Starting a blog begins with getting your website on the Internet – if you need help with this step, see my easy 3 Step Guide to Starting a Blog HERE!
The next thing you need to do is create content that will earn you an income (for example, see my Income Reports HERE)
When it comes down to it, content is king in the blogosphere. If you have creative ideas and original content, everything else will fall into place. Without this key component, however, you’ll find yourself swimming upstream.
Here are my tips to creating content your readers will love and ~importantly~ will earn you money!
1. Find Inspiration
One of my favorite things to do when brainstorming a new project is turn to a place with boundless inspiration: Pinterest.
I do have a special strategy for approaching Pinterest for blogging inspiration – Pin with a Purpose.
Logging onto Pinterest without specific goals in mind is sort of like falling down a rabbit hole. You eventually come back to reality and it’s been 6 hours since you started pinning. Don’t let this happen to you.
Instead start pinning with a specific goal. Mine is always something like “I want to find the top 5 most popular Christmas crochet pins to inspire my upcoming Christmas project.”
Once I find those 5 pins, I stop and log my findings.
I write down several things:
- What were the themes of those pins?
- What was the photography like?
- What do I think made them so popular?
- How can I incorporate these findings into what I create?
- use your social media accounts often
- follow some prominent bloggers similar to you
- watch Pinterest for trends
- look at your favorite stores’ promotions – what colors, styles, and textures do they feature?
- keep up with popular things in the DIY scene
Rebekah Kensof says
Hi Ashleigh,
I have to say You are one of my mentors in our crocheting world. Like you, I am self taught crocheter. My very first beanie was from your youtube channel – slouchy puff stitch beanie. Thank you!
You inspired me and I would like to start my own blog soon. Thank you so much
Love lots
Rebekah K.
Ashleigh says
I hope you do, it is the most rewarding work!
Jo-Anne says
Hi Ashleigh
Wow, i have just gone through your DIY on blog creation and i must say i am blown away!
You are just such an inspiration and so creative it is magical to say the least.
THANK YOU for such wonderful, inspiring and useful information.
Jo-Anne
Ashleigh says
Hope it helps you, Jo-Anne! 🙂
Kristyn says
He Ashleigh,
You are truly an inspiration. Wanted to solicit your opinion, I have recently created my blog and am ready to upload my 3rd pattern, I’m on the fence if these patterns should be free or giveaways. My initial thoughts were giveaway the easier ones and some of the difficult ones I should sell. Do you give away ALL your posterns? I know you sell them ad free but wanted to know your take since you know your my crochet hero 🙂
Ashleigh says
Aww thanks Kristyn! I publish all of my patterns as free ones for a few reasons. 1. I like for everything to be in one place. If every pattern is available on my website, the reader may stick around browsing all of my content. The more times someone clicks around, the more pageviews I get = more dollars! I’m not confident I would have this kind of return traffic to my blog if some of the patterns were paid. 2. This being the case, I stand to make more money through ads on my blog with happy readers that get their patterns for free, rather than make $5 for each pattern but not nearly as many people want to pay for a pattern. 3. Everything being on my blog is so much easier to manage. Since my traffic has really taken off a few months ago, I’ve been a busy bee! I really don’t have time to monitor sales on Etsy, Ravelry, Patternfish, or other places. For me, blogging is easier. 4. I’m new at this. I’ve only been crocheting for a few years and I’m still learning so much as I go (especially about design)! Folks tend to be much more forgiving about a typo or stitch count error in a free pattern, rather than one they’ve paid for. Again, I want happy readers at the end of the day.
Hope this helps ya! <3
Mary says
Thank you so much for your blog posts about starting a crochet blog! I’ve just recently started my blog and am becoming more inspired to really make this something worthwhile. Your posts have helped so much! I look forward to seeing more of your patterns.
Mary
P.S. Chocolate chip cookies and Gilmore Girls are some of my favorites too! I’m excited to watch the new episodes on Netflix when I get time.