Learning how to start a blog has become a popular way for moms to share their passions, expertise, and experiences while earning income from home. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom looking to supplement your family’s income or a mama eager to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams, blogging offers endless possibilities.
I know because I’ve experienced them time and time again.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of starting a profitable blog from the comfort of your own home–even with the babies running around.
From choosing a niche to monetization strategies, I got you girl.
Let’s learn how to start a blog!
Step 1: Choose Your Blog Niche
The first step in starting a profitable blog is choosing a niche that aligns with your interests, expertise, and audience’s needs. Consider your passions, hobbies, and experiences to identify a niche that you’re genuinely passionate about.
Learn more about profitable and popular blog niches for moms here!
Step 2: Select a Domain Name + Web Hosting
Once you’ve chosen your blog niche, it’s time to select a domain name and web hosting provider. Here are some things to consider when choosing a domain name:
- Your blog name needs to be related to your chosen niche. For example, if you run a blog that teaches healthy recipes to new moms, a domain name could be healthyeatsbyana.com.
- If all else fails, use your name. This is always a safe option (I’ve done it myself!)
- Make it plain, make it simple. Choose a name that’s super simple, avoiding extras (hyphens, numbers, etc.) to make it easier to remember.
- Be sure your domain name is available. I recommend heading over to http://www.bluehost.com to check and see if your chosen domain name is available.
If you feel stuck in figuring out a blog name, you can use domain name generators like Namecheap or GoDaddy to brainstorm ideas.
Next, choose a reliable web hosting provider for your blog.
I’ve personally used Bluehost for all of my websites, and honestly have nothing but praises for the platform and their team!
Not only does Bluehost provide the best customer service, they are the cheapest. Plus, they give you a FREE domain name–instantly saving up to $20.
And don’t worry, if you haven’t decided on a domain name yet! Bluehost gives you the option to get a credit to choose your name within 30 days!
Step 3: Set Up Your Blogging Platform
After purchasing your domain name and web hosting, it’s time to set up your blogging platform. WordPress.org is the most popular and user-friendly blogging platform used by millions to start a blog worldwide.
If you’re serious about making money with your blog, you’ll need to secure a self-hosted blog. This simply means all of your content is yours alone, as opposed to blogging on a blogging platform owned by someone else (Wix, WordPress.com, etc.)
Most web hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installation, making it easy to set up your blog. Follow the prompts to install WordPress on your hosting account and log in to your WordPress dashboard.
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Step 4: Customize Your Blog Design
Once WordPress is installed, you can choose a theme and customize your blog’s design to reflect your brand and personality.
Browse through the available WordPress themes or invest in a paid theme that offers customization options, responsive design, and SEO optimization.
Customize your blog’s header, colors, fonts, and layout to create a visually appealing and user-friendly website.
Bluchic offers a ton of absolutely stunning website templates, and really takes the work out of designing a new site for the first time. I recommend checking the site out to see if there is a template that fits your blog needs (which I’m sure there is)!
Step 5: Create Compelling Content
With your blog set up and designed, it’s time to start creating compelling content that resonates with your target audience.
Brainstorm ideas for blog posts, tutorials, and how-to guides that showcase your expertise and provide value to your readers.
Your focus should be on creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content that solves your audience’s problems.
Creating Your Content Pillars
Content pillars cover core topics within your blog niche. They’re designed to provide value to your audience, establish your expertise, and improve your website’s search engine rankings.
These topics should be broad enough to cover a range of subtopics but specific enough to provide value and depth.
I like to think of content pillars as the main pillars supporting the structure of your blog or website. Your blog posts and other content branching off from them.
When determining content pillars for your blog or website, ask yourself the following questions. This will help you to identify relevant topics that align with your audience’s interests and your expertise:
- What are my passions and areas of expertise?
- What are the primary pain points, challenges, or questions that my audience faces?
- What topics am I knowledgeable about and passionate about sharing with others?
- What are the most frequently asked questions or topics of interest within my niche?
- What topics or subjects do I constantly find myself researching or discussing with others?
- What are the emerging trends, developments, or issues within my niche that my audience would find valuable or interesting?
By asking yourself these questions, you can identify content pillars that serve as the foundation of your blog or website.
How to Research Blog Topics
This step takes the most time, but rightfully so as it is a huge factor in the success of your blog.
Do some research on 3-4 of your online competitors, and check to see what some of their most popular blog posts are about.
Deep dive into each competitor’s site, checking for any trend patterns. Which posts are getting the most views, likes and shares? Take note of those.
I like to use the site UberSuggest, or something similar, to do this. Taking each URL of your competitor’s site and input it into the UberSuggest search bar.
In just a few quick seconds, you’ll be able to view a bunch of information from each site–highest ranked keywords, posts that are receiving the most backlinks, etc.
Use this information to plan + create original content. This will help boost your blog post, and bring more traffic to your site in general.
Once you’ve completed this, use Google to type in your blog post topic, and check out the first 10 posts on the page. It never hurts to see what others are writing about the topic you’re about to write on, and you might even find a few things to add to what you know!
In case this isn’t obvious, I’m not suggesting you go steal the content of others. I’m simply suggesting using them as mentors, guides or inspiration. There’s enough for everyone without stealing.
Here’s what else you should take note of when researching blog posts:
- The page/post title
- Post length/word count
- How many main topics the post has (Subheadings)
Crafting the Perfect Post Title
Coming up with a title for your blog posts is one of the most important pieces to the puzzle.
You’ll want to make sure your title clearly communicates what the post is about, and includes the problem AND the solution.
The first impression of your blog post is its title, so make it clear, concise and catchy. Whether a reader clicks on your post highly depends on the title, so make it count!
When writing your blog post title, think about the question your blog post is answering. For example, this e-book answers the question “How do I start a blog?”
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Steps to Writing a Great Blog Post
- Draft an outline of the post: Jot down ideas and any other information you have on the topic, then organize it by relevance or steps
- Write a clear + catchy blog post title: Keep the post titles no more than 10 words
- Be as detailed as possible, to not only educate your reader but also allow more chances to sneak in some keywords. Keep the body of your post conversational and in your tone
- Conclude with a CTA–freebie, follow, etc.
- Add internal (your own pages/posts) and external (other webpages and posts) links
Step 6: Promote Your Blog
Once you’ve published your first few blog posts (I recommend 4-5 to start), it’s crucial to promote your blog and attract traffic to your website.
Utilize social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn to share your blog posts, engage with your audience, and grow your following.
If you deem it necessary, create new profiles for your blog. But if you can, just start by promoting it on your personal pages. You’ll get some beginning traffic from supportive family and friends, and you may find it less stressful to launch to those who know and love you.
Consider joining online communities, forums, and Facebook groups related to your blog niche to connect with like-minded individuals and promote your content.
Step 7: Monetize Your Blog
After building a solid foundation for your blog and attracting a steady stream of traffic, it’s time to monetize your blog and start earning income from your efforts. There are several monetization strategies you can explore, including:
- Affiliate Marketing: Promote products or services related to your blog niche and earn a commission for every sale or referral generated through your affiliate links.
- Display Advertising: Display ads on your blog using ad networks like Google AdSense, Media.net, or AdThrive and earn money based on ad impressions and clicks.
- Sponsored Content: Partner with brands and companies to create sponsored blog posts, product reviews, sponsored social media posts, or sponsored content campaigns.
- Digital Products: Create and sell digital products such as eBooks, online courses, printables, templates, or digital downloads related to your blog niche.
- Membership Sites: Offer premium content, exclusive resources, or membership-only access to your audience in exchange for a monthly or annual subscription fee.
Starting a profitable blog from home is an exciting journey that offers endless opportunities for moms to share their passions, connect with their audience, and earn income online.
Learning how to start a blog and implementing proven strategies, you can launch a successful blog that fulfills your dreams and empowers you to achieve financial freedom while staying true to your role as a mom.