Looking to add a little light to this world?
What better way than to launch a self-help blog.
You can pen words of advice to guide others, provide comfort in troubling times, inspire, motivate, or teach essential life skills.
A self-help niche offers a frontier of opportunities waiting to be tapped into.
But the question is, where do you even begin?
So today, I’ll give you advice on how to start your very own self-help blog, from picking a blogging platform and scouting for a catchy domain name to SEO advice and keyword research, and more.
Ready to dive in?
Why Start A Self-Help Blog?
You might be asking “Why should I start a self-help blog?”
The answer lies in the power of words to change lives.
Starting a self-help blog gives you a platform to share your experiences, contribute your solutions, and help others in their self-improvement journey.
It’s a meaningful way for you to make a difference.
But it’s not just about others.
This journey offers a mirror for self-reflection. It lets you grow personally as you shed light on various subjects. It’s also a chance to improve your writing, research, and marketing skills, all while helping your readers become the best version of themselves!
And guess what? Self-help content is in demand.
A global audience seeks wisdom, advice, inspiration, motivation, and practical tips for everyday problems.
It’s a market you can tap into for monetary gains – more on this in a moment.
Can You Make Money In The Self-Help Niche?
Short answer? Yes! The self-help niche is a growing market overflowing with opportunities for monetization.
As a self-help blogger, you can earn revenue through various means.
These include display ad networks, affiliate marketing, selling digital products, online courses, webinars, or even offering personalized coaching sessions.
Especially selling digital products seems to be popular in this niche.
Millions of people worldwide turn to self-help content daily looking for advice, personal growth, and inspiration.
So if your blog offers great value, it’s likely for these seekers to become your regular visitors, and maybe, your customers. Not to mention the “psychic income” of knowing your work helps others grow.
A well-made self-help blog is not just personally fulfilling, but also financially rewarding.
If this sparked your interest, keep reading and I’ll show you how to get started.
How To Start A Self-Help Blog In 8 Steps
Narrow Down Your Self-Help Niche
So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and begin your self-help blog.
Now comes the first important decision – narrowing down your self-help niche.
This step is like choosing the perfect shoes for a long journey – it needs to fit you just right!
The self-help field is vast. From mental health, physical fitness, relationship advice, meditation, to financial literacy, each sub-niche comes with its unique audience (& specific problems).
Ask yourself: which topics ignite your passion?
Where do you have personal experience or professional expertise? It could be recovering from grief, battling anxiety, or setting life goals.
The trick is to focus on a niche you’re passionate about.
Your genuine interest will shine through your posts, and your audience will feel it. This connection makes your blog authentic and relatable for the reader. It’s what turns first-time visitors into loyal readers.
And it’ll carry you through times when motivation is low and you feel like quitting.
Remember, a blog that tries to cover everything often winds up appealing to none.
That’s the first stepping stone to starting a successful self-help blog.
Choose Your Blogging Platform
Your self-help blog requires a solid foundation, and this begins with selecting the right blogging platform.
You can think of it as the soil where the seed of your blog will grow.
There are several platforms available such as Wix, Blogger, Squarespace, Ghost, and WordPress.
Each one has its pros and cons, but for the blossoming self-help blogger, WordPress is the best choice!
Why? For starters, 43% of all websites on the Internet use WordPress.
WordPress is user-friendly and it provides a big selection of themes to make your blog appealing. It also offers tons of plugins for SEO, social media integration, and contact forms, which can enhance your blog’s functionality.
Other platforms like Wix or Blogger could seem tempting, particularly with their simple drag-and-drop interface. And yet, they lack the customization features WordPress offers.
These simplified blogging platforms also tend to lock you up as their customers and won’t let you transfer your blog to other platforms, which is a big no-no.
If you envision your self-help blog thriving, then WordPress is a reliable and flexible choice to grow with you.
Trust me, it won’t let you down.
Find A Catchy Domain Name
Stepping into the blogging world is like opening a new book – and your domain name is the title.
Having a memorable domain name is crucial. So, let’s get creative and think of a title that tempts your audience to read your story!
Your domain name is a reflection of your blog. It needs to resonate.
- Aim for something catchy, memorable, easy to spell, and relevant to self-help.
- Avoid hyphens or numbers; they’re hard to remember and affect brand clarity.
- Say the name out loud before you settle on it (trust me)
The domain name is your blog’s online address so it’s important to get this right.
Would you remember “123-Fitness-Wellness.net” or would “BounceBack.com” be easier to recall?
The latter wins, right?
I really like 2-word domain names with alliterations, so below are some ideas to get your creative juices going:
- MotivateMindset.com
- PeacefulPathway.com
- HealingHarbor.com
- MindfulMirror.com
- FlourishFocus.com
- PurposePath.com
- SuccessSanctuary.com
- WisdomWave.com
Now, I don’t know if these domain names are available, but you can check them on NameCheap where I recommend you purchase your domain names.
It’s what I use for all my domain names too.
Domain names cost around $10-15 per year, so not much.
Oh, and make sure to pick a “.com” extension as it’s the most trusted among people.
Finding a catchy domain name can be a little challenging, especially with so many names already taken.
But don’t rush it, take your time and you’ll find really good ones!
Remember, your domain name is the first impression people get. So, make it count!
You can find a more detailed article about choosing your domain name here.
Choose A Reliable Web Hosting Service
We now arrive at the next station in our journey of starting a successful self-help blog – selecting a web hosting service.
Think of web hosting as the house for your blog, and the host is your landlord.
You want a reliable, secure, and accommodating landlord, don’t you?
A web hosting service is what makes your blog available for others to see.
It houses all your content and ensures your blog is accessible on the internet. The key here is reliability. Your host should guarantee a high up-time rate (preferably 99.9%) so your blog is always accessible to readers.
There are several web hosting options to choose from – Bluehost, SiteGround, and DreamHost, to mention a few. They offer varying plans depending on your needs. Research, compare, and allocate a budget for this crucial aspect of your blog.
Choosing the right web hosting service is like finding a comfortable, secure home for your self-help blog.
Get it right, and you’ll have a sturdy platform to build and grow from.
If you don’t want to deal with the research, I have a solid hosting alternative for you further below.
Onward to the next step!
Pick A Theme For Your Blog
Alright, you’ve got your niche, platform, domain, and host.
Now comes the exciting part – selecting a theme for your self-help blog!
It’s akin to giving a face and persona to your blog identity.
Your theme defines how your blog looks and feels.
When your reader lands on your page, the layout, colors, font styles, and overall design contribute to the impression you make and the user experience.
While WordPress offers countless free and paid themes you could choose from, a particularly good choice for a self-help blog is GeneratePress.
Simple, fast, and highly customizable, this theme is lightweight with clean codes. It ensures your site loads swiftly, which is a key factor in retaining readers and boosting your SEO performance.
GeneratePress has a free version which is plenty good when starting, but I recommend investing in the premium version ($59) once you’re a bit more established (to unlock the full customization features).
Let’s keep moving forward!
Perform Keyword Research
As we proceed further into crafting your self-help blog, let’s talk keywords.
This step is like discovering the language your audience speaks, and the words they use to search for self-help content.
Keyword research provides insights into the exact phrases your potential readers are typing into search engines. Identifying these keywords, and strategically adding them to your content helps increase your blog’s visibility in search results.
Handy tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and AnswerThePublic can significantly aid your keyword research:
- Google Keyword Planner provides information about search volumes and competition levels for a particular phrase.
- Ahrefs is probably the best tool for keyword research (albeit a bit costly). It gives you tons of information about keywords and can give you an idea of what top-ranking pages are doing right.
- AnswerThePublic visualizes search questions and suggested autocompletes from Google and Bing. This is a good free option. Another similar tool is AnswerSocrates.
You start by inserting a broad core topic (seed keyword) such as “Self-improvement” or “Productivity Tips” into one of these tools and they’ll spit out related keywords.
You want to find relevant keywords with significant search volume but manageable competition. This combination makes it more likely that your blog posts will rank higher in search results, directing more traffic your way.
Once you’ve created a list of these keywords, you can create blog posts around them.
For example, if you take the keyword “Productivity Tips”, you could craft an article called “Maximize Your Day: Revealing Top Productivity Tips for Success”.
This is obviously very surface-level, and I have a much more detailed guide for you at the end of this post.
Start Creating Content Around Self-Help
Now it’s time to embrace the creative side – producing engaging & helpful content.
Your content is your medium to connect with your audience.
Whether it’s articles, webinars, infographics, or videos – It’s through your content that readers will find value.
In self-help blogging, personalized stories, actionable tips, inspiration, and practical advice are great ways to engage readers. You can also host interviews with experts, create tutorials or guides, or provide personal growth challenges for your audience.
Remember to deliver content that aligns with your niche.
Keep it focused and streamline your posts.
It’s better to do one thing excellently than many things poorly. Make it original, make it yours.
This authenticity will draw readers back to your blog repeatedly and builds a loyal audience over time.
Creating content is like preparing meals for a dinner party.
You want your guests to go home satisfied raving about your dishes and eager to return for the next feast.
So, let your words be substantial, well-portioned, and captivating.
Monetize Your Self-Help Content
Once you have some content published, it’s time to turn this labor of love into a source of income.
Let’s explore how to monetize your content.
The most common ways to monetize any blog include:
- Affiliate Marketing: You partner with businesses relevant to your niche and earn a commission for every product sold through your referral link. This is my favorite way of earning with blogs.
- Display Ads: Services like Google AdSense and Mediavine pay you to display ads on your blog. The pay can be based on page views or clicks. This is another great way to make money, but requires lots of traffic to make it worthwhile.
- Selling Products or Services: Write and sell ebooks, create online courses, or provide coaching services. The self-help niche goes really well together with selling digital products.
- Sponsored Posts: Companies pay you to write about their product or service. You can also be paid to publish a pre-written post supplied by the sponsor.
- Donations: If you have a loyal readership, asking for donations via Patreon or a similar platform can provide a source of income.
Remember to only engage in monetization methods that align with your niche and audience.
Any deviation can negatively impact your blog’s reputation.
A good rule of thumb is to only recommend products or services that you believe in and feel can genuinely benefit your readers.
Monetizing your blog is like reaping the fruits of your efforts.
By providing valuable content to your audience, the seeds you sowed are now returning financial gains.
And the more content you create, the more harvest there is.
Successful Self-Help Blog Examples
As you start to build your self-help blog, it can be inspiring and instructive to look at successful examples in this field.
These blogs have grown a loyal audience, positioned themselves authoritatively within their niches, and have each adopted unique approaches to sharing self-help insights:
- Marc and Angel Hack Life: This blog offers practical tips for positive living, along with advice on personal development. The writing style is direct, compassionate, and relatable.
- Tiny Buddha: Tiny Buddha covers a broad spectrum of self-help topics – from mindfulness to managing stress, relationships, and personal growth. The blog features a mix of personal stories and advice from various contributors.
- James Clear: James Clear, the author of “Atomic Habits,” uses his blog to share practical insights on habit formation, decision-making, and continuous improvement.
Each of these blogs present great examples for shaping your self-help blog journey.
Learn from their approach, but remember to carve your unique path and voice. Never outright copy-paste their content.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How often should I post on my self-help blog?
This depends on your audience and your personal bandwidth. As a start, consistency is key – whether that means once a week, twice a month, or every day. Once you’ve established a rhythm, stick to it to keep your readers engaged.
Don’t burn out!
2. How long should my blog posts be?
The length of your blog posts can vary based on topic, but a good range to aim for is between 1,000-2,500 words for SEO purposes. Try to cover the whole topic whether that takes less than 1,000 words or over 2,500 words. Always prioritize quality over quantity.
3. Can I start a self-help blog if I am not a certified counselor or psychologist?
Absolutely! Many successful self-help bloggers are not certified professionals. As long as you are passionate about helping others and providing value, you can create a successful blog.
4. How can I generate traffic to my self-help blog?
SEO and keyword research can help increase organic traffic. Additionally, promoting posts on social media, guest blogging on related sites, and engaging with your audience through comments can drive significant traffic.
5. How do I handle negative comments on my blog?
It’s impossible to please everyone. Constructive criticism can be useful, but for negative, non-constructive comments, set a clear comment policy or consider moderating comments before they’re posted to maintain a positive atmosphere.
Start Your Own Self-Help Blog Today
There’s no time like the present to start your self-help blog!
With all the guidance provided in this guide, you’re ready to take the first step.
Did you know that Wealthy Affiliate can further simplify the process for you?
Not only does it provide all the tools you need to get your blog up and running, but it also offers interactive training resources and a supportive community to help you throughout your blogging journey.
You’ll also learn how to create quality content, strategies for SEO, keyword research, and website design among many others.
You can start building your self-help blog here for free.
It’s up to you now to make your own mark and impact lives in ways only you can.
