Do you want to make a full-time income in less than six months just using the internet?
Don’t start a blog.
But if you want to build a legitimate online business that, with time and effort, could provide you with a full-time income, consider blogging.
Here’s everything you need to know about starting a blog in 2025.
Why Should I Start a Blog?
People start blogs for two main reasons: as a hobby or to build an online business.
Hobby bloggers want an outlet or a way to share their hobbies with the world. Blogging meets that need.
Business bloggers hope to eventually generate income online.
How to Start a Hobby Blog
You should start a hobby blog if you are passionate about writing and want to share it with the world (or just your family and friends). Blogging can be cathartic and is a great way to get your thoughts out into the world.
When you blog for fun, you don’t need to pay for hosting unless you want to.
Here are some platforms that hobby bloggers can explore.
Blogger
If you know that you only want to blog as a hobby and never want to turn it into a business, Blogger might be right for you. It’s a free online journal where you can post your thoughts about anything.
The most significant advantage is that it’s free, but you will never own your domain, and you can’t monetize your blogger blog.
Blogger reminds me of the early days of the internet, when everyone shared their thoughts without worrying about making money.
HubPages
If you know you don’t want to put the time and effort into a business but would like to make a little bit of money blogging, consider HubPages. The platform does nearly everything for you, from hosting to displaying ads.
To use the platform, you must write an engaging “hub” and add visuals like polls and photos.
The downside to HubPages is that you don’t have any control over it, and you split any profit with the platform. You are also very limited in how much money you can make – it’s unlikely that you will make more than a few hundred dollars a month, if that. The advantages are that it’s free and easy, and you can make a few bucks off of it.
Substack
Sustack is a little newer option for hobby bloggers. You can create an account and write about whatever you wish.
Substack is free for publishers, but you can make money if users subscribe (or “pledge”) to your content. It’s almost like Twitch for writers, where people can follow and support their favorite creators.
Your Own Website
Despite the cost, many hobby bloggers want to make their own websites. We cover all the essentials of blogging with your own website in the next section.
Blogging as a Business
Most folks start blogs because they want to make money online. Although not a get-rich-quick scheme, blogging is still a way to create an online business and make money.
If you want to make money on your blog, you should treat it as a business from day one. That means paying for your own web hosting rather than using a free service and being open to investing in your blog.
It also means putting a lot of work in – no business explodes and becomes profitable overnight.
Can I Make Money Blogging?
Most bloggers don’t make money because most give up within the first six months. It took me four years to get Partners in Fire profitable, and many people don’t want to put that much time in for little to no gain.
It’s also harder to make money blogging than ever before. According to statistics from Blogger Passion, over 27 million people blog. However, only 25% earn enough for a full-time salary, while ⅓ don’t make any money at all.
Data from Blogging Wizard shows that only 10% of the 600 million blogs earn revenue.
However, people who put their all into it can still make money. 10% of 600 million is still 60 million.
How Much Money Can I Make Blogging?
The most successful blogs can make upwards of $100,000 a month! That’s right- a month, not a year.
However, you must curb your expectations. As we’ve already shown, the vast majority of bloggers don’t make any money. A large number make under $1000 a month.
Only the most successful bloggers earn a full-time income and beyond.
How Do Bloggers Get Paid?
Blogging offers multiple income streams.
Here are the main ways that bloggers make money, but innovative bloggers may find other methods as well.
Display Ads
Ads that are visually displayed on the website. Bloggers earn a share of the revenue from all ads shown on their sites.
Affiliate Marketing
Bloggers often promote products they love. If a reader clicks an affiliate link and purchases the product, the blogger gets a small commission.
Sponsored Posts
Bloggers often work with brands to promote the brand. The brand pays the blogger to produce content and share it with their audience in a sponsored post.
Products
Many bloggers create books, digital products, and courses. They sell these products on their website.
Coaching/Services
Bloggers offer one-on-one coaching or freelance services to their readers.
How Do I Start a Blog with No Money?
If you want to start a blog as a business, you need to invest money. If you have no money and just want to write, consider a hobby blog instead.
However, you can start a blog for very little money. You only need hosting and a domain.
You can create a blog with Bluehost hosting for as little as $3 a month and keep your initial costs low if you do everything else yourself. The only other necessary cost is a domain, which is about $15 a year.
Hosting Options
Bluehost is an excellent option if you have no money and want to start. I started my first blog with Bluehost, and it fit my needs at the time. I’ve also used Imotion hosting, and now I’m on BigScoots.
Every blogger will tell you to use Bluehost and Siteground because those two hosting companies have the best affiliate programs for hosts. Bloggers make good money when you use them, whether they are using them or not.
BigScoots is far superior to Bluehost in terms of page speed and customer service, but it’s also a lot more expensive. If you have the money to spare and know you want to build a business, I recommend skipping the starter host (Bluehost) and going straight to BigScoots. BigScoots also has an affiliate program, and I make money by promoting them as well, but I use them currently, and they are wonderful.
If you aren’t sure yet if you want to turn it into a business or have very little money to invest, Bluehost is a good option. It’s a great starter host and an inexpensive way to find out if blogging is the side hustle for you. I make an affiliate commission if you decide to use Bluehost, so I must be clear on what you can expect from them.
I’ve never used SiteGround, so I can’t say whether they are good or not. Inmotion was a decent middle-of-the-line host, and it was nice that they have domains and hosting all in one place. I currently host with BigScoots and my domain with Squared Space.
How to Start a Blog
When starting a blog, you must consider eight topics:
- Name and Domain
- Branding
- Niche
- Social Media
- Hosting
- Installing WordPress
- Theme & Customization
- Plugins
Here, we explore each in depth to help you get started.
Name and Domain
Your domain name is the URL to your blog. My domain is Partnersinfire.com, and my blog name is Partners in Fire. The first step to starting a blog is deciding your domain name, which is a lot harder than you’d think.
Finding a great name is difficult. Many simple words and phrases are already taken. It takes a bit of creativity and brainstorming to find the perfect fit.
There are many different extensions, called “top-level domains,” you can choose from. The most common is .com, but with the growth of the web, you’ll find a lot of variety.
You can choose .net, .info, .us, and many more. Many newer blogs are experimenting with different top-level domain extensions, but in my opinion, the “.com” is still the best option.
Before picking your domain name, there are a few things to consider: your niche and your branding.
Niche
Most pro bloggers will tell you that you have to choose a niche and niche down to succeed. I haven’t found that to be true; I found more success in blogging when I “niched up” than when I was niched down.
Before picking your name, think hard about what you will write about. You should consider the long-term appeal of any name, so you don’t pigeonhole yourself into a specific niche.
For example, let’s say you are an avid kayaker. You could niche down and name your website “Kayaks and only kayaks,” but that would significantly limit your options for writing and potential monetization options down the road.
Instead, consider something broader that offers wiggle room as you grow. “All about outdoor adventures” might be better because you can talk about hiking, fishing, kayaking, boating, etc. But if you niche up even further and choose something like “all about adventures,” now you have space to write about nearly anything. It doesn’t mean you can’t mainly write about kayaks, but now you aren’t limiting yourself if you choose to expand later.
Branding
Next, consider branding. How will your logo look? Who is your target audience? What problem are you solving, and how will you solve it? Think about these questions and consider them before deciding upon your domain name.
Some folks decide to use their name as a brand. You will see websites like “Nomadic Matt,” which is all about Matt and his adventures.
Others choose brand names as I did with Partners in Fire. My name showcases that we are all partners on the quest for financial independence. Others choose simple words or fun phrases as their brand name or words from their niche to showcase what they are about.
How you decide to brand is up to you, but this is something to consider before purchasing your domain.
Social Media
Did you find the perfect domain name? Check all the big social media platforms to ensure it’s available.
Your blog will be your brand, and as such, you must grab the handles for all the social media accounts. Check Instagram, Bluesky, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook to ensure that your brand name is available on these networks.
If they are available, you need to grab them when you purchase your domain name. You don’t need to start using them right away, but if you are going to run a legitimate business, you need a social media presence eventually, and you don’t want to find out when it’s too late that you can’t grab the Instagram handle you need.
Are you ready to brainstorm domain names? Head to Godaddy.com and use their domain name finder. If you find a domain you love, you can purchase it through GoDaddy or Squarespace, but you don’t need to purchase hosting through GoDaddy.
Hosting
Once you purchase your domain name, you need hosting. We already talked about the pros and cons of different hosting providers, so we won’t rehash that, but deciding upon your host is your next step.
I’m not sure I want to do this as a business – I’ll start with Bluehost
I’m all in – Let me start with BigScoots!
Before diving in, consider site security. There are two protocols in use, “HTTP” and “HTTPS.” If you want to blog as a business, you should pay for the extra SL certificate to get that “HTTPS,” which ensures your site’s security.
Many browsers are starting to restrict access to “HTTP” sites, warning users the site is not secure, which will limit your traffic potential.
It’s best to start with the “HTTPS” right off the bat, even if it is an additional cost.
Installing WordPress
Although there are a variety of website builders, most blogs use WordPress. WordPress is easy to use and customize with a wide range of themes and plugins. As it’s the most common, it also has the most resources and user help.
It’s vital to go to wordpress.org and not wordpress.com. WordPress.com is a hosting service, similar to Bluehost and Big Scoots, but they aren’t as good (IMO). WordPress.org is where you go to download the website builder you will need.
Many hosts already have the option to install WordPress, so you don’t even need to go to the WordPress website. Follow the prompts that your host provides to install it. If your host doesn’t offer a WordPress install, you can also get it from the WordPress website. There’s a bright blue button in the top right of the screen that says “get WordPress.” Click that to download.
You will then need to go to your host and upload WordPress. The specifics of doing this vary by host, but most should offer easy-to-follow prompts.
Theme and Customization
The hardest part about starting a blog is setting up the initial theme and customization.
WordPress offers a few free themes, which are great to begin with if you aren’t sure how you want your site to look. Play around with the options and choose what you like best.
It’s important to note that you should choose a slick theme and an easy-to-read font/background combination if you want to blog as a business.
I’ve seen blogs with pretty pink backgrounds and purple writing, but the combination is not easy on the eyes, and most visitors won’t stay.
If your blog is a hobby, it’s okay to make it however you want. But if you’re going to blog as a business, keep in mind that readers don’t want to struggle to read your content. Choose something simple, elegant, and accessible for most people.
Now is also the time to consider site speed. User experience is essential. Choose a lightweight theme that won’t bog your speed down. I currently use Astra Pro, but the free version of Astra is lightweight and easy to use for beginners.
Plugins
The final step to building your blog is deciding upon your plugins. Plugins help you customize your website with widgets, updates, code insertion, tools, and anything else you might need.
There are thousands of plugins that will help you customize your website. As you learn what you want, you will use many different ones.
Here are a few I use that might help you on your journey:
- WordPress Rocket – Helps with site speed
- Post and Page Builder – I prefer this to the classic WordPress editor or block editor
- Ad Inserter – lets you install snippets of code for ads, lead magnets, or other items in any blog post
- Rank Math SEO – Many people start with Yoast as their SEO plugin, but the free version of Rank Math has more functionality
- Scriptless Social Sharing – a plugin that lets users easily share your posts on their favorite social media platforms
- Updraft Plus – Helps you back up and restore your website
- Site Origins Widget Bundle – a Bundle of customizable widgets
- Imagify – Helps optimize your images to reduce site speed
Is Blogging Worth it in 2025?
I’m not going to lie to you. Blogging has seen better days. Many will say the heyday of blogging is over, and there’s no point in starting a blog in 2025.
However, I disagree.
Yes, it’s more challenging now than ever before. I still believe it’s worth it, but before you start, you should be aware of the challenges.
Blogging Challenges in 2025 and Beyond
Technology rapidly changes. Blogging underwent a massive change in 2023/2024, and more are likely to follow.
Here are the biggest challenges to starting and growing a blog in the current climate.
Google’s Algorithm Changes
Google used to send bloggers traffic, but the “helpful content updates” (HCU) of 2023/2024 changed the game.
Thousands of bloggers saw their revenue fall as Google prioritized big business and massive forums over independent bloggers. Partners in Fire was one of them, and we’re still trying to recover.
It’s harder than ever for independent publishers to rank on Google, meaning it’s less likely internet searchers will find your content.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI played a massive role in Google’s changes for two reasons.
First, Google’s AI answers keep users on Google’s page instead of sending traffic to the content creator. The bot crawls websites and regurgitates the answers it finds, meaning users no longer visit independent websites. Lawsuits about fair use are currently making their way through the court system, and nobody knows how it will play out.
Second, the internet was flooded with low-quality AI-generated content. Google couldn’t keep up with the spam and can’t always tell the difference between the original creator, who put hours into writing legitimate, well-researched articles, and the thousands of AI articles that stole from it.
Social Media
Social media changes just as much as Google. Twitter used to be great for networking with other creators and sharing content, but when it transitioned to X, it morphed into a pay-to-play platform.
It’s harder than ever to build a following on Facebook and Instagram unless you pay for ads. The Pinterest algorithms constantly battle a flood of AI gendered slop.
You must pay close attention to the platforms to find a way to grow.
Dead Internet
As AI bots continue to proliferate, we have no idea whether we’re interacting with real people or bots online. At some point, dead internet theory states that the majority of the content on the internet will be artificial, and at that point, will there be any point to using it?
If dead internet theory proves true, the future of blogging may prove bleak.
Blogging Despite the Challenges
I’m not giving up, and if you’re passionate about starting a blog, you should do it.
To be successful, you must write unique, interesting, and helpful content. Avoid easy listicles and stuff AI can easily answer, and instead, add your unique voice. Show that you’re a real person. Build community, both on social media and via your email list.
I believe that bloggers who lean into their humanity will survive, especially when we all come out of the stupor and realize that AI is a steaming pile of garbage.
But you won’t see it if you don’t take a chance and start, despite the challenges.
I Started a Blog – What’s Next?
Starting a blog is just the first step in your journey.
Next, you must learn about search engine optimization, email lists, site optimization, marketing, etc. Check out our Blog Strategies category for information on what we did from months 1-50 to grow our blog and for more resources about starting and growing a legitimate website.
You can do it!