If you have been toying with the idea of starting a blog then you have probably come across a few important questions. Arguably the biggest question is how much it really costs to start a blog from the ground up. Hereโs a breakdown of what starting a blog could look like from a financial standpoint.ย
Platform
To get started you have to find a platform that meets your needs to build your blog. This could be anywhere from free to upwards of $50 a month depending on what youโre looking for from a platform. For social media platforms like Instagram, you won’t spend much if any money, but youโll have several limitations.ย
Blogging platforms offer several different pathways to what type of blog you want to create.ย
Website Builder
Building your own website is typically the cheapest version, but it is also more limited in your creative design and harder to scale. Though there are some website builders that can vary in price and add up to larger amounts. Many times, if you are starting a hobby blog, there are free options for many areas of the blog and website as a whole.ย
Sites like WordPress, Bluehost, Weebly, and many others are platforms that you can have extensive creative control over. Prices can vary from low to relatively expensive, however, these types of sites offer a bigger growth opportunity. They will also have a bit of a learning curve due to the creative nature of the sites and endless customization including the option for your own domain name, for an extra fee of course.ย
Goal
One of the biggest questions youโll need to ask yourself when you start blogging is what you want your blog to be. What is your end goal? Are you hoping to blog as a hobby, make a little extra cash, or are you aiming to make blogging your next full-time career move? Whether you blogging on the side or as a full-time job, itโs worth it, but your price tag may look a little different.ย
A few things you may need to purchase for your blog:ย
- Ads
- Subscription
- Additional Writers
- Professional Help with Design
- Domain Name
- Hostingย
- Theme
- Apps or Pluginsย
Hobby Blogging
Bloggers that use their sites and posts as an outlet or as a form of entertainment are typically referred to as hobby bloggers. Youโre putting effort and passion into your blog, but you arenโt expecting to make a ton of money as a result of each post. Your cost will be relatively low throughout the process, but you are welcome to get higher-end tools to help you. The beauty of blogging is that you can customize your price tag and your platform.ย
Projected Breakdown (All prices we list may vary but these can get you started.)
Ads: $0
Subscription: $0-$15 per month
Professional Help: $0
Domain Name: $10-$20 per year, but keep in mind there is a free version with no personalized domain.ย
Additional Writers: $0
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Hosting: $2-$50
Theme: $0
Apps or Plugins: $0
Side Hustle
If youโre looking to earn some extra money, you can have a side hustle filled with lots of sponsored posts. Youโll communicate with brands to do influencer marketing. Though your end goal will be to make money from your blog, you will have to put up a little bit more upfront to show brands that you are worth investing your time and efforts in.ย
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Influencer Marketingย
Brands will contact you and ask you to review their products for free and in some cases extra money as well. You get to essentially make a sponsored post expressing your real feelings about a product and company, not to mention all the free products you can receive. Depending on the type of blog you are running, big brands of makeup, kitchen products, and clothes could appear in PR packages on your doorstep.ย
Break Down of Side Hustle Blogย
Ads: Completely dependent on who you are paying to publish your ad and how much traffic they receive, typically it is $100-$500 per month.ย
Subscription: $0-$15 per month
Professional Help: $0
Domain Name: $10-$20 (yearly)
Additional Writers: $20-$100 per blog entryย
Hosting: $2-$50
Theme: $0-$100 depending on if you want something customized and/or premium
Apps or Plugins: $0-$5000ย
Break Down of a Full-Time Blog
Blogging as a side hustle can have a tipping point where it starts to outproduce your day job. At this point, many bloggers will turn to blogging full-time. Yet this can change the main question of how much it costs to start a blog. Putting it on the map will also vary in price depending on how big you want to be and who you want to reach. The bigger the name, the bigger the price. On the other half, youโll be a name yourself and be able to make more and more sponsored posts for influencer marketing. You will have new products on a more consistent schedule, and may even partner with some brands in the process.ย
Ads: $5000-$10,000 per year, completely optionalย
Subscription: $0-$15 per month
Professional Help: $0
Domain Name: $10-$20 (yearly)
Additional Writers: $20-$100 per blog entryย
Hosting: $2-$50
Theme: $0-$100 depending on if you want something customized and/or premium
Apps or Plugins: $0-$5000ย
Conclusion
Now that you know approximately how much it costs to start a blog, now all you need to decide is how much time you want to put into it!
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