How To Start A Lifestyle Blog & Make Money in 2024

Do you have a passion for writing, photography, or even sharing your life experiences with others?

From the thug life of a social media influencer to the life of a jet-setter, lifestyle blogging can be an exciting way to make money.

A lifestyle blog is more than just another website – it’s an opportunity to share yourself and the experiences you bring with people worldwide.

In this guide, I will show you how to start a successful lifestyle blogging business that can help you earn income while sharing what you’re all about.

What Is Lifestyle Blogging?

Lifestyle blogging is about sharing your unique perspective and interests with the world.

Most successful lifestyle bloggers have effectively cultivated their brand identity and presence in the blogosphere by consistently providing quality content, staying active on social media, and engaging with their audience.

Knowing the target audience that resonates with the type of content you create as you blog on social media will help you ensure your message reaches the right people.

Your lifestyle blog also allows you to make money blogging by monetizing your content through advertising or selling products/services related to your niche.

Why Are Lifestyle Blogs In Trend?

Here are some of the top reasons why lifestyle blogs are so popular nowadays:

• They can be about any topic: Your blogging journey is unique to you, and a lifestyle blog caters to this by allowing you to share your experiences, interests, and passions with the world. With the right recommendations from home decor affiliate programs or even recipe-based ones, your target readers will look forward to discovering something new and engaging.
• It’s creative and fun: Coming up with blog post ideas and creating new content can be fun and rewarding.
• It allows you to express yourself: Your blog content will reflect your unique perspective and personality. You can (and should) also use social media channels to extend the reach of your content and build a loyal following.
• You can learn from other lifestyle bloggers: Take any blog topic, and chances are you’ll find someone from whom you can learn valuable advice about how to make a successful blog. Whether you’re involved with a food blog, a travel blog, or other industries involving lifestyle blogs, there’s always someone from whom to draw knowledge and inspiration.
• You can make money from it: Whether selling widgets that help people solve specific problems or having sponsored posts on behalf of brands you trust, there are many ways to monetize your lifestyle blog. The type of lifestyle blog content you create will play a significant role in determining what types of monetization options would be most suitable for you. The best lifestyle blogs combine creativity, originality, and informative content with a bit of commercialization.
• You can start an anonymous blog: Starting an anonymous blog can be a liberating experience. It allows you to write freely and share your opinion without worrying about how outsiders will perceive or judge it. An anonymous lifestyle blog is also ideal if you’re not comfortable sharing specific details about your life with the public.

How To Start A Lifestyle Blog

Let’s now go over the steps you need to take to start a successful lifestyle blog.

Choose A Topic

With virtually unlimited topics you can choose from, it’s essential to determine the main focus of your blog.

Having a central subject and diving deeper into its subtopics will help you create content that appeals to the right readers.

Buy A Domain Name

Your domain is the blog name people will type in to visit your blog.

It should be easy for potential readers and customers to remember and also helps to associate your blog with your brand.

When buying a domain, note that plenty of domain registrars exist.

The best ones will offer free privacy protection, which helps protect you from spammers or hackers trying to access your personal information.

Set Up A Hosting Platform And Install WordPress

Web hosting is how websites are stored on the internet, allowing anyone to access them.

The top web hosting companies, such as Bluehost, SiteGround, and DreamHost, offer competitive plans to accommodate any budget.

Once you’ve bought your hosting, installing a WordPress blog is relatively easy – most hosts will provide instructions on how to do this.

When choosing your host, it’s important to note that WordPress.com is not the same as the .org version of WordPress, so be sure to select the right one.

Alternatives to WordPress you might want to consider are Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly.

However, my top choice is always WordPress, which allows for greater customization and flexibility.

Install And Customize WordPress

Once you log into your WordPress dashboard, you can install themes and plugins that help further enhance the look and feel of your own website or blog.

With plenty of premium and free themes available, find one that reflects your lifestyle blog niche.

Finding a premium theme that suits the subject of your new blog helps give readers the best possible experience when browsing through it.

Your blog design will catch the eye of potential readers, so make sure it looks polished, professional, and high-quality.

Install Any Needed Plugins

Bloggers use plugins to extend the functionality of their websites or blogs.

Whether they want to improve SEO, add tracking codes, or create custom forms for visitors – there’s a plugin for almost anything you need.

Create Content Around Your Chosen Blog Topic

Whether you’re creating your first blog post or your 100th, WordPress.org makes it easy for bloggers to publish

AI content tools also allow for automated content generation and SEO optimization.

In a world where the quantity and quality of content needed to stay relevant are increasing, this is a great way to get ahead.

Moreover, note that using the correct categories helps break down topics into specific sections.

This categorization makes it easier for readers to find the exact type of content they are looking for.

Promote Your Blog

If no one knows about your blog, you’ll not get visitors or make any money.

Once you have content on your site, leveraging social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube is one of the best ways to get people to visit.

You can also use email newsletters and influencer marketing tactics to reach your target audience.

Monetize Your Blog

There are plenty of ways to monetize a lifestyle blog.

For example, signing up for ad networks that match relevant ads with your content can be very lucrative.

For more information about this, keep reading as I provide specific information regarding monetizing a blog further down in this article.

Key Factors To Building A Lifestyle Blogging Business

Before starting your lifestyle blog, there are several vital factors you’ll want to consider.

Here are some of the top ones.

Choose A Topic You Are Passionate About Yet Can Be Monetized

Many coaches advise choosing a topic you are passionate about.

However, be careful not to let your passion get in the way of potential success.

Successful lifestyle blogs generally combine passion and monetization regarding the main blog topic.

For example, you can combine your experience teaching musical instruments to create a niche blog on learning how to play guitar.

Doing so makes monetization much more accessible than a blog about your favorite band.

Establish Yourself As An Expert In Your Niche

It’s not enough these days to have content up on your site.

Instead, you need to establish yourself as an authority in the field if you want readers to keep coming back or even consider buying what you’re offering.

To this extent, your content should provide valuable information that readers can trust.

In addition, becoming an authority in your niche means you have to stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends so your readers know they are getting only the best information.

Your blog can also provide a platform to share others’ expert insights with readers.

This form of curation will also lend credibility to your blog.

Engage With Influencers In The Lifestyle Blogging Sphere

While people throw the term influencer around, finding authentic influencers who have built relationships with their followers and can promote your blog effectively is essential.

Reach out to influencers in your niche and offer them something of value in exchange for promotion.

This value could be in free products, services, or other incentives that boost your brand recognition.

Follow SEO Best Practices To Ensure Your Blog Ranks High On Search Engines

No matter if you’re using free blogging platforms or self-hosting a WordPress site, it is essential that you familiarize yourself with the basics of SEO (search engine optimization).

Some critical SEO best practices include:

• Using the right keywords in your content
• Optimizing page titles and meta descriptions
• Creating internal links
• Producing quality content consistently

Your homepage and other key pages should also be SEO friendly and provide a user-friendly experience that allows for the easy discovery of additional content.

A great user experience helps ensure both human readers and search engine crawlers can appropriately navigate your site.

Making Money From A Lifestyle Blog

Now, consider some of the best ways to monetize your lifestyle blog.

Sponsorship Deals

Sponsorship deals refer to arrangements in which brands pay you for product placement or promotion on your website.

Even beginners can turn their website into a money-making machine with paid sponsorships and collaborations.

As long as you can reach out to sponsors and show them the value you can bring to their brand, this is a great way to generate income from your blog.

A self-hosted site is a great way to open up more opportunities for sponsorship partnerships, as you have no restrictions on the content you can produce.

Affiliate Marketing

A blogging platform also lends itself well to affiliate marketing.

With paid and free plugins that facilitate a blog’s ability to become an affiliate, you can easily monetize some of your content.

When writing posts to generate affiliate sales, remember to provide value to someone looking for more information on a particular product or service.

Even if they decide not to purchase anything, you should still provide them with a good experience on your blog.

Selling E-Books, Digital Products, Or Services

You can also use your WordPress site to get someone to buy your created products.

WordPress can do everything from allowing a site visitor to search for the best product from several ones in your store, read about its features, add it to a shopping cart, and complete the payment process.

Another example is offering a service like a consultation, coaching program, or course.

Starting a coaching business doesn’t take much more than setting up a blog and then using it to market your services.

One can easily integrate these digital products and services into WordPress with specific plugins and add-ons.

Merchandise Sales

A lifestyle blog can also be an ideal platform to promote and sell your products if you’re in an industry that allows merchandise sales.

To highlight this point, consider how a fashion blog often showcases clothes and accessories through posts that include links where readers can purchase the items they’re wearing.

You could also create branded merchandise, such as t-shirts or mugs, to promote your brand while generating income from sales.

Donations From Your Audience Members

Once you have built a passionate base of followers, they may be willing to donate money to support your ongoing work.

You can set up an online donation system, such as PayPal or Patreon, where people can make donations in exchange for exclusive content and other rewards.

Social Media And Lifestyle Blogging

As most platforms have monetization options built-in, you can leverage social media to drive traffic to your blog and increase your visibility in search engine rankings.

You can also use it to communicate directly with your followers and build relationships with brands or influencers with whom you want to collaborate on future projects.

These two areas are closely interlinked as social media has been instrumental in the rise of many lifestyle bloggers over recent years.

How To Start A Lifestyle Blog – FAQ

Do The Fonts I Choose For My Blog Matter?

For most, the fonts one chooses won’t drastically affect how your blog looks.

Moreover, more important factors are to consider, such as content, images, and layout.

However, your font can set the tone for your blog when dealing with specific industries and help create a consistent look and feel across all pages.

In the fashion, art, and design industries, it is more important to be mindful of typography, as font choice might matter.

Can You Start A WordPress Blog For Free?

A free domain, free theme, and free hosting may seem ideal options when starting, but it depends on how much functionality you need.

For example, a free WordPress theme is more than enough if you want to share basic information about yourself or your business.

However, you shouldn’t go for a free domain or free hosting as they might not provide enough features or reliability to support your blog.

Is Google Adsense A Good Way To Monetize My Blog?

Sites just starting should rely on something other than Google AdSense as this monetization channel requires significant traffic to lead to a profitable blog.

A better option might be affiliate marketing, where you can promote products from other businesses and get paid a commission when they make sales.

Merchandise sales or donations from your audience members are other suitable monetization methods.

What Types Of Web Hosting Are Suitable For A Lifestyle Blog?

For a lifestyle blog, go with shared hosting, as it offers the most flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

This type of hosting is ideal for blogs with small amounts of traffic or content.

For blogs with more complex features, such as an ecommerce store, you’ll need dedicated hosting that offers more security and customization options.

What Are Some WordPress Alternatives?

The most popular alternative to WordPress is Wix, which allows users to create their websites without coding knowledge.

Each platform has its features and benefits, so it’s essential to research each to find the best fit for your own lifestyle blog.

Wrap Up.

As a lifestyle blogger, it’s essential to understand the process involved in setting up and monetizing your blog.

Following this guide, you should now understand the essential steps in setting up and running a successful lifestyle blog.

The next step is to explore each area further and, most importantly, take action.

While things won’t be perfect initially, you can achieve success with effort, learning, hard work, and patience.

Further reading on AdamEnfroy.com: Avoiding the most common mistakes when starting a lifestyle blog is the key to success.

Here are the things I wish I had known before starting my blog.

Reading this post can help you save time and money in the long run.

Moreover, if you’re struggling to find a specific niche to focus on, here’s the step-by-step formula to choosing the perfect niche.