Do you find picking up a set of knitting needles a wonderful way to unleash your creative side? If so. I understand why learning how to start a knitting blog sounds appealing. Furthermore, I see many reasons why you should consider a blog even if you have no prior experience.
You can use your blog to educate readers, inspire people to try new projects, showcase your designs, and enrich the lives of your viewers by adding joy. Knitting is your passion and blogging is an excellent avenue for connecting with others who share your enthusiasm.
Many people start their blog as a side hustle and gradually grow it into a revenue-generating asset. Establishing those connections, providing value to readers, and building your readership comes first.
Traffic is essential to making money with any type of blog. And, any (honest) blogger will tell you that cultivating readers is not an easy task. But with dedication and persistence, you can indeed establish a following. Moreover, once you have a following, there is a myriad of ways to monetize your website.
So without further ado, let’s look at the steps involved in starting a successful knitting blog, shall we?
How to Start a Knitting Blog – Basic Steps
You’ve already identified your niche or target audience which is a significant accomplishment for anyone seeking success in the online space. You may have had ideas swirling in your head for a while. But if you’re anything like me, you may also have wondered how to make this happen.
So, let’s lay out the fundamental steps and discuss some of the more essential considerations around each step in the process of launching a successful knitting blog.
Step 1. Select a Hosting Provider
A happy hosting relationship is critical to the long-term success of your blog or website. A web hosting provider stores your files on a server and supplies the technologies necessary for Internet connectivity. There are various hosting options available, and you’ll want to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages before making your final hosting selection.
First and foremost, you want a self-hosted blog. I know the free options like Blogger sound great, but they are far too restrictive if your purpose is to make money with your blog. You need to own your Internet real estate.
My choice of hosting provider is SiteRubix, and it’s been a very satisfying relationship for almost 3 years. SiteRubix performs well on major factors like reliability, speed, security, data redundancy, and 24/7 support.
Related Article: What is a Web Hosting Provider and Why Do You Need One?
Step 2. Register Your Domain Name
A unique domain name is essential for every blog because it’s how readers will find you on the Web. Your domain name differentiates you from the tens of thousands of other websites online. It’s akin to the street address for your home or a brick and mortar business.
Choosing a name that reflects your niche is typically best. You want something brandable that’s relatively short and easy to remember. And, I strongly recommend you choose a dot com extension. Yes, you have a lot of other choices today but a dot com is reputable, and it’s still what most readers will expect.
To provide some examples, MyKnittingCorner.com or MyKnittingSecrets.com are both available at $13.99 per year and eminently brandable.
Related Article: What is the Difference Between a Domain and a Website?
Step 3. Set Up WordPress and Choose a Theme
There are multiple reasons why WordPress is the most popular website builder and content management system on the Internet. It’s free to use and incredibly powerful but also simple and intuitive to work with. WordPress is the perfect solution for newbies who have no programming skills.
Many hosting providers, including SiteRubix, offer a one-click WordPress installation. With more than 2,000 free themes to choose from, it’s also a breeze to make your blog your own. A stunning website like the one you’re currently visiting is just a few clicks away.
Related Article: Can I Really Make Money Blogging on WordPress?
Step 4. Install Essential Plug-ins
WordPress plug-ins extend the basic functionality of the software. Thousands of free plug-ins exist that ultimately let you tailor your site to meet all of your online business or eCommerce needs.
You want to be judicious in your selection of plug-ins because too many can slow down the performance of your site, And, as Internet users ourselves I think we all know that readers are impatient and prefer websites that load quickly.
But there are two plug-ins that you’ll want to install immediately to set your blog up for peak performance. You want an SEO plugin (Search Engine Optimization) and also one to optimize your images.
Personally, I use Yoast to keep me on track with on-page SEO factors like meta descriptions, alt-text attributes, and keyword density, As a bonus, Yoast also monitors the readability of your post and suggests improvements.
Image optimization is also a crucial consideration because those graphic images that add so much in the way of visual appeal to your website can also be responsible for prolonged loading times because pictures can be huge files. WP Smush is one example of an image optimization plug-in that you will want to consider.
Related Articles: What is the Best SEO Plugin for a WordPress Website? and How to Optimize Images for Your Website
Step 5. Start Helping People With Relevant and Compelling Content
So, now we arrive at the true crux of the matter. Any blog that gets traffic, meaning interested and engaged readers, can make money.
But, how do you entice that traffic?
Here’s the short answer. You help people by answering their questions, supplying pertinent information, and helping them to solve problems. Internet users have tons of questions that they “Google” regularly. If your blog has answers, it’s a great fit, and you’ll gradually attract a following.
Compelling content that attracts a relevant audience starts with keywords. By keywords, we mean search terms that Internet users are typing into the search engines. A little research can reveal the queries your target market is asking,
Armed with knowledge about what people want to know or learn, bloggers write helpful and comprehensive articles that incorporate specific keywords. If you can find low-competition keywords, it can be relatively easy to rank your posts in Google. And that’s when the magic begins because Google will start sending you free traffic.
I performed a bit of research that uncovered the following keywords for a knitting blog. All of these terms receive multiple queries a month and have minimal competition. For a new blog, I encourage using the 50+/50- rule.
By that, I mean that an awesome keyword should get more than 50 queries each month and have less than 50 competing sites targeting that specific phrase.
All of these keywords qualify:
1, Knitting Instructions for Beginners
2. Knitting Kits for Beginners
3. How to Knit a Scarf for Beginners
4. How to Knit a Dog Sweater
5. How to Knit a Baby Afghan
6. How to Knit a Ski Hat
7, How to Knit Mittens for Beginners
8. The Best Knitting Needles for Beginners
9. Knitting Stitches for Beginners
10, Easy Knitting Patterns for Beginners
11, How to Knit Baby Booties
12, Knitting Patterns for Cowl Neck Sweaters
13. How to Knit Christmas Stockings
14. What is the Best Yarn for Knitting Socks?
15. How to Knit Potholders
Can you see yourself filling a need by crafting posts around these topics? And, we’re just scratching the surface with this list. Still, it’s clear there’s an interest in the subject of knitting which means a dedicated blogger can grow and nurture a following over time.
Related Article: How to Find the Best Keywords for a Website – Meet Jaaxy!
How to Make Money With Your Knitting Blog
Can you really make money blogging about knitting? In a word, Yes! The secret to making money with any blog is traffic.
Focus on the needs of your prospective readers by identifying appropriate keywords such as those listed above. Then dive into the process of creating content that people want to read.
Will you start making money immediately?
No, of course not. Generating revenue revolves around traffic that has an interest in what you have to communicate in your blog posts. So, a couple of things have to happen before the money starts to flow.
First, you need to give yourself the time to develop a body of engaging content. Furthermore, Google needs time to find your blog, assess the quality of its content, and build trust in your ability to meet readers’ needs. Finally, readers need to discover your blog and realize it contains solutions to their problems.
All of these things take time. Most serious bloggers don’t see a dime for the first six months, and it’s closer to a year before they see consistent results. I know some people get discouraged by that time frame. But why not ask yourself this question.
Will you be any less thrilled to generate an income stream from home in a year from now? I think not 🙂 So, why not get to it? Make no mistake. It’s hard work. But the work is rewarding on many levels and very worth the effort.
Related: Crafts Affiliate Programs: How to Be Creative and Profitable
The Affiliate Marketing Business Model
While there is more than one way to make money from a traffic producing blog, affiliate marketing is one of the best long-term strategies. Moreover, it’s a conceptually simple strategy that involves four necessary steps as seen in the image below.
As an affiliate marketer, you’ll review and promote the products of other vendors and refer customers. In exchange for generating leads, affiliates receive a commission if a sale occurs due to their efforts. It’s a brilliant business model in the sense that everyone wins.
Customers can read product reviews and get answers to their questions before making a purchase. Merchants can attract more buyers and increase their sales because of additional market exposure. And affiliates are compensated for their efforts by sharing in a percentage of the revenue from the sale.
For me, the best part about being an affiliate marketer is that I don’t need to develop, store, or ship products myself. Those tasks are all handled by the merchants with whom I’m affiliated.
I’m very grateful to have found the perfect platform from which to launch my website and expand my online business. Wealthy Affiliate offers all of the training and resources necessary to achieve success as a blogger and affiliate marketer at a very affordable price.
But there’s no need to take my word alone. Trust me when I tell you I’m a natural skeptic, and the only reason I initially joined the Wealthy Affiliate platform was their offer of a free Starter Membership.
I spent a full seven days building a website, completing the first 10 lessons, interacting with the remarkable community, and fully exploring the features of Wealthy Affiliate before I took the plunge and became a premium member. That was 3 years ago, and I’ve never looked back or regretted my decision.
I honestly think you’ll have a similar experience if you take a chance on WA. Since a Starter Membership is completely free (with no credit card required). You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by joining me.
Related Article: Why Become an Affiliate Marketer?
Final Thoughts
My sincere hope is that you found this guide on how to start a knitting blog to be exceptionally useful. I’m passionate about blogging and love introducing my readers to the possibilities of an online business.
A blog is an outstanding way to earn an income from home by doing something that you thoroughly enjoy and by connecting with like-minded individuals who share your passions. Is it time to give it a try?
Over to You
If you have any questions on how to start a knitting blog that I’ve failed to answer, please do not hesitate to leave me a comment below. It’s my pleasure to respond to every comment.
Like It? Please Share It!
Hi Linda, Thanks for your very informative website. I too am retired and looking at affiliate marketing, I most enjoyed your post on writing content because that is the one that troubles me the most, I will cherish your tips and review them often.
It is difficult for me to write 2 posts a week considering the research time alone.
I would appreciate more on writing content. It is still a bit overwhelming. Are you considering this in the future?
Hi Ed,
Congratulations on your retirement. I think you’ll find that affiliate marketing is an endeavor that meshes well with a retiree lifestyle. Regardless of your niche, I think we all accept that content is king. So, I applaud your efforts to search out tips that will help enhance your content writing efforts. It can be challenging at first but I encourage you to keep at it. Over time, content creation will get easier with practice.
Yes, I have an anticipated post on my publishing calendar entitled How to Create Content for a Blog That Satisfies Searchers. I hope you’ll stop back to check it out and thanks for commenting!
What a great post Linda!! You make it all seem so easy. I’ve always been interested in blogging and although I am not a pro knitter, this is a great example of what it could be and how it would come together. I am a crafter at heart, but do you think a blog has to be around one particular craft like knitting or crocheting or could it have multiple crafts? Narrowing down a niche may be the hardest part for me. Would love your expert advice. I will definitely be saving your site for future reference. Thank you!
Hi Beth,
I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I like to describe blogging as simple but not necessarily easy. By that, I mean that the concepts are not at all complex and the initial creation of a website is straight-forward. But the long-term success part does represent a great deal of work because you do have to create a substantial body of content over time that people are interested in reading.
In answer to your niche question, I strongly recommend that you start out by narrowly focussing on one craft and a well-defined target audience that has an interest in that activity. My reason for making that recommendation is to narrow your competition.
There are a lot of authority craft sites out there. But they don’t necessarily cater to the narrow group of individuals whose questions you may choose to address. If you will. niching down is your opportunity to become a big fish in a small pond and establish authority in specific realms. Down the road, once you have a following there may be opportunities to broaden your topics a bit but you should first concentrate on providing exceptionally helpful stuff for your core market.
I hope that makes sense and I very much appreciate your comments!
I love knitting, and I’ve been knitting since I was a little girl. I never imagined I could earn a living from my knowledge on knitting, but now that you’ve mentioned it, I really can’t wait to profit from my knowledge.
My biggest challenge will be writing, because I’m not a very good writer. Can I pay someone to write down my ideas on my blog? Or should I start blogging even if I make grammatical blunders?
Hi Louis,
I would encourage you to dive right in and begin writing content yourself. I think you’ll be surprised at how quickly your writing will improve if you work at it. There are also some great tools you can use to help with things like Grammar. I use Grammarly to keep me on track because it helps to make everything clearer and easier to read.
Of course, you can also outsource some of your content writing if you have the budget for it. Organizations like Fiverr and Upwork can be a good source of freelance writers.
I hope knitting works out for you as a niche and I appreciate your comments!
Hello Linda, I absolutely love what I read in this insightful article because it is full of great information. This is fascinating and interesting to me. Your post is very motivational and interesting, I have been thinking about what niche I should embark on to make a passive online income.
I would love to bookmark your page.for future reference, I’m not sure knitting is the right niche for me but I think much of this stuff would be the same for any niche. Is that true? Thanks for the informative post. It’s highly resourceful and motivational to me. Best regards
Hi Adamuts,
Yes, it is true. The steps involved in starting a blog are extremely similar regardless of the niche you choose. I do want to caution you that while you can eventually earn a passive income once your blog is well established and getting regular traffic, expect to be very actively involved while you grow your blog. There’s nothing passive about the act of blogging. It requires a lot of hands-on, hard work.
I wish you success in defining your passion and launching your blog!
Good work Linda, starting a blog is an interesting endeavor provided you are working on your niche. I can see you are very relaxed writing about knitting and that shows the level of your interest in knitting itself.
I am sure if you are not researching, then you are either writing content or knitting. I’m happy with how you carefully explain the steps involved. Thanks for this educative post, I have learned a lot.
Hi Olanike,
I’m pleased that you feel you learned a lot about the process of starting a blog. That’s my primary mission. It’s true that generating content is much easier when you’re writing about things you enjoy. I hope you’ll find the niche that engages you.
Thanks for commenting!
Hi Linda, you have said it all. One can actually engage in what she is passionate about and still generate income from it over time, although the revenue might not start immediately. But with hard work, a good niche and good contents crafted around good keywords, the traffic will start flowing because the readers will always want to visit to read more engaging contents.
Knitting is great especially for people that are very creative. The steps involved and how to knit different styles/ designs can be actually put into writing for people to learn how to knit. You vividly described the process of starting a knitting blog which will definitely make it easier for any person interested in starting one. Your article is quite informative.
Hi Gracen,
You’re absolutely correct. Quality content that is designed to meet the needs of Internet searchers will draw traffic over time. Traffic is the key. Any blog that draws interested readers can make money. In addition to creating a nice supplemental income, a creative blog will be very personally rewarding. Knitters love to display their beautiful pieces and what better showcase than a blog?
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts!
Great piece Linda, this is educative and also informative. I can relate to this. Many people are turning to blogging to express their passion and as a side hustle that can add to the bottom line. Choosing a niche like you mentioned is important. however, our interest differs. Anyone choosing a knitting niche must be ready to study about it. Having a reliable host can make a lot of difference. With a site like siterubix, getting a domain name becomes easier. Knowledge of keywords can provide you as a blogger an edge, and the place of content- good, valuable, relevant, and useful content cannot be over-emphasized.
Hi Tolu,
These are all good points. Successful bloggers do a great deal of research. It sure helps if you blog about something you love and have a great deal of experience with that you can share. But inevitably there will be areas that readers have questions about where you will have to educate yourself first.
I wish you success in finding a satisfying niche for your own business and thanks for chiming in!