How to Blog for Beginners: Start, Grow, and Make Money

Starting a blog as a beginner feels overwhelming. You’ve heard people make money from it, but you’re not sure where to begin. Maybe you’re worried you don’t have enough time, skills, or ideas. The truth? You don’t need to be an expert to start. You just need to begin. Thousands of people started with zero experience and now earn thousands each month. You can too.

Choose a niche that solves a real problem

Don’t pick a broad topic like "fitness" or "travel." Those are crowded and hard to break into. Instead, find a narrow slice of a topic you care about. For example: "vegan meal prep for busy moms," "budget hiking gear under £50," or "how to manage anxiety with daily journaling."

Ask yourself: Who has this problem? What are they searching for? Use free tools like Google Trends or AnswerThePublic to see what people are actually asking. If you can answer a specific question better than others, you’ve found your niche.

Real example: A woman in Leeds started a blog called "Period Friendly Workouts" after struggling to find exercise routines that didn’t make her cramps worse. Within 10 months, she was making £1,200/month from affiliate links to yoga mats and period-proof underwear.

Set up your blog the right way

You don’t need fancy tools. Start simple. Use WordPress.org (not WordPress.com) because it gives you full control. Pair it with a reliable hosting provider like SiteGround or Hostinger. Both offer beginner-friendly setups and 24/7 support.

Choose a clean, fast theme like Astra or GeneratePress. They’re free, lightweight, and work well on phones. Avoid themes with too many animations or pop-ups-they slow down your site and turn visitors away.

Install these essential plugins right away:

• Yoast SEO - helps you write posts that rank
• Wordfence - protects your site from hackers
• WP Super Cache - makes your site load faster
• Mailchimp for WordPress - lets you collect emails

Your blog doesn’t need to look perfect on day one. Focus on function over form. A clean layout with readable fonts and clear headings matters more than fancy graphics.

Write your first 10 posts before you worry about traffic

Most beginners quit because they publish one post and wait for traffic to come. That doesn’t happen. You need to build momentum.

Write 10 posts before you even think about promoting them. Each one should answer a specific question someone is asking. For example:

• "How to start journaling when you’re too tired after work"
• "Best free tools to edit photos on your phone"
• "Why my sourdough bread always collapses (and how I fixed it)"

Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for helpful. Your first posts won’t be great-and that’s okay. You’ll get better with every one. The goal is to build a library of content that keeps working for you over time.

Write like you’re talking to one person

Stop writing like you’re giving a lecture. Write like you’re texting a friend who’s confused. Use short sentences. Ask questions. Use contractions like "you’re" and "don’t."

Example of bad writing:

"The utilization of consistent content creation methodologies yields improved audience engagement metrics over time."

Example of good writing:

"Posting regularly is the only thing that actually grows your blog. Not fancy tools. Not viral posts. Just showing up."

People read blogs because they want real help, not textbook jargon. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t write it.

Get your first 100 visitors without ads

You don’t need to pay for ads to get traffic. Start with free channels:

• Join Facebook groups related to your niche. Answer questions. When someone asks for help, say: "I wrote a post about this. Here’s the link. Hope it helps!"
• Search Reddit for your niche. Find threads where people are struggling. Give a thoughtful answer and link to your post if it fits.
• Use Pinterest. Create simple vertical images (Canva has free templates) with your post title. Pin them to relevant boards.

Don’t spam. Don’t drop links everywhere. Be helpful first. People will click when they trust you.

One blogger in Manchester got her first 100 visitors by answering 30 questions on a parenting Facebook group. She didn’t mention her blog in every reply-just in three. Those three led to 87 visits in a week.

Start making money before you have 10,000 visitors

You don’t need a huge audience to earn. You need the right audience.

Here’s how real beginners make their first £100:

• Affiliate marketing: Recommend products you actually use. Amazon Associates pays for things like books, kitchen gadgets, or skincare. Sign up for free. Add links to your posts. When someone buys through your link, you earn a cut.
• Digital products: Turn one of your best blog posts into a simple PDF guide. Sell it for £5 on Gumroad. Example: "5-Day Anxiety Journal Template" or "7 Easy Vegan Dinners for Weeknights."
• Freelance services: If you write well, offer to help small businesses write blog posts. Charge £25-£50 per post. You’ll learn more by doing than by reading tutorials.

One guy in Bristol started a blog about fixing leaky taps. He made £300 in his first month by linking to tools on Amazon and offering a £10 PDF guide: "How to Fix Your Kitchen Tap in 20 Minutes." He didn’t even know how to use a wrench when he started.

Track what works-and ignore the rest

Install Google Analytics on your site. It’s free. Look at two numbers every week:

• Which posts got the most views?
• Which ones made you the most money?

Double down on what works. If a post about "how to save money on groceries" gets 5x more traffic than your post about "the history of tea," write more grocery-saving tips. Don’t waste time on topics that don’t connect.

Don’t compare your month 1 to someone else’s year 3. Focus on your own progress. Did you publish 10 posts? Did you get 50 visitors? Did you earn £10? That’s a win.

Keep going, even when it feels slow

Most people quit before their blog starts working. It takes 6-12 months to see real results. That’s normal.

Set a simple rule: Write one post a week. That’s it. No more, no less. Even if you’re tired. Even if you don’t feel inspired. Show up.

After 52 posts, you’ll have a library of content that keeps bringing visitors. After 12 months, you’ll know what works. You’ll have a small but loyal audience. And you’ll be making money-probably more than you expected.

Blogging isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s a slow, steady build. But if you stick with it, it becomes one of the most reliable ways to earn online-without a boss, without a 9-to-5, and without waiting for permission.

Next steps: Your 7-day action plan

Here’s what to do right now:

1. Choose your niche. Write it down: "I help [specific group] with [specific problem]."
2. Sign up for SiteGround or Hostinger. Install WordPress.
3. Pick a free theme (Astra or GeneratePress).
4. Install Yoast SEO, Wordfence, and Mailchimp plugins.
5. Write your first post. Answer one real question. Don’t edit it too much.
6. Share it in one Facebook group or Reddit thread.
7. Repeat for 6 more days.

You don’t need motivation. You need momentum. Start today. Your future self will thank you.