How to Start a Profitable Blog as a Stay at Home Mom

So, you’re a stay at home mom dreaming of starting a blog? Let me tell you, it’s a game-changer. A few years back, I decided to dive into the blogging world to promote my skincare business. It was a wild ride, but oh boy, it’s been worth every bit of effort. Fast forward to today, and my blog has helped us bring in $700K in revenue just last year! The only thing I regret? Not starting sooner. Blogging as a stay at home mom has been the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s given me the freedom to work from home, spend more time with my kids, and build a business that fits into my life.

Starting a blog can seem overwhelming, but trust me, it’s totally doable. Whether you’re looking to turn your passion into a paycheck or just need a creative outlet, blogging is a fantastic way to achieve your goals. I’ll walk you through the steps to get started, share some of the tools I use, and explain why blogging can be such a life-changing experience for stay-at-home moms. Let’s get into it!

Why Should You Start a Blog as a Stay-at-Home Mom?

So, why start a blog? The benefits are pretty awesome:

• Be Your Own Boss: You get to call the shots. No more answering to a boss. You make the decisions!
• Flexibility: You can work from home, on your own schedule. This means you can spend more time with your kids and manage your work around family life.
• No Hard Labor: Blogging is mentally challenging but doesn’t require physical labor. It’s all about creativity and strategy.
• Work a Few Hours a Week: You don’t have to work 40-hour weeks. Many successful bloggers only work a few hours a day.
• Different Streams of Income: From ad revenue to sponsored posts and affiliate marketing, there are multiple ways to make money blogging.
• More Family Time: With the flexibility blogging offers, you can enjoy more family vacations and quality time.
• Financial Freedom: A profitable blog can lead to financial independence, helping you and your family live comfortably.

Things To Consider Before You Start A Blog

Before you jump into the blogging world, there are a few things you should keep in mind to set yourself up for success:

1. Consistency is Key: This is huge. If you’re not consistent with your blogging, you won’t see results. Regular posting helps build an audience and keeps your readers engaged. Make a schedule that works for you and stick to it.
2. Be Prepared for Long-Term Effort: Blogging isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes time to build an audience, grow your traffic, and start making money. Be ready for a long-term commitment and don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results.
3. Create Quality Content: It’s not just about posting regularly; it’s about posting valuable content. Make sure your posts are informative, engaging, and helpful to your readers. Quality content is what will keep people coming back.
4. Invest Time in Learning SEO: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps your blog rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for people to find you. Spend some time learning the basics of SEO to improve your blog’s visibility.
5. Use Pinterest to Drive Traffic: Pinterest is a powerful tool for driving traffic to your blog. Create eye-catching pins to get your content in front of a large audience. Consistent pinning and using popular keywords can help attract new readers to your blog. You’re also going to need a winning Pinterest strategy to save you months of trial and error, we’ll talk more about this in a bit.
6. Be Ready to Wear Many Hats: As a blogger, you’ll handle a variety of tasks—writing, editing, promoting, and possibly even designing your blog. Be prepared to juggle these roles, especially when you’re starting out.
7. Build a Support System: Connect with other bloggers, join online communities, and seek out mentors. Having a support system can provide valuable advice, motivation, and encouragement along the way.
8. Understand Your Audience: Know who your readers are and what they want. Tailor your content to meet their needs and interests. The more you understand your audience, the better you can serve them.
9. Set Realistic Goals: Set achievable goals for your blog. Whether it’s reaching a certain number of readers or making your first $100, having goals will help keep you motivated and on track.
10. Be Ready to Adapt: The blogging world is always evolving. Be open to learning new things, adapting your strategies, and experimenting with different approaches.
11. Enjoy the Journey: While blogging can be a lot of work, it should also be enjoyable. Find joy in the process, celebrate your milestones, and keep your passion for your blog alive.

How to Start Your Blog

Alright, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of starting a blog. If you’re a stay-at-home mom like me, setting up a blog can seem like a big task, but don’t worry—I’ve got you covered. There are a few different platforms you can use, but the two I recommend are WordPress and Shopify.

Shopify is fantastic if you’re planning to sell physical products directly from your blog. It’s a solid choice if you want an all-in-one solution where you can manage your online store and blog in one place. WordPress, on the other hand, is ideal if you’re focusing on affiliate marketing, courses, or digital products. It’s super flexible and gives you tons of customization options.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started on both platforms:

How To Set Up a Blog with Shopify

1. Sign Up for Shopify: Go to Shopify and sign up for a free trial. Enter your email address, create a password, and follow the prompts to set up your store.
2. Choose a Store Name: Pick a name for your store that reflects your brand and what you’ll be selling.
3. Customize Your Store: Select a theme that suits your brand. Shopify offers free and paid themes. Customize your theme by adding your logo, choosing colors, and setting up your homepage.
4. Add Products: Go to the “Products” tab and add the items you want to sell. Include high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and set prices.
5. Set Up Your Blog: Navigate to the “Online Store” section and click on “Blog Posts.” Create your first blog post by clicking “Create Blog Post.” Write your content, add images, and publish.
6. Optimize for SEO: Make sure to use relevant keywords in your blog titles and content to help people find your blog through search engines.
7. Connect Your Domain: If you don’t have a domain name yet, you can purchase one through Shopify or connect an existing domain to your store.
8. Promote Your Blog: Share your blog posts on Pinterest to drive traffic to your site. You don’t just start throwing content on Pinterest though, you’ll need a good strategy. We’ll talk about this in a bit.

How To Set Up a Blog with WordPress

1. Sign Up for Bluehost: Go to Bluehost and click “Get Started.”

2. Choose a Hosting Plan: Select the hosting plan that fits your needs. The basic plan will get the work done.

3. Choose a Domain Name: During the signup process, choose a domain name for your blog.

4. Set Up Your Account: Enter your account information and payment details.

5. If you scroll down, they’ll ask if you want any extras. I never added any of them but the professional email.

Also, the basic plan is $2.95 a month however, you can’t pay it monthly. I really don’t like that but it’s not a big deal. Trust me it’s a good investment.

6. Set Up WordPress: Once your Bluehost account is set up, go to the chat button at the bottom of the screen and talk to an agent. Ask them to set up WordPress for you. You can also set it up yourself but they’ll do it for you on the chat really quick.

7. Choose a Theme: Select a WordPress theme that suits your blog’s style. Or, go to 17th Avenue Designs and choose a beautiful feminine professional looking theme from there. They have themes priced from $49 up to $179. I started off with a $49 one and later upgraded to a more expensive one. I’ve tried and love “Audry” and “Amelia”. These themes are so affordable and better than the ones on WordPress. Before I knew about 17th Avenue Designs, I was paying people to customize my site, I was trying to code in sections WordPress themes didn’t offer, I was downloading a ton of plugins and it was just a mess. These themes look so professional and you can even pay them a little more like I did to have them set up the theme for you. I did this multiple times just to make things easier!

AND THAT’S IT!

NOW YOU HAVE A BLOG ALL SET UP TO START MAKING MONEY AS A STAY AT HOME MOM.

What’s Next?

Now that you’ve got your blog up and running, it’s time to focus on driving traffic to your site. First up, create a business Pinterest account—this will be your go-to platform for attracting visitors to your blog. Pinterest is a powerful tool for bringing in massive traffic, but mastering it requires a solid strategy. Trust me, I spent months figuring it out through trial and error, wishing there was a course that laid it all out simply.

Well, guess what? There is! I’ve created the Growing With Pinterest course specifically for stay-at-home moms like you who want to turn Pinterest into a traffic-generating machine. This course covers everything you need to get started: picking a niche, SEO basics, creating viral pins, scheduling pins, crafting engaging content, and driving sales whether you’re selling your own products or affiliate items. It’s packed with all the secrets I wish I had known sooner to help you grow your blog to six figures a year. I’ve just reopened registration, so you can enroll below and start your journey to success!