To kick off a blog can be a thrill, but let’s not kid ourselves: it can be overwhelming. When I first began blogging, I did not know how to make money from my love of writing. I watched other bloggers make thousands of dollars a month, and I thought, “Is that even possible for me?” Spoiler: it was. And while it was not an easy, fast road to travel, I did eventually make my first $100. Perhaps that doesn’t seem like much, but that first hundred changed everything. That proved that I could make money from blogging.
Whether you are just getting started or struggling to monetise, this is a step by step breakdown, or what I like to call, “how I made my first $100 from blogging”.
Step 1: Picking the Right Niche
Before I wrote anything, I needed to get past one big question: What am I going to blog about?
I broke it down into three focal points:
- My interests
- What I could talk about for hours
- What people spend money on and search for
I eventually chose a niche that sat at the intersection of all three: personal finance for beginners. I had paid off some debt and had a lot of knowledge around saving and budgeting. I was in a place where I was interested in it and people were always asking for help with it.
Tip for you: Pick something you have interest in but is also relevant in real-world terms.
Step 2: Starting the Blog
I selected WordPress for flexibility. Here’s how I set it up:
- Domain name: Purchased from Namecheap ($10)
- Hosting: Bluehost for the user-friendly interface (first year $35)
- Theme: Installed a free, clean-looking theme (Astra)
I was able to launch the blog within a day or two.
Step 3 – Create Quality Content
This is where most people get stuck. I focused on quality over quantity and wanted to write 5 strong evergreen posts that answered real questions like:
- How to create a budget from scratch
- 10 ways to save money every month
- My personal story of paying off debt
- How to start a side hustle on a budget
- Beginner’s guide to credit scores
Each post ended up being 1,000 – 1,500 words with actionable tips and clear calls to action.
Writing was not my only goal. I researched. I used tools like:
- Google’s People Also Ask
- Reddit threads in r/personalfinance
- AnswerThePublic
This helped me understand what true beginners wanted to know.
Step 4: Getting Traffic For Free
If no one reads your blog, then no one is going to pay you. So, I had to learn how to get eyeballs to my posts. I chose Pinterest because it is a visual search engine, plus it works well with evergreen content. Here’s what I did:
- Created a Pinterest business account
- Created 2-3 pins per blog post with canva
- Used keywords in the description and added relevant hashtags
- Joined group boards
After a couple of weeks, I started getting 50-100 visitors a day.
Step 5: Monetizing in a strategic way
There are a lot of ways to monetize your blog – affiliate marketing, advertisements, products, and sponsorships. I wanted to start with affiliate marketing since it is investmentless.
I did the following:
- I signed up with beginner affiliate sites like Amazon Associates, Rakuten and FlexOffers.
- When I created content, I referenced affiliate links organically. For instance, in my “Save Money” post I referred readers to Rakuten as a means of obtaining cash back.
- I created one post that was solely dedicated to a product called, “Best Budgeting Tools That Actually Helped Me Save Money.”
Within a month of steady traffic, I had a few clicks, and then, BAM – my first affiliate commission: $8.76.
Step 6: Implementing Google AdSense
While I was slowly working on affiliate income, I decided to bring in Google AdSense as my second revenue stream. The requirements were minimal (the only things I needed were some content and traffic), and after I applied, I was approved. Over the next 3-4 weeks I began earning small daily amounts ($0.30 $1.20), but it began to add up.
Step 7: Tracking and Scaling
After about 6 weeks of work, I checked my earnings:
- Affiliate commissions: $67.50
- AdSense earnings: $35.23
Total: $102.73
I had officially earned my first $100 from blogging!
What I Discovered Along the Way
- Consistency > Perfection
I certainly wasn’t a perfect writer or a perfect designer, but I was consistent. - Traffic is King
If no one is coming to your blog, you can’t make money, which is why Pinterest and SEO saved my life. - Keep it Simple
I didn’t need a logo or a paid theme. At the beginning stage, understanding the content is superior to having a nice product. - Learn as you go
I didn’t know how to use Canva, Pinterest SEO, or even Word Press in the beginning I just dove in, to learn how to do it.
Final Thoughts
Earning your first $100 from blogging is a big milestone. It isn’t about the money – it is about proof of concept. It told me: this works. If you are consistent, strategic, and willing to learn, there is absolutely no reason you can’t do what I did – and go so much further.
Now, I’ve told my story, it’s your turn. Set up your blog, write about a person’s real problems, promote it well, and don’t give up too early.
Your first $100 is waiting for you.
