautiful and thank you so much for sharing as it has been very inspiring. I don’t usually comment but I needed you to know how this post has made a difference. I have been wanting to start a relationship blog for the longest and just didn’t know where to begin. Thanks for your help.
I’m so glad I could inspire and help you Sherry! It really is in my interest to give people real tips and guidance. 🙂
Thanks for this very informative article! You melted my heart at the end including God in your success! Good advice!
I’m so glad I could help you Tracey! And thank you! 🙂
I just wanted to say thank you for mentioning God. You did it a way that was sincere and humble. It was quite the inspiration I needed. I don’t have a subject for a blog, and was going to gloss over reading your post. I was convinced that blogging was not for me. However, I really do need the income. So, rather than go on to something else I’m going to really pray about how this might work for me as it has for you.
Bless you.
Thank you Jeannie! God is the reason for our success. 🙂 And I’m glad I could show you how to make income from blogging. If you need any more help, check out my post that’ll guide you step-by-step in creating one. It’s super easy and it really is a great way to make income.
So much helpful and practical advices. Thank you!
You are most welcome Jeffrey! And if you need any help with setting up a blog, check out my post that’ll guide you step-by-step. 🙂
WOW! Thank you so much for your help. I am a new blogger, just getting started and this helps me a lot, I have found a new way to promote my blog.
I’m so glad I could help you out Ashlie! Also, your blog looks GREAT!
Wow! So much great information packed into this post! Like you, I am so grateful for the power of Pinterest! My blog is brand new (like 2 weeks old), but thanks to Pinterest, people are actually seeing my posts and my page views are rising as my pins get repinned. You’re so right about group boards! I’ve been surprised by the generosity of some huge boards that are willing to let little ol’ me join. Bloggers are such a giving community–It definitely never hurts to ask to join a board.
I thought it was so interesting that you mention repinning pins that have a high repin rate. I know it’s important to pin the work of others but I generally just pin what I like (oops!) so I’ll be incorporating highly repinned pins now too!
Thanks so much for this great post! I love your blog so much!! 🙂
Hey Heather! I’m so glad I could inspire and help you out! I’m so glad that your blog is doing well when it comes to Pinterest (it really is the secret weapon for any blogger).
And don’t worry, I used to do the same thing too, but since I’ve started pinning highly repinned images, my number of repins for my own content has gone up. 🙂
And thank you so much! That means a lot to me that you like it! 🙂 Also, your blog is looking great!
I’m interested to work from home job but really don’t know how to start it and I find that Pinterest is a good start for me. The whole day just pinned all the peoples project or ideas and got some followers too so I thought why not make my own to earn like you mam. Hope you can help me to start but I’m not good in English I’m just a housewife that want to earn to help someone too. Thanks for taking time to read my letter.
Hey Josephine! I’m so glad that you want to take a step towards working from home! I’d love to help you out! I just made a post that will guide you step by step in creating your own blog.
If you need anymore help in creating a blog or have any other questions, just let me know! 🙂
Great post. I am new to blogging and my blog is just 2 months old. I loved this Pinterest tip. Also should we use Pinterest personal account or should we create a separate one?
Also can I ask you a question about what comment spam checking do you use? I see here there are lot of comments but all are good and not spam. I get so many Spam comments on my blog. I am fed up actually.
Hey Bhavna! Thanks, it means a lot! 🙂 The best thing to do is to create a separate Pinterest business account for your blog. And I use Jetpack, it’s a great plugin that’ll protect your blog from spamming comments. 🙂 I hope this helps you!
Also, your blog’s looking great! 🙂
Thanks for the article. I’m going to try doing this in my spare time to get started. My biggest problem is finding a topic for a blog, I enjoy writing. First, let me say, I’m not a stay at home mom. I’m a54 year old man, I have injuries from the war where I was from 04-07 that are slowly wearing me down to a point where I physically won’t be able to keep my current career. I refuse to take government assistance or disability, so I need to figure out how to make an income from home. I’ve been reading a lot about blogging and it sounds like something I could be good at if I can find a niche and topic and get started. Any tips on deciding what to blog about?
Well first off Jeff, I want to thank you for your service!
And as for picking a niche/topic, it honestly depends on what your passions and interests are. Once I know those, I think I can help you out more. 🙂
I think you just saved my blogging career! I’ve been running out of inspiration lately and had no idea how I was going to generate the necessary traffic to get a blog off the ground. Everyone else that says “start a blog for extra income” only tells you how to put a blog on the internet. They ask for you to buy their something or another to learn how to increase traffic. I’m broke (literally saving pennies to buy my first year of hosting) or I wouldn’t be looking for ways to make extra money, so I can’t buy their whatever. You just laid it all out there so I have directions when I have enough pennies! Thank you sooo much! Now I have the confidence that I may be able to make a go of this thing after all.
I’m so happy to hear this Chrissy! I totally understand what you’re talking about. When we first started out, we didn’t have much money either. So when other’s provide great value and actionable tips, it makes a world of difference!
Well I hope you have a great week!
Thank you so much for this post! Very inspiring & breaks the process down in an easy format to understand! I have been wanting to start a successful blog for the longest time now & have been completely overwhelmed with all the ways to do it. I am looking forward to give it another go with the tips you listed! Wish you continued success with yours as well! Oh & about making God part of your road to success, couldn’t agree more!!! Thanks Again!
Hey Ren! I’m so glad I was able to help you out! I love inspiring and giving actionable tips! And God is great, He gives us exactly what we need to become a success!
Also, I just created a new post that’s a step-by-step guide on creating a blog. Check it out, I think it’ll help you even more! 🙂
I really enjoyed reading this article. I have been wanting to start a blog for some time now. You have inspired me and inched me a little closer! Continued good luck to you.
Hey no problem Regina! And definitely go with Bluehost when it comes to hosting. I’ve also created a post on how to start a blog with them; it’s a step by step guide that’ll give you a lot of tips! 🙂
Thank you so much for this information. I am late to the blogging/Pinterest game and with the mind boggling maze of information out there I have been too intimidated to try any of it. Your post helped explain a lot. Thanks again!
You are most welcome Wendy! Also, I just created a post that’s a step-by-step guide on how to make one, check it out! I know it’ll help you. 🙂
Hello Silas & Grace ? congrats on all of your great success!! I have a question about multiple pins for one post : do you pin all 5 to each relevant board so that BB is sharing that post 5 times (each with a different pin)? Or, do you put one pin on each so that 5 boards each have a different version of the same pin? Thank you for the green light to approach the big group boards ? I’ve been nervous to do that!
Hey Marie! I put one pin from the 5 variations onto a different board. And go for it! Apply to a ton and you’ll get accepted, I know it! 🙂
I really loved reading this post. You have a truly warm and inviting style. Thanks. I’m a newbie myself and love your tips. What’s your niche?
Hey thank you so much Joleisa! I’m so glad I was able to help you out! And our main niche is lifestyle at the moment. However, our niche is slowly starting to become a side hustle/blogging one to help people get out of the 9-5. 🙂
I was waiting for this post! Hoping you were still doing great and you are!! Go girl! You inspire me!! Im about to launch my blog when Im done making posts. Cant wait!!
Thank you so much Danielle! And I’m so proud of you! I can’t wait to see your blog once it’s up and running.
Also, feel free to check out my new post on how to create a blog. It’ll guide you step by step and help you get started the easy way. 🙂
“Thank you for your very detailed information about blogs”
I’ve been interested in running one for a long time I just wasn’t sure what and how much I had to do to get started,
Of course I want it to be successful and most importantly interesting,
I will definitely be in touch with questions and following take care.
Hey, I’m glad I was able to help you out Flavia! And if you need anymore help on starting a blog, I just created a post that’ll guide you step-by-step on making one. 🙂
Wow thanks for sharing your experience in such informative post! I already have a blog but I still read through the whole thing. I’ve been doing most of what you recommend to use Pinterest effectively, but I didn’t think about creating many images for the same post! I’m definitely going to get on top of that!
Hey, I’m so glad I could help you out Beatriz! 🙂
Another great post on blogging! Thank you for giving easy to follow steps that are not generics that most everyone else writes!
Little FYI though, there were a good amount of misspellings in this post 🙂 – but I’m very sure you have been busier and busier with all the success you have had! And, ever since a couple of my college classmates pointed out to me that I had an eye for catching those mistakes (which I never realized before) then it kind of became my class “job” and now I can’t help but do it 🙂 Not too long ago I read a blog post – I think on WritingRevolt.com where she talked about outsourcing her editing so maybe something to look into (I’m not sure she gave a source because it made me start thinking I should look into getting a job doing that but, then again I would only enjoy it when I am reading great posts like this one!)
Thank you again for these posts, they are very inspiring and motivating!
Hey Tiffany I’m so glad I was able to help you out! As for the misspellings, thanks for letting me know about them! I’ll be sure to check them over. 🙂
Hi Silas and Grace! I’ve been reading your posts for the past couple of months and I’ve got to say, it’s so inspiring to see you follow your dreams by making your side hustle your full time job of not doing the 9-5 grind (and being successful with it!). I’ve been so terrified of following my own dream of become a personal finance blogger but with all of these success stories (like yours) I did it! I created my blog the other day! My first post that I wrote about finances is writing about my successful side hustle experience after I got laid off from my job (and was living paycheck to paycheck…scary!) I made a $1000 in a week with this side hustle.
http://www.myworkmoneylife.com/2016/09/28/howimade1000inaweek/
Your posts have reminded me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and more than one way to be successful (as opposed to the 9-5 grind). I am a firm believer that God let me see your posts (I mean I would literally go in the bathroom with my phone at work and look at income reports and money saving articles) to give me inspiration about my massive amount of student loan and consumer debt that I accumulated from college only to work for a overbearing boss that treated me like dirt! Hard work really does pay off and I can’t wait to see the fruits of my (upcoming) labor!
Wow Catherine! I’m so lad to hear about this and I’m so glad I was able to help you out! Starting up your own side hustle is the most rewarding life choice you could make! It really does open up so many other doors that were closed before!
I can’t wait to see where your blog goes, so keep me updated! 🙂
Grace! Thank you for this post! I have been waiting for a new blogging related post from you and was very happy to see one on your site. =)
I wonder… Do you ever get board with mostly making curation posts? I also wonder how many hours a week you spend on this business as a whole and also how long a typical post takes you to write.
Many, many thanks for sharing your success story in a topical and actionable fashion. You inspire me.
Sincerely,
Amanda
Hey, thank you so much Amanda!
And I actually don’t, it’s pretty fun for me. However, I’m just starting to move on over to posts more related to helping people blog and side hustles in general.
I spend around 30-40 hours a week, but sometimes it can be around 20-30, it just depends. And a typical post takes me around 2-3 hours since I have to research, write, edit, and create pin images and put it out there on Pinterest. 🙂
Again, you are most welcome! I’m glad I could help Amanda!
Hi Grace!
I’ve been thinking about your initial post of making $3000/month within the first couple of months. How has it been recently? What is the breakdown of where you get your income?
It’s been doing great Catherine! We’ve grown and expanded our income sources just this last month! Here’s the income report for September. 🙂
Hello
Thank you so much for including the part about God in your post. I’ve never come across that in any blog, and this is my first time commenting, no first time scrolling to the comment section of a blog. I’ve been skeptical for so long of starting a blog. Now I understand that I want to be able to “work from home” because I love my family so much and I don’t understand how I can only provide by being away. You have truly inspired me to pursue blogging. Thank you!
Chazzmin
He Chazzmin! I’m SO glad I could help you out and inspire you to start your own blog! You will only reap the benefits by starting it now and not some time in the future!
I honestly couldn’t not mention God since he’s the one who’s helped me get where I am today and who will help you out with your pursuit in working from home with your own blog!
Now if you need any more help, check out my new post on 10 simple steps to create your own blog! I think this will make your process all the easier. 🙂
I wholeheartedly agree! I was very interested in this and have been pondering the idea quite a bit, but your major inspirational turning point was mentioning that God helped influence your drive for making this happen! I truly believe this was MY sign! Thank you so much for your honesty. You surely have a gift for communicating! God bless
Hey Kadi! I’m so glad I could inspire and help you out! And I’m glad God led you to this article. 🙂
I agree ladies. I never comment on articles I read either, but this article has been so informative and helpful that I just couldn’t help myself. A tear literally fell down my cheek when you mentioned God and trusting Him to lead me because I’ve been wanting to write for as long as I can remember and never fully had the confidence to go for it. I’ve also been searching for legitimate work from home opportunities and am at a crossroads at my full-time job. This month marks 7 years, and probably the last 5 of those have been miserable going there everyday. I think it’s been slowly killing me. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so generous to share this valuable information with so many people. I thank God I found you.
Best, Georgia
Well, I am crying, very happy tears! By adding the Good Lord as the Last but not least step, WOW, all I can say is AWESOME! That’s all I needed to hear to know that I am headed in the direction He wants me to go! Thank you , my Sister in Christ, Grace, a blogger. Wow, that’s what I am also-well, soon to be! Before I read this, I had no clue that that’s what I’ve been reaching for this whole time, lol! God is sooo good! Amen, this will be a part of my testimony in my blogging future! If I could touch one person the way you just touched me, with the good LORD, that would be a dream come true. Again, thank you for sharing your testimony on starting blogging!