How to Start a Christian Blog in 2023

And so on. There’s no need to “niche” too tight at this stage; just spend some time brainstorming until you have some ideas about who your target audience might be.

Once you have some options, that should naturally lead you to specific angles for your Christian website. Potential angles could include:

• A Christian blog offering advice and support for people with health issues
• A relationship advice blog offering biblical guidance and inspiration
• A ministry blog teaching theological principles
• A website offering valuable resources for Christian women
• A devotional blog supporting biblical studies
• A Christian Travel and Lifestyle Blog

If you’re still not sure, you can use websites like Detailed and FeedSpot to find other examples of Christian blogs and use them to inspire your own blog .

Or, if you want to get a little more sophisticated, once you’ve found a Christian blog you like, you can use Ahrefs’ Competing Domains tool to identify the most popular Christian blogs. Christian bloggers that are ranked for similar keywords.

Finally, trust your faith. If you’re drawn to a specific blog topic, take that as a sign that this is the right direction for you.

2 Choose a blogging platform

You may be wondering why what do you need to start a Christian blog, instead of just launching a social account on Facebook or YouTube to spread the gospel.

After all, wouldn’t that be so much simpler?

The honest answer is: yes, building a website from scratch is clearly more difficult than starting a YouTube channel or a Facebook page.

But starting a Christian blog is better, because it gives you many more ways to incorporate a blog. traffic.

You can use search engine optimization to rank for relevant keywords and acquire traffic from search engines.

You can start an email newsletter with links to your latest blog post. You can run multiple social profiles, all geared towards driving people to your site.

All of which means you’re not reliant on a single platform to reach your target audience. That’s smart, because social algorithms are constantly being updated.

It’s not uncommon for large social media accounts to lose a large chunk of their following overnight because they were affected by some sort of algorithmic change.

(N.B. for more on this, check out our guide to affiliate marketing without a website.)

Okay, we agree: It’s better to start a Christian blog site than relying on forums or social media platforms.

To do this, you must choose a blogging platform; in other words, a service or piece of software that you’ll use to publish and manage content.

Unsurprisingly, there’s no shortage of options out there. You can choose a free platform like Blogger or Medium, or a paid blogging platform that offers more customization possibilities.

However, we always recommend new bloggers to create a WordPress site. Specifically, we recommend using the self-hosted WordPress.org platform, rather than its near namesake WordPress.com.

There are many reasons to start a WordPress blog rather than choosing one of the other free or paid blog platforms. Some of the biggest benefits of building a WordPress site include:

• It’s quick and cheap to get started
• It offers plenty of customization options, with many elegant themes to choose from (more about that later)
• Gives you complete freedom on if and how you choose to make money from blogging (for example, you can join ad networks, which is not an option with a free platform)
• You own all the content you post, which gives you full control over your Christian website
• You can have your own domain name, instead of something like tublog.medium.com< /li
• There are countless WordPress plugins you can use to further customize and enhance your site

In short, we believe that if you want to start a Christian blog, you should install WordPress on your server chosen web host (don’t worry, we’ll talk about hosting in more depth later, too).

For further analysis For a detailed look at the strengths and weaknesses of the largest free and paid blogging platform forms, read our guide to the best blogging platforms.

3 Choose your domain name

Good , so you have chosen to create a WordPress blog. Smart choice! Now you can choose your domain name.

You don’t get a free domain with WordPress.org (or, if you do, it won’t be permanently free). However, the costs are fairly low: expect to pay between $9 and $14.99 for a full year.

But what should your domain name look like?

This is an important decision. Think of your domain name as the address of your website.

It’s what people will type into their browsers and bookmark so they can return to your content again and again. Therefore, it should effectively represent your Christian blog.

There are a few key factors to consider when choosing a domain name:

It should align with your niche. If you’re starting a Christian blog for parents, you’ll want this reflected in the domain name. Something like christianparents.com or christianfamily.com would be an obvious choice.

You shouldn’t limit your Christian blog. Don’t categorize yourself too much, as that could limit the topics you can discuss on your website. For example, christianstudents.com could cater to any student who is also a Christian, while biblestudents.com sounds like it is aimed specifically at people who study the Bible.

Should be a .com domain. . There are many potential domain extensions you can choose from for your Christian blog. Some even reference Christianity and religion, like .fe and .church. However, research shows that 70% of people don’t trust these “newer” domains, so it’s best to go with a classic .com extension.

Keep it short. Look at the most visited websites in the world. Google; Youtube; Facebook; Wikipedia. They all have short domain names. Because? Because shorter domains are more memorable. Keep yours to a maximum of three words.

Should use synonyms (where necessary). With over 1.7 billion estimated websites, your first choice is likely to win of domain name. not be available. Therefore, you should be open to using synonyms. For example, if you’ve already used christianstudents.com, you can opt for christianscholars.com instead.

It shouldn’t be a barrier to starting a Christian blog. It’s easy to overthink this part of the process; after all, there are so many possible options. But choosing a name shouldn’t put the rest of your plans on hold. Spend a couple of hours brainstorming possible names, get some sleep, and make up your mind. Then move on.

One last tip here: If you can’t pick a name for your Christian blog, use a tool like Instant Domain Search for inspiration.

4 Buy a domain and hosting

Fasten up because we’re about to get technical!

Buying a domain and choosing a hosting provider is a crucial process. Without it, your Christian blog will not exist.

We recommend using Siteground as your web host. It is a fantastic low-cost hosting provider that is easy to use and offers decent performance.

Now, let’s talk about the different steps to buy your domain and hosting service:

Step 1: Click on the WordPress hosting page of Siteground.

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Step 2: Choose your hosting plan. Prices range from $6.99 to $14.99 per month, but you can save money by choosing the Basic StartUp plan, which has everything you need to get started.

Step 3: Click on the StartUp plan and enter your domain name. If you have already registered your domain, select I already have a domain.If not, click Register a new domain.

Step 4: If the domain name is available, you will be asked for a number of details about your account, location and payment information – all self-explanatory.

Step 5: Choose your package length, from one month to three years, Siteground’s best deal is currently on the 12-month plan.

Step 6: Choose any additional services You will need Domain Registration and you may also want to consider the other two options, it’s up to you.

5 Choose a theme for your Christian blog

Now that your Christian blog exists, it’s time to give it the personal touch by choosing a WordPress theme. dPress.

A WordPress theme dictates the app’s appearance on your website. Without a theme, your site is like an empty house. Choosing a paid or free theme is your chance to provide it.

Clearly, this is an important step. Your theme should match the “vibe” of your website. Most parenting blogs should have a homey, family atmosphere; most business-themed blogs feel slick and professional. While you obviously want to put your own spin on your Christian blog, don’t stray too far from the norm or you risk turning off your target audience.

Use platforms like Astra and Kadence to find the right WordPress for you. theme for your website.

Found a bunch of potential themes and can’t decide which one to choose? Use this checklist to rule out inappropriate options:

• Is it fast?
• Is it from a trusted theme builder with rave reviews?
• Are you receptive? Otherwise, it won’t work well on mobile devices
• Can it be easily customized?
• Does the provider offer great support?

AND if you’re still having trouble, check out our guide to the fastest and lightest WordPress themes.

To install your WordPress theme of choice, go to your WordPress dashboard, then click: Appearance > Themes > Add New. Then simply browse for the theme and press Install.

Finally, you may be wondering if it’s worth choosing a premium WordPress theme at this stage, or if you can get by with a free WordPress theme.

Inevitably, premium versions offer more room for customization than free themes. But in the early days of your website, it’s okay to stick with the free themes; remember, you can always upgrade them later if you need more features.

6 Decide on Design and Branding

Choosing a WordPress theme is not the end of the design process your new blog.

After all, chances are other sites have chosen the same topic as you. That’s why most bloggers excel at creating their own logo and brand colors.

Start with your website’s color palette, because it will have a huge impact on how your logo should look. .

Some colors complement each other naturally, while others clash violently. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a master of color theory to choose your brand colors.

Make your life easier by using Coolors, which allows you to automatically generate a palette by pressing the space bar. Keep clicking until you find one you like!

Now, it’s time to design your logo. Doing this from scratch can seem intimidating, especially if you have no graphic design experience.

But Canva, a free graphic design tool, makes the process much easier by offering a bunch of church logos. . templates to help you get started.

7 Create Essential Pages

At this point, you’ve built the basic skeletons of your Christian blog and worked on those crucial design elements. Now is the time to complete your website with the following essential pages:

Home Page. The first page that most people will visit on your site. It should look good, make it clear what the site is about, and make it easy for visitors to find the content they’re looking for.

About the page. This is where you give a bit of history about yourself and explain why you decided to start a Christian blog in the first place. Discuss your mission and what you hope to accomplish, and don’t be afraid to show some personality. Consider adding a photo of yourself as well. After all, your readers want to meet you!

Contact page. You may not want people to call your home phone number, but at the very least, your Contact page should include Links to your social media profiles. You may also want to add a contact form to this page.

Privacy Policy. This page explains the type of information you collect from your website visitors and how he uses it. Sites like PrivacyPolicies.com can do this for you.

Technically speaking, creating these key pages is simple: just log into your WordPress dashboard, go to Pages and click Create New Page.

8 Start Creating Content

Finally, after all that legwork, you can start writing and sharing your message about God’s word! !

No doubt you have some ideas about what your first blog post should be about. But before you start writing, keep in mind that it’s better to create keyword-focused content.

Keyword-focused content is simply content that targets a specific keyword, making your blogs more likely to rank well in search engines. And higher rankings mean more search traffic.

Remember, there are many Christian bloggers and countless other sites that might be searching for terms similar to yours. So it makes sense to look for less competitive, more specific keywords that are likely to resonate with your target audience.

At the same time, you want those keywords to have decent monthly search volume. You don’t want to spend hours working on a keyword-focused blog post if the keyword in question only gets 10 searches a month.

A tool like Ahrefs can help here. With the Keyword Explorer, you can use a “seed keyword” to identify matching terms. So, the seed keyword Christian parenting gives us the following matching terms:

Use your keyword research to plan your first 10 blog posts. With a simple search, we already have potential Christian blog titles like:

• The Best Christian Parenting Books of 2022
• 10 Christian Parenting Podcasts You Should Check Out Right Now
• The Ultimate Collection of Christian Resources for Parents
• Our 10 Favorite Christian Books for Young Children
• 10 Inspirational Christian Quotes for Parents

Having planned your titles, you are ready to begin the blog writing process. For every blog you write, try to follow this tip:

Give a clear purpose for each blog post. Find out what key points you want to communicate. What do you want readers to learn from this publication?

Think about who you are writing for. Your Christian blog for parents can appeal to parents-to-be, parents of young children, parents of teens, and more. The reader’s state of upbringing will naturally dictate how they approach the subject they are writing about.

Share stories from your personal life. This is a blog post, not a scientific journal. People want to connect with you as an author, so bring your posts to life by incorporating anecdotes and real-world examples.

Stay on topic. There may be some overlap between your blog titles. For example, a parenting books blog could easily incorporate other parenting resources. But then you risk hurting your search engine optimization by cannibalizing your keywords.

Steer readers to other relevant content. Instead of discussing every possible topic in one big blog post, link to other posts in your content to keep up-to-date and avoid having to explain common concepts over and over again.

Write with emotion. If people wanted dry, emotionless definitions or explanations, they would stick with Wikipedia. Adding excitement to your Christian blog posts will engage your target audience and keep them coming back for more.

Ask your readers questions. This is a great way to build rapport with your audience. Ask them to consider their own opinions on the topic at hand, especially if your Christian blog has a comment section.

9 Promote Your Christian Blog

It’s not enough to just write a bunch of content Without effective promotion, no one will ever see it.

Fortunately, as a Christian blogger, there are many ways to attract more attention to your content. Consider the following promotional strategies:

Sharing posts in Christian communities. From forums to social networking pages, there are many existing communities that you can access. Chances are, members of those communities are interested in your content. Just make sure you cater to the audience; don’t blog about parenting in a business forum unless it’s specifically about parenting for busy working parents.

Capture emails and send out newsletters. When people visit your blog, encourage them to subscribe to your newsletter. That way, every time you write a new post, you can send it directly to them.

Optimize your blog posts. We’ve already talked about targeting specific keywords in your content. , but there are many other ways to help you generate more traffic from Google searches.

Ask your church to promote your blog. Your church has a ready Christian community that would probably love to visit your website and read its content, so why not ask your priest if he’ll mention it at the end of his next service?

10 Monetize Your Blog

Last but not least, it’s time to think about how to make money from blogging.

To reiterate our previous point, monetizing a blog Christian is nothing to be ashamed of. Think of all the time it takes to create amazing and interesting content.

Next, think about all the costs associated with starting a Christian blog. There really is nothing wrong with making money from your blog, as long as it doesn’t ruin the experience of your website visitors.

There are three main ways to monetize a Christian blog:

1 . Affiliate Marketing

Our favorite option, affiliate marketing is all about recommending products and services that your audience likes. You will write content about those products and services, incorporating links to third-party websites that sell them.

When someone clicks on one of those links and buys, you earn a commission and, more importantly, you don’t cost the buyer any more money.

Really, it’s a win-win. You can earn some money with all your hard work; your readers can buy fantastic products.

Do you like the sound of affiliate marketing? Check out our guide to the 10 Best Christian Affiliate Programs in 2023.

2. Ads

Selling advertising space is a simple and effective way to make money from your Christian blog. Here are two main routes:

Join an ad network. Ad networks like AdThrive and Mediavine can show ads to your website visitors . Every time someone clicks on an ad, you earn a small fee.

Find sponsors. This approach is often more cost-effective, but it requires a lot more work. Essentially, it’s all about reaching out to brands yourself and asking them if they want to advertise on your site. You’ll likely need an established audience to attract potential sponsors, and you’ll also need to provide reporting and analytics, and find a way to process payments.

3. Sell ​​Products

Another obvious way to monetize your blog is to sell your own products. Bloggers typically sell one (or both) of the following types of products:

Digital Products: If you offer guides on how to address common problems for your audience, consider packaging them as informative ebooks and sell them. Or maybe you want to run your own educational courses.

Services. Alternatively, if you’re an authority in your niche, you could launch a consultation service where people pay you for advice and guidance.

Conclusion

Nobody Said that it was easy to start a Christian blog!

But it’s certainly not impossible. Many people have already embarked on their own Christian blogging journey, and you can definitely do the same.

Imagine a life writing about your faith, spreading the good word of the Lord, building an engaged community, and maybe even earning a little money for your family along the way. Sounds pretty good right?

And we can help you make it happen! Just sign up for our free training and we’ll tell you seven secrets that make new blogs 83% more successful.

See you there and God bless!

FAQs

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