How Much Does It Cost To Start a Blog?

Starting a blog can be an exciting journey. Whether you’re looking to generate revenue or simply build a community around your writing hobby, starting a blog is a step in the right direction. Blogs have been popular for decades, and while new types of content pop up all the time, it’s hard to beat a classic written blog for reach, engagement, and simplicity.

However, before you jump into starting a blog of your own, it’s important to understand the common costs of starting a blog. Beyond the time it takes you to set up a website and write content, blog costs can include purchasing your domain name, hosting services, advertising, and a whole lot more. 

How Much Does It Cost To Start A Blog?

When you first start a blog, there are some initial costs you’ll need to cover. Some of these will be one-time expenses, while others will need renewals later on.

Domain Registration

When it comes to blogging, your domain is basically your brand. Your domain name is the URL that your blog will live at for the foreseeable future, and it’s completely unique to your website. It’s important to have your own domain so you can have full control over the content, better SEO results, and email addresses with your domain name attached. It can also make your website look more professional.

The exact cost of your domain name will vary, but usually, they are anywhere from $5 to $50 per year. While this may seem like a relatively small purchase, your domain name is going to be a part of your brand, so it’s important to pick a good one.

Web Hosting Services

Some blogging platforms include hosting in their subscriptions, so the cost of hosting is already included. Some examples of hosted platforms include Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify. These platforms usually cost more per month to use than self-hosted platforms because they include that service in each package.

Other platforms are self-hosted, like WordPress. If you choose a self-hosted platform, you’ll need to use a web host to make your website’s content easy to access. For basic shared hosting, you may be able to find options as low as $1 a month.

With web hosting, you often get what you pay for. Before you choose a service provider, evaluate your needs for server location, tech support, website backups, and other helpful features.

Web Design and Templates

There are tons of free designs out there, but you’ll see them in use on a lot of existing blogs. If you want something a little more unique or customizable, you may want to invest in a pre-made template or hire a designer. Existing templates usually cost under $100, while professional web design costs can easily climb into the thousands.

Whatever route you decide to take for your blog, make sure your website’s design is easy to read, navigate, and load on a variety of device types.

Tools and Software

Once you’ve got those basic initial costs taken care of, you’ll want to consider the cost of tools and software that can help your blog grow. Examples of software you might want to invest in include:

• SEO plugins to help you optimize each post.
• Social media schedulers to help you batch produce content in advance.
• Email marketing services so you can stay connected with your readers.

What software you need will depend on your blog’s goals. If you want this to just be a hobby, you can probably get by with free options. If you want to make this a business, however, you’ll want to budget between $50 and $100 a month for software in the beginning.

Content Creation Costs

When you’re working on growing your blog, content writing and editing services can be well worth it. If you plan to write your own content, it may still be worthwhile to hire a professional editor. Have you ever sent an email only to realize afterward that there was an embarrassing typo? That’s why editors are so important.

If you’d rather not write all the content yourself, you’ll also want to plan for content writer costs. Blog writing services can help you scale your blog, generate traffic, and drive meaningful business results, making them a worthwhile investment for many professional marketers.

Beyond content writing, you might also want to budget for stock photo subscriptions, graphic design services, and SEO services to help your blog stand out from the competition.

Other Expenses

Some miscellaneous expenses that may come up as your blog gets off the ground include:

• Monthly and annual subscription renewals.
• Web development services to update or customize your website.
• Stock video subscriptions.
• Social media management services.
• Branding services.
• Cloud storage.

How Much Does It Cost To Run a Blog?

If you’re starting a blog as a hobby, you may be able to do so for under $100 at the very beginning. It won’t get you the fanciest website design or the most web hosting features, but it will be enough to get your blog up and running so you can start posting your content.

However, to start a blog that generates business results, you’ll want to budget about $200 for initial setup costs, $100 a month for software costs, and at least $500 a month for content creation costs. This investment is well worth it if you have a plan to monetize your blog with profitable posts.

Can You Start a Blog With No Money?

Yes, you can!  Many blog platforms, such as WordPress, offer free versions of their plans with options to blog on a subdomain, such as brand.wordpress.com. 

Free options are great if you aren’t sure you want to pursue blogging as a job or if you simply want a way to share your thoughts with the world. However, if you want to generate revenue and maximize SEO results, investing some money in your blog from the very start will help you get there.

Create a Blog That’s Worth the Cost With BKA Content

If you’re ready to start your blogging business, we’re here to help you get off the ground with content that engages readers and supports your goals. From affiliate marketing to generating traffic so you can get revenue from ads, we’re experts in making content that meets and exceeds your expectations. We can also take blogging completely off your hands with our monthly subscription package. Get started today so we can make your vision a reality!