If you’re considering launching a blog, you may be wondering what types of blogs you can start. Depending on your skills and income goals, different types of blogs are more suitable for different people. But, no matter what – there is a blog out there for you!
Types of Blogs
There are only around 7 main types of blogs you’ll find on the internet. Here is an overview of each type to help you decide which one is right for you.
1. Niche Blogs
Niche blogs are websites that provide information around one specific topic and provide a lot of value through detail-oriented, in-depth posts. Ironically, these types of blogs tend to grow the fastest because there are fewer bloggers writing about niche topics. Less competition means more pageviews.
Examples
- drippedcoffee.com – a niche site for coffee lovers
- hotairbrushreviews.com – a niche review site for hot airbrush recommendations
2. Authority Blogs
Authority blogs tackle broad topics and break them down into multiple categories. There are multiple levels of topics and subtopics to ensure that the subject is covered extensively.
Examples
- thegardenglove.com – an authority site about gardening
- celebritynetworth.com – an authority site about celebrity net worth figures
3. Lifestyle Blogs
Lifestyle blogs are generally started by people who have, well, envious lifestyles! These are visually oriented blogs that provide a lot of inspiration through original photography. They often cover multiple subjects and showcase the author’s life.
Examples
- monikahibbs.com – a creative escape into the life of a Canadian blogger
- theeverygirl.com – a lifestyle site for millennial women
4. Viral Blogs
Viral blogs were incredibly popular around 5 or 6 years ago when the Facebook algorithm encouraged link-sharing among friends. Viral blogs often cover multiple topics and tend to post articles that will be widely shared – they could be shocking, funny, or evoke emotions in the reader which makes them go viral.
Examples
- cuteness.com – a place for finding cute animal pictures
- viralnova.com – a website with shareable, viral content stories
5. News Blogs
Breaking news blogs cover the latest news in a local or national sense. They often include political discourse and opinion columns. Traditionally, news blogs were associated with television stations or newspapers, but nowadays, anyone can launch a news blog and cover current events.
Examples
- politicalwire.com – a blog with short and quick updates about American politics
- marginalrevolution.com – a blog about world affairs and improvement ideas
6. Business Blogs
This type of blog is created to grow an existing business. Most companies have blogs nowadays in order to take advantage of content marketing and reach potential customers. The goal of each post is to get the reader to buy a product or service from the business.
Examples
- later.com/blog – an Instagram marketing blog by the Later team
- designhotels.com/culture – the world culture blog of the Design Hotels group
7. Personal Blogs
This type of blog is the hardest to monetize unless you have an exceptionally noteworthy life. This type of blog features updates about the author’s life, hobbies, and interests. It is often hosted on a free blogging platform like WordPress.com, Blogspot, or Tumblr. More recently, platforms like Medium and SubStack have entered this space.
Examples
There are plenty of examples on free blogging platforms!
Blog Topics
Another way to break down the types of blogs is by topic. Here is a list of popular blogging topics:
- Fashion Blogs
- Beauty Blogs
- Food Blogs
- Home Decor Blogs
- DIY & Craft Blogs
- Travel Blogs
- Finance Blogs
- Business Blogs
- Fitness Blogs
Really, any subject that people are passionate about is fair game for launching a blog!
Blogging Platforms
The last way to break down the types of blogs is by platform.
Free Blogs
Free blogs are generally used for non-professional purposes like sharing your passions, hobbies, and interests. The major free blogging platforms include Blogspot, WordPress.com, Tumblr, TypePad, and Medium. Those companies own the content that their users produce, which is why I recommend against them.
Self-Hosted Blogs
Self-hosted blogs are owned by the author, making them the ideal choice for for-profit bloggers. While they are not free, the cost is generally minimal to have them hosted on the web and accessible via the internet. WordPress.org is by far the leader in the self-hosted blogging space. WordPress.org (not to be confused with WordPress.com) is free, open-source software you can use to create a website or blog.
On Blog Ambitious, you will often see me reference WordPress and when I do, I’m always talking about the self-hosted, WordPress.org version!
Go back to the Blogging Course or head on over to read about the Most Profitable Blog Niches!
