HOW TO EARN MONEY FROM BLOGGING
You have two main options when it comes to actually setting up a blog – you can use a free blogging platform, or you can create your own website. We'll take you through both, and outline their pros and cons, so you can make the right decision for you and your blog.
- Free blogging platforms
Best for: Casual bloggers and those not interested in making money from their blog.
Pros: Super easy to set up and completely free.
Cons: Limits on customisation and video/image uploads, you often can't place adverts or use affiliate links, you can't create a custom URL and the platform retains the right to delete your blog.
Another drawback is that your blog URL will be something like 'www.yourblog.wordpress.com' with the platform branding.
Best blogging sites
Best for: Casual bloggers and those not interested in making money from their blog.
Pros: Super easy to set up and completely free.
Cons: Limits on customisation and video/image uploads, you often can't place adverts or use affiliate links, you can't create a custom URL and the platform retains the right to delete your blog.
Another drawback is that your blog URL will be something like 'www.yourblog.wordpress.com' with the platform branding.
Best blogging sites
- WordPress.com – This is a free basic blog hosting service that's easy to use. You'll have to put up with WordPress ads and branding unless you pay a monthly fee, and you can't put ads on your site. There are also limited options for customisation and expansion.
- Blogger – Google's free blog hosting service, Blogger, is really simple to use. But, the customisation and design options are very limited, and there aren't a lot of options if you want to add new features.
- Medium – With Medium, the emphasis is on the writing rather than design, and it's used by lots of journalists, writers and experts. It's a great way to share your work with a particular community, but you can't run any ads and it's difficult to create your own personal branding.
- WordPress.com – This is a free basic blog hosting service that's easy to use. You'll have to put up with WordPress ads and branding unless you pay a monthly fee, and you can't put ads on your site. There are also limited options for customisation and expansion.
- Blogger – Google's free blog hosting service, Blogger, is really simple to use. But, the customisation and design options are very limited, and there aren't a lot of options if you want to add new features.
- Medium – With Medium, the emphasis is on the writing rather than design, and it's used by lots of journalists, writers and experts. It's a great way to share your work with a particular community, but you can't run any ads and it's difficult to create your own personal branding.
- Create your own website
If you're not particularly tech-savvy, the thought of creating your own website might seem quite scary – but it's actually pretty easy to do, and you can create one in just 20 minutes.
Save the Student's founder, Owen, has written an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide to show you how to start a website.
With your own website, you'll be able to create unique personal branding (with your own URL), and there's no risk of your blog being deleted by the platform – you'll own the site and be in complete control.
WordPress has an insane amount of templates or 'themes' for you to choose from – take your time to decide on one which suits both your personality and the topic of your blog.
Opt for something clear and simple, with space for large images and easy-to-read fonts (Comic Sans and Courier fonts are no-nos).
If you're not particularly tech-savvy, the thought of creating your own website might seem quite scary – but it's actually pretty easy to do, and you can create one in just 20 minutes.
Save the Student's founder, Owen, has written an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide to show you how to start a website.
With your own website, you'll be able to create unique personal branding (with your own URL), and there's no risk of your blog being deleted by the platform – you'll own the site and be in complete control.
WordPress has an insane amount of templates or 'themes' for you to choose from – take your time to decide on one which suits both your personality and the topic of your blog.
Opt for something clear and simple, with space for large images and easy-to-read fonts (Comic Sans and Courier fonts are no-nos).