Blogging has revolutionized the internet and the world of writing as you know it. This practice is still relatively new, but even so, it has so many benefits for people and marketers that experts have studied it for years.
When you blog, you’re writing about your experiences and stories, at least in a lot of cases. Therefore, it’s a very fun practice, especially because you get to tell things that happened to you before.
Since you’re writing, you’re clearly refining your skills to communicate ideas to the public. Thus, blogging allows you to improve your capacity to express yourself.
Regardless of whether you want to run a travel blog or finance blog, blogging is one of the best ways to have fun while you make some revenue.
Nonetheless, there are numerous categories to choose from when it comes to picking the theme of your blog. This article focuses on the most popular ones and then it offers you the crucial information you must know if you’re getting started with your blog.
Types of Blogs
There are numerous types of blogs. People run everything from business blogs to food, fashion, and health and fitness blogs.
In some instances, a few writers might quickly know what they want to write about on their websites. However, the process is not as straightforward for everyone. On the contrary, others need to examine each category and see which one suits their preferences and goals.
This section describes the most popular types of blogs you can consider before choosing your topic. When you’re done reading it, you might have a clear idea of what your blog can address.
Personal Blogs
The first category you should know about is the personal blog. This is one of the most popular types of blogs existing nowadays, especially for people who enjoy creating content about their lives.
Personal blogs are popular because people feel a connection with the author. Thus, personal bloggers share their experiences, hardships, and stories.
Instead of providing people with specific information, personal blogs focus on giving the public an authentic view of a human being.
A Personal Blog Can Be the Start of Something More
Successful personal bloggers often grow a lot on other platforms, for example, their social media. Therefore, running a personal blog might give you numerous opportunities if you’re constant and authentic.
The key to having fantastic personal blogs is to make sure your personality shines through what you’re writing. Show your readers all sides of yourself and promote resources, online courses, and ebooks that no one else could give your readers but you.
Food Blogs
Running food blogs is also a fun idea if you already have a passion for cooking (or eating, no one’s judging here). There are various sub-categories for these types of blogs, and the main ones are the following:
- Restaurant and food reviews
- Travel and food
- Photography
- Recipes
You can target specific niches within each subcategory. If you, for example, travel through Europe, you could review vegan restaurants.
Food blogs work when you’re as specific as you can be. There’s a lot of competition out there, so you have to make your site stand out.
Travel Blogs
Starting your own blog might seem daunting, especially if you want to focus on sharing your travel experiences.
Even though this is a crowded market, there are a lot of poor-quality blogs in this subcategory. Consequently, it’s the perfect opportunity for you to offer something different.
Many people want to run travel blogs because they dream of getting to know a lot of places around the globe and sharing their stories with others. If that’s your case, you can provide your audience with valuable content.
You can talk about the best day trips to a specific location, what to do if you go from point A to point B, places you can’t miss if you visit (insert fantastic travel spot here), and so on.
The last pro tip you might want to keep in mind for travel blogs is that most people prefer reading fun stories to getting a strict step-by-step guide. Thus, tell them about that time you got lost in an airport and almost end up in Timbuktu, or about your first trip to Europe. They’ll want to know!
Fashion Blogs
It might be odd for some people, but fashion blogs are still very popular. If you’re passionate about clothing trends, this can be the ideal topic for your site.
A fashion blog is still one of the most famous types of blogs because there’s always something to talk about. Consequently, the best way to make yours succeed is to not only provide your readers with a unique perspective on things but also stay up to date with current trends and news.
Fitness Blogs
Health and fitness blogs are obviously one of the most popular niche blog types to consider. You can share everything from workout plans to recipes, and if you add videos into the mix, you can make your site stand out from all others!
Digital marketing strategies for fitness blogs often include trying not to cater to a huge audience. Instead, focus on specific topics and position yourself as an authority figure in the areas you’re addressing.
Wellbeing and Healthy Living Blogs
Running healthy living and wellbeing blogs means you have to bridge the gap between your audience and science.
When you run these types of blogs, you need to make things easy for your readers. You can, for instance, give them tips to improve their emotional wellness.
Even though managing your own health blog requires a lot of effort and conscious work, when it comes to these types of blogs, you need to keep in mind that your readers are probably not feeling good and want to improve.
Therefore, you must guarantee that what you’re offering is convenient and valuable. There are many types of blogs, but if you choose this one, you have to commit to helping your public. Foster a personal and meaningful conversation with your readers and you’ll see phenomenal results.
DIY Blogs
Among all types of blogs that exist, DIY blogs are definitely a fun category to explore. Their main purpose is to turn hobbies into business, help other people do the same, and guide your public toward a more sustainable life.
To be successful at running DIY blogs, a pro tip you can try is using fantastic visual assets and sharing them on other social media platforms.
Additionally, if you want to monetize a DIY blog, you can start with ad networks such as Google AdSense. As time goes on, you can join affiliate programs as well, or look for potential partners such as eCommerce sites.
Lifestyle Blogs
Everyone knows a good lifestyle blog. These fun websites are definitely one of the most successful types of blogs you can run.
Lifestyle bloggers are all about people’s interests. Therefore, instead of focusing on one specific topic as a food blog would, lifestyle blogs try to catch the public’s attention with stunning visuals and valuable information.
One of the best aspects of these types of blogs is that you can talk about a myriad of topics. There is no shortage of options with a lifestyle blog, and instead of worrying about the specific areas you want to cover in your articles, focus on making them useful and fun to read.
Photography Blogs
A photography website is often a very successful niche blog. You can offer tips to photographers, showcase what you can do, and add some testimonials to show your readers how you’ve helped other people.
If you want to become a professional blogger, you have to think carefully each time you’re going to publish something new on your website.
Sharing personal stories might be a convenient alternative for a photography blog sometimes, but the focus of your site should be the pictures you can take.
Furthermore, you should guarantee you choose the best pictures, not all your work. Identify the most fantastic examples of what you can do and take advantage of that to connect with potential customers.
Beauty Blogs
Considered to be one of the most popular blogs on the web, a beauty blog is an ideal option if you love everything related to hair, makeup, skincare, and even fashion.
If you look for the most popular fashion blogs, for example, you might see a couple of beauty blogs on the list even though they don’t specialize in fashion only. This occurs because the sites are so famous that it’s impossible not to add them.
Even though a beauty site and a fashion blog might publish articles with overlapping themes, the first option is still a niche blog. In other words, you can dedicate your website to beauty only and make sure you only cater to a specific audience.
Business Blogs
Business blogs are also very famous, and even though they’re popular among entrepreneurs, people who know nothing about the subject are often interested too.
If you don’t know about this industry, reading some articles on a successful business blog might give you an idea of how you can get started. Therefore, as a blogger, you should take this power very seriously because your readers might act depending on what you write.
Unlike other types of blogs, business blogs should not be your first alternative to get some extra revenue.
Alternatively, you can combine a business blog with other income streams, such as social media management. Instead of focusing on the blog to give you money, try to generate leads.
A Business Blog Might Be the Ideal Option for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs who want to do some more things to earn money and have fun could think about running a side blog.
A person who manages their own blog is often passionate about the things they address in their articles. However, this is not the only trait you should display. You must also be committed, perseverant, and creative.
With a business blog, you can not only guarantee that you express your ideas but also monetize them and sell them to your readers.
Also known as a marketing blog, a business blog is the ideal side-hustle entrepreneurs can get into if they love writing. Even though it takes time, it might be the perfect activity to do!
Music Blogs
Musicians can blog too! This subcategory consists of music blogs. The name is self-explanatory – these blogs focus on music only, regardless of whether it’s just promoting it or discussing various artists and genres.
A music blog is one of the most popular types of blogs because it’s accessible to musicians and music lovers who want to write about their passion.
The essential thing to remember about running a music blog is that you must prioritize quality over quantity and cater to your audience, regardless of its size.
Instead of only worrying about how much money you can make with your music blog, focus on giving the best of yourself to all your clients.
Sports Blogs
Sports blogs are the perfect option for many people as well, particularly if you are a sports lover or connoisseur.
If you have a blog that focuses on sports, you should probably take advantage of it and make as much valuable content as you can.
When it comes to sports blogs, you can make money by keeping your readers engaged. These popular types of blogs are the ideal kind to explore when you want some passive income because ads are their main source of revenue.
Personal Finance Blogs
Another one of the most popular types of blogs ever is the personal finance blog, which news blogs, lifestyle blogs, and food blogs barely compete with.
Having the most successful affiliate blog is not easy, but you can achieve it with a finance blog. Since you’re offering your readers your experiences with finances, you’re keeping their attention, which means they’re on your website longer, and you might be able to make more money.
A finance blog is a fantastic idea if you offer personal finance services. Asides from sharing some of your knowledge with your audience, you can offer them guides or any other type of free online resource.
Lastly, the best part of being a personal finance blogger is that you have the opportunity to share your personal journey with others. Thus, take advantage of that and make sure you’re honest and authentic.
Outdoor Blogs
Adventurous people love outdoor blogs. These sites give you articles about outdoor activities and they’re almost always thrilling and exciting.
If you run an outdoor blog, you can talk about hiking, snorkeling, and much more. The best way to succeed, however, is to pick a very specific theme for your niche.
Political Blogs
A political blog might include essential information you want to know. These platforms usually have the latest news about the subject, but you can also use them to express your personal views.
Running a political blog allows you to write about your passion for politics as you make some extra cash each month. You can, for example, write reviews, share election overviews, and so on – you get to choose!
Political blogs are immensely successful because a lot of people enjoy discussions about politics. If this doesn’t sound like you, you should check out other alternatives.
Parenting Blogs
Ever since so many single moms and dads are online looking for help and tips, parenting blogs have become much more famous.
These blogs are so popular because they’re the ideal type to share your experiences with your children. This can bring your readers some comfort and make them feel connected to your story.
Moreover, when you run these blogs, you can also make free and paid resources. Offer ebooks and courses to your clients and make sure you’re patient once you launch them – it might take a little time before you start getting the revenue you want.
Self-help and Personal Development Blogs
A parenting blog, food blog, sports blog, travel blog, DIY blog, and fitness blog might be popular, but so are blogs focused on personal development and growth.
Numerous professionals can run these types of blogs, and if you’re not an expert, you can still write about your experiences and what has worked for you.
With a blog focused on personal growth and self-help, you can give people the tools to grow if they want to. Make sure you’re clear and transparent with what you’re offering them and let them know that what you’re giving them is something you’ve tried yourself.
Gaming Blogs
Gaming has become a very popular market, especially since gamers are taking over numerous social media platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
Since gaming blogs are so convenient, numerous gamers want to make some profit from their skills and show them off. If you focus on playing very specific games, running a blog where you only talk about this might be very convenient.
Specific blogs are often more successful than others that talk about everything. Therefore, if you only play certain games, take advantage of this for your site and make sure you use it to gain your readers’ attention.
Since gaming blogs can be so popular, get ready because yours can grow a lot faster than you think. This is not a rule (there aren’t rules when it comes to blogging), but it’s certainly something that can happen.
Car Blogs
Thousands of people all over the world love cars. There are experts and fanatics everywhere, so this is a blog category option you need to keep in mind if you want to build a huge audience.
Niche blogs like sites about cars only can be very successful if you know how to manage them. In other words, you need to be able to capture and maintain your readers’ attention as well as make sure that you implement the right marketing strategies.
Art Blogs
Running an art blog is the ideal alternative for artists, art lovers, and art connoisseurs who want to dive deeper into their passion.
Art blogs allow you to look at art in a completely different way. Instead of just observing it, you can also review the works, tell your readers why they should (or shouldn’t) visit them, and so on.
If your blog focuses on art only, it’s the perfect moment to start considering monetizing strategies and trying out new things. You can, for example, try Google ads.
Other Types
There are many successful food blogs, and you can also check out amazing mom blogs or remember your favorite fitness blog or sports blog.
However, the previously mentioned types are not the only ones that exist. There are also movie blogs, video blogs, technology blogs, pet blogs, and much more.
The best part of blogging is that you virtually have no limits. You can choose the topic of your writing, practice, outline your articles, and start publishing your posts.
Since there are so many topics to choose from, you are bound to find something you love. Thus, don’t despair if you couldn’t identify your favorite from the list – you can keep looking!
How to Have a Successful Blog
Now that you know the most popular blog types, getting to know some pro tips to manage your own might be a fantastic idea. Take a look at the following suggestions:
Add the Essential Pages
You need to add the most crucial pages to your website, for example, the ‘About Us’ section, ‘Contact’ section, and so on.
If you don’t do this, you risk losing credibility and potential customers. People probably don’t want to read someone’s blog if they don’t know who they are, especially when it comes to health and fitness.
Be Consistent with Your Branding
Branding is one of the most challenging aspects of running a blog and working with social media platforms. However, it’s also immensely fun, and once you nail it down, it can help your business grow.
To make sure that your blog grows organically and attracts top customers, you must guarantee that your branding is consistent. If you, for instance, use a color palette on the home page, you can’t use one completely different in the about us section.
Incorporate Engaging Visuals
Managing a blog is not only about writing the articles and choosing the aesthetics of the website. You also need to incorporate beautiful visuals if you want your site to succeed.
Think about it this way – do you prefer reading an article that has some images or not? The answer, in most cases, is affirmative. Thus, you must try to locate the fantastic images you can use for your articles and even some sections of your website.
Use Reliable Web Hosting
While the domain of your website is the new apartment you bought, the hosting is the building that place is in. Therefore, you must make sure that it’s sturdy enough for you to live in it.
Hosting is something many young entrepreneurs overlook when they’re getting started. Unfortunately, good hosting means you probably need to invest some money. Nonetheless, it’s completely worth it.
Make Sure it’s Mobile-responsive
Millions of people have a cellphone, and a lot of those might find your site when they’re looking for something on Google. On some occasions, it happens by accident.
Regardless of the circumstances in which they found your blog, you want to give them the best you can. If your site is not mobile-optimized, your clients might leave as soon as they open it on their mobiles because they’re unable to see something they like.
Optimizing your site for it to be perfect for mobile devices often doesn’t take a long time. Nonetheless, it requires time and conscious effort, so you must be willing to take in the challenge.
Don’t Focus on a Single Income Stream
If you’re getting started, never focus on a single income stream. While being an affiliate blogger might be fun, you should also consider sponsored posts or being a guest writer on someone else’s site.
Guest writers often attract a lot of traffic to their own site, and the best thing about this is that you’re directly referring to your target audience.
Add Social Sharing Buttons
Making your blog grow means you have to give your readers multiple opportunities to both interact with your content and share it with others.
Consequently, social sharing buttons are essential. Incorporate them into your posts and people can share the articles with anyone they want with just a couple of clicks.
Plan Your Content
Planning is an essential skill for bloggers. All high-quality niche blogs are successful because the people behind them scheduled their content and made sure that their readers always had something new to check out.
Many people have trouble planning or have never tried it before. Even so, remember that it’s something you can learn, and it can help you in many other areas of your life.
Refine Your Writing Skills
It might sound obvious, but you need to write to be a writer. Read that again – you have to start putting words into paper.
When you’re getting started with blogging, common mistakes are frequent. You might write long paragraphs or accidentally overly complicate a very straightforward idea.
Thus, an essential part of succeeding with your blog is to improve any difficulties you have with your writing. With time and dedication, you might notice the change in your texts, and it can bring you numerous positive consequences.
Be Consistent
The last pro tip on this list is to be consistent. This one goes hand in hand with being organized since planning allows you to know what you’re going to publish and when, and this is essential for consistency.
The phrase ‘consistency is key’ might sound cliche, but it’s the one that best describes the message. You can’t expect your readers to stay with you if you’re not providing them with constant content.
How to Find Your Blog Niche
Suppose that you already have a few topics in mind for your blog. Even though it’s a good start, choosing your niche is essential if you want to make your business grow. Take a look at the following tips:
Pick a Specific Topic
First, examine all the category options you have for your blog. Do you want to run news blogs, political blogs, movie blogs, technology blogs, finance blogs, or gaming blogs? Check out the details of each one and determine what they entail.
Narrow down your options as much as you can, and if you need to, do some additional research and take a look at some of the most famous blogs in those areas. You can draw inspiration from there and even use them as a reference for what you wish to have.
Once you have a short list of options, choose the one you love the most. This might sound like a very irrational approach, but it is discussed later in this guide, so you will be able to understand where it comes from.
Research
In this step, you should already know the topic you want to talk about in your blog. Therefore, it’s time to do some research and see what you can find out there.
As you research, take note of who your competitors are and which themes they talk about. It should give you an idea of where you should (or shouldn’t) direct your mental energy.
Determine Your Niche
You should pick a niche after selecting the topic of your blog. If you, for example, run a finance blog, your niche can be college students. Overall, there are millions of niches. Nonetheless, you need to choose the one your heart desires.
Choose with Your Heart
Finally, this step explains what was mentioned before – you need to choose with your heart, not with your brain.
At first sight, this idea sounds not only crazy but also very problematic. However, it’s one of the best alternatives you can try, especially if you’re planning to do this on a long-term basis.
Choosing with your heart and not your brain allows you to pick a topic and niche you love. If you’re in it for the long run, you might have to write a few thousand words per week about whatever you choose. Thus, you might see why it’s so important to like the theme of your blog.
How to Write a Successful Blog Post
Regardless of whether you’re a professional marketer or just someone looking for a new hobby, running a blog is one of the best ideas if you enjoy writing and would like to make some revenue with your passion.
However, when you run a blog, there’s a lot you have to consider before even thinking about earning money. Learning how to write the perfect blog post and choosing the type of blog you want are the two most crucial things you should keep in mind at first.
To write a fantastic blog post, you need a few things. Firstly, you need to decide the type of blog you want to run.
Secondly, having a convenient keyword research tool is a fantastic alternative as well, especially if you want to have a successful personal blog. Nonetheless, if you’re not able to afford it when you’re getting started, there are costless alternatives as well.
Lastly, you must do some research. Determine your niche’s needs and identify the short and long-tail keywords that you can address in each specific article you write.
Once you have a clear idea of what your potential public needs, you can sit down and write. Make sure you outline what you want to say before getting started, so your ideas are organized and follow a coherent order.
Publishing your first article might be daunting, but keep in mind that it’s something all bloggers go through. In time, it will get easier, and most importantly, it’ll be very fun!
Getting Over Your Fears
The fear never really goes away when you’re a blogger. You’re always going to offer something new to your audience, so you might feel nervous each time you publish.
At the same time, the fear of publishing for the first few times is much more intense than any other type. As time goes on, it gets easier. Nonetheless, you must be willing to do your part and publish even though you’re afraid.
To Wrap Up
Each type of blog offers its pros and cons. Business bloggers, for example, might benefit from the themes they manage because they’re related to their lives.
On the other hand, running a gaming blog is a completely different experience because it lets you think differently about gaming. Thus, each option has its own characteristics.
Now that you have so many alternatives to choose from, you should ask yourself what you want to write about and why. After that, pick the option you want and commit to it!
