Starting a blog is a great idea if you’re passionate about something and also want to earn money from sharing your passion. I like the beauty niche immensely, and I acquired a lot of knowledge over the years. So I decided to start my own beauty blog, which is the one you are on right now. I think creating a beauty blog is an amazing idea if you want to share your expertise, and it’s definitely a solid way to create a personal brand.

For many people though, creating a beauty blog can be difficult. I faced the same issues, I was not sure where to get started and what I should do in order to create a successful blog. Here are the steps I went through and how I recommend everyone to start their own beauty blog.

Figure out what beauty niche you want to cover

The first step I went through and which I also recommend for you is finding the beauty niche. Sure, beauty is a great category, but it has a lot of subcategories as well. You can try to cover beauty in general, or you can focus on a specific niche. What I noticed is that whenever you are focused on a specific thing, you tend to generate more traffic.

The main beauty subniches you can choose are anti-aging, nails, haircare, skincare and makeup. There’s also the budget beauty niche too, if you want, or specific types of beauty products, like cruelty-free or Korean beauty that you can focus on. I always recommend everyone to choose a niche/sub-niche that they like. That’s how you’re getting the best results, by sharing your knowledge with others.

Study other blogs within your chosen niche/sub-niche

Another thing that I do when starting a blog is studying other similar blogs as well. There are many reasons behind that. You get to see the type of content they create and how much traffic they generate. You also see how they monetize their blog, which can give you some ideas as well. And also, you want to figure out what kind of content they are missing, so you get to create that content and stand out within your niche.

Select the right blogging platform

I know there are many blogging platforms out there like Blogger or Medium, but I chose WordPress. Not only is WordPress the easiest to use, but you can also customize it with ease. Having your own WordPress website is ideal, because you won’t be limited by the platform. Most of the time, if you host your blog on another platform, you will have limited monetization, and they will place their own ads. I highly recommend not going that route, and instead creating your own website.

Pick the domain name

Come up with some domain name ideas and see what’s available right now. Generally, you want to have a “.com” available for that domain idea. Of course, you should consider keeping the domain name within the beauty niche. Also, keep it short, because a longer domain name can be problematic and it can lead to certain issues down the line. Sometimes you can even create a beauty blog in your own name. That can be great if you want to focus on self-branding.

Avoid using any trademarked names, because that can be an issue. While there, you should always ensure that the domain name is easy to pronounce and spell. The longer and the more complex your domain name is, the harder it is for people to remember it.

Purchase web hosting

Once you register the domain name, you should purchase web hosting. Some places like Bluehost or SiteGround allow you to both purchase hosting and buy a domain name, so keep that in mind. When you visit the website of any hosting service, check their hosting plans and see what fits your needs.

Once you select a plan and pay for it, connect your existing domain name (if you already purchased it from somewhere else). Depending on the company, you might be able to buy extra services, but do that only if you need those extra features.

Selecting a theme

After you connect the hosting service with your domain name, you can go to the hosting cPanel and install WordPress. Once you installed WordPress, the next thing you want to do is to select a beauty blog theme. There are a plethora of themes out there, some are free to use, others you need to buy. In my experience, going with a paid theme is the better option, because you have no limitations and you’re also getting support from the theme creator.

I also know that not everyone might afford paying for a theme since they are limited on funds. In that case, it does make sense to start with a free theme. Then you can upgrade down the line, which is always a great idea to take into consideration.

Choose any plugins you need

You can also install a variety of plugins on your website. The idea is to install plugins that are necessary, and not overdo it. Some plugins for website maintenance are ideal, in my book. The same can be said when it comes to adding forms, cache plugins that speed up your website, SEO plugins and security plugins. Check the plugin list offered by WordPress, but also various tier lists with plugins that you can find online.

Pick your primary colors

When you select the theme for your beauty blog, it also makes sense to decide what color scheme defines your blog. A website like Coolors is a good option because it allows you to check all kinds of color styles. Then you can decide on a specific color pattern and stick with that. Coolors even gives you the color code, which you can save for later use whenever you need to match those website colors.

Adding a logo

There are all kinds of logo creators/generators that you can use online. You can also use freelancing websites like Fiverr to hire people who create logos. It always comes down to your budget and what kind of logo you want. Make sure that your logo has the brand colors, and it’s connected to the domain name.

Creating your pages and content

I think that every beauty blog should have a homepage, about page and contact page. You should also have terms and conditions, along with a privacy policy. Of course, you can also start any type of page you want, more specifically category pages. After you create those pages, you can start adding content. Plan your first posts by creating an outline and try to vary things by adding multimedia content too.

Conclusion

I was very excited to create my beauty blog, and I am sure you will have a similar experience. Creating a beauty blog is a lot of fun, since you get to bring your dream to life. Yes, it might take a bit of time to get used to the blogging platform, but don’t rush. I recommend starting with 5-10 blog post plans, and slowly write these, then publish them. I also think it’s important to stay consistent, so make sure that you stick with a certain schedule once you start posting any content!