This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
Yay! I’m so excited that you’re thinking about starting a blog. And if you’ve already started a blog, that’s awesome, too! I have a 10-step plan that is not only helpful to brand new bloggers but to seasoned ones as well.
I have outlined the steps that I took to start my blog and grow it into a money-making mom blog. Just like most things, becoming a successful blogger is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. And it’s not something I recommend figuring out on your own. There are so many amazingly successful mom bloggers out there who have incredibly helpful resources to help you along the way.
So, no matter where you are on your blogging journey, take a look at the steps below to see if there’s a resource or tip that can help you take your blog to the next level.
The resources I recommend below are actual resources I have used and highly recommend. The bloggers who created these resources have seen much success with their blogs and have passed along their knowledge through these products.
- Lena Gott – What Mommy Does – $6,000+/month – March 2016 (no longer publishes income reports)
- Suzi Whitford – Start a Mom Blog – $39,000+/month – August 2017
- Abby Lawson – Just a Girl and Her Blog – $40,000+/month – December 2016 (no longer publishes income reports)
- Rosemarie Groner – The Busy Budgeter – $86,000+/month – January 2017 (no longer publishes income reports)
- Michelle Schroeder-Gardner – Making Sense of Cents – $126,000+/month – December 2017
- Ruth Soukup – Living Well Spending Less & Elite Blog Academy – Does not publish income reports.
The resources below are all resources that I have used and recommend. I do not recommend buying them all at once. Instead, click on a resource and look at what each one specifically offers or teaches. Depending on where you are on your blogging journey, invest in the ones that are best for you right now. As you grow as a blogger, continue investing in education to expedite your continued growth and success.
How to Start a Mom Blog & Make Money
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- Brand your blog. Determine your niche, name, and tagline.
- Blog by Number – Ebook by Suzi Whitford from Start a Mom Blog ($18)
- Blog by Number – Course by Suzi Whitford from Start a Mom Blog ($97)
- Building a Framework: The Ultimate Blogging Handbook – Course by Abby Lawson from Just a Girl and Her Blog ($97)
- Elite Blog Academy by Ruth Soukup with Elite Blog Academy (Only open for a limited time each year. Join the waitlist now to learn more.)
- Set up your blog. Purchase your domain, hosting, and a theme.
- SiteGround or Godaddy – Domain
- SiteGround – Hosting
- Pretty Darn Cute – Theme
- Connect to social media. Grab your domain on social media platforms.
- Learn WordPress. This takes time, and there is a learning curve, but stick with it. Learning WordPress is a crucial and completely doable step.
- Purchase your theme through Pretty Darn Cute and receive 20+ WordPress video tutorials with the purchase of any theme.
- Youtube is a great resource for learning WordPress.
- Personalize your blog. Design the foundation of your blog. Install your theme and plugins, link Google Analytics, upload your headshot, and fill in your blog name and tagline. Create your disclosure statement and privacy statement.
- Each theme from Pretty Darn Cute comes with extensive setup instructions.
- The Support Desk at Pretty Darn Cute is incredibly helpful for questions related to making your site look like the demo.
- This freebie by Ruth Soukup with Elite Blog Academy can help you with the organizational setup of your blog topics.
- I went through the Blog and Be Legal course and recommend her templates for helping you to create your disclosure statement and privacy statement.
- Set up email. Connect with an email marketing service, and create newsletter signup forms on your site.
- MailerLite is a fantastic email marketing service and is free for the first 1,000 subscribers.
- This blog post and YouTube video are super helpful when learning how to use some of the awesome features of MailerLite.
- Start writing. Write your About page, and begin writing your first 10 blog posts.
- Blog by Number – Ebook by Suzi Whitford from Start a Mom Blog ($18)
- Blog by Number – Course by Suzi Whitford from Start a Mom Blog ($97)
- Building a Framework: The Ultimate Blogging Handbook – Course by Abby Lawson from Just a Girl and Her Blog ($97)
- Elite Blog Academy by Ruth Soukup with Elite Blog Academy (Only open for a limited time each year. Join the waitlist now to learn more.)
- Monetize your blog. You do not need to wait until a certain number of page views to begin monetizing your blog. Start by linking Google AdSense. Then, begin researching affiliate marketing opportunities.
- Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing – Course by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner from Making Sense of Cents ($197)
- Blog by Number – Course by Suzi Whitford from Start a Mom Blog ($97)
- Building a Framework: The Ultimate Blogging Handbook – Course by Abby Lawson from Just a Girl and Her Blog ($97)
- 7 Surefire Ways to Boost Your Blog Income Overnight by Ruth Soukup with Elite Blog Academy (FREE)
- Elite Blog Academy by Ruth Soukup with Elite Blog Academy (Only open for a limited time each year. Join the waitlist now to learn more.)
- Begin sharing your content. Start with one or two social media platforms, and begin sharing your posts.
- Social Warfare is the best social sharing plugin for WordPress.
- BoardBooster is a huge timesaver and easy to learn when it comes to scheduling pins.
- Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing includes an incredible bonus of the Pinterest Strategy Guide by Rosemarie Groner from The Busy Budgeter ($136 value) that I use and highly recommend. (Pinterest is my largest source for traffic on my site.)
- Take your blog to the next level. Increase your pageviews, create opt-ins, brainstorm products, and grow.
- Blog Traffic Bonus Guide by Lena Gott from What Mommy Does (FREE)
- Boost Your Blog Traffic by Abby Lawson from Just a Girl and Her Blog (FREE)
- 7 Surefire Ways to Boost Your Blog Income Overnight by Ruth Soukup with Elite Blog Academy (FREE)
- Blog by Number – Course by Suzi Whitford from Start a Mom Blog ($97)
- Traffic Transformation Guide by Lena Gott from What Mommy Does ($79)
- Ebook by Number – Course by Suzi Whitford from Start a Mom Blog ($97)
- Building a Framework: The Ultimate Blogging Handbook – Course by Abby Lawson from Just a Girl and Her Blog ($97)
- Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing – Course by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner from Making Sense of Cents ($197)
- Elite Blog Academy by Ruth Soukup with Elite Blog Academy (Only open for a limited time each year. Join the waitlist now to learn more.)
One of the most important things to know about starting a blog is that it takes time and persistence. The reason why I love it is because it’s something that I can do while my little ones are napping. I spend a few hours each day working on it (some days none), and now it has grown into a successful money-making mom blog. When I think about my dream job, I think about a job that I can do from home, that is flexible, fun, and provides opportunities for growth. When I see other mom bloggers who are able to stay home with their kids and make thousands per month from home, I’m inspired.
Wherever you are on your blogging journey, stay the course. Remember knowledge is power; continue to invest in yourself and your blogging business, and enjoy the success that follows.
- Brand your blog. Determine your niche, name, and tagline.
Helpful posts
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- 10 Things I Learned After Four Months of Blogging
- How To Make Money Blogging (My interview with Michelle Schroeder-Gardner from Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing)
- 10+ Free Blogging Resources, Tips & Tools
- Top Affiliate Programs for Mom Bloggers
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Happy blogging!
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Thanks for this! I love reading tips and ideas that others have used to build and grow their blogs! Great ideas! 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂