How to Start a Blog and Make Money in Kenya?

Introduction

With the internet becoming a vital part of our everyday lives, there is no doubt that entrepreneurs stand to benefit in a wide variety of ways. One such way is with Blogging in Kenya; which allows anyone with an internet connection and blog to make money from their writing skills.

While most people may think that blogging is only for professional writers, the truth is that anyone who has a passion or interest in something can start blogging to share their ideas and interests with others.

Blogging in Kenya provides numerous opportunities for people to start a blog of their own – no matter what topic they are interested in. Most resources on the internet only cover how to start a blog. In this article, we’ll show you how to start a blog and make money.

What you need to start blogging

The process of starting your blog and making money from it will require a few minor pieces of equipment.  Apart from the technical requirements which are needed to start a blog, one will also need a passion for their area of interest.

To start your blog, you need:

1. Computer with an Internet Connection – computer is required to start blogging, and internet connection as well – if you intend to start a money-making blog or any blog for that matter.
2. Blogging Platform – start your blog by selecting a blogging platform for your blog (e.g. WordPress, Drupal, etc). Selecting the appropriate blogging platform for your blog will make it easy for you to start writing and eventually start making money from blogging as many people want.

With the above already instituted, you are ready to begin your career in blogging and start making some money.

What is a Blog

A blog is a website on which one or more people make regular entries in the form of posts. A blog may be about any subject, as long as there is a clear editorial policy and it’s updated regularly. It can either have general topics, for example, fashion blogs; sports blogs, etc, or niche blogs such as gadget blogs.

There are different types of blogs that exist including fashion blogs, gadget blogs, recipe blogs, sports blogs, and the list is endless. Blogs are a great tool for business start-ups as they can be used to promote products or services, create publicity about events or just be an outlet to express opinions on anything at all.

Why People Start a Blog

Before we get into how to start a blog in Kenya, let’s first get into the why. People have different reasons for starting blogs. It may be because they feel like they have something they want to show or share with the whole world. for others, they opt to start so that they can earn from them. the reasons vary from blogger to blogger.

1. Share What They Know

People who start blogs want to share what they know with others. They write what comes into their minds, what kind of information do they think is valuable for the readers, and what are some things that motivate them. another reason to start a blog is as a means of

2. Make a Living

Blogging is a profitable way to make money online. Even if you do not think that it will earn them a lot of money, what matters is what kind of information the blog owner wants to share with others. Picking the right Niche is important because it will determine the kind of traffic you expect to get on your blogs.

3. Document Their Lives

People can use Blogs to record what they are doing. Some of them document their adventures, some share what they what or what they like, and some even include what’s on their mind. They can write about whatever they are passionate about whatever it is that excites them will be the center of their blogs.

4. Promote products they sell

Some people start a blog to sell products and services. For instance, someone who is selling kitchenware may start a blog to review different products in their store.

5. Make money from websites

Some people start a blog with the aim to monetize it through different methods such as Google AdSense, affiliate marketing, Mediavine. If you’ve been wondering how to start a blog and make money with it, then read on.

6. As a hobby or something fun to do in their free time

This is usually the case with people who are working but still need a sideline business. People also start a blog as a hobby or something to engage with when they are idle.

To them, blogging is not a “job” it’s another way to socialize and make runaway the time, it has little or no benefit other than being able to tell other people about your life without having to speak out loud:

7. Network and connect with other professionals in the same field

They may make content that is aimed to appeal to the interests of their colleagues. This way, they may be able to make other connections in the industry that they are from.

How to Register a Blog?

Now that we’ve looked at why people start a blog, let’s dive into how to start a blog in Kenya. To register for a blog in Kenya you need to have all the previously highlighted instruments ready. your first step to take will be to:

a) Choose a Niche

Choosing a niche is important for several reasons. You can write a post on something about which you are likely to blog regularly and get people interested.

When choosing a niche for your blog, start by thinking of your interests or passions that might lead to topics for the content of your blogs. These could be hobbies, professional concerns, current affairs, IT or web trends, fashion, etc.  This will also mean you understand the people you are targeting with your blogs.

b) Choose a Domain Name

It is important to start with a domain name that is easy to remember.  The best way to start thinking of an appropriate domain name for your blog is through brainstorming. Keep listing down words and names until you find one that will work well as your domain name. 

You should start by looking at other blogs in the niche and the names they have picked for themselves.

The perfect domain name will help you start with a strong foundation and will increase your growth rate.  A domain name can make or break a prospective blog, while also determining the personality of the blog, to an extent. 

While it is important to start work on the content of your blog right away, start by looking for an appropriate domain name.

c)  Choose a Webhosting Service

Once you have chosen a domain name, the next thing to do is to start looking for a Webhosting service.  A host is essentially a company that will give you an Internet Protocol (IP) address and stores your content on their server.

An IP address paired with a domain name can create a web presence or website that after customizing will be your personal blog.  At this point, the start-up costs for a blog can start to add up, as one will need to factor in the cost of domain name registration and Webhosting fees.

There are several options when it comes to choosing a host, but perhaps the simplest option is to sign up with a reputable company like Hostinger or WordPress. the best Webhosting service should offer a variety of features and is catered for start-ups who need reliable web hosting services.

A start-up blog should start with the basics – one or two blogs in support of your business website, and you can start adding new blog sites after careful research to see if you’re making money from it.  You may start with only.

We highly recommend blue host as the most reliable webhosting service. Below are the reasons why we love bluehost

There are six key reasons why Bluehost is the best web host for people wanting to start a website.

1. Affordable (from 2.95$/Month)
2. Reliable (99.9% uptime)
3. Free domain name, email addresses & 1-click WordPress install
4. Brilliant 24/7 support and training guides
5. 30 day full refund policy
6. Officially recommended by WordPress.

a. Click here to lock in the free domain name offer
b. Click “Get Started Now” and select the “Basic” plan for now
c. Type in your preferred domain name to check availability.

d. Install WordPress

WordPress is the platform that you will start your blog on and it is free.  When you start a new blog, this is the first step to take because the WordPress platform has lots of plugins (add-ons) to support different functionalities that your website may need.

Installing WordPress can be done directly by you or if you don’t feel like you can do it, you can engage a website design company that will start your blog for you.

e. Launch Your First Blog Post

Now you have everything set up and now all that is left to do is to come up with an idea for your first blog post.   You can start a blog on any topic that you feel comfortable with and start to write.

Once you are done writing, all that is left to do is to go to your blog dashboard (WordPress) and click on the post button and then publish it.  Your first post is now live and people have read your first

How to Drive Traffic to Your Blog

You have everything ready including the content, now the only thing you need is the people that you will be writing for.  A lot of people start out their blogging business without realizing that the only true way to make money is by having a large pool of audience.

You will start your blog but how do you get people to see it? How will they know about the high-quality work you are putting in?

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

This is an internet marketing technique that you could use to tell search engines like Google how relevant a specific keyword term or key phrase for your page. In return, when someone uses the search engine to search for something along with the same niche and keywords you have used, your site will be among the top sites to pop up.

2. Social Media

Social media can also be used to drive traffic. you could use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many other social networks you are on in order for people to read your blog posts. How this is done is that you share with your friends and followers the post titles as well as short descriptions of what your article is all about.

If you look at your timeline, most posts have something to do with what people are reading or seeing online. Look through yours; you will start recognizing patterns in what people like.

Keep up with the conversation by posting links on your Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ accounts so that others can find them easily.

4. Start Blog Commenting

For every comment you post, there is a good chance that someone will click on your profile if you leave it out. You can start these conversations by posting links to articles that have been published recently and sharing your opinion about them.

They will also be very insightful in allowing you to know what to cover next time you are writing and anything else you should change in your next blog.

5. Be Creative and Stay Consistent and Original

It is very important for you to start blogging at least 3x a week, especially if you want traffic coming in consistently without falling off. This should help pull people into your blog as they look for new information that has been published recently.

Avoid copying content from other sites because this will reduce how many people will click on your profile regularly, knowing that there is no interesting material there anymore.

Apart from consistency, ensure that all the articles you post are unique as well so as not be copied verbatim by anyone else or just paraphrased due to lack of understanding

Cost of Starting a Blog in Kenya

One of the most important things to know when learning how to start a blog in Kenya is the cost associated with a blog. These costs include the cost of Webhosting, the cost of registering the domain, and the cost of designing and constructing the blog.

These include the cost of web hosting, the cost of registering a domain name, and the cost of designing the website among others. The cost is usually dependent on the type of blog that you will run.

It can also be dependent on the kind or category that you want it to fall into while running your blog. You should however note down some costs before beginning on your journey as a blogger.

There are other additional costs you will incur like the cost of search engine optimization, the cost of blog contests to generate traffic, the cost of outsourcing link building and the cost of getting your website ranked highly in search engines.

Knowing all the determinants that determine and influence your blog starting cost should help you choose the best services to build the best blogging site that you want.

How to Earn from Blogging in Kenya

1. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing refers to earning commission from your blog or any online content you create, by promoting an affiliate product.

It is a way of monetizing your blog by using what you already have and putting it to use by endorsing products of other people for a commission based on how the product does.

2. Advertising

Bloggers have the option to make extra money from advertising products and services and getting paid for them. You can make money by getting an advertisement campaign from a company and then putting it on your blog.

The best way to do this is by signing up with Google Adsense or Mediavine, Blogherads, and Infolinks. This will allow you to display adverts on your blog, in a specific area or just put them as boxes on the page.

3. Freelancing/ Offering Services

You can make money by offering services to other companies. The jobs that you choose must be related to your blog’s niche. An example would be if you have a lifestyle blog, you may offer copywriting and article writing.

 If you are a tech blogger or a software review site owner, then you can provide testing or reviewing for software companies.

4. Digital Products

This is a very famous way for bloggers to make money. You will be provided with a digital product such as an ebook or videos to sell on the internet.

You may also resell other people’s products for example if you are selling how to get free traffic, then you add another chapter on how to earn money from blogging.

5. Online Courses

You could consider providing online courses on your site as a way to earn from blogging. For example, if you consider starting a blog about forex trading, then you can offer a course on forex trading and make some extra income from it.

Once you’ve become a pro blogger, you can even offer a course on how to start a blog in Kenya and share all the lessons that you’ve learned.

The above list provides a number of methods that can help you make money as a blogger.

How Much Do Bloggers in Kenya Earn?

A blog’s income is based on a number of things: how many readers it has, how relevant its content is tailored to the reader’s needs and how much traffic you can generate either organically through social media or using a blog marketing service.

The average income per month for Kenyan bloggers sits at between Ksh 40,000 to Ksh 500,000.

How Much Time Should You Spend on Your Blog Per Day?

The average amount of time that should be spent on blogging every day is about 2-3 hours. If you have less time to spend blogging, then that is fine as long as it has been planned out and scheduled every week otherwise you will not be able to reach your goals.

We do not recommend spending an hour a day on blogging because most people do not have that kind of time to commit daily, nor can they complete everything in one hour or for the entire day for that matter.

The good thing about blogging is that you can entirely do it as per your time, with no restrictions imposed.

What Is the Average Income for a Blog Post?

A single blog post can make you an average of $19. This is not a fixed amount since how much revenue you earn is dependent upon how much you charge for the post, your traffic, the number of affiliate links or products you manage to put in a post, the ads placed on the post, and so on.

This is also dependent on a number of factors like the kind of traffic on your blog post.

Blogging Sites in Kenya

If you are a beginner, and you just want to try out blogging to determine whether it’s something you want to seriously take up, then there a number of blogging sites that can help you.

Square space is one of the best blogging sites in Kenya for artwork, including photography and design. If you are looking to blog for an audience of professionals, then LinkedIn is a great place. Additionally, if you’re just looking to sharpen your blogging skills, Medium is the place.

Blogger, Tumblr and Weebly are other options that you can check out.

Your Turn

How is it possible to earn over $1,000 from blogging in Kenya? To earn a lot of money with your blog is not the most difficult part. You can earn as much as $500 per month or more if you could learn how to monetize your blog correctly.

The truth is that for many bloggers who make serious amounts of money online, there are four main ways that they find success: Affiliate sales; Google Adsense Revenue; Selling eBooks or digital products, and Information marketer.

Overall, starting a blog in Kenya is not hard, but it does require some work. If you are willing to dedicate a little bit of your time and learn what you need to know about blogging, then I am sure that you will be able to find success in no time at all.

Now that we’ve shown you not only how to start a blog in Kenya but also how to monetize it correctly, what are you waiting for?

 

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