25+ Best Feminine WordPress Blog Themes 2019

January 19, 2019 • by NikkiSlivarich

One of the most important blogging decisions you will ever be faced with is your choice in theme!

Do you want something more minimalist? Feminine? Chic?

Or maybe depending, on your content, a theme that caters better to images than text, or one that is WooCommerce-ready if you’ll be setting up an online shop!

Deciding on your theme could take anywhere from a few hours to days.

But of course, this all depends on how specific your tastes are… although there really are countless options out there.

Write down the specifics of what you want your blog to look like and make sure to have a checklist with you when you’re narrowing it down.

The themes below are all meant for WordPress.org and are all available through Creative Market (my go to destination for anything blog or social media related).

If you haven’t already, be sure to setup a self-hosted WordPress site before purchasing them!

To create your own WordPress site now, check out this thorough and easy 6 step guide to creating your new blog in under 20 minutes!

Parent vs. Child Theme

This is one of the most important things to pay attention to when selecting a WordPress theme!

Any well-developed WordPress theme will include both a Parent Theme (the framework) and a Child Theme (the site design – how your website will actually look!).

However, often times, you will have to purchase the Genesis Framework separately from the Child Theme!

Genesis can be purchased for a one time fee of $59.95 through StudioPress.

The Genesis Framework, a Parent Theme, is by far the most loved of all with us WordPress users! It’s well-coded, well-supported, and features excellent built-in SEO!

In the selections below, I have listed which themes do and do not include Genesis in their listed price (as well as noting if a frame was built on another framework, if the designer has disclosed this) 🙂 But please, always double check the listing again during checkout to confirm all information is still up to date!

Pro Tip: For optimum SEO, speed, and security, among other things, it’s ideal to keep your site’s structure separate from its visual components.

Responsive Theme

When browsing WordPress themes, you’ll often come across this term!

A Responsive Theme is a WordPress Theme that adjusts its layout for optimum resolution based on the browsing device’s screen size.

Responsive themes offer a better user experience in that navigation and readability are thus, “made to order” for the individual viewing your site. This is especially important when you consider the smaller dimensions of a mobile device like a smart phone or tablet!

And bonus: instead of having to create and constantly edit a specific mobile version of your site, this is a one step solution!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links meaning that should you make a purchase using one of these links, I could earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

New here? You may also be interested in:

Ready to get started? Let’s find the perfect theme for your blog!

The themes below range from $20-$65 and feature options for all different types of blogging niches.

ISABELLE – $35

A responsive, feminine, and minimalist WordPress Genesis Child Theme. Perfect for Lifestyle Bloggers and Home Decor or Design Enthusiasts!

Features

Responsive layout
Custom logo & favicon option
Full-width slideshow
Featured page CTAs
Widgetized sidebar
Easy-to-organize category page template
Live theme customizer for changing colors, logo, favicon, etc.
Multiple page layout options
SEO friendly
Cross-browser compatible

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Demo content
Widget import file

✘ Does NOT include Genesis Framework

AVONDALE – $65

An absolutely gorgeous and feminine premium WordPress theme. Perfect for Beauty and Fashion bloggers!

Features

Unique featured images display on your blog posts overview. Show not only ONE, but TWO featured images,
Display your Reward Style or Style Collective shop my post widget before the “read-more” button
Every elements in this theme can either be disabled or removed. The possibilities to arrange the layout to your own liking is endless.
Upload your own logo, or enter a text for the header
Customize colors for background, text, links, hover links, top navigation background colors, buttons, etc.
Slider on homepage (optional – you can have it disabled)
Three layout styles (full width, right sidebar, and left sidebar).
Tons of post display styles (full post, excerpt, list, grid).
Custom templates (About Me, Blog, Categories, Landing, Under Construction)
Widget areas (Primary Sidebar, Homepage Header, Homepage Footer, Blog Page Header, Categories Page, After 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Post in Homepage, After Each Entry in Single Post, and Footer).
Upload your own custom signature, and it will appear after each of your post in single post page and in your About Me page
WooCommerce compatible. Open an online store and start making sales right on your own website
Mobile responsive, will look good in any device
SEO optimized

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Custom Built-In Widgets:
- About me
- Social media buttons
- Recent posts
- Popular posts
- Highlighted categories
- Promo boxes

✓ Includes Genesis Framework

ANALOGUE – $69

A responsive and minimalist WordPress theme perfect for Influencers, Travel Bloggers, and Interior Designers.

Features

Fully responsive design displays beautifully across desktop, mobile and all devices in between
Unique blog design with multiple layout options
A featured slider for blog posts as well as a separate home page slider for unique content
Infinite scroll integration for blog and archive pages so your readers can keep on reading
Back to top button so they can quickly get back to where they started
Separate home page builder so you can create a landing page that converts
Primary and footer navigation menus, including a sticky nav – use one or both
Minimalist sidebar layout with lots of possibilities, plus a full-width layout
WooCommerce compatibility with custom styled elements and an added shop header
Live theme customizer – see your changes before going live
Lots of styling options – colors, Google Fonts, layouts and more
Optional logo and header uploader to make your mark
Unique sign up and Instagram footer section for that custom look
Widgetized footer area with multiple layout options – 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns
Mailing list integration for MailChimp, Aweber, Constant Contact etc.
Simple installation – get your site setup like our demo in minutes
One-click automatic theme updates via the WordPress dashboard

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Demo content
Custom Photoshop templates for logo, favicon, back to top button, pin it button, shop section background and footer sign up background
Access to help centre

✘ NOT built on and DOES NOT require Genesis framework.

FINESSE – $49

A very minimal and clean WordPress theme that is perfect for portfolios, creative blogs, and lifestyle bloggers!

Features

Custom Portfolio Plugin which provides a dedicated portfolio section
Two different layout styles – full width and boxed
Multiple page layouts
Simple customization
Unlimited colour schemes
Responsive design
Custom widgets for an about section, latest posts, Instagram, promo boxes, image banners, & social media

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Demo content

GLACÉ – $35

A feminine and responsive WordPress Theme catered to food bloggers, chefs, and recipe enthusiasts!

Features

Things I Love Widget – add up to 3 Affiliate Products
Modern Facebook Widget
Advanced About Me Widget
Recipe Shortcode Feature for posts and pages (Add – Prep & Cook Time, Serves, Yields, Ingredients, Directions)
Fully Responsive
Full Width Slider
Built in “You might also like” Feature
Seven Sidebar Widgets (About Me, Facebook Like Box, Instagram Slider, Social Media Buttons, Things I love & Recent Posts)
Four Different Post Formats (Standard, Gallery, Video & Audio)
Easy Customizable Homepage Layout
Unlimited Colours
Social Media Buttons (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr, Bloglovin & Google+)
Two Post/Page Layout Options (Full Width & Sidebar)
Four Different Homepage Layouts (Full Width without Sidebar, 1 Post Column with Sidebar, 2 Post Columns with Sidebar, 3 Post Columns without Sidebar)
Cross-Browser Compatible
Search Engine Optimized (by SEO expert)

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
ZIP file with the whole template,
Logo .psd file
Demo content

ELLA SOPHIA – $29

A modern and feminine WordPress Theme built on the Genesis Framework. Especially perfect for beauty, lifestyle, and mom bloggers!

Features

Fully Responsive Layout
Designed for self-hosted WordPress sites (not compatible with wordpress.com)
Beautiful Categories Archive page
Round grid style category pages
Woocommerce Compatible
3 Column Footer
Customizer that lets you change some font colours, otherwise edits need done via CSS
Upload your custom header
Beautiful Share Icons
Set up Instructions
SEO optimized.
HTML5 Markup.
Has an area to add a slider if needed
Share buttons
Social Media Icons
Instagram Slider Set up Instructions
Full width option, left or right sidebar option
Free fonts Used

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Blog Header Files
Plugins Used in the Demo and Set Up instructions

✓ Includes Genesis Framework

EMILY BELLE – $19

A feminine and minimalist WordPress theme perfect for new bloggers or those with a fashion or mom blog craving simplicity!

Features

Fully Responsive Design
Mailing List Integration
Social Media Integration
Instagram Gallery Integration
Logo Uploader
Colour Customizer
Recommended Plugins
Full Width Layout
Sidebar Content Layout
Contact Form Integration

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Setup Tutorials
Pin it graphic
Site Icon
Access to a FREE WordPress Support Group

✓ Includes Genesis Framework

ALLISON – $49

A chic and modern WordPress theme perfect for fashion, beauty, and travel bloggers as well as small business owners! This theme is compatible with both WordPress.org as well as a WordPress.com business account.

Features

Mobile responsive
Retina optimized logo
Add you own copyright
Upload your own custom background
Upload your own custom logo
Customizable theme color
Primary and secondary navigation menu
Customizable drop down menu
Multiple blog post page layout – list, full, grid form
Built-in share icons
Built-in back to top button
Built-in related posts section
Customizable Instagram landing page
Category index page to beautifully showcase your posts
Plugin styling for Woocommerce and Genesis eNews
Woocommerce ready. Easily setup a shop on your website.
Built on Genesis Framework using HTML 5 + CSS3
Demo content and widgets import file for setting up the theme real quick

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions

✘ Does NOT include Genesis Framework

EMMA – $49

A fresh and feminine WordPress themes perfect for lifestyle, food, DIY, and home interior blogs!

Features

Completely Mobile Ready Design.
Lots of styling options : custom colors, more than 350 Google Fonts and logo.
Live theme customizer – see your changes before going live.
Filterable portfolio and gallery to display your work (images, videos,..) in 2, 3 or 4 columns.
Ability to display your category posts in grid layout (3, 4 or 6 columns).
Blog page with different layouts; 2 o 3 rows, pots scerpt + featured image or full posts.
Widget area below post entries for subscription form, call to action, ads,..
MailChimp, Awber, ConvertKit,.. form action plugin compatible.
Posibility to use the blog format instead of widgetized home page.
Shortcodes: Image+Text, Video+Text, button, Pricing table, service boxes, call to actions,..
Woocommerce ready (eCommerce).
3 page layouts (FullWidth / content+sidebar / Sidebar+ content ).
Lead capture template.
Landing page template.
Instagram Feed Integration in the Footer.
Sticky Navigation on scroll, preloader and “back to top” button.
Widget area below post entries for subscription, text, ads,..
Retina quality logo.
Automatic Updates.
HTML5 Markup.

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Easy 1-click demo import.

✘ Does NOT include Genesis Framework

BLOGGER – $39

A minimalist and simple premium WordPress Theme with full support for WooCommerce. Perfect for interior designers, lifestyle bloggers, and those running a small business!

Features

Responsive design works on mobile devices.
One-click demo install.
You can choose a “full details 1-column” or “2-columns grid thumbnail” layout for your Blog and Archive pages.
4 Menus locations: Primary Menu, Social menu in header, Social menu in Footer, WooCommerce menu in Header.
Sticky posts support: displays as a slider above other posts.
3 widgets areas: Sidebar, Footer full-width and Footer 1, 2,4, or 4-columns widgets.
Copyright imprint with custom HTML support.
Instagram Widgets by WPZOOM plugin support.
AJAX infinitive loading or standard pagination for Blog posts support.
YouTube or local video header support.
Full WooCommerce support with custom WooCommerce menu.
Custom Header Images for Posts and Pages.
Full Width layout template for Posts and pages.
Bundled our custom Shortcodes plugin with shortcodes for custom Buttons, Background Highlight, Underline Text, First Big Letter, Masonry Gallery and Image Slider.

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Friendly lifetime support
Lifetime Theme updates

ALEXANDRA – $19

A clean and minimalist theme perfect for photography, food, travel and lifestyle bloggers.

Features

Theme options (WordPress Customizer) included
Responsive and flexible layout matches and works on every desktop and mobile device.
2 Main layouts: Normal layout & First fullwidth, then list posts.
Three useful 3 PROMO BOXES
Beautiful SLIDER
Subscribe via email box.
Contact Form.
SEO optimized
Documentation online.
Custom About Me Widget
Custom Recent Posts
Custom Instagram Widget plugin included
Custom Categories with featured images widget.
Social Media Icons in Header and Footer
Logo file included
Standard Posts
Video Posts
Gallery Posts
Music Posts

Includes

WordPress Theme

MAYA – $39

A versatile, feminine WordPress theme ideal for a fitness or wellness blog but suitable for virtual assistants, coaches, or consultants!

Features

Upload your own logo
Customize font, background, menu & button colours
Newsletter sign-up
Custom image backgrounds
Integrated blog
Mobile Optimized

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions

BELLA BEAUTY – $44

A lovely and feminine WordPress Theme perfect for the e-commerce business owner or a beauty, fashion, wellness or lifestyle blogger!

Features

Responsive design your site will look gorgeous viewed on a desktop, tablet or mobile
Email capture to start building an audience immediately
Mailing list integration with MailChimp, Convertkit, etc
Instagram gallery to showcase your gorgeous feed and grow your audience
Optional logo uploader to display your own logo / blog header
Live theme customizer see your changes before going live
Gorgeous full width slider
Stylish call to action image links with buttons
Display your blog categories beautifully with a dedicated category page
Widgitized blog sidebar display your social channels, email optin, categories, tags, search, etc
Contact form integration for your audience to reach out to you
Woocommerce compatible sell physical, digital or affiliate products to your audience
One-click automatic theme updates via the WordPress dashboard

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Sample photos and demo content
Access to help centre
Bonus logo template

✘ Does NOT include Genesis Framework

MISS BLUSH – $59

A light and airy, effortlessly chic WordPress Theme that is perfect for beauty, mom, and fashion bloggers!

Features

Genesis child theme
Custom header
Color customizer
Mobile responsive
Search icon
Share buttons
3 widget areas
“In-between” posts widget area (display affiliate links, social media, etc.)
Page templates
WooCommerce ready
Styled widgets & forms 12.Instagram in footer feed
3 layout options

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions

✘ Does NOT include Genesis Framework

SAVANNAH – $39

A modern and feminine theme perfect for photography, beauty, and fashion bloggers!

Features

Responsive Layout
Beautiful Categories Archive page
Round grid style category pages
Woocommerce Compatible
3 Column Footer
Customizer that lets you change some font colors, otherwise edits need done via CSS, theme comes mainly as shown.
Upload your custom header
Beautiful Share Icons
Set up Instructions
SEO optimized.
HTML5 Markup.
Has an area to add a slider if needed
Share buttons
Social Media Icons
Instagram Slider Set up Instructions
Full width option, left or right sidebar option
Free fonts Used

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Blog Header Files
Plugins Used in the Demo and Set Up instructions

✓ Includes Genesis Framework

CLEAN & SIMPLE – $24

As the name states, a clean and simple WordPress Theme that is perfect for interior design enthusiasts and lifestyle bloggers!

Features

Fully Responsive
Custom header banner/logo
Add background color or background image/pattern
Two Page layout templates
Custom matching share links under each post
Comments link under each post
Very stylish menu bar and custom Tags
Easily add a rounded style Photo to your blog.
Dropdown menus
Add unlimited footer widgets

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions

KENDAL – $65

A chic and minimalist theme perfect for travel and lifestyle bloggers.

Features

4 custom home page layouts
22 individual page/module layout
Customised category/archive layouts
3 customised blog layouts
Custom footer
WooCommerce integration and style shop (4 layouts)
Bloom pre-styling
Choose from over 600 Google fonts
Customise the colors
Perfect for beauty, lifestyle or travel bloggers.

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions

ABSOLUTELY BLOOMING – $40

A floral and feminine perfect for mom and beauty bloggers!

Features

Responsive Theme
SEO Optimized
Widgetized Homepage
Designer Details
Blog Template
Category / Archive Template
Styled to use Woocommerce
Full Width Template
5 Widgets Built-in
Calligraphy Font

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Theme Support
Calligraphy Font

MARIGOLD – $39

A Modern and feminine theme perfect for mom, wellness, lifestyle, and beauty bloggers!

Features

Responsive Layout
Beautiful Categories Archive page
Grid style category pages
Featured Post Area
Woocommerce Compatible
3 Column Footer
Customizer that lets you change some font colors, otherwise edits need done via CSS, theme comes mainly as shown.
Upload your custom header
Beautiful Share Icons
Set up Instructions
SEO optimized.
HTML5 Markup.
Has an area to add a slider if needed
Share buttons
Social Media Icons
Instagram Slider Set up Instructions
Full width option, left or right sidebar option
Free fonts Used

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Blog Header Files
Plugins Used in the Demo and Set Up instructions

✓ Includes Genesis Framework

MORNING VIBES – $49

A stylish, magazine style WordPress theme perfect for lifestyle and travel bloggers!

Features

Customized read more option
A built-in editable navigation bar (you will be able to add any pages/categories you need)
Uniquely re-designed sidebar widgets
Custom search bar feature
Matching share links at the footer of each post
Customized older/newer footer links
Theme installation step-by-step manual.
Responsive looks great on all devices!
Featured Content Area
Affiliate Shopping Area
Woo-commerce friendly
multi-layout options. Choose between list style layout/ full post layout

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Zipped theme package
Social media widget set
Free installation services (if required)

MINIMALIST – $45

A minimal but chic theme perfect for interior design and lifestyle bloggers!

Features

Genesis child theme
Custom header
Color customizer
Mobile responsive
Search icon
Share buttons
3 widget areas
“In-between” posts widget area (display affiliate links, social media, etc.)
Page templates
WooCommerce ready
Styled widgets & forms 12.Instagram in footer feed
3 layout options

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions

TRAVEL JOURNAL – $100

As the name states, a chic and modern theme that was built for travel bloggers!

Features

Integrated social media banners
Beautiful background
Responsive theme
SEO optimized
Widgetized Homepage
Theme Support
Designer Details
Blog Template
Category / Archive Template
Full Width Template
2 Widgets Built-in
Integrated icons
Styled Store with Woocommerce

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Calligraphy Font

JULIA – $59

A beautiful pastel and feminine theme that is perfect for fitness, wellness, photography, and lifestyle blogs.

Features

Front Page page with flexible widgetized areas.
4 Parallax Image backgrounds to upload.
Lots of styling options : custom colors, more than 300 Google Fonts and header logo.
Flotating left hand Sticky widget for adding Newsletter.
Live theme customizer – see your changes before going live.
Filterable portfolio and gallery lightbox to display your work (images, videos,..) in 2, 3 or 4 columns.
Ability to display your category posts in grid layout (3, 4 or 6 columns).
Blog page with multiple layout options; 2 o 3 rows, pots scerpt + featured image or full posts.
Widget area below post entries for subscription, text, ads,..
MailChimp, Awber, ConvertKit,.. newsletter plugin compatible.
Posibility to use the blog format instead of widgetized home page.
Feature goodies: Pricing table, Call to Action Boxes, Services boxes, Listings, Testimonials,…
Woocommerce compatible, build your own shop.
3 page layouts ( full-Width / content + sidebar / sidebar + content ).
4 Footers.
Sticky Navigation on scroll, preloader and “back to top” button.
Widget area below post entries for subscription, text, ads,..
Retina quality logo.
Automatic updates.
HTML5 Markup.
Completely Mobile Ready Design.

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
One Click Demo Import content
FREE featured post images, logo header and “Pin it button”

COASTAL 2.0 – $59

A modern and minimalist WordPress theme perfect for creative professionals, photography, wellness, or lifestyle bloggers.

Features

Fully responsive design displays beautifully across desktop, mobile and all devices in between
Built on the WordPress Genesis Framework (not included with purchase)
Full-width scrolling home page – easily add and remove sections as you like
Dynamic masonry grid layout for portfolio projects, plus optional category sorting
Primary and secondary navigation menus, including a sticky nav – use one or both
WooCommerce compatibility with custom styled elements and an added shop header
Live theme customizer – see your changes before going live
Lots of styling options – colors, Google Fonts, background imagery and more
Optional logo uploader to make your mark
Minimal and clean full-width blog design, plus an optional sidebar blog layout
Widgetized footer area with multiple layout options – 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns
Full-width Instagram footer widget to show off your great photos
Mailing list integration for MailChimp, Aweber, Constant Contact etc.
One-click automatic theme updates via the WordPress dashboard

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Sample photos and demo content
Access to our help centre

✘ Does NOT include Genesis Framework

GRAZIE – $59

A modern, feminine, modern and beautiful theme ideal for lifestyle bloggers & small shops!

Features

Easily change fonts to fit your brand identity through the live customizer
Easily change colors to fit your brand identity through the live customizer
Widgetized homepage
Option to setup Homepage by using Front Page widgets or Visual Editor
Gutenberg ready
WordPress 5.0.1 compatible
14 widget areas (12 of them shown on Front page)
Woocommerce ready to start selling your products
Portfolio filterable to showcase your projects
Woocommerce Cart on Menu that displays on hover
Wishlist
Custom Search Widget built exclusively for Menu
6 Flexible widget areas
more than 15 shortcodes to fully customise your site
Instagram Feed with comments and likes on hover
Fixed Menu & Sidebar on scroll + BACK TO TOP button
5 Page Templates: Blog, Archive, Full width, Custom, Landing
Fade in effect, content appears when scrolling
more than 300 icons
Custom Latest projects widget to display portfolio projects on front page
Cookie Bar
Newsletter Subscription Box compatible with Mailchimp, Mailrelay, Convertkit…
SEO optimized
Easily customize site credits through Live Customizer
100% Responsive
Translation Ready – Available on english and spanish by default (you can translate it on another language editing .pot file )
WPML plugin compatibility
WP GDPR Compliance plugin compatibility
GDPR Ready

Includes

WordPress Theme
Installation Instructions
Access to support centre
Demo widgets + content files

✓ Includes Genesis Framework

MEGA FEMININE WORDPRESS THEME BUNDLE – $59

Have more than one blog? Or can’t decide on which theme you want to use? Save over $230 and buy 10 themes (including a few of the ones mentioned above!) for only $59!

Did you find exactly what you were looking for all along? 🙂 Have you narrowed it down to how you want your blog to look? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Blogging

How to Monetize Your Blog & Make Real Money: 5 Ways to Get Earning Now

January 16, 2019 • by NikkiSlivarich

Are you ready to turn your blog into a business?

Today, we’re going to do an overview of the Top 5 Ways To Monetize Your Blog. At the same time, we’ll also break down each monetization strategy to explore which ones will work best for you and your blog.

If you haven’t already signed up for a Self-Hosted WordPress site, this should be the very your first step you take along your path to profitability! Click here for an easy and comprehensive 6 step blogging business plan to get started.

Switching to self-hosting was the best decision I ever made in terms of blogging for profit and my income has literally quadrupled since then!

Not only does having a self-hosted blog allow you to earn more though, it gives you the freedom to customize your site as much as you like. This includes access to:

Thousands of WordPress Themes
Thousands of WordPress Plugins

With both free and premium options available.

On WordPress.com, you’ll have to pay $25 USD a month by signing up for their Business Plan just to get access to plugins! Crazy, right? This is actually the other major part of the reason I finally switched over to a self-hosted WordPress.org site.

More opportunities to customize my blog, the potential for a much higher income, and all at the cost of one cup of coffee at month? Yes, please!

So, let’s get to it and see how you can use these strategies to start earning with your website.

1. Affiliate Marketing

If you’re a brand new blogger, you may have heard this term just a couple of times so far. Or maybe you’re still not exactly sure what it really means.

Affiliate Marketing is a type of sales where individuals (or in our case, bloggers) promote another company’s products or services in exchange for a commission when a signup is achieved or sale is made.

Affiliate Sales are most effectively made after building a loyal following and trust from your readers. And in order to maintain that trust, you must always, always, always disclose that you are a member of an (or the) affiliate program(s) you are promoting in each post where you include such links to your audience.

Ideally, placing a disclaimer before you post your first affiliate link (where your reader will potentially click to make the purchase) is the way to go!

Some people, and I’ve been guilty of this too, have a tendency to make a purchasing decision before finishing an article.

Chances are, your post is not the first one they’ve read promoting that particular product! Instead, this individual is near the end of the buyer decision process and is seeking confirmation that they are indeed making a good choice when it comes to spending their hard-earned money.

Put yourself in this situation: a consumer is considering purchasing two different types of televisions.

The first is an LG and the second is a Samsung.

When speaking with a salesperson at an electronics store, that person is then convinced to buy a Samsung TV after hearing a salesperson’s pitch for it.

Once the television has been purchased and loaded into her car, the store manager then advises her that Samsung is offering employees a $25 Spiff (Immediate Bonus for a Sale) on all televisions sold that week.

How would you feel?

When promoting affiliate links, image that you are talking to a friend over coffee!

Including images of yourself using the product or screenshots, if it is a digital product, also adds another element of authenticity.

You’ll build trust with your audience and your opinion on that product will feel that much more genuine.

Also…

Only promote products and services that you enjoy and/or use personally.

And only promote products catered to your audience!

For example, my blog is a lifestyle blog that focuses mostly on blogging, social media, and my experience in motherhood. It wouldn’t make sense for me to starting promoting an ebook on keto dieting!

Stay true to yourself and true to your niche for the best results with Affiliate Marketing!

2. Sponsored Posts/Brand Partnerships

Those coming from the Instagram and Social Media world know this game very well! This is actually where I got my start as well.

High-quality sponsored blog posts tend to pay around $250 or more.

However, depending on your traffic, you may consider asking for less or more relative to your experience and that potential project.

Keep in mind as well, that if you discover sponsorship opportunities through a network, there may be a standard flat rate for either the social media or blog post the brand is requesting.

To give you an idea…

I earned approximately $1,000 in December 2018 from sponsored social media alone!

Personally, I love to style and create beautiful images for brands I enjoy in my everyday life or am interested in however, if creating sponsored content is not something you’re interested in, that’s ok!

Please also keep in mind that you can say no if a company you are not familiar with or are not interested in pitches an offer to you.

There is nothing wrong with respectfully declining an offer.

Generating extra income for yourself or your family is a wonderful thing but maintaining your brand and authenticity is an essential part of any long-term business plan.

For example…

I was once offered a sponsorship opportunity for a colour-changing shower head light!

While earning additional income is nice, this is just not my scene and my followers would have been surprised to see this item on my blog and Instagram feed.

Put yourself in the business’ shoes.

Would you really want someone who is not enthusiastic about your product to promote you? I’d rather search for someone else who is passionate about funky and unique items for DIY-ing your home!

3. Advertisements

There’s a lot of debate on this subject!

And while I don’t want to get too much into it, I can truthfully say that I’ve made a reasonable amount in my experience so far.

If it merely covers the cost of managing, promoting, and hosting your blog, I’d say it’s completely worth it (to see what I use in terms of content creation and distribution, click here).

It’s true what they say…

You need a decent amount of traffic to generate a reasonable amount with advertising on your blog.

But I feel that if you work hard at promoting your blog and content everyday (and not just on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram, but to real people in your community and daily life as well), the results will reflect your efforts!

We purchased a new vehicle recently and upon learning what I do for work, I was asked by several employees for my business card! Talk about an unexpected but fantastic opportunity to network.

It’s incredible how you can meet people with similar goals in every day life so, always be friendly, professional, and sell yourself as a person while you sell your business!

If you’re ready to get started with Google AdSense, check out my guide for Getting Approved By AdSense The First Time You Apply and start earning with your blog from day one.

But please, if you are going to include advertising on your site…

DO NOT participate in click-through threads or tell others to click your ads!

This is a dishonest practice that will ruin your reputation and get you banned from participating in such programs in the future.

4. Offer Services

This is a really fun one and the sky’s the limit!

Some services you may have seen promoted during your time on Pinterest or while looking for “Work At Home Jobs” and/or for “Stay At Home Moms” include:

Freelance Writing
Editing/Proofreading
Translation
Photography/Videography
Brand Development
Coaching/Mentoring/Consulting
Virtual Assistance
Web Design/Development
Blog and/or Social Media Management (Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook Page, Twitter, etc.!)
Graphic/Pinterest Pin Design

Advertise your service on your blog in a category called “services” in your main menu.

Or signup through a network that connects brands and/or individuals!

To give you an idea, about 35% of my income in March 2019 stems from the services I offer – photography and social media consulting being my top two earners.

Explore the things that you are good at and offer to share those skills with potential clients or partners.

5. Sell A Digital Product

Of all of the methods I’ve discussed so far, this is probably the most fun one for the designer at heart!

Creating digital products for consumers is a beautiful thing and the ability to sell your work with various types of licenses to anyone around the world creates endless opportunities!

Some wonderful ideas for digital product sales include:

Courses
eBooks
Virtual Workshops
Audio/Music
Stock Photos
Video
Logo Designs
Infographic Designs
Pinterest Pin Templates
Fonts
Printables
Website Themes
Instagram Story Templates
Instagram Story Highlight Covers
Lightroom CC Filters

Pro Tip: If you’re an avid social media user like I am, make sure to only use your templates once you’ve launched them!

This shows confidence in your product and will establish a recognizable brand image to your audience.

The key to any good promotion is of course, to promote, promote, and promote some more!

Instagram user? Always include a link to your blog in your Stories!

How do I make money without a social media following?

This is something I get asked a lot!

But keep in mind, we all had to start somewhere and believe it or not, not all of the same people who follow my Instagram page follow my blog.

While my Instagram profile is more catered to motherhood, daily life, and beautiful home decor, my blog focuses on becoming a girl and/or mom boss.

Now clearly, ladies or gents looking to work from home are not always the same people browsing for lovely home decor inspiration!

Please also consider that…

Building a social media following is actually something anyone can do.

To see what I mean, check out How To Get Hundreds Of Instagram Followers Right Now and see two incredibly effective ways for getting real followers to your Instagram page now.

Ok, so you can make money without a social media following?

Yaasss! That’s exactly what I’m saying!

Believe it or not, a social media following is a nice bonus but it’s a totally different entity.

So, let’s start making some money in 10 easy steps… ready?

Yes, tell me your ways!

Create a cohesive brand and make sure you adhere to it cross-platform
Have a clear niche and/or target audience from the start
Learn from the big players in your field, making notes on the things they do exceptionally
Become an expert in your niche and assert yourself as such wherever you promote your blog
Create an opt-in for your email subscribers (for instance, I offer a totally free and totally fabulous Blog Post Planner + Bonus Instagram Content Planner to my subscribers).
Generate traffic to your blog using Pinterest, Tailwind, Instagram, and/or other social media or methods you rock at!
Be consistent – maintain your subscribers and visitors by writing a new post once a week (ideally on the same day of the week), sending out a monthly newsletter, and/or posting on social media
Promote products and new launches wherever you promote your blog!
Create sponsored posts/sell your services and/or digital products
Ask for feedback – your audience will love the fact that you are checking in to see how they are enjoying their purchases 🙂

Have you already monetized your blog? What were your favourite methods for doing so? What are your favourite affiliate networks? Let me know in the comments below!

New here? Thanks so much for stopping by! If you found this post helpful, you might also enjoy:

Blogging

How to Get Approved For Google AdSense the First Time You Apply in 2019

January 3, 2019 • by NikkiSlivarich

Taking the first steps to monetizing your new blog?

Then Google AdSense might be on your radar!

But are you ready to apply for AdSense right now? Or might your blog need a little bit of tweeking first?

No need to fear! Although, Google’s AdSense program is quite strict, meeting it’s qualifications is very doable.

So, let’s get started and get your approved as quick as today!

Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links meaning that should you choose to purchase something using one of these links, I could earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

New bloggers often ask the same basic questions:

How do I apply for Google AdSense?

Does my blog qualify for Google AdSense?

What are the requirements for applying to Google AdSense?

What do I do if my application for Google AdSense was rejected?

Why was my application for Google AdSense rejected?

We’ll go over all of these questions and more in this post! So, let’s get your blog ready to go by getting it Google AdSense ready!

Common Reasons To Get Rejected For Google AdSense

1. Insufficient/No Content

This is probably the most common reason for rejection by Google AdSense!

Many new bloggers are often stunned to find that they’ve been rejected by an affiliate program or an ad network after launch.

But when you’ve only got a handful of articles, it can be tough for the specialists at Google or elsewhere to review your content.

Articles should be well written using proper grammar. Your posts should also be unique and provide value to your readers. Whether your are educating them or showing them something, keep your content fresh and use your own voice!

2. No About, Contact Or, Privacy Policy Page

These three pages are a necessity before applying to Google AdSense!

Your About, Contact, and Privacy Pages are a professional reflection of you and the brand you are building with your blog.

Describe who you are along with what your brand stands for in your about page. If possible, use a contact form on your contact page to allow visitors of your site to easily write you with any rave reviews or concerns.

As for your privacy policy, place it in an obvious place on your blog, and keep in mind that this is a necessary legal agreement between you and your readers. It should disclose:

If you collect any and what type of personal information you obtain from them

How you obtain, use, and store your visitors’ personal information

The reason you are requesting this personal information

If you allow any other third parties to collect such information as well

How you will update visitors if and when your privacy policy changes

If you would like to use a Privacy Policy generator to create this page for you, try iubenda. You can generate a basic privacy policy for FREE but including disclaimers for specific affiliate and ad networks will come at an additional fee.

3. Blog Design Or Layout

Some website layouts and pages are just not AdSense friendly!

Be sure to go through your site and add enough text to or simply remove any gallery style pages.

Your pages must have enough written content to be eligible for advertising on them!

When you are choosing a theme for your blog, make sure your opt for a professional theme that is AdSense friendly; think about where you’d like to see ads when you are a browsing themes.

Google is strict and like any professional company, wants the user experience to be positive when their product is involved. Messy sites that lack cohesion are a no-no.

Organize your blog posts using categories. Make sure to have a landing page and easy navigation for your users. Brand your site and brand using specific colours and fonts. And, always, be professional!

4. Your Site Does Not Comply With Google AdSense Policies

All sites that apply for Google AdSense must be compliant with their AdSense Program policies. This includes:

Being over 18 years old

Providing original content

Driving organic traffic

Not displaying prohibited content

Displaying ads in a supported language

How To Get Approved For Google AdSense

1. Write Enough Quality Content

Upon discussing this with other bloggers and in my own experience, the perfect number of articles to apply for Google AdSense in 20.

Be sure to edit your blog posts for proper grammar usage as well and make sure that your articles:

are original
provide a unique and informative visitor experience
are formatted properly (use headings, bullet points, etc.)
are long enough (generally, around 600+ words is a good guideline)

2. Create Your About Page

This is something I always thought of as more of a “fun” page until I realized how crucial it is for building your brand!

When I’ve visited new blogs myself, it’s actually always one of the first pages I check out to! As human beings, we’re naturally social and are naturally looking to learn more about other people we respect and admire.

Make your about me page great by trying the following suggestions:

Write in first person
Write two or three sentences about yourself
Include a high-quality photo that is cohesive with your brand
Use your blogging “voice”
Open with your readers’ interests
Write about your blog
Include a “call to action” and invite readers to subscribe

3. Create Your Contact Page

Your contact page should be in an evident spot on your landing page and available through navigation from any page of your blog, including blog posts.

I personally love contact forms for their high visibility and ease of use!

The best contact forms:

are easily reached and navigable
are straightforward
include options to leave an email and phone number
include a short form
link to social media accounts (including Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter)
redirect to a thank you page or message!

4. Create And Place Your Privacy Policy In An Obvious Location

As already mentioned, iubenda is a great free privacy policy generator! If you are interested in viewing more options though, check out this detailed article by Digital.com for a roundup of the Best Privacy Policy Generators!

Once you have generated, consulted a legal expert, and/or written your own privacy policy, be sure to then place it in an obvious location on your blog!

I personally decided to place mine in one of my navigation menus at the top of my site. Like affiliate disclosures, this information is extremely important and should be made available to your audience at the start of their visit.

Your users should not have to going looking for disclaimers!

I personally always find myself peeved when, after reading a review or recommendation for a product, I find a disclaimer at the bottom of the article. In the instance that users do not finish reading the post in its entirety, they could easily miss this information, which I feel is a dishonest practice by the writer or affiliate.

Your audience will trust you more if you are always upfront with them about who is sponsoring your content! This is an essential practice in both social media and blogging and is the reason I:

always open my social media posts with #Ad or #Sponsored when I am being paid to promote or have been gifted a product
disclose my affiliate status before linking to my first affiliate link in blog posts

5. Upgrade Your Blog Layout And Page

Image gallery style websites are fairly popular in the world of lifestyle influencers and bloggers!

If you are looking to create additional income using Google AdSense though, you need to choose a layout that is compatible with the block and banner style ads you’ve seen before on other websites.

There should also be a sufficient amount of text displayed on every page of your website! Pages must also be easily navigable and well-organized.

Check out Creative Market for beautiful WordPress, HTML, and other Themes! It’s where I found mine 😉

6. Display Less Or Remove Other Ads

Are you already displaying ads from another ad network? How many ads are displayed per page on your blog? Maybe we need to cut back a notch!

Removing ads from other networks may help your get accepted into the Google AdSense program.

While it’s completely understandable that bloggers want to get paid for their time and efforts (writing content, designing and uploading themes, downloading plugins, administrative tasks, etc… and the list goes on, right?!), as mentioned earlier, the user experience should always come first.

Your site needs focus on what it is you are creating content for not ad space!

While everyone wants to monetize their site eventually, and it is possible to make money from day one, (if I’m being completely honest, the reason I switched to self-hosting too – have you made the switch yet? If not, check out The Ultimate Guide To Starting A Money-Making Blog to get yours up and running), content production and originality always needs to come first!

Review your blog and do a review of how you’re using your ad space and make the necessary changes before applying to Google AdSense.

7. Use A “.com” Domain

Registering for a “.com” domain is always a good idea if you want to make it in the world of blogging!

Give your website a professional and credible start with just this simple addition.

As mentioned again and again, Google seeks professionalism in all of its AdSense Program applicants. And a “.com” domain shows that you take your blog and business seriously.

Like I mentioned in The 5 Golden Rules of Blogging, there are certain investments in time and assets that you should make in your blog if you are looking to make it a full-time career! Your “.com” domain name should definitely be on this list!

8. Verify Your Name And Email Somewhere Within Your Blog

Try and include this information on your About and Contact pages if not at the end of each blog post!

Verifying that you are who you say you are when applying to Google AdSense is another essential step in your monetization journey!

As I’m sure you are also familiar with in the comments section of your blog posts (I know I certainly am), spammy bots are everywhere! Verify that you are who you say you are by including these two essential details in relevant sections of your site before you are asked to speed up the application process.

Summary

To get approved for Google AdSense, you should have:

Written and published enough high-quality content before applying
Created an About page
Setup a Contact page
Created and display a Privacy Policy in an obvious location of your blog
Use an AdSense friendly theme
Remove other ads or limit the number of other advertisements you show on your site
Use a “.com” domain name
Verify your name and email by having listed it somewhere on your blog

Which of the above tips was most beneficial to you? Did you get you’re congratulations letter from Google recently? Were you accepted on your first application? Would love to hear about your experience with Google AdSense in the comments below!

To explode your blog traffic, check out 60 Awesome Ideas For Blog Posts Your Audience Will Actually Read

Looking for more blogging and social media inspiration? Check out these posts for more ideas and tutorials:

Blogging

60 Crazy Good Blog Post Ideas To Explode Your Blog Traffic: 2019 Guide

December 27, 2018 • by NikkiSlivarich

Chances are that you’ve faced it at least once…

Writer’s block can be brutal!

Whether you’re just feeling uninspired or don’t know how to start your next blog post, browsing ideas is one of the most natural ways to get the creative juices flowing.

But not all ideas are created equally!

Rather than writing Top 10 Gift Ideas lists or other generic and subjective posts (yep, I’m still guilty of these ones too), let’s talk about what the people really want to read!

First time visiting? Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂 You might also enjoy these posts:

This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase using one of these links, I could earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. All product recommendations are based on my own experience.

1. How To Start A Blog

2. Ways To Increase Blog Traffic

3. How To Use Pinterest Like A Pro

4. Why You Need Tailwind To Promote Your Blog

5. How To Use Instagram For Your Blog Or Business

6. Best Accompanying Apps For Instagram

7. Favourite Blogs/Websites/Instagram Accounts To Inspire You

8. How To Use Facebook For Your Blog Or Business

9. Why You Started Blogging/Your Business

10. How You Made Your First X Dollars Blogging/With Social Media

11. Best Inspirational Podcasts For Boss Babes

12. How To Edit Photos For Your Blog/Social Media

13. Where To Find Great Stock Photos For Your Blog or Business

14. How To Use Affiliate Marketing

15. Why You Need And How To Use Google Analytics

16. How To Use Twitter For Your Blog Or Business

17. Social Media Hacks

18. Lessons You Learned During Your First Month/Year Blogging or Running Your Business

19. Favourite Plugins For WordPress

20. Website Builder Comparison

21. WordPress.com Vs. WordPress.org

22. Share An Infographic

23. Create A Printable Or Freebie For Your Readers/Followers

24. Website Hosting Comparison

25. What’s Trending On Pinterest In Your Niche

26. What Is SEO And How to Do It Correctly

27. Things You Wish You Knew When You First Started Blogging/Your Business

28. Your Daily Routine For Optimal Productivity

29. Organizational Accessories You Can’t Live Without

30. Reasons Why You Love Blogging/Managing Your Business

31. Share A Roundup Of Your Most Popular Blog Or Social Media Posts

32. Blogging/Social Media Tools You Can’t Live Without

33. Beautiful Themes You Can Download For Your Blog

34. How To Use Instagram Stories For Your Blog Or Business

35. Why You Need Instagram TV For Your Blog or Business

36. Favourite E-Books That Have Helped You In Your Blogging/Business Journey

37. A List Of Profitable Niches For Bloggers/Social Media Influencers Who Are Just Starting Out

38. Share How You Organize Your Agenda

39. Your Golden Rules of Blogging/Managing A Business

40. How You Manage Your Home And Personal Life Between Blogging/Managing A Business

41. A Tour of Your Work Space

42. How You Organize Your Desktop

43. Share Information About The Camera And Lenses You Use For Photography

44. Do a Comparison Between Two Products Relevant to Your Niche

45. Share Your Monthly Income Report

46. Create A List Of Blog Post Ideas 😉

47. How You Went from X to XA Monthly Viewers On Pinterest

48. A Tutorial On Creating Board Covers For Pinterest

49. How To Create Story Covers For Instagram Stories

50. Tips For Starting A Youtube Channel

51. How You Create And/Or Shoot Content For Your Blog Or Instagram Page

52. Tips For Saving Money On Social Media Or Blogging Resources

53. How To Join Pinterest Group Boards & The Best Ones To Join

54. Your Favourite Resources For Getting Paid Sponsorships For Your Blog or Social Media Account

55. How To Work With Brands As A Blogger Or Social Media Influencer

56. Things All Brands Should Know About Working With Bloggers Or Social Media Influencers!

57. Best Tips For Being Successful As A Blogger Or Business Owner

58. Side Hustles And Money Making Tips That Actually Work

59. Reasons For Or Against Using Paid Marketing Campaigns To Promote Your Blog Or Business

60. Share The Affiliate/Influencer Networks You Are A Part Of And How To Get Started Using Them

Have an idea for a blog post? What has been your most shared article? Let me know in the comments below!

Want to really explode your blog traffic?

Signup for Tailwind using this link and experience how I went from 5 to 300,000 monthly viewers on Pinterest in just two months!

Blogging

How to Start a Blog & Make Money: 2019 Guide to Blogging for Beginners

December 27, 2018 • by NikkiSlivarich

Today is the day! Are you ready?

We’re going to start a blog that’s capable of making money from day one!

We’ll start by setting up a self-hosted WordPress.org website through Siteground, who offers an incredible 99.99% site uptime for less than a cup of coffee a month!

So, let’s replace your coffee habit with a steady income!

You can click here or the links provided below to choose one year of hosting to save over 70% off and run your blog for as little as $3.95 monthly!

Blogging completely changed my life.

I make money from the comfort of my own home (or anywhere in the world), wearing whatever the heck I want, while choosing my own hours, and doing something that I love!

The possibilities are endless when you start a blog!

I earn a full-time income between blogging and social media and can make raising my family the priority – a fulfilling career that I am passionate about plus the opportunity to watch my little one grow up is all I could ever ask for.

Blogging is a dream job for new and veteran stay at home moms, students, or those looking for a more flexible career. I’m so excited to help you get started in your journey!

Why You Should Start a Blog

Should I start a blog?

Just like you, thousands of other bloggers have also pondered on this question at one time or another.

I’m not going to be shy about it – I wanted to start a blog to make money so I could stay at home with our little girl full-time. But the incredible part is, blogging means so much more to me now than just earning.

Consider the following reasons to start a blog:

You can make great money blogging
Blogging allows you to help and inspire others
A blog can help to grow your existing business
You can use blogging as a means of staying in touch
You can use a blog as a stress-relief - like keeping a journal!
Blogging helps in maintaining your writing and grammar skills
You can meet new people
You can share your story
You can learn and share that acquired knowledge with others
You keep your mind active
You'll live with more intention
Blogging can help to develop your creative side
Blogging will help keep you organized
You can have experiences and try products you never dreamed of
You'll gain confidence and personal development
You can share your hobbies and talents
You can give back to your community or to a charity
Blogging allows you to work anywhere in the world
Blogging lets you set your own hours - work as much or as little as you want to
You can write about the things you love!

Whatever your reason for starting a blog, I really can’t wait to help you get going and am looking forward to sharing the exact steps I took to start a blog that made money from day one with you!

Disclaimer: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links and, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you use them.

How to Start a Blog:

A Complete Step-by-Step Guide for Launching a Successful Website in 2019

This extensive guide for beginners will address the following questions and topics:

Click here to get started!

WordPress hosts 1/3 of all sites on the web

WordPress is the world’s number one blogging platform for a reason and powers some very notable brands site including:

WordPress is the best choice when it comes to blogging for beginners

Your blogging platform is the service or application you will use to actually create your blog.

You’ll use it to design your website, choose your theme, add pages, and create posts. It allows you to manage your blog and to reply to comments on your posts. In this case, we’re setting your blog up with WordPress.

The WordPress blogging platform is incredibly user friendly and was designed with the non-tech saavy blogger in mind. Get to sharing the content you want to publish without having to learn any coding!

With WordPress, you get access to:

That’s what you get when you used the world’s number one Content Management System.

Now, let’s learn more about the benefits you’ll get when you to choose Siteground hosting.

Why You Need To Choose Siteground Hosting

Your host provides the servers where the data that makes up your website resides; in English, it’s a little space on the internet where your website lives, like renting an apartment!

After experimenting with different platforms and seeing what other successful bloggers were using, I made the choice to switch over to a self-hosted WordPress.org website with Siteground and the whole process was a breeze.

When you host your blog with Siteground, you’re opting for the best.

(1) They have an amazing 99.99% uptime

Blog down time is the worst thing EVER!

You could be losing potential readers, subscribers, and followers while your website is not up and running!

Your readers are the ones who keep you in business and count on you for guidance. Don’t leave them hanging by making sure you have the best in hosting and always have your blog up and running!

(2) They Have 24/7 Support for All of Your Questions

This was definitely my favourite feature when I switched over from WordPress.com to a self-hosted WordPress.org site!

I had a little trouble transferring my domain and simply called Siteground’s 24/7 support team for help with the final steps. They literally just did EVERYTHING for me! It was AMAZING! Since then, I’ve even phoned them for other technical support and I’m not even kidding you, within five minutes or less, they’re always able to fix any issue I’ve been trying to find a solution for on Google.

If you prefer to chat online though, simply visit their site for on-demand support.

No matter your experience level or the trouble you may have, Siteground’s incredible tech support will be able to help you resolve your issues!

(3) Siteground Comes Equipped with SuperCacher

Your website will be able to handle “up to 100 more hits” and be 4x faster!

Meaning, if one of your pins or blog posts goes viral, your viewers won’t experience a delay due to an increase in your blog traffic.

SuperCacher is also multi-application optimized and users can “enable multiple caching levels”!

Let’s start your blog now!

Click this link and save 70% off your first year of hosting with Siteground to get going.

Create Your New Blog With Siteground

Step (1) Choose A Plan

Siteground offers three different plans to choose from: in order of most basic to most advanced, your options are StartUp, Grow Big, or GoGeek.

I highly recommend the Grow Big Plan as it is a reasonable price and offers the best bang for your buck including: both Essential and Premium Features (like SuperCacher), 20GB of Web Space, and up to 25,000 Monthly Visits! All of this for the cost of one Starbucks coffee a month!

This is more enough if you’re just starting out and will allow your blog to grow exponentially if you have the means and are willing to put the work in!

However, if you’re trying to save your pennies and need to stick to a more budget friendly option, the StartUp Plan is only $3.95 a month making it perfect to get you into the blog game.

If you’ve already built somewhat of a following though, or expect massive amounts of traffic from the start, the GoGeek Plan is $11.95, includes Advanced Features and can handle up to 100,000 monthly visits! Holy Cow!

While Siteground is known for their amazing support system, do keep in mind that users of the Grow Big and GoGeek plans do receive priority support!

When I called in about my domain transfer issue, it took less than 2 minutes to get me connected to someone at tech support! It takes me longer to pay a bill online, haha!

Step (2) Choose A Domain Name

This is one of, if not your most essential key branding element!

You want your blog name to be memorable! So, ideally, try to stick with two or three words (and name your domain accordingly).

Make it memorable and relevant to your niche.

Also, choose “.com” for your site!

This not only makes you look more reputable which, of course, builds trust, it’s also that much easier for blog readers to remember.

If you are having difficulty thinking of a creative blog name, consider using your own name if this is something you are I chose to go with Nikki Blogs because 9/10 people spell my last name wrong!

Branding with your own name gives you the opportunity to showcase that unique and quirky side of yourself and it leaves a bit more room to play with when it comes to niching down.

If your ideal domain name is available and/or you are happy with your choice, let’s plug your domain name into the Please Enter Your Domain field.

Now, we’ll wrap up the final details and move onto the final step.

Step (3) Fill In Your Account Info

Here comes the easy part!

Fill in your Account and Client Information.

Now, fill in your Payment Information.

Next, confirm your Purchase Information and be sure to choose at least a 12 month term to get that 70% off discount for your first year!

Now, choose whether or not to include a couple of Extra Services in the form of Domain Privacy and/or SG Site Scanner (I personally like the added security that these additional features offer but if you don’t need them, you can save a couple of bucks).

Check the box to confirm that you agree to Siteground’s Terms of Service and click Pay Now to complete your purchase.

Congratulations!

You’ve officially got hosting for your blog and are ready to rock!

Setting up your WordPress Blog

You’re now ready to start customizing your blog.

First things first, let’s install WordPress!

Want to make this as easy and as quick as possible? Let’s hit Live Chat and contact a Siteground Tech to set it up for us! Sweet!

Simply ask the Siteground Team Member to setup your WordPress site and send you the login details for your account. Presto!

In the 15 minutes it takes for a Siteground team member to do this, you can be checking out beautiful themes for your blog at Creative Market or this selection of 25 Beautiful & Feminine WordPress Themes For Your Blog that was curated by yours truly!

Life is good, right?

However, if you are feeling adventurous or simply want to setup WordPress on your own, you can do so by hitting the tab labelled My Accounts and then the Go to cPanel tab.

Once you’re here, move down to the Autoinstallers section and click on the WordPress icon near the centre.

Click on the Install button.

And after installing, enter your information on the next screen.

Software Setup

Choose Protocol: Keep it simple using http://

Choose Domain: Select your domain name from the drop down menu

In Directory: Leave this blank unless you know you want it

Site Settings

Site Name: This is your website’s name

Site Description: Enter a brief description for your site; or return to fill it in at a later time!

Admin Account

Admin Username: This is the name you use to log into your WordPress Blog

Admin Password: This is the password to log into your WordPress Blog (there is a separate login entity from your Siteground login)

Admin Email: This is the email address that will be attached to your WordPress Blog

Select Plugin(s)

Limit Login Attempts (Loginizer): A security precaution that limits the number of attempts there is available to try entering your WordPress password before the account is frozen.

Classic Editor: Choose classic editor if your prefer a more simplistic approach to formatting your blog posts (personally, I favour the Classic Editor over the new Block Editor).

Easy setup

WordPress Starter: Provides easy setup in selecting themes and/or plugins.

If you will use a custom theme like the beautiful ones offered through Creative Market, you’ll also need to take additional steps when installing your themes (like downloading the necessary plugins, etc.).

Now, let’s checkout our Dashboard!

Log in to WordPress

Let’s log in to to your new WordPress Account by heading back to the My Accounts tab in your Siteground User Area.

Click on the Installations tab below and then click on Go to Admin Panel.

Enter the details from your WordPress account setup earlier.

Welcome to your Dashboard!

This is where you’ll spend most of your time navigating in and out of your Blog Posts as well as setting up your Theme and downloading cool plugins for your site.

To add a New Page, move your cursor over to the menu on the lefthand side of your screen and highlight the Pages link where a tab that reads Add New will appear on the righthand side. Click this button.

In the next screen, add a title to your new page.

The first pages you should create are an About Me page and a Contact page.

Writing Your First Blog Post

To write your first blog post, move your cursor to the lefthand menu once again and highlight the the Posts link until the tab that reads Add New appears to the right. Click this link.

And there you have it, you can start working on your first blog post!

If you’re like me and prefer to keep it simple though, move your cursor to bottom the right hand side of your screen and highlight the text that reads Switch to Classic Editor to use the basic editor.

Pro Tip: Plan out and write your first ten blog posts before you launch your blog!

This will help you maintain readership by having enough articles for your readers to browse and enough internal links for you to use within your posts.

As bloggers, we want to ensure low bounce rates and many well written articles is your best arsenal for making this happen!

Choosing a Blog Niche

Why is choosing a blog niche important?

All of your site visitors will not necessarily be interested in reading about all of the topics you are interest in. Blogs with a focus tend to fair better than those without. Consider picking topics that are closely related to one another and use them as categories for your blog.

Personally, my three main focuses are: blogging, social media, and finance. All of these topics are interlinked in the sense that I write about making money and saving one within these categories.

When choosing your blog niche, consider the following:

Next, let’s investigate the most profitable types of blogs.

Types of Blogs That Make Money

Blogs that make the most money have two things in common:

Historically, the following categories of blogs are especially lucrative:

HEALTH & FITNESS

A topic that’s a part of our everyday lives, health and fitness blogs are built around an incredibly popular topic. Cover this category as a whole or get more specific about a trending diet or exercise!

PARENTING

Like health and fitness, this is an everyday topic for couples and their families!

While your audience may change in cycles – newborn babies grow into toddlers, etc. – an effective way to continue growing within this niche is to widen your spectrum.

Rather than focusing on a specific topic like breastfeeding, for instance, consider writing a wider array of pieces. Share parenting advice for those with children ages from zero to 18 years old or beyond!

FINANCE

People are always looking for creative ways to save and make more money. Providing a unique insight into this daily discussion topic will have you on a very diverse audience’s radar.

DIY & CRAFT

Creative at heart and want to share those project blueprints with others just like yourself?

A DIY blog is the perfect way to do it and make money! Consider your audience – parents looking for fun activities to do with young children or homemakers looking to beautify their home for less?

Create items your audience will want to make again and again for a major impact!

FOOD

The most successful food bloggers have gone on to write cookbooks and even host their own YouTube channels! However, some say that monetizing this niche can be a bit more difficult.

Displaying ads that can pay up to thousands of dollars a month as well as writing sponsored posts can get you earning big time though!

Imagine working with brands who send you free product and then pay you to write about it! It’s an exciting and rewarding experience all at the same time.

FASHION & BEAUTY

Does writing about the makeup trends and taking selfies in your new wardrobe sound appealing to you? Fashion and beauty bloggers are some of the highest paid influencers in the industry.

Some of the most notable bloggers and influencers in this category have even gone on to collaborate with brands on makeup lines and clothing collections!

Don’t get caught up in the hype though! Being this kind of blogger doesn’t mean you have to break your bank account – the most successful beauty influencers I’m in touch with have mastered the art of a capsule wardrobe.

How to Monetize a Blog

Some of the most popular methods for blog monetization include:

Affiliate Marketing

A business pays commissions to third-party websites for leads or sales.

Sponsored Posts/Brand Partnerships

Sponsors pay a third-party to create/show an ad on their website.

Advertisements

Displaying ads on one’s website where they are paid per view and/or click.

Offering Services

Work as a freelancer offering your skill set or knowledge to create, write, organize, etc.

Selling Digital Products

Offer pre-made products available for purchase/download.

For a further explanation of each of these blog monetization methods, visit Top 5 Ways To Monetize Your Blog and see how you can implement them into your blogging business plan!

How to Build a Brand Online

How do you want your blog to be perceived?

How do you want to make people feel when they experience your content?

Like a beautiful, cohesive Instagram feed, a blog with clear branding not only makes you look more professional, it builds trust in your audience.

You know who you are and therefore your readers know that they can count on you to deliver consistent content.

Start with something as simple as your colour palette:

How many colours will you use?

What are you main colours? What are your accent colours?

What font will you use?

Are you more modern or traditional?

How do you want your logo to look?

Do you want to have it designed for you or use an app to generate it? Will you have a slogan?

Will you take your own photos or use stock photos?

Start considering some of the basics now and look like a pro from the get-go. Remember, first impressions count!

Want 1,000 free feminine styled stock photos to get you going? Visit this post for the best free girly stock photos available online!

Launch Your Blog

Before you start promoting your blog posts to Pinterest, Instagram, and other Social Media platforms, go over some details.

Do a couple of final edits on your articles to make sure you’re happy with all of the visual and written components!

And for a list of 60 Awesome Ideas for Blog Posts for Content that Actually Gets Seen, click here!

And once you’ve done the above, you’re ready to launch your blog!

For my favourite way to promote my blog posts, check out Tailwind!

I used this incredible app to help me grow from 5 to 375,000 monthly viewers on Pinterest and triple my blog traffic!

Want the totally FREE and totally fabulous Pro Blogger Bundle to help get you started?

I’ll show you exactly how I plan my blog posts and have even included the checklists I use before and after publishing new content! Plus, you’ll get bonus weekly and editorial calendars as well as a 31 day Instagram post content planner!

Start your blogging business like a pro with all of the essentials.

This is your year and it’s going to be amazing!

Once you’ve setup your blog, leave a comment below or come find me on Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook to learn more about using Social Media for your blog 🙂

Congratulations and happy blogging!