If you’ve been looking for ways to make money online, you’ve probably come across a lot of mixed opinions about blogging. Some people say it’s outdated. Others say it’s too slow. And many beginners are left wondering if it’s even worth starting anymore.
That uncertainty is completely normal.
Blogging today doesn’t look like it did years ago, but that doesn’t mean it stopped working. It means it evolved. Blogging is no longer about posting random articles and hoping one takes off. It’s about creating helpful content that people are already searching for and building something that grows over time.
As a side hustle, blogging works best when you understand what it can realistically do. It is not a get-rich-quick option, and it does take patience. But it is one of the few side hustles where the work you do now can continue to pay off months or even years later.
One of the biggest benefits of blogging is ownership. When you build a blog, you’re creating something you control. You’re not completely dependent on social media algorithms or trends that change overnight. Over time, your blog can bring in traffic, build trust with readers, and support different ways to make money.
In this post, I’ll walk you through what blogging as a side hustle really looks like today. We’ll talk about how to start a blog, how to choose a niche, why SEO matters, how blogs make money, and what keeps people coming back. The goal is not to overwhelm you, but to help you decide if blogging is the right side hustle to start building.
- What Blogging Really Is (and Isn’t)
- How to Start a Blog
- Common Blogging Terms Explained (In Plain English)
- Choosing a Blog Niche That Can Grow With You
- Why SEO Is the Backbone of Blogging
- How Do Blogs Make Money?
- How to Get Traffic to a Blog
- What Keeps People Coming Back to a Blog
- Blog vs Landing Page: What’s the Difference?
- Is Blogging as a Side Hustle Worth It?
What Blogging Really Is (and Isn’t)
Before getting into the technical details, it helps to clear up some common misconceptions about blogging.
Blogging is not just writing for the sake of writing. It’s a way to share useful information in a format that search engines and readers can both understand. A blog allows you to create content that answers questions, solves problems, and helps people make decisions.
Blogging is also not the same as posting on social media. Social media content is designed to be seen quickly and then replaced by the next post. Blog content is designed to be found over time. When someone searches for an answer on Google, a helpful blog post can continue showing up long after it’s published.
At the same time, blogging isn’t completely hands-off. It does require consistency, learning, and patience. Results don’t happen overnight, and early growth can feel slow. That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It’s simply how this type of side hustle works.
What blogging is, at its core, is a long-term content platform. It’s a place where you can build trust with an audience, create a library of helpful posts, and eventually turn that traffic into income through different monetization methods.
Understanding this upfront makes everything else feel more manageable, especially if you’re starting something new for the first time.
How to Start a Blog
One of the first decisions you’ll face when starting a blog is whether to use a free platform or invest in a paid setup. This choice alone can feel intimidating, especially if you’re trying to keep costs low while testing a new side hustle.
The good news is that there isn’t one “right” answer. The best option depends on your goals and how serious you are about turning blogging into a source of income.
Starting a Blog for Free
Free blogging platforms can be a reasonable place to start if you’re still very unsure or simply want to explore blogging without spending money upfront. These platforms usually handle hosting and setup for you, which makes getting started feel easier.
However, free platforms come with limitations. You don’t fully own your site, customization is restricted, and monetization options are often limited or controlled by the platform. If your main goal is to eventually make money from blogging, these restrictions can become frustrating as you grow.
Free options can work for learning, but they are rarely ideal for building a long-term side hustle.
Top Free Blog Platforms
| WordPress.com (Free plan) | Blogger | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| • No hosting setup required • Easy to get started • Limited customization and monetization • Your site lives on a subdomain unless you upgrade | • Owned by Google • Very simple interface • Free hosting • Monetization opportunities | • Built-in audience • No setup or design work • You don’t own the platform or audience • Monetization depends on Medium’s system |
| Best for: Testing blogging as an idea, not building a business | Best for: Casual blogging or learning how publishing works | Best for: Writing-focused creators who want exposure, not ownership |
| https://wordpress.com | https://blogger.com | https://medium.com |
Starting a Blog with a Paid Setup
A paid blogging setup typically means using WordPress with your own hosting. This option gives you full control over your site, your content, and how you monetize it.
With a paid setup, you own your blog. You can customize it, add tools as you grow, and choose how you want to make money, whether that’s through affiliate marketing, ads, or other income streams. This flexibility is why many bloggers who are serious about long-term income choose this route early on.
There is an upfront cost involved, which can feel uncomfortable at first. But for many people, this small investment creates a stronger foundation and avoids having to rebuild later.
Top Paid Blog Platforms
| WordPress.org + hosting | Squarespace | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| • Full ownership of your site • Unlimited customization • Supports all monetization methods • Requires hosting (Bluehost, etc.) | • All-in-one platform • Beautiful templates • Easy setup • Less flexible for advanced SEO and monetization | • Drag-and-drop builder • Beginner-friendly • Paid plans required for full features • SEO capabilities have improved but are still limited |
| Best for: Anyone serious about blogging as a side hustle or business | Best for: Creators who want simplicity and design over customization | Best for: Beginners who want ease of use and are less SEO-focused |
| https://wordpress.org | https://squarespace.com | https://wix.com |
If you’re just experimenting and truly unsure, a free platform can help you learn the basics.
If your goal is to make money from blogging, even slowly over time, a paid platform with full ownership (like WordPress with hosting) gives you the best long-term foundation.
What I Use and Why
I personally use WordPress with hosting through Bluehost. I chose this setup because it gives me control, flexibility, and room to grow as my blog evolves. It’s a common choice for beginners because it balances ease of use with long-term potential.
That said, the platform itself doesn’t make a blog successful. Consistency, helpful content, and patience matter far more than the tools you choose. The goal is not to pick the “perfect” setup, but to choose one that supports your goals and allows you to move forward with confidence.
Once your blog is set up, the next step is deciding what you’ll actually write about. That’s where niche selection becomes important, and it can make a big difference in how your blog grows over time.
RELATED POST: How to Start a Self Hosted Blog on Bluehost
Common Blogging Terms Explained (In Plain English)
If you’re brand new to blogging, some of the language around setting up a blog can feel overwhelming fast. Words like hosting or WordPress get used casually, even though they’re confusing if you’ve never done this before.
You don’t need to understand everything at once. You just need enough clarity to make confident decisions. Here’s a simple breakdown of the most common terms you’ll hear when starting a blog.
Domain Name
Your domain name is your blog’s address on the internet. It’s what people type in to find your site, like yourblogname.com.
Think of it like your home address online. You usually pay a small yearly fee to keep it, and it’s something you own as long as you renew it.
Hosting
Hosting is the service that stores your blog on the internet so people can actually visit it.
If your domain name is your address, hosting is the land and house where everything lives. Your blog posts, images, and pages are all stored on a hosting server. Without hosting, your blog wouldn’t exist online.
This is one of the most confusing terms for beginners, but it’s simply the space your website lives in.
Blogging Platform
A blogging platform is the software you use to create and manage your blog.
This is what allows you to:
- write posts
- upload images
- organize pages
- control how your blog looks
Platforms like WordPress give you a dashboard where you manage everything without needing to code.
WordPress (The Two Versions)
This one confuses a lot of people.
WordPress.com is a hosted platform where the setup is mostly done for you, but you have limitations unless you pay.
WordPress.org is the software you use with your own hosting. This version gives you full control and is what most bloggers use when they want to make money long term.
When people say “I use WordPress,” they are usually talking about WordPress.org with hosting.
Choosing a Blog Niche That Can Grow With You
Aside from setting up the blog, the thing most people get stuck on is what to blog about. This step can feel surprisingly stressful, especially if you’re worried about choosing the “wrong” niche or boxing yourself in too early.
The good news is that your niche does not have to be perfect. It just needs to make sense for where you’re starting and where you might want to go.
A blog niche is simply the main topic or focus of your content. It helps readers and search engines understand what your site is about. For blogs especially, having a clear niche matters more than it does on social media. It gives your content direction and helps your posts rank more easily over time.
Broad vs Narrow Niches
Many beginners assume they need to pick a very narrow niche right away. Others go too broad and end up writing about everything.
The goal is to find a middle ground.
A niche that’s too broad can make it hard to stand out or rank in search results. A niche that’s too narrow can feel limiting once you start learning and growing. That’s why it helps to think about your niche as a starting point, not a permanent box.
For example, instead of blogging about “everything,” you might focus on:
- budgeting for beginners
- starting side hustles
- making money online in practical ways
These topics are focused enough to build authority, but flexible enough to grow.
Building a Personal Brand From the Start
This is where thinking about a personal brand can help, even if that sounds intimidating.
Building a personal brand doesn’t mean turning your blog into a personal diary. It simply means choosing a niche that allows you to grow without starting over every time your interests or income streams evolve.
When your blog is connected to you and your experiences, it’s easier to expand vertically over time. You might start with one income stream, like affiliate marketing, and later add content about blogging, digital products, or other side hustles without confusing your audience.
This approach also makes your blog feel more human and relatable, which helps build trust with readers.
Questions to Help You Choose a Niche
If you’re unsure where to start, ask yourself a few simple questions:
- What problems do people already ask me about?
- What topics am I willing to learn about long-term?
- Can this niche support more than one income stream later?
- Does this topic connect to a skill, experience, or interest I already have?
You don’t need to have all the answers. Your niche will naturally refine itself as you create content and see what resonates.
Choosing a niche isn’t about locking yourself into one idea forever. It’s about giving your blog enough focus to grow while leaving room for the future.
Why SEO Is the Backbone of Blogging
One of the biggest reasons blogging feels intimidating to beginners is because of SEO. It often sounds technical, complicated, or like something you need to master before you can even start.
The truth is much simpler.
SEO, or search engine optimization, is just how people find your blog through search engines like Google. When someone types a question into Google and clicks on a blog post, SEO is the reason that post showed up.
For bloggers, SEO matters because it brings in traffic without relying on constant posting or social media algorithms. Instead of chasing attention every day, you’re creating content that can be found again and again over time.
How Blog Traffic Works Differently Than Social Media
With social media, most posts disappear quickly. You might get views for a few hours or days, and then the content is buried by whatever comes next.
Blog content works differently. A helpful blog post can continue getting traffic months or even years after it’s published, especially if it answers a clear question or solves a specific problem.
This is why blogging is often described as a long-term side hustle. The effort you put in today can continue to pay off later, even when you’re not actively promoting that post.
What SEO Actually Means for Beginners
SEO does not mean stuffing keywords into your content or trying to outsmart Google.
At a beginner level, SEO simply means:
- writing content that answers real questions
- using clear titles and headings
- staying focused on one topic per post
- making your content easy to read and understand
If your blog posts are genuinely helpful and clearly written, you are already doing the most important part of SEO.
Why SEO Takes Time (and Why That’s Okay)
SEO is not instant. It takes time for search engines to discover your content, understand what it’s about, and decide when to show it to readers.
This can feel discouraging at first, especially if you’re used to instant feedback on social media. But this slow build is also what makes blogging powerful. Over time, multiple posts can work together to bring consistent traffic to your site.
Instead of starting over every week, you’re building a library of content that grows stronger as you add to it.
You don’t need to master SEO before starting a blog. You just need to understand that it’s the foundation that makes blogging a sustainable side hustle rather than a constant grind.
RELATED POST: SEO: What It Is, Why It Matters & How to Master It
How Do Blogs Make Money?
One of the most common questions people have when considering starting a blog as a side hustle is: how does this actually make money?
The answer is that blogs can make money in several different ways, and most successful blogs don’t rely on just one. Monetization usually happens in layers, as traffic grows and trust builds.
You don’t need to use every option right away. In fact, trying to monetize too early can make blogging feel harder than it needs to be. Focus on building your content and your SEO, then look for monetization opportunities.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is often the first way bloggers make money.
With affiliate marketing, you earn a commission by recommending products or services that fit naturally into your content. This works well with blogs because people are often searching for solutions, comparisons, or recommendations when they land on a post.
Affiliate marketing doesn’t require creating your own product, which makes it a common starting point. Over time, it also teaches you what your audience is interested in, which can guide future content and income streams.
Display Ads
Display ads are another common way blogs earn income.
These are ads that appear on your site and pay you based on traffic. You don’t need to sell anything directly. As your blog grows and attracts more readers, ad revenue can become a steady, passive layer of income.
Display ads usually make sense later, once you have consistent traffic. They’re not typically a beginner strategy, but they can become a strong foundation over time.
Sponsored Content and Brand Partnerships
As your blog grows, brands may reach out to collaborate.
Sponsored content can include paid blog posts, product features, or brand partnerships. These opportunities usually come after you’ve built an audience and established trust within your niche.
This type of income is less about volume and more about authority. Brands want to work with blogs that feel credible and aligned with their audience.
Digital Products and Other Income Streams
Some bloggers eventually create their own products, such as:
- guides
- templates
- courses
- memberships or subscriptions
These options work best after you understand your audience’s needs. They’re not required to start a blog, but they can become powerful additions later on.
The key thing to understand is that blogging income rarely comes from one source alone. Most blogs grow by layering monetization gradually as traffic, confidence, and clarity increase.
You don’t need to decide all of this upfront. Your focus at the beginning should be on creating helpful content and building a foundation that gives you options later.
How to Get Traffic to a Blog
One of the biggest worries new bloggers have is whether anyone will actually find their content. It’s easy to imagine writing posts that no one ever reads and wondering if the effort is worth it.
This concern is completely normal.
The important thing to understand is that blogs don’t usually get traffic all at once. Traffic builds gradually as your content grows and starts working together.
Search Traffic (SEO)
For most blogs, search engines are the main source of traffic over time.
When you write posts that answer specific questions or solve clear problems, those posts can show up when people search on Google. This means your blog doesn’t rely on you constantly sharing links for people to find it.
Search traffic is slow at first, but it compounds. One post might bring in a small number of visitors, but many posts working together can create steady traffic month after month.
Pinterest and Visual Search
Pinterest works differently than other social platforms. Instead of showing posts to followers only, Pinterest helps people discover content based on what they’re searching for or interested in.
For many bloggers, Pinterest becomes an additional traffic source that supports SEO. Pins can continue circulating long after they’re created, which makes them a good fit for long-form blog content.
Pinterest isn’t required, but it can be a helpful option if your blog topic works well visually.
YouTube and Other Content Platforms
Some bloggers also use YouTube or other content platforms to support their blog.
Videos can introduce people to your content and send them back to helpful blog posts. This works especially well if you enjoy explaining things out loud or showing examples.
You don’t need to be on every platform. Even one supporting platform can make a difference if it fits your style and schedule.
Email and Returning Readers
As your blog grows, email can become a way to bring readers back consistently.
Instead of relying only on new visitors, email allows you to stay connected with people who already found your content helpful. This makes your traffic more stable over time and helps build trust.
Why Blog Traffic Takes Time
Blog traffic rarely feels exciting at the beginning. Growth is often slow and uneven, especially in the first few months.
That doesn’t mean your blog isn’t working. It means it’s building.
Unlike social media posts that disappear quickly, blog content has a longer lifespan. Over time, your posts can work together to create momentum, even when you’re not actively promoting them.
The goal isn’t instant traffic. The goal is steady growth that compounds as your blog matures.
What Keeps People Coming Back to a Blog
Getting someone to visit your blog once is a good start. Getting them to come back is what turns a blog into a real asset.
People return to blogs they trust. That trust isn’t built through flashy design or constant posting. It’s built through clarity, usefulness, and consistency.
One of the biggest factors is knowing what your blog is about. When readers understand who your content is for and what problems you help solve, they’re more likely to explore more than one post.
Helpful content also matters more than volume. A smaller blog with clear, useful posts often performs better than a blog filled with surface-level content. When readers feel helped instead of sold to, trust builds naturally.
Consistency plays a role too, but consistency doesn’t mean posting every day. It means showing up regularly enough that readers can expect thoughtful, relevant content when they return.
Over time, your voice and perspective become part of what keeps people coming back. Readers don’t just return for information. They return because your blog feels reliable and easy to understand.
Blog vs Landing Page: What’s the Difference?
This is another area that often confuses beginners, especially when people start hearing about landing pages, funnels, and email signups.
The simplest way to understand it is this: blogs and landing pages usually live on the same website, but they serve different purposes.
Your blog is part of your main website. It lives on your domain and holds your long-form content, like articles and guides. These posts are designed to educate, build trust, and bring in traffic over time through search engines, Pinterest, and other platforms.
Landing pages also live on your website, usually on the same domain. Instead of being part of the blog feed, they are standalone pages created for a specific goal.
For example, your site might look like this:
- yoursite.com/blog-post-title
- yoursite.com/free-checklist
- yoursite.com/email-signup
The blog post attracts the reader. The landing page guides them to take action.
Blogs are meant to answer questions and help people understand a topic. Landing pages are meant to focus on one clear action, such as downloading a free resource, joining an email list, or purchasing a product.
They work best together. A reader might find your blog through Google, read a helpful post, and then click to a landing page to download a checklist or guide. Over time, this creates a natural path from traffic to trust to monetization.
You don’t need complicated funnels or multiple websites to make this work. Most bloggers start with a single domain and add landing pages as their blog grows. The blog builds the relationship. The landing pages support the next step.
Is Blogging as a Side Hustle Worth It?
Blogging as a side hustle is not fast, and it’s not effortless. It does take time, learning, and patience, especially in the beginning.
But blogging offers something many other side hustles don’t: the ability to build something that grows with you.
Each post you write adds to a library of content that can continue working for you. Over time, that content can bring in traffic, build trust, and support multiple income streams without starting from scratch every month.
If you’re willing to think long term and focus on building something steady rather than chasing quick wins, blogging can be a powerful side hustle.
You don’t need to do everything at once. You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to start with a clear foundation and build step by step.
Final Thoughts
Blogging isn’t outdated, and it isn’t reserved for people who started years ago. It’s simply a different kind of side hustle, one that rewards patience, consistency, and thoughtful work.
If you’re looking for a way to make money online that doesn’t rely entirely on social media or trends, blogging is worth considering. When approached intentionally, it can support affiliate marketing, ad revenue, sponsored content, and other income streams over time.
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you start. You just need a basic setup, a clear direction, and the willingness to learn as you go.
If you decide to start, start simply. Build the foundation first. The rest comes with time.
