14 steps towards blogging success from idea to financial gains

It takes a lot of work to turn your blogging dreams into an evolving reality. You should be ready to want it really bad, develop different abilities, and sharpen your studies in your journey to online success. Focus on the job, yes, but also keep in mind how rewarding it feels to see the first results from serious dedication.

To help you put your plans into action, I’m sharing in this post what I call the ultimate checklist for blogging success with the most crucial steps to develop a blog as a life project so you can kickstart or elevate your journey.

Fill in the boxes, get rid of excuses, and work for it!

▢ It starts with a dream.
Choose one, the most important for you, the one that deserves all your attention and focus and that will make you the happiest. Don’t limit yourself, think big!

▢ Build a plan.
Think practical here: how can you reach your dream life, what are the necessary steps, how can you break it down to smaller missions and make progress?

▢ Pick a name for your endeavor.
Take time on this one, test different combinations and consult family and friends for feedback.

▢ Register a domain.
An online presence starts with a URL address, the one people will use to access your website. It should speak volumes, in a few characters, about your mission and the value of your project. Think hard!

▢ Sign up to a hosting service.
You want your blog to look professional so don’t fall into the freebies trap. It’s such a small investment compared to the difference it brings to your project in terms of brand awareness and polishment. I recommend SiteGround.

▢ Install WordPress.
It is the best publishing platform for non-experienced users (it gets even better if you know some coding!). You wanna go self-hosted for your website to look credible. Here’s how you do it →

▢ Pick a WordPress theme.
There is a lot of free templates that you can install with two clicks. Choose the one that is in direct alignment to your activity’s core values.

▢ Produce great content.
Publish you first post, then your second… then your first 20. Your blog only starts getting noticed once you have solid stories to share with your visitors. Think outside the box and work hard at the diversity of topics, it’s worth it!

▢ Connect social media profiles.
Create you blog’s profile in all main social media networks to start building up your presence there. Don’t flood and don’t repeat content – create individual posts for each one of them. Top 3: Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

▢ Work constantly.
Have a fixed schedule for posts both on your blog and social media profiles. Don’t miss your own deadlines – visitors and followers expect regular updates so they can develop a trusting relationship with your project.

▢ Monetize your ideas.
How can your blog help you get paid? By selling products, ideas or courses? By showing ads since you are growing to a lot of traffic? By selling digital products via affiliate marketing so you can earn commissions? Reflect on the best solution, do your research and put it into action quickly.

▢ Spend money to make money.
Once you have your money funnel set, get ready to start advertising on social media for your first results. Facebook is the most direct option, but Instagram has growth potential. Think of Google if you need a boost on your traffic. Be creative with your message – it’s the story that will help captivate the buyer, not only the product.

▢ Innovate and update.
Find daring solutions for your visitors’ problems and keep on reviewing each previous strategy so you can constantly adjust the work you do. You’ll find productive suggestions from your feedback on comments and social media engagement!

▢ Never stop learning.
Track the biggest success stories on your field, read books, follow specialized publications, get into Facebook groups… the more information you have, the more resourceful you become.