Feeling stuck in your 9-to-5 without any opportunities to earn passive income? I was exactly where you are before discovering the game-changing potential of blogging.
Here’s the truth – learning how to start a lifestyle blog isn’t just about sharing your passions; it’s about creating a sustainable income stream that gives you freedom and flexibility.
I started my mom blog only after I knew not only the niche I was going to write about, but also how I was going to make money with it, and which products I use myself and would be happy to promote to my readers.
This strategic approach helped me earn real money while doing something I genuinely love.
Ready to make your blog both fulfilling and profitable? Let’s dive right into the exact steps to start a WordPress blog and, most importantly, all the ways to monetize your lifestyle blog!
10 Most Profitable Lifestyle Blog Niche Ideas + Best Lifestyle Blogs
1. Personal Finance Blog
Products: Budgeting apps like YNAB, Acorns (investment app), Robinhood (investment app)
Successful Blogger: Ramit Sethi (I Will Teach You To Be Rich).
2. Health & Fitness
Products: Bowflex fitness equipment, meal subscription services like HelloFresh, premium supplements
Successful Blogger: Kayla Itsines (Sweat with Kayla).
3. Travel Blog
Products: Booking com partnerships, travel insurance, premium luggage like Away Luggage
Successful Blogger: Nomadic Matt (Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site).
Also Read:
How to Start a Travel Blog and Make Money
4. Home Décor & DIY
Products: Home renovation tools, DIY online courses, Wayfair (premium furniture), smart home devices, Target
Successful Blogger: Sherry & John Petersik (Young House Love).
5. Parenting & Family Life
Products: High-end baby gear, educational subscription boxes like KiwiCo, family meal delivery services
Successful Blogger: Joanna Goddard (A Cup of Jo).
Also Read:
187 Creative Journal Blog Names to Start Your Blog
6. Sustainable Living & Eco-Friendly Products
Products: Solar generators, water filtration systems, and sustainable clothing brands
Successful Blogger: Kathryn Kellogg (Going Zero Waste).
7. Beauty & Skincare
Products: Premium skincare like Drunk Elephant, beauty subscription boxes, high-end makeup tools
Successful Blogger: Huda Kattan (Huda Beauty).
8. Food Blog
Products: High-end cookware like Le Creuset, cooking courses, premium kitchen appliances
Successful Blogger: Tieghan Gerard (Half Baked Harvest).
9. Fashion & Style
Products: Designer clothing, subscription boxes like Stitch Fix, luxury accessories, high end makeup
Successful Blogger: Chiara Ferragni (The Blonde Salad).
10. Digital Nomad Lifestyle
Products: laptops, VPN services ($50+ per sale), co-working space memberships, flights
Successful Blogger: Kristin Wilson (Traveling with Kristin)
How to Start a Lifestyle Blog and Make Money – Step By Step
1. Choose a Name for Your Lifestyle Blog
When starting a lifestyle blogging business, your brand name will probably be around you. Your blog name could be your name, a combination of your name and another related word (like the Nomadic Matt blog), or a domain that describes something about your niche (most recommended: a funny and creative name!)
2. Get a Bluehost Free Domain
When you have an idea about the name you’d like to use, start your search on Bluehost to see if it’s available (click on the Basic Plan to access the domain search screen).
Once you find a domain you like and it’s available, grab it and register it right away, even if you’re not ready to start your blog yet.
Why is that? Because it can sometimes take you a few months to start moving, when you’re ready to purchase your domain, you may find that the name you wanted is already taken (it happened to me!)
3.Get a Bluehost Hosting Plan
A hosting service enables your website to be shown online. To start installing WordPress and working on your new blog, you will need a hosting plan.
With this link, you will be able to get your chosen domain for free for the first year and also the cheapest price for a hosting plan, which is perfect for beginners.
You don’t want to spend money on things you don’t need at the beginning of your blogging journey, before you’ve proven to yourself that you’re serious about becoming a lifestyle blogger.
It is recommended to get privacy for your domain, so your personal details (name, address, and phone number) will remain private so no one can see this on the internet (on Whois). The cost is minimal (about $1 a month).
Install WordPress
With Bluehost, you can get WordPress installed automatically as soon as your payment is complete. Once it’s done, you’ll see this notification saying your WordPress installation has been successful.
⇒ Select ‘I am following a tutorial’ option-
Set Up Your Blog Title and Description
The title and description of your site will show up in search results when your readers search for your website.
Your blog title and description should be catchy, short, and clear.
Your blog title will include your brand name and for your site description (showing below as ‘Tagline’), it is recommended to include the best keyword for your site.
For example, if you start a food blog, then the keyword ‘food blog’ can be a great keyword to include in your blog description.
In this example, I also included the keyword spicy recipes, and this is a very relevant keyword for my food blog called the Spicy Spoon.
Choose a WordPress Theme
Remember that for a successful lifestyle blog, you would need a visually appealing theme.
You can use a free theme from WordPress org or use a free theme from the Kadence website builder.
It’s worth mentioning that when you install a free theme, you still need to customize the pages yourself to make them look like the demo.
Best WordPress Themes for Lifestyle Blogs
If you would like to go with a paid theme, here are some of my favorites –
Kadence Premium themes –
17th Avenue Designs
How to Install a Theme on WordPress
When purchasing a theme, here are the steps to install your new paid theme –
Click on ‘Appearance’ – then ‘Themes’
Select the ‘Upload’ button and then upload the ZIP file you received when you purchased the theme.
[existing screenshot]
How to Promote Your Blog
Optimise your blog post for SEO so your content can start getting organic traffic from Google.
Always start by doing keyword research. Target only keywords that would be interesting for your target audience.
Choose 1 social media platform to publish on constantly and engage with your audience. Building a following on social media will significantly increase your blog traffic.
Never rely solely on Google to bring you traffic. Google is changing its algorithm regularly. Even if you are an SEO expert and an experienced content writer, expect your content to disappear from search results from time to time or just get pushed down by big sites. Most successful lifestyle bloggers are active on at least one social media platform.
Best social media platforms for lifestyle bloggers:
Let’s get real about driving blog traffic: you absolutely need to be active on social media as part of your blog traffic strategy! I spent most of my time trying to grow with Google alone, and trust me, it’s just not enough.
TikTok
TikTok is where you can expect to see the fastest growth as a new lifestyle blogger. The TikTok algorithm still rewards good content even without a following! Create quick 15-60 second tips from your blog posts and watch your traffic explode overnight.
Instagram works wonders for visual niches like food, travel, and fashion. The key? Consistency and stories! Sharing behind-the-scenes content in stories builds the personal connection that converts followers into loyal blog readers.
Pinterest isn’t just social media – it’s a visual search engine where your content lives forever. Unlike the others, Pinterest pins can drive blog traffic months after posting. Just remember, don’t expect overnight success here – it’s a slow burn that pays off big time.
7 Lifestyle Blog Post Ideas
So what should you create content about? Here are 7 popular blog post ideas in the lifestyle niche –
- “10 Morning Habits That Will Change Your Life”
- “5 Easy Meal Prep Ideas for Busy Moms”
- “How I Decluttered My Home in 30 Days”
- “Budget-Friendly Room Makeovers Under $200 For Beginners”
- “How I Paid Off $50,000 in Student Loan in 18 Months”
- “The 5 Practices That Saved My Mental Health”
- “The Weekend Routine I Swear By For Full Recharge”
How to Make Money With a Lifestyle Blog
Wondering how to actually monetize your blog and turn it into a real income stream? Let’s break it down so you’ll know exactly how to plan your monetization strategy.
For me, my income in the first year of blogging was solely from affiliate marketing, and I followed Michelle Schroeder Gardner’s affiliate marketing course to learn best practices.
Affiliate Marketing
This is where you’ll likely start making money first. You recommend products you already use and love, and earn a commission when your readers purchase through your links. No inventory, no shipping – just authentic recommendations! I made my first $1000 in a single month this way before I even hit 10,000 monthly pageviews.
⇒ How to Do Pinterest Affiliate Marketing – The Only Guide You’ll Need!
Ads
Once you reach about 10,000 monthly sessions, apply for Mediavine Journey (they will require you to share your Google Analytics stats). Later on, when you grow your traffic, you can apply for AdThrive as well. These premium ad networks can earn $15-40 per 1,000 page views, which adds up quickly as your traffic grows.
Sponsorships
The second year was all about increasing my traffic and affiliate income, and starting to secure sponsored deals. Think about what content will resonate with big brands in your niche, so when they find you on Google, they will be very happy to make you an offer. Just remember – only work with brands that align with your values, or you’ll lose reader trust!
Sell Your Products
Ready to level up? Create your own products. Here are some examples:
Recipe books if you’re a food blogger
eBooks about parenting, if you are a family blogger
Your own makeup line if you’re a beauty blogger
Home organization services if you’re a home decor blogger
DIY online courses teaching your audience specific expertise
Just remember, the best income stream to start with is affiliate marketing. As your traffic grows, it will become much easier to add more diverse income streams and attract customers for your products.
Best Affiliate Marketing Programs for Lifestyle Bloggers
Best Affiliate Programs for Travel Bloggers –
Booking.com Affiliate Program:
Commission: 25-40% of Booking.com’s commission (typically 4-6% of total booking value). Cookie Duration: 30 days.
Strengths: Massive inventory of 28+ million listings worldwide, trusted brand name, and converts well due to no booking fees for customers
Travelpayouts (formerly Jetradar/Aviasales)
Commission: 50-70% of the partner’s commission on flights, hotels, tours, and activities
Cookie Duration: 30 days
Strengths: All-in-one travel affiliate platform with 100+ travel brands, including Booking.com, Airbnb, GetYourGuide, and major airlines
World Nomads Travel Insurance
Commission: 10-15% per policy sold
Cookie Duration: 60 days (one of the longest in travel)
Strengths: Specifically designed for travelers, covers 150+ activities, and has strong brand recognition among adventurous travelers.
Best Affiliate Programs for Beauty Bloggers –
Sephora Affiliate Program
Commission: 5-10% on sales
Cookie Duration: 24 hours
Strengths: Huge inventory of premium brands, strong brand recognition, and high average order value ($120+)
Ulta Beauty Affiliate Program
Commission: 5-8% on all sales
Cookie Duration: 30 days
Strengths: Diverse price points (drugstore to luxury), strong conversion rates, and robust seasonal promotions
Amazon Associates for Luxury Cosmetics Products
Commission: 10% commission specifically for the Luxury Beauty category—significantly higher than most other Amazon categories.
With its massive selection of premium brands like La Mer, Erno Laszlo, Lancome, and Helena Rubinstein, combined with the trust and convenience of Prime shipping, beauty bloggers can maximize earnings by focusing on high-ticket items ($100+).
Cookie Duration: The 24-hour cookie captures all purchases made after clicking your link, not just beauty products.
Strengths:
Low Barrier to Conversion: Customers already have Amazon accounts and trust the platform
Prime Shipping: Free 1-2 day shipping encourages impulse purchases of high-ticket items
Bundle Opportunity: Beauty bloggers earn commissions on anything purchased within the 24-hour cookie window (not just the recommended product).
Best Affiliate Programs for Food Bloggers
Amazon Associates (Kitchen & Cooking)
Commission: 4.5% for kitchen products
Cookie Duration: 24 hours
Strengths: Massive selection of cookware, appliances, and ingredients with trusted quick shipping
Blue Apron (via CJ Affiliate)
Commission: $30-70 per new subscription
Cookie Duration: 30 days
Strengths: High fixed payment per signup, regular promotional offers to boost conversion
KitchenAid Affiliate Program (via Awin)
Commission: 5-8% on all KitchenAid products
Cookie Duration: 30 days
Strengths: Iconic brand with high average order values ($200-500+), seasonal promotions that boost conversion rates, and products that naturally integrate into recipe and cooking tutorial content
The KitchenAid program performs exceptionally well for food bloggers who can showcase the brand’s mixers, food processors, and other appliances in action through recipe demonstrations and kitchen setup guides. Their premium positioning means even modest conversion rates can generate substantial commissions.
How to Start a Lifestyle Blog – Final Thoughts
Starting a lifestyle blog might feel overwhelming, but I promise you, you’ve got this! Remember, everyone who is successful started exactly where you are right now.
Create a lifestyle blog with your monetization plan in mind – choose your niche carefully, set up the technical pieces correctly, and focus on content that genuinely helps your audience.
The path to make money blogging isn’t overnight, but it’s absolutely achievable. I went from zero to earning a side income in my first year, and you can too!
Don’t let perfectionism stop you from starting. The best time to begin was yesterday, but the second best time is now.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through one of my links at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting the Busy Mom Side Hustle blog. For more information, visit my disclaimer page.
