How To Start a Mom Blog and Make Money with Limited Time

Hey Mama! Have you been thinking about how to start a mom blog with limited time? I’ve been where you are–looking for ways to make money from home and thinking about blogging.

I’m glad to say that over 10 years later, I’ve never regretted my decision to start a blog. It has allowed me to be home with my children and to homeschool them while earning extra income to support us.

And I did it with VERY limited time.

Have you been looking for a way to earn a few extra dollars or a full-time income from home? Then keep reading, because I have some ideas for you.

How stay at home moms can make money from home?

If you’ve been wondering how stay at home moms can make money from home, there’s good news. There are many ways you can make money from home. Whether it’s finding a work-at-home job, taking on some side gigs, or starting a home business, you can earn extra money working from home.

Here are 10 ideas of how stay at home moms can make money from home:

1. Start a mom blog
2. Freelance writer
3. Virtual assistant
4. Social media manager
5. Web designer
6. Photographer
7. Event planner
8. Wedding planner
9. Caterer
10. Music teacher

I go into more detail and share 16 other ways in this blog post about how to start a home business. Check it out and grab the free home business printable as well.

But today, we’re going to focus on one of the ways to earn extra income from home–blogging.

How to Start a Mom Blog

This was the question that was pressing on my mind that day. I knew I needed to make money from home and I needed to find a way fast.

You see, I had just turned in my two-week resignation and would be leaving the career (and income!) I loved one year earlier than planned.

My husband and I had a plan. We had a plan. But a serious incident with our childcare provider prompted a quick response and I knew I had to come home.

So I was scrambling for ways to earn at least part of my income before our savings ran out.

I researched on the internet and quickly learned that starting a blog was a great way to earn income from home.

Why a blog, you ask?

It was the best way to take my skills, talents and life experiences and share them with those who were searching for that information. AND I could package it in such a way where I could earn money from sharing what I knew.

So, I started my first blog.

Because I was so new to blogging, I joined a few blogging sites for information and support. I also researched and found some great work at home mom blogs which I read thoroughly.

I used my blog planner to set goals, plan weekly and daily tasks, and to keep track of my blog activity.

This knowledge–once I put it into practice–helped me grow my struggling beginner blog into a thriving one.

And I went on to earn over $25,000 in my first year working from home.

For some, this figure may not sound like much, and, yes, it was a lot less than my corporate salary. But for me, it was the boost I needed to know I had made the right decision and that my family would be okay.

Now, I want to help you start off strong. I want to help boost your faith and your confidence.

I want you to know you made the right decision to begin blogging and YOU CAN earn enough to stay at home.

Here are the answers to some of the most common questions asked about starting a mom blog:

How do I start a stay at home mom blog?

There are so many articles out there claiming to tell you how to grow your blog faster, bigger, more profitable than any other blog.

But I want you to know, successful blogging takes planning, time, discipline, and commitment.

It can get downright discouraging at times and you can often feel alone or left behind when you read about those big bloggers earning 6-figures.

Just remember: blogging is like a marathon, not a sprint. Commit to it until you cross your finish line.

You’ll have to commit to getting better every day–learning how to write better content that reaches your audience, learning how to market your blog online to gain more blog traffic, and learning how to best serve your audience’s needs by creating the ideal products for them.

You will have to be disciplined in writing regularly. You will be your own boss, but you will have customers (your audience) who will have expectations of you.

Though it is hard work, it can be so rewarding.

And if I can do it, so can you!

It’s never too late to start a mom blog because the internet is big enough for all of our voices. You will just have to find your unique voice and message that your ideal audience is looking for.

How do I find time to blog?

Finding time to blog takes planning and consistency. If you plan to start a mom blog, you need an efficient and effective way to keep track of all of the priorities and tasks that are on your plate.

I have found this Block Scheduling System to be the best way for me to manage my life–from mama responsibilities to blogging and other work-at-home tasks.

Using this system, I have carved out daily time for all the things I need and want to do. I’ve been able to make blogging more of a priority that doesn’t interfere with my most important task–being a mama.

How do mom blogs make money?

The first question many beginner bloggers have is how to make money with a mom blog?

This blogging guide will walk you through how to start a profitable blog from scratch, even if you’ve never made money online before. In this post, I’m going to share with you what worked well for me–and what didn’t–when building my first blog about working from home.

Before finding my online blogging mentors, I made a lot of mistakes trying to blog. I had tried using a free publishing platform–Blogger–for my first blog. But as I researched how to monetize a blog, I quickly learned that free platforms like that offer you very limited options.

For starters, the free service you use legally owns the blog AND all the content. And you often have very limited options for customizing the design of your blog.

So, if you want to make money with a mom blog, you will need to set up a self-hosted blog on a platform that allows you to own your site and content, and gives you the flexibility to fully customize your blog.

Here are the 7 steps to start a mom blog that makes money:

Step #1 – Choose a good hosting company

The most popular website platform is WordPress.org. It allows you to own your site and make design changes, and it’s customizable. It’s also what I used for my first successful blog and for this blog.

While WordPress.org is free, you will still need to find a server host for your files (using a hosting provider like SiteGround or WP Engine). These options do cost, but if you want to run ads on your site, you have to set up your website the right way.

Reasons Why You Should Use SiteGround

This site is hosted by SiteGround, and I found…

• It has the fastest setup–it takes just 3 clicks to set up a new site with SiteGround.
• You can create a website in just minutes using SiteGround’s simple drag and drop website builder.
• It allows you to choose from several low-priced plans for new and small blogs. You can purchase shared hosting for as low as $6.99 per month with excellent customer support.

You just need to click on the orange Get Started button to choose your package. I have a special deal with SiteGround where you can get started for just $6.99 a month.

Be sure to select the StartUp package–it’s the cheapest and it’s all you need to get started.

Reasons Why You Might Go with WP Engine

If you’re looking to grow your WordPress blog and increase your website speed, then choosing WP Engine for your hosting needs is the best way to get started.

WP Engine is the fastest, most reliable hosting platform for businesses of all sizes and I’ve had a great experience with them.

Pricing for WP Engine is more than SiteGround, but you get so much for the cost. Packages include:

• WP Engine makes it VERY easy to start a WordPress blog and it’s easy to use.
• 24/7 support
• 30+ premium themes
• Free automated migrations
• Daily backups
• Free SSL and SSH
• One-click staging site
• And a self-hosted blog through WP Engine will help you appear more professional to potential advertisers and sponsors (vs. a hosted blog like Blogger or Blogspot).

To get started, use my link to go to WP Engine’s home page and click “Get Started.”

Step #2 – Select a Great WordPress Design for Your Blog

WordPress is the machinery behind your blog. The design–or theme–is the face of your blog. The easiest way to get started is to buy a customizable WordPress theme.

Now, you can get started with the free, built-in theme that comes with WordPress, which is perfectly fine to get started.

To have a more professional, unique look, you can download a premium theme.

Premium themes are updated regularly to keep up with changes made with each WordPress update. Plus, they have customer support to help with setup, problems, customizations, and maintenance.

I personally love StudioPress themes–the leader in premium WordPress themes. In fact, I have a few sites that run on a StudioPress theme.

And you can get StudioPress themes for free when you sign up with WP Engine.

Step #3 – Choose a Profitable Blog Topic

The best way to make money blogging is to create your blog around a SPECIFIC topic that people have already expressed an interest in. You already know you want to start a mom blog, but there are so many sub-topics you can choose from. So you’ll need to…

• get really specific about what you will be blogging about on your site, and
• find the group of people who would be interested in your specific topic.

Start by making a list of the biggest niche topics you can think of (like business), then slowly keep narrowing down into smaller subtopics (like budgeting, saving, or working from home).

In order to monetize your blog, you must target a smaller audience with specialized interests. The more specific you get, the better you can address the unique needs of that group and the better you can speak their language.

Then you will become the expert or “go-to” person on that specific topic.

How to decide what to blog about

Once you decide that you want to pursue blogging, it’s time to choose a topic. Here are a few questions to help you discover which topics might be a good fit:

1. What makes you feel excited to get up to do each day?
2. Is there something you could do for hours and not notice the time passing?
3. What is something that comes naturally to you that you often help others with doing?
4. Which subject(s) do others frequently ask your advice about?
5. What is something you used to struggle with that you’ve found a way to make an easy task?
6. What could you talk about for hours and stay excited about?

Within the answers to these questions lies a beautiful blogging topic just right for you.  Take a few minutes and really think through your responses. Dig deep and even get some input from a trusted friend or family member.  

Take the time to review your responses and pick the topic that makes you most excited. Don’t worry about picking the “right” one. What matters is you choose one that’s fun for you.

Step #4 – Write Moving Content that People Want to Read

One of the best lessons I learned is that a pretty blog isn’t enough. You need people to visit your blog, because

PEOPLE = PAGE VIEWS = MONEY

Without people visiting your blog, your hard work is just a hobby–a simple personal journal.

Now, some may write just to please themselves, but most (serious) bloggers take great effort to write their best content to please their ideal reader.

There’s nothing more discouraging than spending valuable time writing your heart out only to hear crickets chirping long after you hit the “Publish” button.

I know. I’ve been there. And I didn’t like it.

And I’m guessing that you don’t like it either.

So what can you do?

Focus on your ideal readers.

They are the reason why you’re writing, right? It’s really all about them and what they need. It’s time to do your homework to discover the problems, needs, and desires your readers have.

So how do you do that?

One method I use is to spy on other blogs to see what works for them. How exactly?

1. Visit a site like Alltop to find the most popular blogs in your space. Sort through several of the subcategories and make a list of 20-40 popular blogs you think your audience might be reading.
   

2. Next, go to Buzzsumo.com and plug in the domain names for those blogs to find their most shared content. Pay special attention to their Facebook shares because it’s driving the most traffic for the majority of sites these days. ….

3. Look for any patterns that might give you an idea of what type of content your ideal audience likes. For the sake of time, focus on the headlines, but go ahead and click through to any post that really grabs your attention to read through it.

4. Keep a list of headline ideas or any specific headlines that grab your attention.

Now you have a whole list of ideas for blog posts based on your research. While success isn’t guaranteed, these posts will have a better chance than writing about whatever pops into your head late at night.

5. So now, armed with all of this data, all you have to do is write about those things, using variations of those popular headlines you noted.

Your ideal reader wants solutions. She wants to be inspired. She wants to get better as a result of spending time with you.

There are many things you can say to your readers to get more blog traffic, but here are the…

Top 5 Things Your Readers Need to Hear You Say:

1 – I Know You.

Your ideal readers should feel that you know them when they begin to read your blog posts. The research you’ve done to identify all about them should shine through in what you write.

The reaction you want is for readers to say, “That’s exactly what I needed to hear today.”

Visit Facebook groups where your readers hang out and see what types of questions they ask. Look at comments made on your competitor’s site to discover their needs and challenges. Then use this information to come up with topics to write about.

Remember, research is good, but it won’t work unless you actually use the research results.

2 – You Matter.

The way you welcome readers to your site, the tone of your posts, the words you write, and how quickly you respond all say “you matter” or “you don’t.”

Your site – When visitors first land on your site, is it easy for them to determine where to go first? Do you have a welcome message? Do you offer them any free resources?

Your posts – Do they address your readers’ needs or is it all about you? Are you writing about topics they want to read or about subjects you find interesting?

Your site style – Is it easy to navigate? Or is it so busy that it’s hard to focus on any one thing? Are you being seen as energetic or peaceful?

Your font size – Do your readers have to squint to read your posts? Are your paragraphs long and tedious to read? How much white space do you allow on your site and within your posts?

Put yourself in your readers’ shoes and ask, What would let me know that I matter?

If you show them they matter, then your visitors and readers are more likely to stick around.

3 – I Understand What You Need.

Now that they can see they matter to you and that you know them, show your readers you understand them by sharing your own experiences.

Let them learn from your mistakes, and invite them to walk alongside you as you learn something new. After all, you show others you understand them by being vulnerable, not by trying to appear perfect.

4 – I Can Help You.

This is when you showcase your expertise. Show your readers how you can help them. Offer them solutions. Give them actionable tips. Share case studies or testimonials.

Readers sometimes need proof you can actually help them – after all, their problem is unlike any other.

And if you aren’t the expert in a particular area that relates to the problems you do solve, then don’t be afraid to refer them to someone who can help them.

5 – I’m Not All About the Money.

We’re all tired of trying to be “sold to” in every article or post we read. If you are really in business to help others, then show them you really want to help them.

This doesn’t mean giving everything away for free, but it does mean balancing out the times you share and the times you sell.

My rule of thumb is to give 3 times more than you sell.

Your rule may be different, but try to give more than you ask. It’s just good manners.

So if you want to have a site your ideal customer can’t wait to visit and read, start by saying the things they want to hear.

Step #5 – Use SEO and Pinterest to Drive Traffic

What’s generally the first way you find information on the internet?

Through a Google search!

Though it can take time to get your website ranked in Google, it’s worth it. The results can be amazing and long-lasting. And optimizing your content for search engines is pretty straightforward–as long as you’re building your site on a solid foundation like WordPress.

The goal of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is to bring new readers to your website — people who would have otherwise never known that you even existed.

Your initial goal is to research those everyday phrases your ideal reader would type into Google search to find the information your site offers. Make a list of those phrases (or keywords) you find.

You may find that the search engine results for some of the keyword phrases you list are dominated by big brands or blogs. These would be keywords that are pretty difficult to rank for.

So take those keyword phrases and think of complimentary phrases that people still are searching for but don’t have as much competition in the search results. You want to be able to rank high for your phrase, so choosing one that blogs on your level can better compete for will be to your advantage.

For instance, let’s say your keyword phrase is “DIY face mask.” When you type that into Google search, you’ll see several big-name brands’ articles– Self and Marie Claire, as well as big blogs like Brit.co and Health.com.

So if you search for complimentary phrases, like DIY Lush Face Mask, you’ll see smaller blogs listed, giving you a better chance to rank for that phrase.

Since ranking on Google takes time–sometimes months–it’s good to also have a quicker source of traffic, because…

NO TRAFFIC = NO MONEY

After researching further, I learned that other bloggers were driving traffic FOR FREE to their website using Pinterest.

How To Use Pinterest To Increase Blog Traffic

Like Google, Pinterest is a search engine–a visual search engine. And it’s a very engaging search engine that people use to find solutions to their problems or needs.

So just how do you use Pinterest to drive traffic to your blog? Here are 5 steps I followed to get more visitors to my blog:

1. Set up a Pinterest account and convert it into a Business Account. Include a profile image, whether it’s your personal photo or your brand logo.
2. Create 15 – 20 boards featuring pins that are relevant to your audience. At least one of the boards should feature the posts from your blog. My feature board is called “Best of Savvy Mompreneur.” These pins should be linked back to your blog posts on your site. Now create about 15 – 19 other boards that feature topics related to your blog and ones your audience might be interested in. For instance, if I wrote about natural skincare, I would create relevant boards like:
   • DIY Skin Care Routine
   • Homemade Skin Care Recipes
   • Anti-Aging Skin Care Tips
   • Clear Skin Recipes
   • How To Get a Slimmer Face
3. Connect your blog posts to “click-worthy” Pinterest images. As I mentioned before, Pinterest is a visual search engine. If your images don’t entice people to click on your pins, then all of the effort you put into writing content for your blog will be in vain. This means your images must attract your ideal reader’s attention and entice them to click through to your blog. Here are some tips to help you do this:
   
   
   • Create pinnable images – It starts with using amazing photos–whether you take your own pictures or use professional photos. I tend to use images from DepositPhotos or royalty-free stock photos from Pixabay.
   • Use readable fonts – Stick to 2 to 3 fonts for each pin. Many bloggers like to select specific fonts for their brand and use them on every pin. Others like to mix things up. Whichever method you choose, at least try to use fonts that can be read easily and stick to no more than three different fonts on each pin.
   • Include enticing words on your pin that inspire people to click, and include a call to action – For example, “Learn How I Got Crystal Clear Skin in Only 7 Days” sounds much more enticing than, “How To Fight Acne.”
   • Keep doing what works – If you see some of your pins take off, study what worked and duplicate that. But still, don’t be afraid to experiment with other designs as well.
4. Multiply your efforts by joining group boards. Group boards are simply Pinterest boards owned by other people who invite others to pin to their board. This puts your pin in front of their audience, multiplying your potential pins. Here’s how to find group boards:
   • Use PinGroupie to find group boards. This website gives you a list of all of the group boards on Pinterest.
   • Join Facebook groups for Pinterest group boards, like Pinterest Group Boards.
   • Look for group boards on other people’s Pinterest account. The way I saw it was if they were a newer blogger like I was, then I’d have a better chance at being accepted to the group board as they did. … In order to join the group board, you will have to send a message or email to the group board owner asking to join. 
     
     Many times there are instructions on how to join listed in the board description, but other times you’ll have to hunt for it. Just be diligent and DON’T GIVE UP. It will be worth it to have your pins added to a few group boards.
     

1. Schedule your pins using Tailwind. When I first started using Pinterest, I just manually pinned my images after publishing my blog post. However, as my blog content grew, it became too time-consuming to keep up with when I last scheduled a pin, to which board, and how often. I then learned about Tailwind which is an amazing scheduler that allows you to pin and re-pin your images automatically to your boards and to group boards.
   
   How does Tailwind make a difference? Tailwind is an official partner of both Pinterest and Instagram and is the smartest way to manage your presence on Pinterest. It lets you create a schedule for pinning your pins. You’ll create a queue for your pins and then tell Tailwind when and where to pin them. So instead of you taking 30 minutes to an hour each day manually pinning your blog images, you can let Tailwind do it for you while you use your valuable time for something else.
   
   I’m so sure you’ll love it like I do that I’m going to offer you the chance to try it out for free using my link. Tailwind can save you valuable time and is the perfect way to grow your blog traffic. If you want to claim back your time spent manually pinning and get optimum results on Pinterest, try it for free for the first month, and then get a $15 credit for your second month. You don’t have to pay for it until you feel you know how to use it!

Step #6 – What Gave Me an Extra Big Boost in Blog Traffic

Researching online and learning about SEO and Pinterest marketing from various blog posts gave me a great start in getting my blog in front of my ideal audience. But I knew I was missing many pieces to the puzzle. I also knew that if I learned from someone more experienced, I could succeed much faster.

Because I wanted to make money blogging fast, I needed a lot more pageviews from my SEO efforts and Pinterest.  I needed to learn how to get noticed as a mom blogger. So I kept researching and I saw where a lot of other bloggers in my network were recommending Lena’s course, Adventures in SEO.

Using her step-by-step system outlined in her course, Lena was able to go from 36,900 pageviews to 434,000 pageviews in just 8 months!

Her course is amazing! It’s easy to follow and is systematically written so each new concept builds on the previous one. However, before I took the plunge to enroll in her course (it’s only open a few times a year so JOIN THE WAITING LIST NOW!), I first bought her Traffic Transformation course.

This course gives you the basics of growing your blog traffic so that you can make money through sponsored posts, ads, affiliate marketing or by selling your own products.

Then once Adventures in SEO opened up for enrollment, I was ready to join. This course picked up where Traffic Transformation left off and covered both Google and Pinterest keyword searching to optimize your blog posts and your pins.

Using her system, I saw my pageviews almost double after applying her methods to just two posts I wrote after going through the first four modules!

Adventures in SEO isn’t just a course.

It’s also a community of bloggers who offer such great support and help. And Lena is there to answer any questions during the “Live” portion of the course.

Step #7 – Turn Your Blog From a Hobby to a Money-Making Business

To start a mom blog that’s successful, you have to think like a successful blogger. You can no longer treat your blog like a hobby you do every now and then when you feel like it.

You have to be disciplined and treat it like a business.

The absolute best course I’ve taken that takes you from zero to a money-making blog (and everything in between) is the Blog by Number course.

The Signature Blog by Number course is updated with the latest WordPress tutorials and blogging techniques.

Get everything you need to grow a successful blog as a mom. The Blog by Number course contains 65+ video tutorials to help you step by step:

• Build your blog and write your first post
• Successfully launch your blog
• Learn how to get visitors
• Discover how to make money from day 1

The course comes with a complete workbook and over 50 pre-made website templates to choose from!

Sign up for the course and start your mom blog today!

Free Blogging Resources

If you’re not ready for the course, you can start with this FREE blogging resource from Start a Mom Blog:

The Blog Plan– This FREE 12 Month Blog Plan guides you from making $0 to $9,000 per month with your blog.

You get 12 months of blogging planned out for you with monthly worksheets to keep you on track to grow your online business!

Enroll in the course for FREE!

While there are many free resources to help you in your blogging journey, don’t be afraid to invest in yourself! If you’re serious about making money blogging, you need to invest in yourself.

The first time I paid money for a blogging course like Blog by Number, I was nervous. I was hesitant to invest money because I was afraid that I might fail. We were living on just my husband’s income at the time, so I had to be super careful with spending any extra money.

But I talked it over with my husband and made the decision that I would invest in myself and I would not give up. This turned out to be one of THE best decisions I’ve ever made.

Before you buy that course…

I know the mental struggle I went through before taking that step. So I want to share with you what I learned about buying courses:

• Research, research, research. Make sure you trust the people you’re buying from. Read their blog posts and see what information they’re sharing and what type of comments they get.
  
  Visit their social media accounts and review the engagement. And read the testimonials to see if the results others had are the type of results you’re wanting.
• Don’t be afraid to reach out to the course owner before you buy. Send them an email or online message and ask your questions about their course. If they respond with the information you like, then it’s a good indication the course will be a good investment. However, if they don’t bother to respond, that may be a sign to look elsewhere.
• Be ready to not only take the course but to implement the strategies you learn. If you want to start a beauty blog that’s successful, you have to commit to learning. Set aside time to go through the course and put into practice what you learn. It’s not enough to just learn–it’s the doing that brings results.

By following these guidelines, I’ve purchased only those courses I’ve truly needed. And I’ve not only implemented the strategies taught, but I’ve also seen positive results.

By following these 7 steps to start a mom blog, you will learn how to earn a good income from home.

How much do mom bloggers make?

How much a mom blogger makes depends on a few factors: Is she blogging part-time or full-time? Does she offer products or services? Is the blog earning ad income? Is it a big or small blog? Does she write content that people are looking for?

There’s no easy answer for how much do mom bloggers make since it can vary by blogger. However, a good average for a part-time blog with good, regular content is over $3,000 per month.

What type of bloggers make the most money?

According to WP Beginner, there are some blogs that are more popular than others. Though I suggest going with something you’re passionate about, this list will give you some ideas of what type of bloggers make the most money:

1. Fashion blogs
2. Food blogs
3. Travel blogs
4. Music blogs
5. Lifestyle blogs
6. Fitness blogs
7. DIY blogs
8. Sports blogs
9. Finance blogs
10. Political blogs
11. Parenting blogs
12. Business blogs
13. Personal blogs
14. Movie blogs
15. Pet blogs

This list doesn’t mean that the #14 type of blog is always going to make less than the #1 or #2 type. It’s just in order of popularity. I know some parenting blogs (#11) that make a six-figure income.

The key is to find what you’re passionate about sharing, write good content, be consistent, and offer products or services for sale.

How can I make an extra $100 a day with my blog?

If you’re looking for a way to make an extra $100 a day with your blog, it is possible.

• Sell printables: Printables, or online documents you can download, are a very popular way to make extra money from your blog. From coloring sheets for kids, to recipe eBooks, or academic calendars, there are numerous ideas for printables that you can offer on your blog.
  
  Here’s a simple course to show you how to make and sell printables on your blog.
• Offer services: Do you know how to design websites or logos? Maybe you’re good at social media and can offer your help to other online businesses. Offering your services is a great way to make money from your blog.
• Sell products: Selling handmade crafts is an excellent way to make an extra $100 a day with your blog. You can market your products directly from your site using a plugin like Woo Commerce or start an Etsy shop.

Courses On How To Start a Mom Blog

If you would like a more step-by-step guide on how to start a mom blog that makes money, I would recommend you start with the Blog by Number course.

This course is for beginners and seasoned bloggers, and takes you one step at a time from setting up your blog to making money in under 3 hours. It comes with a workbook, video tutorials, and a complete eBook guide. It will even teach you how to edit images for your blog.

Check out the Blog by Number course and start a money-making mom blog today.