Blogger and Wordpress have to be the two most popular blogging platforms used today. Wordpress is definitely the most customizable and easiest to use of the two. Beginners should have very little trouble learning how to use it.

Even if you have little to no tech knowledge, you can set up a Wordpress blog in no time by using their hosted blog feature. It really can't get any easier, and the best part is that it's free! Of course, hosting your own blog with your own domain name is the best way, but if you want to learn how to use Wordpress and experiment with it risk free, then you can't go wrong with a free hosted version.

The beauty of blogging is that you can blog about whatever you want! But, if you want to make money by blogging, I would recommend that you follow these suggestions to maximize your earning potential.

First of all, you should stick to a specific niche. If you stick to a single subject, or two, you will be perceived as much more of an authority as if you were to blog about anything and everything. Gain reader's trust and respect, and you will be able to monetize from their loyalty.

Most importantly, provide an abundance of value. Don't think that people will continue to read you blog just because you post. You have to bring them valuable information, things that they want to know about, often. By doing so, you will develop a solid readership base and they will subscribe to your RSS feed. If you just spam them with a bunch of ads or offers, you will have no credibility whatsoever.

Next, be patient. Blogging does take some serious work, and some time to grow and become capable of earning you substantial income. Remember that even though you may not make money fast, in time your earnings will be able to grow and grow.

Finally, choose the best monetization method for your niche. There are many ways to monetize a blog, such as advertising, paid posts, or widgets; but it's up to you to test and see what works best. There is one method that works in virtually every niche extremely effectively, and that's affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing is the number one way to make big bucks from blogging. As your popularity and authority increase, the better position you are in to make strong recommendations to your loyal readers whom are ready to take your advice and act upon it.