How & Why You Should Start A Blog As a SAHM in 2024
Are you curious about how to start a blog as a stay at home mom? Do you wonder “can you really make a full time income working from home as a SAHM by blogging?”
This is for you!
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Start a Blog As a Stay At Home Mom and Make Money In 2024
Starting my blog was one of the best decisions I made for myself and our family.
With four young kids I was very limited on what kind of job I could pursue. I was struggling with hating being a mom, and needed an outlet (desperately!). I wanted some extra income, feel more fulfilled as a SAHM, but could only work part-time, so I become curious about blogging.
But I knew absolutely NOTHING about blogging.
Does this sound like you?
My SIL had started a blog and it was going really well for her. So I thought, if she could do it, I could too.
So I said “yes” to blogging!
The good news is, if you want a profitable blog, it is 100% possible, and this blog post is going to show you exactly what to do to get there.
I have learned so much since starting my blog, that I felt compelled to write it all down so that new interested bloggers could have the latest information and get started the RIGHT WAY!
So let’s jump in and learn everything you need to know about starting a blog as a stay at home mom.
Know your “WHY” When Starting a Mommy Blog?
I’m not going to sugar coat it, blogging is a lot of work.
There is a lot to learn, things are constantly changing, and while it is an awesome career and journey, knowing your why will help with the going gets tough.
Here are some “why’s” or benefits to starting a mom blog:
Connect with other moms: Blogging allows you to connect with other stay at home moms and share your experiences. It can be a great way to find support and build a community.
**Share your knowledge and experiences:** As a stay at home mom, you have a unique perspective on parenting, managing a household, and juggling different responsibilities. Blogging allows you to share your knowledge and experiences with others. This was a big “why” for starting Genius Mom Hacks.
Earn income: Blogging can also be a source of income. As your blog grows, you can monetize it through ads, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing. It is possible to make a full-time income blogging.
Flexible schedule: Blogging gives you the flexibility to work on your own time and at your own pace. This is especially beneficial for stay at home moms who have to juggle their responsibilities with childcare. You can squeeze work in during nap time, or after the kids are in bed.
I kept coming back to mom bloggers who seemed to have the best of both worlds. So last year I jumped in and haven’t regretted it for one second. This has been the best year!
Creative outlet: Blogging allows you to express your creativity and passion. You can choose to write about any topic that interests you and use different mediums such as writing, photography, or video. You can also include your kids! I do lots of photos and reels with my kids and it’s lots of fun! My blog has become a “family” thing. (You also don’t have to have any pictures of them on the internet if you don’t want to)
What will be your “why”? It needs to be very motivating so that it can keep moving you forward.
How to Get Started with a Mom Blog
Hindsight is always 20/20 and while I did several things right, there were things I wish I had done differently and KNEW sooner.
So this list is for you to do it right, the first time!
Things To Do Before You Start Writing
You’ve been convinced and you want to join the blogging world (YAY!) You are excited and now you want to hit the ground running! You are itching to write the first blog post. But, wait!
Make sure you do these things if you want a money making blog, not just a hobby blog.
Here are the steps to get started with your own blog:
1. Commit to Treat Your Blog Like A Business
If you want to be successful at building a profitable blog, you must treat it like a business, not a hobby. If you tell yourself this is a hobby, and you only work on your blog “when you can”, then it most likely will stay a hobby and won’t make you any (significant) money.
To have your blog make extra money, you need to be intentional, set dedicated time daily to work on it and be consistent.
It won’t always feel fun or easy, it will require consistent time from you. You will fail, there will be trial and error, changing and correcting, and lots of growing. And this is how successful bloggers make money blogging.
2. Decide on a niche (topic to write about)
The first step is to choose a topic or niche for your blog. Before you can really pick a blog name or know your target audience (which are all super important if you want a money-making blog), you need to know what are you going to write about.
What excites you? What are you passionate about? What could you see yourself writing about for hours?
This could be anything from parenting, cooking, DIY, travel, or even lifestyle. Think about your interests and what you have knowledge and experience in. This will make it easier for you to create content and connect with your audience.
3. Don’t be too vague, Niche down
“Riches are in the niches”! New bloggers don’t know this yet, but once you start learning and taking blogging courses (which I highly recommend), you will learn that Google doesn’t like broad random blogging sites.
Your website needs to have a focus, a direction, defined categories, a defined audience, and be specific. These things are very important if you want to become successful.
4. Choose a blogging platform
There are many platforms available for blogging such as WordPress, Blogger, and Wix. Do some research to find out which platform best suits your needs and budget.
But your blog must be self hosted. Why?
So you have control over your blog and when something happens you have 24 hour support.
Even self hosted blogs are not very expensive, you can get a package for as little as $2.95 / month and it comes with a free domain name.
There are many free blogging platforms, but I spend a little money and went with BlueHost. I have a WordPress® Powered Website Hosted By Bluehost. They have a packaged deal and you can set up everything with them. It is very easy and I highly encourage using these two together. Most serious bloggers start with them.
5. Choose a Domain Name & Logo
Your domain name is your website address and should be reflective of your blog’s topic or niche. You can purchase a domain name from the blogging platform or through a third-party provider.
The name needs to be something that doesn’t already exist on the internet or on social media sites. Start researching.
Search ALL social media platforms: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Podcast, Youtube to make sure the name you like doesn’t already exist.
Don’t over complicated the name. It honestly could just.be.your.name. While I picked a name not associated to me, Genius Mom Hacks, I could have easily picked “Amy Motroni”.
6. Set Up Your Social Media Accounts
I didn’t start using my social media accounts right away, but I claimed and set up all of my accounts on day one. Make sure you create business accounts, not personal accounts.
You want to make sure your name isn’t already taken, so claim them early. Hold on to the username and passwords and come back to them when you are ready.
Having them will help promote and market your website, which you will want to do to gain traffic and awareness.
6. Pick a theme (WordPress themes)
Since I’m using a WordPress® Powered Website, I picked a wordpress theme. A theme is what gives your website the look and feel.
This is where I struggled the MOST, and if I was to go back and do it again, I would just pay for nice theme at the beginning. (seriously, just pay)
I first went with a free theme that WordPress offers and hated it for months. Then I bought a cheap theme and installed it with a plugin (by myself) and after a few months and a LOT of changes and spending HOURS learning WordPress customization, I ended up being very frustrated and not liking my theme.
I wasn’t proud of my site, it looked very amateur.
So, third time is a charm. I finally went out and bought a theme from a designer company who specializes is WordPress themes. At the end, it was so affordable and I wish I had done this from the very beginning.
So live and learn from me, just buy a nice theme from a company who will either install it for you, or give you detailed clear steps on how you can do it.
You do not want to waste precious “blogging” time on setting up your theme for your website, like I did. Ugh!
Here are a couple of designers who are very good and affordable.
I would highly encourage you invest in a “professional” looking theme.
Now you may think you are ready to start writing and creating content, but I think the next step may be the most important one.
7. Set up your website
There are several areas that need to be set up before you launch your website.
- Profile Pic
- Contact Page
- About Me page
- Disclosures page
- Links to Social Media Sites
- 3-5 pillar post (written SEO optimized, explained next)
8. Learn SEO (Before Writing Your First Blog Post)
What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Why Do You Need to Learn It?
If you want to be successful at your blog and have people find your content and know your blog exists, you need to understand SEO.
While it is smart to market your blog and grow a following on social media sites, and use Pinterests to direct traffic to your blog, you will rely mostly on search engines (like Google) to send you traffic.
In order for search engines to know you exist, you need to write blog posts that are SEO optimized.
This was one of the things I did right. I took a very simple and easy to understand SEO online course within the first 2 months of buying my domain.
These SEO courses are worth their weight in gold.
I took Stupid Simple SEO and know many very successful bloggers who took this course too. I highly recommend it.
Again, I knew zero about blogging. I did not have a writing degree nor background in writing, so everything was new territory for me. I was a sponge and soaked everything up.
Stupid Simple SEO (SSSEO) was my first blogging course I took, and it still is my most favorite course.
SSSEO got my feet wet and got me started on writing optimized blog posts and I am so thankful for that class.
Shortly after I launched my blog I found a podcast called The Blogging Millionaire. This podcast is amazing! Great content and I learned so much about blogging listening to Brandon Gaille.
Brandon Gaille is the founder of RankIq, another amazing SEO tool. After a few months of listening to the podcast, I signed up for RankIq.
RankIq has been game changing in gaining lots of traffic to my blog.
I highly encourage you to take a SEO course regardless of your blogging background. SEO has changed a lot in the last few years, especially with the latest Google Helpful Content Update, and if you do SEO wrong, it can be a deal breaker in the success of your blog.
9. Create Content
YEAH! We are finally at the fun stuff. Once you have your blog set up, you understand SEO, you are ready to start creating content.
Use a mix of written articles, images, and videos to keep your audience engaged. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different formats and styles to find what works best for you.
Check out your competitors and other bloggers website to see how they are laying out their content. It’s ok if you don’t love everything about your writing style or page layout, your website will evolve as you grow and learn more.
I wish I took a picture of what my site looked like on day one compared to today, what a difference! So much growth, and I’m not even close to being done yet.
10. Promote Your Blog
Share your blog on social media platforms and engage with other bloggers in your niche. This will help increase your visibility and attract more readers to your blog.
Create a Business Pinterest account and pin often about your blog posts.
Pinterest is NOT social media. It is another search engine. Leverage Pinterest, play around with pins that get lots of clicks and impressions, and be consistent with pinning. Pinterest is a fantastic tool to gain traffic to your site.
I took Pinterest course, and while it did help me, I don’t recommend it. I have heard wonderful things about Pinterests Strategies and could see myself taking this course at some point in the future.
The Traffic Transformation Guide: This is the next guide / course I will be taking to continue to learn how to grow my traffic.
11. Capture emails
This was advice given to me early on. I set up a lead magnet and newsletter from the very beginning. I use Mailerlite, and think they are great.
It takes time to grow an email list, so start from the beginning so when you are ready to sell something, you have an audience who knows you, likes you and trusts you. Which are the 3 required areas for someone to make a purchase from you.
Cultivate your email list with authentic and rich content that you send to them monthly / regularly.
12. Affiliate links
This is an area I wish I had put more effort in to sooner! I was almost 6 months in to starting my blog before I joined the Amazon Associate Program and started adding Amazon affiliate links to my site.
Huge miss! Plus it took me another 6 months to start researching affiliate programs outside of Amazon.
Amazon is great, but they give a very small percentage when someone makes a purchase using your link. Many other companies will give a larger percentage. So, it makes sense to learn and think about Affiliate Marketing early in your blogging business.
Most popular affiliate links for high ticket items, start here:
While this is not the first thing you will do, you don’t want to skip this step altogether.
Sign up for these three affiliate companies. They will have hundreds of brands you love and use that you can apply to represent. Once approved to the brand, you will be given a unique link that you can use on your website and across all social media sites.
These all will give you a higher rate than Amazon.
13. Digital products
You do not have to have digital products to have a successful blog. But, having digital products are helpful for two reasons:
- Attract readers to sign up for your newsletter
- Another source of income
When and if you are ready to pursue this option, I recommend Printables by Numbers.
Other Purchases I Recommend:
A few more resources that really help create a professional blog.
- Email course – When you want to get serious about growing your email list
- Canva – The free option will get you by, but the paid option makes things so much easier and faster!
- Unsplash – Using your own pictures for your blog is encouraged, but sometimes you need a nice professional looking image.
Tips for success
- Stop waiting: If you’ve been thinking about starting a blog for awhile now, stop thinking and just start.
- Be consistent: Consistency is key when it comes to blogging. Set a schedule for publishing new content and stick to it. This will help you establish a loyal audience that knows when to expect new posts from you. Most successful bloggers start with committing to 3 new post per week for the first several months.
- Engage with your audience: Encourage comments and feedback on your blog posts. Respond to them and engage in discussions with your readers. This will help you build a community and keep your audience coming back for more.
- Don’t be afraid to invest: As your blog grows, consider investing in a professional design, plugins, more courses, and tools to help improve the user experience. This will also make your blog more attractive to potential sponsors or advertisers.
- Stay authentic: The most successful blogs are those that stay true to their voice and values. Don’t try to imitate other bloggers or cater to what you think will be popular. Write from your heart and your audience will connect with that authenticity.
- Avoid Time Wasters:Always think ROI. Return On Investment. Don’t spend hours on things that will not move the needle in your blog. I have had a few time wasters, it sounds easier said than done. Be mindful and constantly ask yourself “is this helping my blog”.
- Let go of perfection: The BEST thing about a blog, is you can always go back and make it better, update it or change it. Don’t waste hours trying to make your post perfect. JUST HIT PUBLISH. And then move on to writing the next blog post.
- Don’t try to do everything: Another area that I am constantly trying to be better in. Don’t spread yourself out too thin. Write out a plan. Focus on Traffic & email first, then affiliate links, then digital products if interested. Stay the course and know you can’t do everything. Which also means, outsourcing or hiring a VA (virtual assistant) or ghost writer can also be helpful and financially a smart idea. Weigh the pros and cons.
- Focus on things that PROVE to have a high ROI: Again, I can’t express this enough. Don’t get sucked in to Social Media right away. I didn’t even post anything to my social media accounts for 7 months after I started my blog. You will not see a lot of traffic from IG, FB or TikTok, so they do not have a good ROI at the beginning.
- Let go of Mommy guilt: You will have to make your blog a priority if you want it to be successful, which means, managing work vs. time with your kids or slacking around the house. Remember, you can’t do it all.
- Have Patience: Blogging can sometimes take awhile to see the fruit of your labor. It’s a long game, and you will have your own blogging journey. Stay consistent and be positive.
Ready To Start a Blog As a Stay At Home Mom?
Blogging is not a get rich quick plan, it takes time. Serving your audience and writing content that solves their problems, makes them feel seen, and builds trust and likability, is truly how you grow your website and make money.
Starting a blog as a stay at home mom can be a fulfilling and rewarding experience. It allows you to connect with others, earn (really good) income, all while being able to work from the comfort of your own home.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful blog that reflects your unique perspective on a topic you are most passionate about. Happy blogging!
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