Blogging isn’t just a way for businesses to promote their products and services. It can actually be the main concept behind a number of different businesses. If you want to start your very own blogging business, here are 50 different ideas.
Our Methodology: Blogging Business Ideas You Can Start
In our quest to identify and recommend the most promising blogging business ideas, we at Small Business Trends use a set of specific criteria. These criteria are essential in understanding the viability and potential success of a blogging venture. We rate each criterion on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 indicates the least importance and 5 signifies the highest importance in our evaluation process:
- Market Demand and Audience Interest
- Importance: 5
- We assess the current market demand and audience interest in the topic. A higher demand indicates a greater potential for attracting a dedicated readership and monetizing the blog.
- Uniqueness and Niche Specialization
- Importance: 4
- The uniqueness of the content and specialization in a specific niche is crucial. Unique perspectives or specialized knowledge can set a blog apart in a crowded market.
- Monetization Potential
- Importance: 5
- We evaluate the potential for monetizing the blog through various channels such as affiliate marketing, product sales, sponsored content, and services.
- Content Sustainability and Scalability
- Importance: 4
- The ability to continuously generate fresh and engaging content over time, and the potential to scale the blog as the audience grows, are key factors.
- SEO and Online Visibility Potential
- Importance: 4
- The potential for achieving high search engine rankings and online visibility is assessed. This includes the ease of targeting relevant keywords and the topic’s compatibility with SEO best practices.
- Cost of Entry and Initial Investment
- Importance: 3
- We consider the initial investment required to start the blog, including domain registration, hosting, and content creation costs. Lower startup costs are preferable for accessibility.
- Alignment with Current Trends and Future Growth
- Importance: 4
- We analyze how well the blogging idea aligns with current trends and its potential for growth in the future. Topics with enduring relevance or growing interest are rated higher.
- Expertise Requirements
- Importance: 3
- The level of expertise or knowledge required to create credible and engaging content in the chosen niche is considered. While expertise can be an asset, excessively high barriers to entry might be a drawback.
Using these criteria, our goal is to identify blogging business ideas that are not only viable and profitable but also sustainable and engaging for both the blogger and their audience.
Blogging Business Ideas
Freelance Blogger
If you want to get paid to blog, you can offer your services as a freelance blogger to other businesses and publications that will pay for your expertise. There are tons of unique and profitable niches, and you can always adjust with trends or new areas of interest.
Ghost Blogger
You could also offer your services as a ghost blogger, where you can essentially write content for other bloggers which they publish as their own. This can be a profitable option for those with skills and experience.
Affiliate Marketer
Affiliate marketing can be a great way for bloggers to earn income. You can start a blog in basically any niche and use affiliate links to promote products or services from other brands and earn a percentage of each sale that you send their way. There’s tons of monetization potential from various affiliate programs in almost every niche.
Influencer
If you’re able to build up a significant following and some influence with that following, you can work with brands to promote products or services as an influencer.
Blogger with Advertisers
You can also earn an income as a blogger by offering visual advertising opportunities on your sidebar or other parts of your blog.
Email Marketer
Bloggers also often have the ability to start a significant following with their email newsletters, which you can also use to sell various products or services.
eBook Author
You can also use your writing skills to put together and publish ebooks. And you can use your blog as a way to showcase your talents for potential readers.
Infopreneur
Or you could opt to sell other types of informational products like forms or guides. And use your blog as a platform to showcase your expertise and facilitate the sale of those products. There’s tons of monetization potential in this industry, with various information products you can sell.
Online Course Creator
Online courses can also be a great way for bloggers to earn money. You can use blogging as a way to build your expertise and then host your courses on your website or email list. You can also scale your business over time with new courses and offerings.
Product Reviewer
You can also review products from various companies on your blog in exchange for a fee.
Sponsored Post Writer
Or you could work with brands to put together sponsored posts on your blog as a way of earning an income from blogging.
Business Blogger
If you’re knowledgeable about business topics, you can start your own business blog as a way of building up your influence and expertise so you can offer business consulting, coaching or similar services.
Social Media Blogger
Similarly, you can start a blog about social media and use that as a way to market social media management or consulting services. There’s tons of market demand for this service, and for blog posts about related subjects.
Event Blogger
You can also cover different events on your blog and charge a fee to promote them or even use your blog to promote your own event planning services.
Fashion Blogger
If fashion is your area of expertise, you can start a blog related to the subject and then work with fashion brands to facilitate ads or sponsored content opportunities.
Beauty Blogger
Likewise, you can work with beauty brands by starting a blog about hair, makeup or other beauty related topics. This is an incredibly in-demand topic that’s easy to align with current trends.
DIY Blogger
You could also start a blog that features a lot of DIY tutorials and projects and then work with craft brands and other companies that might provide some of the supplies you use.
Recipe Blogger
Food brands can also provide opportunities for bloggers to earn an income if you start a blog that provides recipes and other food related content.
Lifestyle Blogger
You could also potentially start a blog that covers several different topic areas and call it a lifestyle blog. Then you could potentially work with brands in a variety of different industries.
Email Newsletter Writer
If you want to actually write for other companies on a freelance basis, you could also offer your services as an email marketing expert or writer.
Tech Blogger
For those whose expertise lies in the technology industry, you could start a blog about tech and then work with brands in that niche. Since tech is always changing, there will always be a way to create content that aligns with current trends.
Membership Site Creator
You could also earn an income by starting a blog on a specific topic and then offering a membership section of your site that people can access for a regular fee.
Industry News Site Creator
Or you could specialize in covering news related to a specific industry and market your content and marketing services to companies in that niche.
Comedy Writer
If you have a great sense of humor, you could try to channel that into a humorous blog where you could sell ad space or earn income from affiliate programs.
Giveaway Blogger
Giveaways are also incredibly popular in the blog world. So you could specialize in hosting those contests and even charging a fee for brands that want to take part.
Photography Blogger
If you’re a photographer, you can use blogging as a way to share your work so that you can gain clients. Or you can use it as a way o offer your own photos for sales as downloads.
Fitness Blogger
Or if you specialize in fitness, you can use blogging to earn an income and to promote your services to potential clients. This is one of the most in-demand industries, with tons of monetization potential.
Web Design Blogger
Web design is another area that you can blog about as a way to bring in potential clients.
Mobile App Blogger
Or you could specialize in blogging about mobile apps and then work with mobile app companies to offer ad space, affiliate links or even offer your own app development services or apps for download.
Gaming Blogger
You can also start a blog about video games and similar topics and then work with gaming brands to earn an income.
Family Blogger
It’s also possible to start a blog about your own family or one that offers tips on family related topics and then work with brands that want to market family related products.
Education Blogger
Or you could specialize in blogging about educational topics and then work with educational institutions or companies that make educational materials.
Finance Blogger
Or you could start a blog about financial topics as a way to share your expertise and offer financial services or products.
How-to Blogger
If you start a blog that offers instructions for people on how to do anything from losing weight to learning an instrument, you could potentially turn it into a business by offering more in-depth guides for sale or working with brands that relate to your instructional posts.
Directory Site Operator
For bloggers who specialize in pretty much any subject, you could also start an income stream by having a directory section of your site where you charge businesses or individuals a listing fee.
Job Board Operator
If your blog topic relates to jobs at all, you could potentially start a job board on your blog as well and charge businesses a fee to list their openings.
Blogging Coach
For those who have a lot of experience in blogging, you could start a business as a coach for other bloggers to help them get off the ground. This is even a business you can scale over time.
Community Leader
You could also start your own community on your blog or another platform and use that as a way to monetize your blogging skills.
Industry Thought Leader
Or you could build a business as a thought leader in a specific niche or industry and use blogging as your main way of showcasing your expertise for hire as a consultant, coach or speaker.
eCommerce Blogger
If you run an ecommerce business, you can use your blog as way to promote your products on other sites or sell them directly from your blog.
Copywriter
You could also build a business as a copywriter and use blogging as a way to show potential clients your writing skills.
Printables Seller
If you’re a skilled designer, you could showcase your design skills on your blog and then use it as a place to sell printables of your work that customers can download.
Workshop Host
You can also blog about a specific topic and then host workshops related to that topic, either in person or online, and earn an income from that.
Conference Host
Or you could set up a larger conference type event related to your blog and use that as a source of income.
Podcaster
If you want to start a podcast, you can easily use a blog site as a way to host and sum up all of your episodes so that listeners can easily access content and learn more about your podcast.
Vlogger
Likewise, you could start your own video blog and then also have your own site where you can host ads or earn income in other ways.
Blogging Tutor
If you want to help beginners learn the very basic technical or writing elements behind blogging, you could start a tutoring service.
Underwritten Post Writer
Underwritten posts are like sponsored posts, but the main content is completely your own and there’s only a small section at the bottom that includes information about your sponsor. This is another way bloggers can earn money from blogging.
Premium Content Seller
You could also have a blog where you share some content for free, but offer some other, more advanced content for a fee. Premium content is becoming more in line with current trends, and there are many platforms that make it easy to monetize content in this way.
Blog Seller
Or you could start a blog, create content, build up an audience and then sell that blog to someone who doesn’t want to start from scratch.
Exploring the Boundaries: Beyond Blogging Income
Blogging isn’t just limited to writing and promoting content for your audience. In fact, it can serve as a springboard for various innovative ventures that extend beyond the realm of traditional blogging. Here’s a glimpse into a world of possibilities beyond regular blogging, where your skills and creativity can flourish:
- Blogging Workshops: Leverage your expertise to host workshops, either in-person or online, where you guide aspiring bloggers on the art of successful blogging and content creation.
- Monetizing Community: Create a vibrant community space around your blog, where members pay for access to exclusive content, expert advice, and a supportive network.
- Podcast Exploration: Transform your blog into a podcast hub, complementing your written content with engaging audio episodes that cater to a wider audience.
- Content Consulting: Showcase your proficiency as a content consultant, offering strategic guidance and tailored content solutions to businesses seeking an edge.
- Visual Design Shop: Utilize your design skills to sell digital assets like templates, printables, or design elements that resonate with your audience’s needs.
| Possibility | Description |
|---|---|
| Blogging Workshops | Host workshops to guide aspiring bloggers on successful content creation and blogging strategies. |
| Monetizing Community | Establish a paying community with exclusive content, expert advice, and a supportive network. |
| Podcast Exploration | Turn your blog into a podcast hub, expanding your content reach through engaging audio episodes. |
| Content Consulting | Showcase expertise as a content consultant, offering tailored solutions to businesses' content needs. |
| Visual Design Shop | Utilize design skills to sell digital assets like templates and printables that resonate with your audience. |
The realm of possibilities expands far beyond traditional blogging, offering unique avenues to monetize your skills, engage your audience, and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. By exploring these uncharted territories, you can take your blogging journey to new heights and redefine your online presence.
Conclusion: Embracing the Spectrum of Blogging Possibilities
Blogging has transcended its conventional boundaries of content creation and promotion, evolving into a versatile platform for entrepreneurial endeavors. It’s not merely a tool; it’s a gateway to diverse business opportunities that can shape your online presence. As we’ve explored the myriad of avenues in this array of blogging ideas, we’ve uncovered a world beyond traditional blogging, where your creativity and skills can flourish.
From becoming a sought-after freelance blogger to transforming your blog into a podcast haven, the potential is boundless. Venture into the realm of influencing, coaching, or even setting up your own community to foster a supportive network. Share your expertise as a content consultant, offering tailored solutions to businesses hungry for an edge, or tap into your design prowess with a visual design shop.
In this realm of possibilities, the trajectory of your blogging journey is shaped by your imagination. By stepping beyond the boundaries of regular blogging, you unlock unique ways to monetize your skills and engage your audience. The entrepreneurial spirit that drives you can find its expression through various uncharted territories, giving your blogging venture new dimensions and empowering you to redefine your digital footprint.
Related reading: 51 Business Ideas for 2020
Woman Blogger, Author, Convention, Tech, Web Design Blogger Photos via Shutterstock.
This article, "50 Blogging Business Ideas You Can Start" was first published on Small Business Trends