What do you think of when you hear the term lifestyle blogger? Do you think of bloggers who write about travel, food, fashion, and other hip topics, but have little interest in the work they do or the money they make?
While many lifestyle bloggers are in it for other reasons, there are plenty of reasons to want to be a lifestyle blogger that aren’t all about fame and fortune. In this guide, we’ll take a look at what it really means to be a lifestyle blogger, what you need to get started and how to build an effective lifestyle blogging business.
Choose Your Theme
Lifestyle bloggers tend to make it their mission to master one or two things very well—think cooking, fashion, traveling, decorating or health. If you want to become a lifestyle blogger, start by figuring out what you’re an expert on and how that can add value for other people.
For example, if you are interested in healthy recipes but don’t want to create recipe blogs all day long, look into ways of adding lifestyle tips or make-and-do projects around those recipes (and include them with your recipe). Look at what successful bloggers are doing and decide if there is room for you in that space—this is your market.
Do Your Research
Before you start blogging, take some time to get familiar with what lifestyle bloggers do and how they do it. There’s no easy way around it: You have to put in your due diligence. If you aren’t careful, all of your hard work could end up being for nothing because nobody will read your posts if they aren’t compelling or informative enough. By putting in some research time, you can ensure that all of your efforts are as efficient as possible.
Some ways that you might learn about blogging include reading other lifestyle bloggers’ work, setting up an account on a blogging platform (like WordPress), and checking out different blogs’ instructions on how best to create a successful post.
Start With Creating an Editorial Calendar
Lifestyle bloggers should always have an editorial calendar for their sites. I know, you might think me, too! but then again, might not actually put one together because it seems like such an unnecessary task. All you really need is a simple Word document with dates and titles of your posts (and if you happen to use Google Calendar as well, then even better).
It is really important that your post schedule reflects when certain blogs are posted. You can also make them private so only you can see them or share them with your team members if you have any. You might want to start planning ahead and avoid last-minute rushes where every single day is jam-packed with work.
Create Great Images
The images you include in your posts are just as important as your actual text. This is especially true if you’re trying to establish yourself as a lifestyle blogger, since style is often an integral part of these types of blogs. Make sure all your photos are professionally taken and edited, because even if you aren’t savvy with Photoshop or Lightroom, there’s still lots of editing you can do.
Figure out what effects will make your photos more memorable (such as sepia tones or intense lighting) but keep it subtle—the last thing you want is for someone who sees one of your pictures on social media sites like Instagram or Pinterest to think that it looks too polished.
Figure Out the Content You Want to Produce
The first thing you need to figure out is what your readers want—and, more specifically, what they expect from you as a lifestyle blogger. This can take some research and trial-and-error: Try surveying your existing audience, or even just your friends; get into conversations with people who are already in that space; do interviews with other lifestyle bloggers; read their blogs and try getting into it yourself.
The list goes on and on! Once you have an idea of what content people want from a lifestyle blogger like yourself, then you can think about creating that content. I know that sounds obvious—but it’s important not to go down any blind alleys or waste time doing things that don’t actually give you what you need or want.
Write Blog Posts
As with any other form of writing, lifestyle blogging takes effort. You will need to develop a unique voice and create content that resonates with your audience. To increase your chances of success, don’t just write – research what others are posting in your space and comment on popular posts.
Lifestyle bloggers build trust by connecting with readers on a personal level and providing them with content they find useful (and interesting!). A little effort goes a long way – so start today!
Add Your Logo and Blog Info at The End of Each Post
To show your readers that you’re not just any random lifestyle blogger, add your logo and website URL at the end of each post. Since you’re working hard on improving your skills, it’s also important that you have an impressive bio/about page (or about me page).
It might seem like extra work when all you really want to do is start posting more content, but eventually being seen as an expert in your niche will pay off if you ever decide to monetize your efforts with ads or become even more well-known by creating books or launching courses.
Include Social Media Links in Your Blog Posts and Profile
Being an influencer is all about growing your audience. If you want people reading your work, you need to be where they’re looking—so make sure that you include social media links in each post you publish. Use your Twitter handle in your bio and on individual posts and start building up those followers.
You’ll also want to join relevant Facebook groups so that you can network with other bloggers. If someone sees something they like on your page, maybe they’ll follow or like it too! Social media is one of the best ways to grow as a lifestyle blogger, so always keep it at the front of your mind when posting.
Conclusion
There are many different types of lifestyles, so lifestyle blogging is also very flexible and open to interpretation. While being a lifestyle blogger is often associated with fashion bloggers or fitness gurus, lifestyle blogging can mean anything. It’s up to you what your niche is and how you write about it.
You can become an expert in just about anything because when it comes down to it, most people are interested in broadening their knowledge on many different subjects and interest areas. If you enjoy writing about your lifestyle topics (whatever they may be), starting a lifestyle blog might just be for you!
