Launching a successful lifestyle blog that attracts a loyal audience and generates income is no easy feat. But it can be done by studying those who are already thriving in this competitive space and modeling the best practices that set them apart.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll analyze 8 top-tier lifestyle blogs, extracting key lessons that you can apply to your own efforts. Whether you‘re just starting out or looking to take your site to the next level, you‘re sure to gather priceless tips from these industry leaders.
Inside the Strategies of Leading Lifestyle Blogs
Below we dissect the blogs one-by-one, providing an in-depth look at how each approaches content, monetization, social media, and more. Our goal is to uncover what makes them so popular and prosperous so you can borrow what works.
Cup of Jo
With over 2 million monthly visitors, Cup of Jo is one of the web‘s most beloved lifestyle sites. Founded as a hobby blog by Joanna Goddard in 2007, it has blossomed into a full-fledged digital media operation with multiple editors and contributors.
Content Strategy: Their breadth of lifestyle topics is impressive, spanning style, design, food, relationships, motherhood, and beyond. The site has a clean, magazine-esque look and feel while retaining a casual blog voice. Posts tend to be image-focused rather than text-heavy.
Monetization: Display ads are prominent, reinforced by a sticky footer ad. As a highly trafficked site, Cup of Jo likely commands premium ad rates. Affiliate links also dot the site, providing commissions on resulting sales. Sponsored posts represent another revenue stream.
Social Media: Across Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, the brand has cultivated over 2 million engaged followers. Visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest drive the most interaction. Content mirrors what‘s published on the blog.
Takeaway: Transitioning from hobby blog to serious business is possible with a breadth of lifestyle content, premium advertising, affiliate partnerships, and social media traction.
Emily Henderson
Style by Emily Henderson launched 10 years ago as founder Emily Henderson‘s outlet for sharing interior design tips. It has since morphed into a full-scale home and lifestyle site with over a dozen team members contributing content across an array of verticals.
Content Strategy: The main focus remains interior design, especially room makeovers. But there is also an emphasis on lifestyle content spanning fashion, food, parenting, relationships, and more. Posts tend to be visual and succinct rather than wordy.
Monetization: Similar to Cup of Jo, this site sports display ads, affiliate links, and sponsored content. But they also generate revenue through a $9.99/month membership program offering ad-free access, exclusive content, and community.
Social Media: A sizable Instagram following allows Emily Henderson to extend its reach and drive traffic back to the blog. Images spotlighting room designs receive the most engagement.
Takeaway: Expanding from a single niche like interior design into broader lifestyle content can help increase traffic, revenue, and authority. Memberships and community-building also represent untapped opportunities.
A Beautiful Mess
A Beautiful Mess is the passion project of sisters Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman who launched their lifestyle blog and accompanying boutique in 2006. Initially more of a hobby, blogging and content creation took center stage after they discovered how much they loved the creative outlet and community engagement.
Content Strategy: DIY projects, crafts, recipes, and home decor inspiration make up the bulk of their posts nowadays. They also have an advice column focused on relationship questions from readers and an enjoyable lifestyle podcast.
Monetization: Display advertising on the blog provides a steady stream of revenue supplemented by affiliate links and sponsored posts. For affiliate recommendations, they incorporate a widget from LiketoKnow.it allowing them to tag products in Instagram images.
Social Media: As you might expect from former boutique owners, Instagram and Pinterest are their strongest channels for connecting with followers visually. Affiliate links in IG images as highlighted above give the opportunity to seamlessly drive sales.
Takeaway: Passion projects focused around creativity and community building can blossom into thriving businesses. Affiliate programs tailored for influencers help maximize income potential.
Chris Loves Julia
Hubspot describes Chris Loves Julia as the "#1 DIY couple in the U.S." Helmed by husband and wife Chris and Julia Marcum, their site originated in 2009 as Julia‘s personal lifestyle blog. Chris‘s influence and participation gradually increased until he officially came on board full-time in 2016.
Content Strategy: DIY and home design constitute their bread and butter. But organization tips, fashion advice, recipes, parenting — you name it — also grace their site. One unique offering is an online course on becoming a professional influencer.
Monetization: Display advertising, affiliate promotions, and sponsored posts drive the majority of revenue. But they also flex their influence through branded product lines developed in collaboration with companies like Loloi rugs and Charly paint. Ebooks and online courses represent additional income streams.
Social Media: An enormous Instagram presence with 1.3 million followers directs their community members to blog content. Previews of DIY projects and home design images perform especially well.
Takeaway: Husband-wife blogger teams demonstrate the power of partnership both professionally and personally. Capitalizing on influence through strategic brand collaborations and digital products can significantly impact earnings.
Carly A. Heitlinger
Formerly known by her blog name The College Prepster, Carly A. Heitlinger has been doling out fashion and lifestyle inspiration online for over a decade. Her 2018 book The College Prepper‘s Handbook cemented her status as a Gen Z guru.
Content Strategy: Originally angled toward teen and college audiences, Carly‘s content has evolved to match her own growth into adulthood and motherhood. Nonetheless, outfit inspiration, style advice, travel diaries, and general lifestyle musings form the crux.
Monetization: Display ads interspersed with affiliate links pointing to recommended fashion and beauty products generate income. Sponsored content also contributes. Carly consolidates picks through a "Shop My Favorites" page – an effective tactic.
Social Media: An Instagram following of half a million keeps engagement high and cultivates an intimate connection with Carly as friends follow her style and family adventures. Links redirect followers to the blog.
Takeaway: Let your blog content organically mature along with your life stage and interests. Audiences who "grow up" with you form an unbreakable bond and remain loyal over the long term.
The Stripe
Former fashion brand strategist Grace Atwood launched The Stripe in 2009 shortly after graduating college to indulge her passion for style, beauty, books, and lifestyle inspiration. She has been featured widely in publications like Glamour and New York Magazine.
Content Strategy: Posts come almost exclusively from Grace herself with the intimate feel of digging through your sophisticated friend‘s journal. Daily outfit snapshots, beauty product reviews, and what she‘s currently reading make up most content.
Monetization: Display ads combined with affiliate links, especially for products mentioned, enable Grace to support herself through The Stripe. Sponsored content also contributes. She keeps it simple yet effective.
Social Media: A massive Instagram presence with 138k followers keeps things personal while building community and driving traffic. Facebook group members are similarly engaged.
Takeaway: Solo entrepreneurs can gain traction through consistent high quality content, forging genuine connections with readers. You don‘t necessarily need a huge team or multifaceted strategy to find success.
Wit & Delight
Wit & Delight founder Kate Arends views her site as "your destination for everything lifestyle" offering an ever-expanding array of content since launching in 2009. This breadth is enabled by a sizeable team including editors, writers, designers, and more.
Content Strategy: The range here is staggering, spanning style, beauty, food, home, work, relationships, health, family life, and beyond. Truly something for all tastes. Photogenic visuals accompany concise copy for easily digestible content.
Monetization: Name an income stream for a blogger and Kate is likely utilizing it. From display ads to affiliates to sponsored content to branded products (sold at Target) and online courses to consulting gigs, this blogger capitalizes on every opportunity.
Social Media: Only 138k Instagram followers seems low given their substantial Pinterest presence. But IG nonetheless helps Kate expand her community and lead them back to the blog through previews. Facebook also plays a role.
Takeaway: Developing a large team allows lifestyle bloggers to stretch their legs content-wise, pursuing every possible topic that might interest readers. Likewise with income streams – diversify maximally.
Julia Berolzheimer
Julia Berolzheimer entered the lifestyle blogging scene as an undergrad when she launched a fashion and lifestyle site that ultimately led her to create the hit clothing line Girl Meets Glam. She has since branched out on her own while continuing to share style inspiration.
Content Strategy: A wide assortment fills Julia‘s editorial calendar including outfits of the day, style advice, peeks inside her home, family life updates, travels, plus more. Images dominate each post – a natural fit given her passion for fashion.
Monetization: Display advertising combined with regular affiliate links pointing readers to featured outfits generate income. Branded collaborations with complementary companies like Lake Pajamas represent another lucrative piece.
Social Media: An enormous Instagram audience looks to Julia for daily #ootd inspiration. She consistently directs followers to new blog posts through previews driving traffic full circle.
Takeaway: Lifestyle bloggers can realize their dreams of launching successful product lines through strategic partnerships combined with audience testing and validation early on. Let your community guide you.
How to Launch Your Own Profitable Lifestyle Blog
Now that you‘ve soaked up wisdom from leading lifestyle bloggers making full-time incomes from their passion, let‘s boil things down into actionable steps for starting your own site.
🚀 Choose your niche. Scan through the blogs analyzed above and brainstorm specific lifestyle topics that excite you most. Remember that you can always expand your focus down the road.
🚀 Establish your editorial calendar. Plot out themes, categories, and publishing frequency. Refer to examples above for inspiration. Plan consistent content without overextending yourself initially.
🚀 Optimize for SEO. Weave SEO best practices through every element including keyword research, metadata, URL structure, alt text, etc. Our guide will walk you through it.
🚀 Monetize wisely. Display ads, affiliates, sponsorships, and potentially memberships/courses should be part of most blogger business models nowadays. Just don‘t get overly salesy.
🚀 Promote on social. Instagram seems universally effective for lifestyle bloggers to expand reach and get content in front of engaged audiences. Don‘t wait to establish accounts.
🚀 Track analytics. Master site traffic tools, study your metrics, and continuously tweak your approach based on insights into your audience and competition.
The road to blogging success is rarely quick or direct. But by learning from those who have come before you while nurturing your unique voice and perspective, you can steadily grow an audience and income doing what you love.
Tune out the intimidation factor of already thriving sites. Allow them to guide you instead. With strategic tips like those above helping pave the way, your future is bright. So dive in and start creating!
