Blogging Business Basics Every Beginner Needs to Know

If you are wondering what exactly a business blog is, what a business blogger does, and how to start a blog and make money, you are in the right place.  In this post, I am covering all the blogging business basics

This post may contain affiliate links.  Please see my disclosure page for more info

Eight years ago, I started my own personal blog that eventually grew into a business.  

Starting a blog was one of the best decisions I ever made,  but I had no idea what I was doing when I first began.  

I didn’t know the difference between a blog and a website, that certain platforms were better than others, or how people were making money by sharing their knowledge.  

And I definitely didn’t have any plans to turn my blog into a business that would provide an income for my family and allow me to stay home with my children.

Fast forward to 2022, I have a profitable blogging business in the parenting space and am now using my knowledge that I have gained over the past 8 years to help other female entrepreneurs start their own blogging businesses.  

I promise you, you too can create a blogging business that makes a difference in the world and also brings in an income. 

It starts with fully understanding blogging business basics and establishing a good foundation.

I am always curious how people got their start in the online business world, so if that’s you too, you can learn more about my journey here.  Spoiler alert: I did a lot of blogging (and learning) in a different niche before I started blogging about blogging and creating websites. 

What is the difference between a blog and a website?

A blog is part of a website, but a website does not have to have a blog. 

Did you get that? 

Let’s break this down further by looking at this in three ways.  

1. A website is a blog. 

The main purpose is to display content/articles.  

I am a food blog is a great example of this.  It is solely a blog about food and recipes. 

 As well as sites that are primarily content like two I frequently visit: Huffington Post and Highly Sensitive Refuge.

 My website, The Creative Impact, that you are currently on could also be considered to be a blog.

 2. A website can have a blog as part of the website, but it is not the only thing on the site.

 ConvertKit is a site that demonstrates this.  

 ConvertKit is the email provider I have used and loved for over five years now.

 They are an email marketing business that uses a blog to provide helpful content and drive potential customers to their website.

 Blogging has become a mainstream marketing strategy for online businesses.

 Teachable is another great example of a website that uses a blog as part of their marketing strategy. 

3.  A website does not have a blog

 It is a standalone website without a blog.

 Bluehost is a great example of this.  They are the hosting provider I recommend to all beginners interested in starting a blogging business.

 They could always add a blog to their site if they wanted to, but right now it’s sole purpose is to provide potential customers great hosting at an affordable price.  

What does it mean to be a hobby blogger vs. a business blogger?

A blogger is quite simply someone who creates content for their blog.  

A hobby blogger is someone who blogs for the pure enjoyment of blogging.  They can write about whatever they like, whenever they feel like it.  They do not need to focus on a specific niche or audience, because their goal is not to earn an income from their blog. 

If this is you, you currently have a hobby blog.

A Business or Professional blogger has a strategy in place.  They choose a very specific niche to become the go-to authority in and create content on this subject that is helpful to their ideal customer.  

The goal of a business blog is to help your audience learn how to solve a specific problem or learn how to do a specific thing.

And maybe most important of all, a business blogger blogs consistently.  

What niche is best for starting a blogging business?

The best niche is one that you are very interested in, you have experience with and that has the potential to be profitable.   

You want to make sure that your niche is a topic that you enjoy talking about because you will be talking about it A LOT.

You want to be as specific as possible when choosing your niche market.  The more focused you are, the easier it will be to explain what you do and how you can help your ideal customer.

Warning: Do not choose a topic that you have zero interest in just because it is known to be “profitable.”   I guarantee you it will show in your writing and you will lose interest over time.  

Click here to learn my 5 steps to finding a profitable niche market that you actually enjoy and 3 mistakes to avoid.

Can I start a blog for free?

Yes, you can, but I do not recommend it if you want to start a business with your blog.  There are a lot of “free” platforms out there (trust me, I’ve tried a bunch) and honestly you get what you pay for.  

Free platforms come with a lot of limitations including:

• Slower loading speeds

• Limited customization options, which results in an unprofessional looking site

• The lack of options to monetize your blog via ads, online shops, etc.

• Unbranded domain names that you don’t own 

Check out my post: What you need to know before choosing a website building platform for your business to learn more about different website platforms and which is best for you.

You can’t expect to start a business for free without any start-up costs and make an income from it.  

Every business has start-up costs, but the good news is that a blogging business requires very little investment upfront.  

How much does it cost to start a blogging business?

One of the great things about starting a blogging business is that there is a VERY low start-up cost.  

The only two things you absolutely need to purchase at the beginning are a domain name and hosting.  

Yes, there are free hosting platforms, but as someone who has been blogging for over six years and has tried them all, trust me when I tell you that you want a self-hosted site. 

Once you get hosting you can install WordPress.org for free, which is hands down where you want to build your blog and website.

You can learn about the differences between hosted and self-hosted website platforms here.  

I recommend the hosting provider Bluehost for beginners.  It is who I started with and still use today for one of my blogging business websites.  

Full disclosure: I am an affiliate for Bluehost, which means that I will receive a commission if you sign up through our link. This is at no additional cost to you!  Please know that I would NEVER recommend anything that I didn’t use and love. 

Why Bluehost for beginners?

• They are super-affordable for beginners
• They have 24/7 customer service 
• There is 30-day money-back guarantee
• You get a free SSL certificate
• Plus if you use my link to sign up for hosting through Bluehost for the first time you will also get a free domain for your first year!  

How much does a domain and hosting cost?

Domain: Approximately $11.99/year  (Free for the first year when you sign up for Bluehost)

Click here for my post about what you need to consider before choosing a domain name.

Hosting: Approximately $3-6/month depending on how long you sign up for hosting.  

The longer you sign up for hosting, the bigger the discount.  You need to commit to at least a year up front, which comes to about $70.  

That’s less than $100 to start a business!!

If you were to start a brick and mortar business it would cost 100 times this price!  

Get your hosting and free domain set up in 15 minutes with my Blogging Business Bootcamp Course

How do I make money with a blog?

Blogging is definitely not a get-rich-quick scheme.  It takes a lot of dedication and hard work, but I can tell you from experience that yes, you can make amazing money from a blog, BUT it takes time.

Blogging is a long game.  It takes time to grow your audience and gain their trust as an authority through your content.  Only then will they start to become interested in the products or services you have to offer.

The amount of time it takes to start earning an income depends on your plan of action and how dedicated you are to making your blogging business grow, but it is 100 percent worth it!  

Most business bloggers make their money in one or more of these 5 ways:

 

1. Ads (Allowing ads on your site via something like Google AdSense)

2. Affiliate Marketing (Earning a commission for recommending products within your blog posts and on your website, i.e. Amazon, Shareasale, etc.)

3. Sponsorships (An article a sponsor pays you to write and share on your site with your audience.  You can sign up for sponsored post networks like Clever or Izea)

4. Their own products  (Digital or Physical, ie, printables, ebooks, books, crafts, photos, courses)

5. Services  (Coaching, done-for-you services like web design, etc.)

How do I start a blog?

You can easily get set up in 20 minutes with my step-by-step tutorial

1. Choose a domain name

2. Sign up for hosting and register your domain name for free for the first year

3. Install WordPress (Bluehost integrates seamlessly with WordPress, so it’s a one-click step in the video course)

4. Choose a theme (I help you install the best free theme for beginners in my free course below)

Get access to my free step-by-step video tutorials for the 4-step process above.  I walk you through your blog set up from beginning to end in my Blogging Business Bootcamp.