Lifestyle blogging is one of the most popular types of online content, with people sharing information and ideas on topics that affect our lives. However, the question is: what is a lifestyle blog?
People use this term to describe their blog but it can mean many things.
It gets problematic when a lifestyle blogger blogs on many different topics, and no consistent theme connects it all.
This post delves into what a lifestyle blog is and isn’t, what you should write about and how the most successful lifestyle blogs work to become popular, profitable lifestyle websites.
DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on a product or service, and decide to purchase it, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. All recommended products and services are based on my positive experience with them. For more information, please read my Disclaimer.
Bookmark this post on Pinterest for future reference.
What Is A Lifestyle Blog?
The key focus of lifestyle blogs is life and how we live it.
While some will say that a lifestyle blog is a niche, I believe it’s more of a category.
There are “niche subjects” that can fall under a lifestyle blog and be connected by a common theme.
For example, a woman who’s seeking a balance between motherhood, creating a cozy home and a side hustle business has a core problem: time management and keeping her sanity managing everything.
A lifestyle blog that covers these topics will have an ongoing theme: how to make things easier to do with limited time and without burning out.
So a lifestyle blog is a blog focused on a collection of related niche topics with a focus on solving a common lifestyle problem.
| RELATED: Popular Lifestyle Blog Niches To Consider For Your New Blog
Mistakes People Make With Lifestyle Blogs
I’m writing this from experience, as I’ve had a lifestyle blog for several years.
The common mistake that bloggers make is to write about several topics they like, but without a cohesive reason for existing. They don’t do what I’ve just mentioned above: they’re not connected by a common lifestyle problem they help solve.
This is partly because the key audience for the blog isn’t defined, nor is the broad “pain point” that you’re helping solve.
So, before you begin starting a lifestyle blog, do some planning and research to see:
- Who is your target reader?
- What is the general problem they’re facing?
- What are the niches that are related to this big problem they face?
- If I were to write a 30-second elevator pitch explaining my blog, would it show that I’m helping my readers with a core problem?
| RELATED: Tips For New Bloggers – Key Mistakes To Avoid
PRO TIP: Many bloggers tiptoe into lifestyle blogging by writing without a specific audience. When you know your reader persona and understand what they need help with, it makes it easier to be an inspiration and problem solver they love.
Can You Make Money With A Lifestyle Blog?
Yes, but it may not be as easy as with a focused niche blog.
It depends on a few factors:
- How focused you are with your audience – attract the right audience and they’ll keep coming back for more
- Can you produce digital or physical products that solve the problem your audience has?
- How will you monetize it? Some strategies make more money than others, and some require large amounts of traffic to be lucrative (e.g. ads)
If you niche down in the lifestyle category you have a greater chance of making more money. People look for solutions from people they see as experts.
Trust and credibility are important when you’re trying to sell something.
Combine a niche blog with a strong personal brand and you’ve got a recipe for success.
30% Content Generation And 70% Content Marketing
In addition to using a personal branding strategy, you’ll also need blog traffic to generate an income.
This split has always worked for me to grow my blog: focus 30% on writing blog posts, and 70% of my time promoting them through:
- Search engine optimization
- Promoting blog posts using social media
- Using Pinterest to promote content
- Using Facebook groups
This is just a start, but it’s a good way to think about how to promote your lifestyle blog to generate an income.
| READ MORE: How To Realistically Make Money With A Lifestyle Blog
Types Of Lifestyle Blogs: Many Niches To Choose From
If you decide to “niche” down in the lifestyle category, there are many different topics related to living life that you can focus on.
The popular ones include:
- Food and drink
- Travel
- Fashion and beauty
- Parenting
- Home and DIY
- Wellness
- Fitness
- Self-care
- Personal development
- Relationships
- Events and entertaining
You can drill down even further within these niches. Many work very well together under a common issue like lack of time, being organized, on a budget, etc.
A great place to understand lifestyle niches is Pinterest.
| READ MORE: Top Lifestyle Blog Niches To Choose From For Your New Blog
Popular Lifestyle Blog Examples
What are some of the best lifestyle blogs?
While some of these are now lifestyle sites, they started as lifestyle blogs. These lifestyle bloggers have been building their blog businesses for many years.
They’ve gone beyond simple blogs and turned them into full-fledged businesses. Almost all of them
These are some of the top lifestyle bloggers:
- Wit & Delight
- A Cup of Jo
- The Skinny Confidential
- Ape to Gentleman
- HBFIT
- Oh Joy!
- Camille Styles
- Thirteen Thoughts
- Katie Did What
- A Beautiful Mess
How To Become A Lifestyle Blogger
From what you’ve read so far, are you interested in becoming a lifestyle blogger?
What are your next steps?
- Determine what topics you want to write about to choose your specific lifestyle niche(s)
- Figure out the key reader/audience and their problem you’re helping to solve
- Choose a blog name
- Get your website hosting
- Choose and set up a WordPress theme (here’s a great list of lifestyle WordPress themes)
- Start writing!
Learn more about how to start a blog from scratch, step by step.
What Should I Write In A Lifestyle Blog?
There are many different types of blogging topics you can write about in a lifestyle blog.
Just remember that you have a specific audience for which you’re writing.
You can write on several lifestyle niche topics that speak to your audience’s key needs and interests.
For example:
Busy moms seeking daily tips to make their lives easier and more balanced will want to get answers to burning questions on food prep for their family, easy styles for everyday wear, self-care tips and so much more.
Making it easier, convenient, fun, exciting, less stressful and so on, are some of the outcomes your readers expect.
Showcase your expertise on a subject by sharing valuable advice from your experiences.
Tried, tested and true tips and knowledge are what people are seeking when they read lifestyle blogs.
Blog Post Ideas: Get started with these curated blog post ideas – 130+ Lifestyle Blog Post Ideas; 300+ Mom Blog Post Ideas; 60+ Travel Blog Post Topics and Delicious Food Blog Topics
| RELATED: How To Write Your First Blog Post That Wows Your Readers
Learning To Find Interesting Lifestyle Blog Post Ideas
When you start a lifestyle blog, you’ll be on the hunt to find new blog post ideas.
Take one of your blog categories and look at all of the questions that people may have related to it.
Brainstorm a list of topics on questions that you may have. The key thing I do now before I write anything is to ask myself:
Is this a blog post topic that my readers will want to read? Will this content add value to my readers – answer a question they may have?
If a topic passes that litmus test, then you’re ready to start writing.
The only extra step I take to find the right keywords is to use a free tool such as Keywords Everywhere (Chrome Extension). You want to make sure you’re publishing optimized blog content that will be found in search engine results.
| RELATED: SEO Basics For New Bloggers – How To Get Your Posts Found On Google
Create A Content Calendar With A List Of Lifestyle Blog Topics
Here are some ways for you to create a solid list of interesting lifestyle blog topics:
- Brainstorm fresh lifestyle blog post ideas based on your existing content.
- Check your content calendar for your blog.
- Get inspired by competitors – write your own post on the same topic (and make it even better).
- Find curated lists of blog post ideas (like the one I created!)
It’s OK to write on blog post topics others have written about. Just make it your own and make it better.
Sometimes veteran bloggers like myself find themselves in a blogging rut with no motivation or interesting topics to write about.
It may be due to blogger burnout. That’s when it’s good to have lists to spark your creative juices.
Get Inspiration For New Blog Post Ideas On Pinterest
Another great way to come up with a list of the best blog post topics for your lifestyle blog is to type in a category into Pinterest: e.g., beauty or parenting and see what kind of topics pop up first.
For example under beauty, you see several topics on how to remove unwanted hair or apply eye makeup to make your eyes seem larger etc.
These are topics you should consider writing about.
PRO TIP: Did you know that Pinterest has its own SEO system? Discover how easy it is to find Pinterest keywords to optimize your pins.
| RELATED: How To Promote Your Blog By Getting Started With A Pinterest Account
Write Well Using Blogging Tools
There are several blogging tools that I’ve used to write great lifestyle blog posts.
These are:
- Grammarly – a Chrome extension and site that helps you with spelling, grammar and your writing style
- Reword – an AI-powered writing tool that provides you with recommendations on blog post structure, content and quality
- RankIQ – an SEO tool powered by AI that helps you find the best keywords, write optimized blog content and track your blog posts’ ranking
Become A Lifestyle Blogger Sooner Than You Think
Does it take a long time to start blogging with a lifestyle blog?
If you’re dedicated, you can plan and launch a self-hosted WordPress lifestyle blog in about a week.
What is a lifestyle blog? You certainly know what it is and what it isn’t.
When you become a lifestyle blogger, you share your insights with others and potentially grow your site into a business.
Lifestyle blogging is very fulfilling! If you’re interested but don’t know where to start, I offer blog coaching services to help new bloggers overcome initial challenges and learn blogging skills.
If you want to get started on your own, I have this handy course and toolkit for you:
QUESTION: What is it about lifestyle blogging that’s attracting you to start a blog?
Loved this post? Share it with others on Pinterest – thanks!
Very helpful!! I agree with many of the points you made here!
Glad to hear this!
Thank you so much Margaret. This helped a lot. 🙂
You’re welcome!