Not too many people can say they get paid doing what they enjoy, but it is just another Tuesday as a pet blogger. The words “pet blogging” can make it sound like a chore, but if you already post informational content about your pets or pets in general on your socials, you are pretty much already blogging; you are only yet to monetize it.
And monetize it as you can when you can create a substantial following through proper branding, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and creating value on blogging platforms like Hyvor Blogs and WordPress, to name a few.
If it already sounds fun, that’s because it is, and with a pet industry that has been growing constantly since the pandemic, there’s no better time to toss your hat in the ring.
How to start a pet blog? Let’s find out.
What exactly does pet blogging mean?
Pet blogging simply means creating informational and sometimes edutainment content about pets. The blog can be about all types of pets or be tuned to suit specific needs for cat, dog, or rabbit parents, to name a few.
There are two common ways to run a pet blog. The most common is creating and operating a website; the other is restricting it to a social media platform. While they both with their merits, the former is the more practiced and advised of the two, with the option to publish social media content alongside.
How to monetize pet blogging
Like most other blogs, the main objective of running a pet blog is being able to monetize it. The following are some of the monetization options available to would-be pet bloggers:
Display advertising
Once you can show yourself an authority in the field and you can show expertise, credibility, and authority, you can add Google Adsense to your website.
You can begin earning money on your website depending on your niche, viewership, and location on a pay-per-click basis. Check here to learn more about Google Adsense and how to make money with it.
Selling merchandise
Creating and promoting your own merch is another way to make money as a pet blogger. It can be shirts, mugs, key chains, embroidered hats, dog collars, or harnesses. Any and everything members of your community would be interested in is fair game.
Affiliate marketing
You can use your blog to register for affiliate programs most common of which is the Hyvor Blogs affiliate program. This option allows you to promote the affiliate’s products and get paid when sales are made using your affiliate link.
Sponsorships
As your blog continues to develop, it will start to catch the attention of pet brands that could offer sponsorship deals in exchange for promoting their products or services on your blog.
Memberships
You can create exclusive memberships through monthly or annual subscriptions by people in your community. You can offer incentives like discounts on their purchases or information exclusive to people who join the membership.
Benefits of Becoming a Pet Blogger
With 66% of American homes (under 90 million homes) owning a pet, there are several benefits to being a pet blogger. Continue reading to learn more about why it could be the perfect fit for you.
Get paid to do something you love
If you think you have the best pet (or best pets) and you love to show them off and talk about them, this is just the avenue for you to do so. Even better, you get paid to do something you ordinarily do daily.
I’d call that a win-win if you asked me.
Help other pet owners and parents
While it is true that several homes have one or more pets, a significantly lesser number of them actually know how and what it takes to own them. Consequently, it becomes crucial for resources to help train and educate these pet owners to become available, and this is where you and your pet blog enter the picture.
The blog would serve as a go-to and a how-to for people new to owning pets or provide tips on how to train their pets, depending on your blog’s niche.
Free products
Another benefit to running a pet blog is that you receive free products. This is usually in hopes that you use the items, see their use, and promote the products organically on your blog.
Invitation to product launches and events
As soon as you are recognized as an authority in the pet industry, you are likely to be invited to product launches and other events in the industry. It allows you to meet like-minded people and grow your brand.
It helps you to create a community
Arguably the most important benefit of all is being able to grow and be a part of a community. Without this community, there would be no one to learn and interact with your blog. It is because of them that you are able to enjoy other benefits, and it is crucial that you respect this dynamic. You should avoid misinforming or taking advantage of them in any way.
Step-by-step guide on becoming a pet blogger
It is easy to get carried away by pet blogging being fun and forget that it is also work. The industry is already saturated with many pet bloggers, and finding a spot would take some work and intentionality. It is one thing to become a pet blogger and another to do it well.
Below is a step-by-step guide that ensures all bases are covered with no stones unturned.
1. Choose your blogging platform
Your choice of blogging platform can make or mar your dream of becoming a pet blogger. This is because the platform that hosts your blog determines a great deal about the user experience and your options when it comes to tweaking the user interface.
Depending on how you look at it, there being many options can be a good or a bad thing. Good because you can explore till you find one that works, but bad because it increases your chances of getting it wrong.
There are many choices when it comes to choosing a blogging platform such as Hyvor Blogs, Ghost, WordPress, Medium, Webflow, Blogger, Substack, etc. Out of all these blogging platforms, Hyvor Blogs is the best choice because of many reasons.
What is Hyvor Blogs?
Hyvor Blogs is an all-in-one blogging platform that includes all the essential tools and features that a blogger needs. It is one of the well-known WordPress alternatives.
Here are the reasons why Hyvor Blogs come in handy for pet bloggers more than any other blogging platform.
Easy to use and cheaper - Hyvor Blogs is a simple all-in-one blogging platform that anybody can use it is just as easy as a piece of cake. Plus, it is way cheaper than any other blogging platform with just starting at 9$/month without any hidden costs. In WordPress, you have to pay for hosting, custom domains, themes, and other essential plugins (Ex: SEO plugins, spam detection plugins, commenting plugins). But with Hyvor Blogs, everything is in-built and free. There are no additional charges for hosting your blog anywhere. Also in Hyvor Blogs, you can set up your own custom domain at no additional cost. Hyvor Blogs has built SEO therefore you do not have to worry about your blog’s SEO as Hyvor Blogs takes care of it.
You are in total control of the blog - You completely own and you have the complete control of your blog in Hyvor Blogs
Inbuilt SEO - As I mentioned earlier, unlike other blogging platforms, you do not have to worry about SEO in Hyvor Blogs because of its built-in SEO. Even if you do multi-language blogging, multi-language SEO is also handled.
Free open-source customizable blog themes for; ex: Pela, Zing, etc.
Custom domains - You can set up your own custom domain at zero cost
Sitemap importing - Can import your blog from anywhere to Hyvor Blogs
FREE commenting platform -You get Hyvor Talk completely for FREE when you blog with Hyvor Blogs. Adding a commenting space for your audience is a good practice when improving user engagement of your blog. Pet owners usually love to share their ideas about pets, raise questions, and carry out discussions about pets.
Rich text editor for post-writing and editing
Developer friendly
Multi-language blog support - You can translate your blog into any other language just with one click.
It is social media-friendly
It supports team collaboration
2. Niche down
There’s no law that mandates that you pick a niche or insists against general pet blogging. But if there’s one constant among pet blogs that appear to be leading the industry, it is that most of them have created a niche for themselves.
There are several options for you to choose from, and it is crucial that you choose one you are passionate about. Failure to do so puts this very fun venture at risk of becoming a chore you can’t wait to abandon.
A pet health blog and a pet care blog are common considerations, but there are many others you could consider. You could make it about the breed (or breeds) of dogs you have at home, how you keep your cats entertained, or train your dogs from destroying home furniture.
Anything you can think of can be made into a niche as long as you are sure other people can relate, are interested, or would need help in that area.
3. Choose your domain name
Your domain name is more or less your brand name online. It is the address people would visit when they are looking to experience your content. It is important to keep it simple and easy to remember. You do not want a domain name that is too similar to another existing website.
This is one of the few steps that might take a while because you have to get it right. You can check other websites in the space for pet blog name ideas and get your creative juices flowing.
Once you have chosen a domain name, the next step would be to buy the said domain. You can run a quick Google search to be sure it is available and then use any domain registrar of your choice to purchase the domain. You should then follow this custom domain guide in order to connect it with your Hyvor Blogs account.
While domains are typically inexpensive, you can start with a FREE subdomain on Hyvor Blogs when registering. It really is that simple!
4. Design your blog post
This is where you need some elbow grease. With many websites on the internet vying for the same eyes and people’s attention spans constantly dwindling, you want to capture their attention and pique their interest immediately after they log on to your website.
When designing your blog, no one knows better than you. You might need help implementing it, but you need it to be an extension of yourself and the message you want to pass on to your blog.
5. Create a blog post checklist
Having a content map helps you to create order in chaos. Your first few days starting out would be a rush, just pouring out content every which way, but soon you could hit a creator’s block. You could find yourself in a situation where you plagiarised and see your creative well run dry.
Want to avoid this? Then you need to create a blog post checklist. This map helps you plan ahead, it helps you create a flow and progression on your blog that your readers will soon thank you for.
Creators block? Not today!
6. Start creating content
You have chosen to host your blog on Hyvor Blogs, got your brand name, and created your content map; the next step is to create content. This is the fun part!
How your content would look is entirely up to you, you decide the tone, the execution, and what kind of media you want to be featured. Already having a content map makes this step easy peasy.
7. Promote your blog
It matters little to nothing if you have the most exciting content on your blog when no one knows it exists. You want to put it in the hearts and minds of people, and there are a few ways to do just that.
The first one is just to tell your friends and family. Typically, they would be the first members of your community. In turn, they would say to their friends and family, and it will continue to ripple.
Another approach would be to discuss it on your socials, talk about it with your mutuals, send them links to your blog, and have them repost for you. You can use Facebook and Instagram ads to promote your content to a larger audience for a quicker result.
8. Monetize your blog
The part you have been waiting for, how do you rake in the benjamins (money)? How you monetize your blog depends on your blog's position and growth curve.
You do not want to put ads on your blogs too soon as it could come off as a spammy cash grab to people just seeking you out. In fact, in the beginning, you should focus more on growing your community and offering value with your content.
As it grows, you can begin to explore the monetization options listed above. To jog your memory, they are:
Display advertising
Selling merchandise
Affiliate marketing
Sponsorships
Memberships
9. Use apps for blogging
You can take advantage of using blogging apps such as Grammarly - writing AI assistance, Mailchimp - email newsletter & marketing, Unsplash - free high-quality images, Google Analytics - web analytics, Dropbox - cloud storage, Ahrefs - SEO tools, Hyvor Talk - commenting platform, etc. These tools are essential to run a blog successfully.
10. Check other blogs for inspiration
You have to accept that you are new and need all the help you can get. No better way to inspire yourself than to check other websites that have established themselves as juggernauts in the trade. The following are some pet blogs for your inspiration:
Final Thoughts
A pet blog is always a good idea. It allows you to learn more about your pets, meet other people who share the same ideals about pet ownership, and help others on their journey to becoming pet owners. Like everything worth doing, it would take some doing on your part. It would be time-consuming and resource-sapping, but not to worry, as you’d have a partner in Hyvor Blogs every step of the way. Good luck!
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