How to Start a Lifestyle Blog As a Beginner in 8 Easy Steps

Ready to start a lifestyle blog? Follow this simple guide with actionable steps to set up a lifestyle blog today.

by AR Rakib • 31 October 2024

Starting a lifestyle blog is one of the best ways to share your passions, build a community, and even create a steady income stream. If you’ve been toying with the idea of creating a lifestyle blog but aren’t quite sure where to begin, don’t worry. 

I’m here to help you navigate each step, from choosing a niche to creating beautiful blog posts your audience will love.

The key to starting a successful lifestyle blog is knowing what makes you unique and using the right tools to showcase that. So, let’s break it down step by step and set you up for blogging success.

Steps to Start a Lifestyle Blog

Creating a lifestyle blog might sound complicated, but with the right steps, it is easy and exciting to start a blog

Here is an easy 8-step process you can follow to start a lifestyle blog.

  1. Choose a Lifestyle Niche for Blogging
  2. Select a Blogging Platform
  3. Pick a Domain Name and Hosting
  4. Create a Lifestyle Blog Website
  5. Customize the Layout
  6. Write and Publish Your Blogs
  7. Promote Your Blog
  8. Monetize Your Blog

Let’s walk you through each step in detail to understand the process better.

1. Choose a Lifestyle Niche for Blogging

While lifestyle blogs cover a variety of topics, narrowing down your focus will make it easier to attract the right audience. Picking the right niche is one of the most crucial steps in starting a lifestyle blog. 

Think about your unique interests, strengths, and what you’re excited to share. Do you want to focus on fashion, travel, wellness, or maybe a mix of a few?

Here’s a breakdown of some popular lifestyle blog niches to consider:

Travel and Adventure

This niche is perfect for those who love exploring new places and sharing travel guides, itineraries, and tips. This niche is ideal if you enjoy photography and storytelling. It’s especially popular among digital nomads, solo travelers, and couples who travel together.

You can read our guide on how to start a travel blog and start your journey.

Health and Wellness

This niche is for health enthusiasts, nutritionists, and fitness trainers. If you’re passionate about healthy living, exercise routines, meal planning, or mental health tips, this niche is a great way to share your knowledge with others looking to lead healthier lives.

Personal Development and Mindfulness

If you’re a life coach, therapist, or anyone focused on self-growth and positivity, then you can choose this niche for your lifestyle blog. This niche appeals to readers looking for tips on productivity, personal growth, mindfulness practices, and achieving a balanced life.

Fashion and Beauty

It is one of the most trending lifestyle blog niches. Fashion lovers, makeup artists, and style consultants are sharing their expertise and earning healthy revenue with this niche blogging. 

If you enjoy keeping up with fashion trends, reviewing beauty products, or sharing style advice, then this one can be a perfect fit for you. This niche attracts readers interested in grooming, self-expression, and staying on-trend.

Food and Recipes

This niche has high potential for cooks, bakers, or food enthusiasts. This niche is great if you enjoy experimenting with recipes, sharing cooking tips, or providing guides on healthy eating. Readers in this niche look for meal inspiration, new cooking techniques, and restaurant recommendations.

Home Decor and DIY

This niche is a good fit for Interior decorators, DIY enthusiasts, or home improvement experts. If you love creating beautiful spaces, organizing, or sharing DIY projects, this niche is perfect for inspiring others to enhance their living spaces.

Parenting and Family

Parents or family counselors who want to share advice on raising kids, managing family dynamics, or maintaining work-life balance can choose this niche. The Parenting and Family niche attracts a community looking for support, relatable stories, and tips on family life.

Sustainable Living and Eco-Friendly Lifestyle

This one is perfect for environmentalists and those passionate about a low-waste lifestyle. If you’re dedicated to eco-friendly practices, sustainable product reviews, and green living tips, this niche appeals to environmentally conscious readers.

Finance and Budgeting

Financial advisors, money-savvy individuals, or anyone with experience in personal finance will find this niche attractive. This niche is ideal for sharing budgeting tips, investment advice, debt management, and money-saving strategies.

Tech and Productivity

It is an ideal niche for tech enthusiasts, productivity hackers, or digital nomads. Readers in this niche are interested in the latest gadgets, software recommendations, and hacks for improving productivity in their daily lives.

When choosing your niche, consider three factors: your interests, your expertise, and your target audience. 

Remember, the best niche is one you’re genuinely passionate about. Not only will it keep you motivated, but it will also allow you to create unique, authentic content that resonates with your readers.

2. Select a Blogging Platform

After choosing a lifestyle blog niche, you need to select a blogging platform where you’ll publish your blogs. The platform must offer a convenient content management system, built-in blogging tools, easy SEO features, and a seamless integration with marketing and analytics tools.

Now that you know what to look for in a blogging platform, let me introduce Dorik, which offers them all. With Dorik, you’ll get:

  • Professionally designed templates with a user-friendly website builder to set up a lifestyle blog website
  • A dedicated white-label CMS to easily manage your content
  • A comprehensive blogging platform to write, design, and publish your blog posts
  • Built-in native SEO tools to ensure better ranking for your website and blog posts
  • A unique database feature called Dorik Collections to easily store and display any type of content on your website
  • Membership feature to publish gated content for your paid subscribers
  • An AI Text Generator to help you with the writing and an AI Image Generator to create visual elements
  • Built-in analytics tool to analyze your traffic
  • Seamless integration with popular marketing, sales, and payment transaction platforms

So, if you want the best blogging experience without any technical hassle, I suggest you use Dorik for your journey.

3. Pick a Domain Name and Hosting

A good domain name makes your blog memorable and reflects your brand, while a reliable hosting provider ensures your blog runs smoothly for readers.

Choose a Domain Name

Your domain name is your blog’s address on the web. Choose a domain name that reflects your blog’s personality and is easy to remember. It could be your name, a creative phrase, or something related to your niche.

  • Keep it Simple and Easy to Spell: Avoid complex words or tricky spellings. A straightforward name is more accessible and easy to remember.
  • Reflect Your Niche: If possible, let your domain hint at your blog’s content. For example, “TheTravelPath.com” or “FitLifeDaily.com” clearly indicate the blog’s focus.
  • Avoid Numbers and Hyphens: These can be confusing and make your domain harder to recall.
  • Use Keywords When Relevant: If a keyword naturally fits, it can help with exposure. For example, including words like “fashion,” “travel,” or “style” may boost searchability.
  • Choose a .com Extension: While there are many domain extensions, .com is the most recognizable and widely trusted.

Once you select a domain name, you can check its availability and purchase it with a domain registrar like Namecheap or GoDaddy.

Selecting Hosting for Your Lifestyle Blog 

Your hosting provider is what keeps your blog accessible online. Since lifestyle blogs often involve high-quality images, videos, and content updates, it’s essential to choose a reliable hosting provider that can handle this efficiently. 

Here’s what to consider when selecting hosting:

  • Uptime and Reliability: Look for a host that guarantees at least 99.9% uptime so your blog is always available to readers.
  • Speed and Performance: A fast-loading site keeps visitors engaged. Hosts with SSD storage, content delivery networks (CDNs), and optimized servers help ensure your site loads quickly.
  • Storage and Bandwidth: Lifestyle blogs often have lots of media content, so choose a plan with ample storage and enough bandwidth to handle traffic without slowing down. For a blog, a minimum of 10GB storage is sufficient.
  • Customer Support: Opt for a hosting provider with 24/7 customer support. If something goes wrong, responsive support can help get your site back up quickly.
  • Scalability: As your blog grows, you may need more resources. Choose a hosting provider that offers easy upgrade options so you can expand without disruption.
  • Security Features: Look for built-in security features like SSL certificates and firewalls. These protect your site and enhance trust with your audience.

Dorik makes this part easy by offering unlimited storage with all of their premium plans. With Dorik, you can forget about the hosting technicalities. Dorik relies on secure, high-speed providers like AWS and DigitalOcean to keep your site fast and reliable. 

Plus, with unlimited storage on every plan, you won’t have to worry about running out of space as your blog grows.

4. Create a Lifestyle Blog Website

Now that you have selected a niche, a blogging platform, and a domain name, it’s time to create a blog website and start blogging.

I’ll show you the process with Dorik so that you have a clear understanding of how easy it is to create a website with Dorik

Dorik is one of the top choices for building a lifestyle blog because it combines simplicity with powerful, AI-driven tools. You can set up a beautiful, functional website without writing a single line of code.

Dorik offers three simple ways to create a website. Here, I’ll show you all three ways to create your lifestyle blog, and then you can decide on one based on your preferences.

1. Create a Lifestyle Blog with a Template

Creating your blog website with a template is my recommended route. Dorik offers dedicated lifestyle blog templates that are pre-designed by professional designers, so you’ll need minimal customization.

A pre-designed template offers:

  • An organized layout
  • All the necessary pages and sections are pre-built into it
  • Modern web design best practices implemented into the design
  • Functional website elements like buttons, images, forms, etc.

Here’s how to create your blog using a Dorik template:

1. Sign up or Log in to Dorik and go to your dashboard.

2. Head over to "Sites" and select "Create New Site." Choose either CMS or Static (CMS is recommended as we’re creating a blog website).

create a cms website with template

3. Use the search bar to find blog templates, preview them, and select one that matches your aesthetic. You can also set filters like Blog, Food, or Health and Wellness to see dedicated lifestyle blog templates.

blog website templates

4. Preview the templates and click "Create CMS Site" to start building with a template you like. For this guide, let’s go with the TravelStory template, which includes pages for home, blog, about, and contact, with clean layouts and customizable elements. 

preview and select a template

5. After choosing the template, you’ll enter the website builder, where you can customize the template further to make it truly yours. Just hover over any section or element and the editing options will be visible.

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You can make the necessary changes and publish it once you're happy with the customization.

We’ll discuss the customization part in detail later in this guide.

2. Create a Lifestyle Blog with AI

Dorik’s AI Website Builder also offers a fast and easy way to get your blog up and running.

Here’s how to use Dorik AI to create a blog that captures your personal style:

1. Sign up or log in to your Dorik account.

2. In your dashboard, go to "Sites."

3. Choose whether to create a CMS or Static site (I recommend CMS for lifestyle blogs, as it lets you add features like a blog, memberships, and custom collections).

4. Click "Create New Site with AI."

create a website with ai

5. Enter your blog’s name, then type in a detailed prompt describing your ideal blog layout, features, and style. If you’re not sure what to write, check out Dorik’s prompt examples for inspiration.

dorik ai website builder preview

6. Click "Generate Your Website" to let Dorik AI work its magic.

generate an ai website

For example, let’s say we’re setting up a lifestyle blog with this prompt:

"Create a lifestyle blog with sections for travel, wellness, and food. Include a homepage with a navigation bar, featured posts, and an About Me section. Add social media links, a search bar, and a clean, minimalist design. Prioritize easy navigation and make sure the blog is mobile-friendly."

Dorik AI will generate a beautiful, responsive website based on your prompt. If there’s anything you don’t like, you can easily regenerate sections, content, or even the entire layout with AI until it’s perfect.

Here's the output:

ai generated website preview

This option is incredibly convenient if you want a quick, polished blog setup. But with AI, you will need to do a little more customization than with a template.

3. Create Your Blog from Scratch

For complete creative control, you can start your blog from scratch. This approach is perfect if you have a specific vision or need a highly personalized layout for your blog.

Here’s how to build your blog from scratch on Dorik:

1. Log in to Dorik and go to your dashboard.

2. Under "Sites," choose either CMS or Static.

3. Click "Create New Site" and then select “Create From Scratch.”

create a website from scratch

4. Familiarize yourself with Dorik’s drag-and-drop editor, which lets you add sections like headers, text, images, buttons, and more.

start from scratch

5. Add and arrange elements that suit your preference and content style. You can also customize colors, fonts, and layouts to bring out your blog’s unique feel.

Starting from scratch allows for complete customization, which makes it perfect if you’re building a lifestyle blog that reflects your unique personality.

5. Customize the Layout

Dorik offers complete customization flexibility, so you can design your lifestyle blog exactly as you envision it. Whether you’re using a template, an AI-generated site, or building from scratch, Dorik’s drag-and-drop editor lets you fully control the look and feel of your blog.

Customizing your blog website is intuitive and easy. For example, if you want to update your logo, simply click on it and upload a new one. You can also create a logo with AI using Dorik's AI image generator tool.

replace a logo

The same applies to any text or images you want to change. You can just click on the element, and a pop-up with editing options will appear.

edit text or image

Explore your customization options by hovering over blocks to see available editing features. Dorik’s editor makes it easy to add, remove, and adjust all elements, from headings and buttons to images and icons, so your blog truly reflects your style. 

If you want to create a new section for featured posts or recent travel stories, click “Add New Section” and select the necessary blocks from Dorik’s 250+ UI Blocks options. It's that easy.

add new section

You can also right-click on any section or element to duplicate it or save it to your collection for later use. This is handy if you want a consistent design across multiple pages.

copy design layout

You can set fonts, colors, and button styles that will apply across your blog with just a few clicks. Global styling ensures your blog looks cohesive and professional.

Dorik also allows you to add third-party integrations, set up analytics, and configure your blog’s SEO settings, all accessible within the site settings.

To learn all about these featuers, you need to explore the options available on the sidebar of the builder.

dorik builder features

6. Write and Publish Your Blogs

Dorik easily organizes and publishes your blog posts with its dedicated CMS feature, “Dorik Collection.” 

With this feature, you can create, manage, and showcase your blog content seamlessly, all without any coding. 

Let’s walk you through how to use the Dorik Collections to set up and display your blog posts.

1. Go to the Dorik CMS dashboard by clicking on the blue square icon in the top left corner.

visit cms dashboard

2. In the CMS dashboard, click on “Collections,” and if you’re using a blog template, you’ll see a default collection in there. As you can see, for our TravelStory template, we have a collection called Maldives. It has some demo posts and the option to add new posts. 

add new collections

Anyway, I will show you how you can create a new Collection and display the content on your website. To do that, click on Add New and select the Collection Type “Article.” Now click on Add Collection to see it added to your collection.

article collection

3. You can add as many posts as you’d like in your collection. For this example, let’s add 10 sample blog posts. Click on “New Article” to create a new blog post entry to the collection.

add blogs to collection

Each post contains default fields like Name, Slug, Content, Article Summary, Image, and Thumbnail. You can easily delete a field from the Fields section or add new fields by clicking the Add New Field button.

edit collection fields

4. To edit a blog post, click on a post to open the post editor, where you can add or adjust your blog content as needed. 

blog editor

Check out all the blog settings available inside the editor to familiarize yourself with the editor. You'll find some important settings for SEO by clicking on the settings icon on the top right corner of the post editor.

blog seo settings

Once you’re happy with your blog post content, it’s time to publish! You can publish a blog from inside the editor or click on the three-dot icon next to each post and select “Publish.” All published posts are ready to be displayed on your website.

5. Now, to display your blog posts on your website, first add a new section where you want your posts to appear. Then, select one of the CMS rows with columns (like a 3-column layout for a blog grid).

add cms row

Click “Connect to Database” and choose your “Article” collection from the dropdown menu. This will link your blog section with the content in your CMS database, displaying each blog post as a card.

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Note: You need to publish the blog posts from the collection page to display them on your website.

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6. Now, you need to add elements like images, text, icons, or buttons to customize each blog card. Here, I'm adding an image element to show you the process.

added image element

Now, to display the featured image inside the card, click on the image element and select the “Image” CMS field after clicking on the Add CMS Field icon.

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Dorik makes it easy to edit one card and have changes applied to all cards, saving you time. You can also adjust the layout by selecting the number of columns per row (e.g., three posts per row).

7. Finally, add any additional elements like post titles, descriptions, and icons to customize your blog cards further. Select the “Title” and “Content” CMS fields to display each post’s title and description.

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You can add other elements like buttons or icons in similar way and make your card look attractive.

With Dorik Collections, you can easily manage and update your blog posts from the dashboard. If you ever need to make a change, you can simply do it directly in the CMS, and the changes will be applied to the webpage.

When you're satisfied with the design, save and publish your website.

And that’s it! Your blog posts are now live and displayed beautifully on your website, ready for readers to engage with.

7. Promote Your Blog

Once your blog is live, it’s time to bring in readers. Promoting your blog effectively means using various strategies to attract and engage your ideal audience. Here are some ways to get started:

Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter are excellent tools for lifestyle bloggers. Share snippets of your content, post engaging images and interact with followers to build a loyal audience. 

Consider each platform's strengths. For example, Pinterest is fantastic for driving traffic to blog posts, while Instagram can build a deeper, more personal connection with your audience.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Dorik’s built-in SEO tools allow you to optimize your blog for search engines, which is essential for attracting organic traffic. Use relevant keywords in your titles, headers, and meta descriptions to make your posts more discoverable. Don’t forget to optimize images and links. These small tweaks can make a big difference.

Collaborate with Other Bloggers

Collaboration is a powerful way to expand your reach. Engage with other lifestyle bloggers by commenting on their posts, sharing their content, or even guest blogging on their sites. These partnerships can introduce your blog to new readers and increase your visibility in the lifestyle blogging community.

8. Monetize Your Blog

Turning your blog into an income source is a significant milestone. Once you have an engaged audience, consider these monetization strategies:

  • Affiliate Marketing: Many lifestyle bloggers earn money through high-paying affiliate programs by promoting products they genuinely love. You'll earn a commission every time a reader purchases a product using your affiliate link. Choose products that align with your niche and provide value to your readers.
  • Sponsored Content: As your blog grows, brands may approach you for sponsored posts. These posts allow companies to tap into your influence and reach, paying you to write about their products. Remember to choose sponsorships that match your blog’s values and audience interests.
  • Membership and Exclusive Content: With Dorik’s membership feature, you can create exclusive content that’s accessible only to subscribers or create a membership website. This could include premium guides, tutorials, or insider tips. Dorik also allows easy payment transactions inside the platform using easy integration with PayPal, Stripe, Gumroad, etc.

Why Start a Lifestyle Blog?

You might wonder why so many people are drawn to lifestyle blogging. Here are a few of the top reasons:

  • A lifestyle blog is a personal space where you can express your thoughts, creativity, and unique voice. Over time, you’ll attract readers who resonate with your content and form a supportive community.
  • Whether it's fashion tips, travel guides, or wellness hacks, your insights can add value to someone’s life. A lifestyle blog lets you share your knowledge and passion with the world.
  • Lifestyle blogs offer plenty of monetization opportunities, from sponsored posts to affiliate marketing. Many lifestyle bloggers earn enough to turn their blog into a full-time career.

Starting a lifestyle blog is your chance to create, connect, and earn. And the best part? You don’t need to be a tech genius or marketing expert to succeed. The right approach and platform will guide you there.

Looking at established lifestyle blogs can give you inspiration and insight into what works well. Here are five popular lifestyle blog examples:

1. Cup of Jo

cup of jo lifestyle blog website

Created by Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo offers a warm, relatable blend of topics, including parenting, beauty, travel, and relationships. This blog is perfect for those looking to connect with readers on a personal level. 

Inspiration to Take: Notice how Cup of Jo maintains an inviting and conversational tone, making readers feel like they’re chatting with a friend. You can adopt a similar tone to build community and engagement on your blog.

2. Camille Styles

camille styles

This popular blog by Camille Styles focuses on creating a life that feels as good as it looks. With topics covering wellness, entertainment, style, and recipes, Camille creates a curated, aesthetically pleasing experience. 

Inspiration to Take: Camille Styles’ emphasis on visual appeal and curated content can guide you in crafting a cohesive, elegant brand identity for your lifestyle blog.

3. The Blonde Abroad

the blonde abroad travel blogger

Founded by Kiersten Rich, The Blonde Abroad is a go-to blog for travel enthusiasts. It combines stunning photography, detailed travel guides, and solo travel tips. 

Inspiration to Take: For travel-oriented blogs, The Blonde Abroad is a perfect model for blending captivating visuals with informative, experience-based content. Consider how Kiersten balances practical information with storytelling to make her travel advice both useful and engaging.

4. A Beautiful Mess

a beautiful mess blog

Founded by sisters Elsie and Emma, A Beautiful Mess is a vibrant blog that covers DIY projects, home decor, crafts, and more. 

Inspiration to Take: Their unique and colorful design, combined with creative project ideas, can inspire you to bring a fun and interactive element to your blog, especially if you want to focus on DIY and home improvement.

5. The Everygirl

the everygirl

This multifaceted blog empowers women with resources on career development, personal finance, lifestyle tips, and more. 

Inspiration to Take: The Everygirl blog excels at delivering actionable advice and diverse content, making it a fantastic example for those interested in creating a resourceful, community-driven blog.

FAQs

What is a Lifestyle Blog?

A lifestyle blog is a space where you share parts of your life, experiences, and interests with an audience. Unlike niche blogs that focus on one topic, lifestyle blogs often cover a range of topics like travel, fashion, food, wellness, and personal growth. 

The beauty of a lifestyle blog is that it’s an extension of you, your values, hobbies, and thoughts. Readers connect because they find your perspective relatable and inspiring. So, if you have stories or insights to share, starting a lifestyle blog could be a perfect fit.

Is it too late to start a lifestyle blog?

No, it’s never too late to start a lifestyle blog. The beauty of lifestyle blogging is that it's rooted in personal experience, making each blog unique. While the blogging space may seem crowded, there’s always room for fresh perspectives. 

People are constantly searching for relatable content, and new bloggers have just as much opportunity to connect with readers as established ones do.

Lifestyle blogs cover a variety of topics that offer writers the flexibility to explore multiple interests in one space. They allow bloggers to showcase their personalities, experiment with different types of content, and connect deeply with audiences. This makes lifestyle blogs a popular choice for writers.

Do lifestyle blogs make money?

Yes, many lifestyle blogs make money through various channels, such as affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and membership content. Earnings vary depending on traffic, engagement, and the monetization strategies used, but successful lifestyle bloggers often turn their blogs into profitable ventures.

What does a lifestyle blog include?

A lifestyle blog can include anything that reflects your personal interests and experiences. Common topics include travel, wellness, fashion, home decor, and personal growth. The flexibility of a lifestyle blog means that you can start with a few main topics and expand as your interests and audience grow.

Start Your Lifestyle Blogging Journey Today

Starting a lifestyle blog is one of the most rewarding ways to express yourself, build a community, and even generate income. With platforms like Dorik, creating a professional-looking blog has never been easier. The tools are ready, and your unique voice and perspective are all you need to get started.

So, why wait? Begin your blogging journey today, and take the first steps toward building a space where you can connect, inspire, and grow. Remember, every successful blog starts with one post; yours could be next!


AR Rakib
AUTHOR

AR-Rakib is a content writer at Dorik, a web technology enthusiast with a Computer Science degree, and a fantasy nerd. He loves exploring the tech world to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and writes about remarkable findings.

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