Start a Blog to Boost your Business

Did you know that starting a blog can be one of the most powerful ways to grow your small business? In fact, businesses that blog see around 67% more leads each month than those that don’t (according to LinkedIn)!

You’re creative, passionate, and full of ideas—everything you need to build a blog that truly supports your business.

In this post, we’ll dive into why blogging is such a game-changer for small businesses. We’ll look at what to blog about, how to start earning from your posts, the best hosting options, and smart ways to bring traffic to your site.

Plus, I’ll share some amazing free courses from successful bloggers to help guide you as you get started.

Let’s jump in and turn your passion into something even more powerful!

Why starting a blog is the best way to Promote your Business

Did you know that companies with blogs get 55% more website visitors? And those that blog just once or twice a month see 67% more sales opportunities than those that don’t (according to HubSpot and InsideView).

It’s easy to see why blogging is such a powerful way to promote your small business. Your blog can become a welcoming, inspiring space where people come to connect with your ideas and your brand.

Unlike traditional marketing, blogging offers a gentle, no-pressure way for potential customers to learn about you, your products, and what makes your business special.

It also helps you build genuine relationships. Through your blog, customers get a feel for who you are, which builds trust and encourages lasting loyalty.

Blogging is a much better use of your time

When it comes to promoting your small business, starting a blog can be a much more rewarding and sustainable option than relying solely on social media. It’s often more enjoyable—and definitely less stressful!

Social media can feel like a constant rush to grab attention from an already overwhelmed audience. And with content disappearing so quickly (sometimes within just 24 hours), it can be exhausting to keep up.

Blogging, on the other hand, lets you slow down and create content that lasts. Yes, it takes time and effort to craft a great blog post—but the beauty is that your content stays discoverable for years to come.

Plus, your blog is a great place to start building an email list—so you can keep sharing value and promoting your business in a way that feels natural and meaningful.

It’s truly a win-win!

What should I blog about?

You might be thinking, “Starting a blog sounds great, but I don’t have much to say—why would anyone be interested?”Let me assure you—you’re absolutely wrong!

According to Social Media Today, 77% of internet users still read blogs. That means there are plenty of people out there actively looking for the knowledge and inspiration you have to offer.

And if you’re wondering, “What knowledge?”—just think about everything you do to run your business. Every product you create, every technique you use, and every challenge you overcome involves skills that others would love to learn from.

Your creativity, experience, and passion can truly help others and brighten their day. You’ve got more to share than you think!

To help you get started, check out this free Blogging for New Bloggers course. It’s packed with practical tips and strategies from a successful blogger who’s been right where you are.

You’ll also get access to a friendly Facebook support group with over 36,000 members—so you’ll never feel like you’re doing it alone.

Things you could blog about

You could use your blog to share your creative journey—and show others how they can start one too! Think tips, helpful hacks, and step-by-step tutorials.

You might also want to talk about your favourite materials or tools, and why you love using them. Whether it’s reviewing products, sharing your go-to equipment, or offering recommendations, your insights can really help others make informed choices.

Let’s say you run a crochet business—you could write beginner-friendly guides or fun projects for kids. Posts like “5 Easy Crochet Projects for Beginners” or “The 3 Best Crochet Crafts for Kids” are perfect for drawing in readers who are just getting started.

If you sell your own patterns, materials, or tools, you can even link directly to your store—it's a great way to gently promote your products while adding value.

Remember, your readers’ time is valuable—so aim to inspire and inform. When you create a positive experience, people will be excited to come back for more.

Blogging also gives you the chance to build a lovely community of like-minded creatives. Over time, your readers’ comments and questions will naturally guide your content—and your business will grow along with your audience.

Hopefully you’re feeling inspired and ready to begin! Grab a pen and jot down any ideas that come to mind—you’ll be surprised at how much you already have to share.

You’ve got so much to offer!

Can I Make Money From my Blog?

As you build a community and get to know your audience better, you might find yourself inspired to create new income streams—like selling digital products such as eBooks, online courses, templates, or patterns.

But blogging isn’t just a great way to promote your business—it can actually become a source of income too! Yes, your blog itself can bring in money while also supporting your creative work.

If you’re curious about how to make that happen, I highly recommend checking out the free Blogging for New Bloggers course.

In it, Lucrezia—a hugely successful blogger—shares the exact strategies she uses to earn £20,000 a month from her blog. It’s full of practical tips to help you confidently start monetising your own blog.

Building a community and getting to know your customer’s needs and interests might inspire you to create more income by selling digital products: ebooks, online courses, templates and patterns.

However, a blog is not only a way to promote and grow your business. You can monetise your blog so that your blog itself actually becomes a source of income.

If you really want to get all the details on monetising your blog then definitely check out the free Blogging for New Bloggers course

Lucrezia (a super-successful blogger) shares the exact methods she uses to earn £20,00 per month blogging! This course gives you the knowledge  to successfully monetise your own blog.

There are a few ways you can create multiple sources of income from your blog:

Advertising

One way to earn from your blog is by displaying ads using Google AdSense. It’s simple to set up, and you’ll earn money based on how many people view or click on the ads shown on your site.

Affiliate marketing

Another great way to earn from your blog is through affiliate marketing—programmes like Amazon Associates are a great place to start. You’ll earn a small commission whenever someone makes a purchase through one of your affiliate links.

If you're already sharing product recommendations or tools in your posts and tutorials, turning those suggestions into an income stream is a no-brainer!

That said, trust is everything. Be sure to only promote products you genuinely believe in and would spend your own money on.

And if you haven’t personally tried something yet, that’s okay—just be open with your readers and explain why you think it could still be a good fit for them.

Affiliate marketing can be a wonderful way to earn extra income from your blog—and if you’d like to learn more, I highly recommend The She Approach’s Free affiliate marketing course It’s created by Ana, the founder of The She Approach and a super-successful blogger and affiliate marketer. The course is totally free and packed with practical, beginner-friendly advice to help you get started with confidence.

Sponsored Posts

As you grow your blog and establish yourself in your niche, you might find that brands start reaching out to collaborate. If it’s something you’re comfortable with, creating sponsored content can be a lovely way to earn—getting paid to share your honest thoughts about a brand’s products or services.

Hosting your Blog

Now that you're ready to set up and launch your blog, it’s time to think about where to host it.

If you'd like a step-by-step guide to getting everything set up the right way, I highly recommend the free  Blogging for New Blogger’s course it’s full of helpful tips to get you started with confidence

Why you should Self Host your Blog

If you want to make the best impression with your business, self-hosting your blog is the way to go. Not sure what that means? Let’s break it down quickly:

Your blog can either live on a free platform like Blogger or WordPress.com, or on a self-hosted platform—which means you pay for the hosting, through services like Bluehost.

Free blogs are great for getting started, but they do come with limitations—especially if you’re hoping to grow your blog, start an email list, or earn money from it.

For example, with a free blog, you won’t be able to run ads like Google AdSense, join affiliate programs, or add an online shop.

A self-hosted blog, on the other hand, gives you full control. You actually own your website and can choose where to host it. If you're not happy with one host, you can switch to another—simple as that.

There is a cost involved, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Some hosting providers offer plans starting at just £2.99 a month, which makes it a budget-friendly option for beginners.

Wordpress

When it comes to self-hosted blogs, WordPress.org is the most popular option—and for good reason! (Just a quick note: it’s different from WordPress.com.) In fact, WordPress powers around 43% of all websites on the internet.

The WordPress.org software itself is completely free, but since your blog needs a “home,” you’ll need to pay for web hosting. Don’t worry—it can be very affordable!

With WordPress.org, you’re in the driver’s seat. You’ll choose a theme to give your site the look you want, and add plugins to customize how it works.

There are over 50,000 free plugins and 5,000 free themes available, so the possibilities are endless—you can even build a free online store!

Keep in mind, using WordPress.org means you’re responsible for things like updates, backups, and security. Because it’s open-source (meaning anyone can contribute or modify the code), it’s important to use only trusted plugins and themes—so always do a little research first.

The good news? It’s super easy to install, and thanks to its popularity, there’s a huge amount of support and guidance available online whenever you need it.

Squarespace

Another option for those who want to build a website or blog is Squarespace. Squarespace is a website builder and hosting service in one.

Squarespace is really simple to use, it has all the tools you need but not so many that it’s overwhelming.

You build your website by choosing a theme, you then drag and drop elements where you want them to be. Best of all, for the less tech savvy, there’s no code involved. 

Squarespace is low maintenance, it handles all of your updates and security so you don't have to. 

If you want to build a beautiful blog site without having to deal with the technical side of things then it's worth considering Squarespace.

Why I chose Squarespace for my blog

This blog was built using Squarespace, and honestly, it’s been such a great fit for me. I chose Squarespace because I found it super easy to create the kind of site I had in mind—without needing any tech expertise.

I actually started out with WordPress. While there were a lot of things I liked about it, in the end, it just didn’t feel quite right for my needs or abilities.

What I love most about Squarespace is that they take care of all the behind-the-scenes stuff—like updates, backups, and security—so I can focus on what I really enjoy: creating content!

Another big plus? The Business plan, which includes an online store, turned out to be more affordable for me than paying separately for blog hosting and an e-commerce platform elsewhere.

I knew I didn’t have the time, technical skills, or budget to manage a WooCommerce store on WordPress—or to hire a developer to help me. For me, simplicity and peace of mind were more important, and Squarespace delivered exactly that.

If you’re like me and feel a little overwhelmed by the idea of managing all the technical bits of a website, and you just want something that’s easy to use, looks professional, and includes everything in one place, I honestly can’t recommend Squarespace enough.

Yes, it may seem pricier at first glance, but some of those “cheaper” options can end up costing more in the long run—especially once you factor in things like premium plugins, themes, or added services.

It’s true that Squarespace doesn’t have quite the same level of customisation as WordPress (hello, 50,000+ plugins!), but I knew I wanted a simple, beautiful blog and store setup with all the essentials—nothing too complex.

One thing to be aware of: it can be trickier to move your site from Squarespace to another platform later on. I haven’t tried this myself, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind when you’re making your decision.

If you’re curious about starting a blog on Squarespace, I highly recommend the  free Ultimate Blogger’s Guide ebook by Rising Tide Creatives. It’s beautifully designed, super helpful, and best of all—it’s completely free!

Honestly, I’d happily pay for this gorgeous ebook , but amazingly, you don’t have to!

Should I choose Wordpress or Squarespace?

Let’s be real—choosing between WordPress and Squarespace can feel a bit overwhelming at first. One thing to keep in mind while you're researching: many people who recommend WordPress (especially with Bluehost) are affiliates, meaning they earn a commission if you sign up through their link.

That’s totally fine, but it’s good to be aware of the potential bias.

The great thing about Squarespace is that it offers a 14-day free trial—no card details needed—so you can test it out risk-free and see how it feels. Honestly, it's a great way to explore and get a feel for the platform without any pressure.

YouTube is also a fantastic place to do some digging. There are loads of helpful videos showing how real people build websites using both WordPress and Squarespace. Watching them in action can really help you understand which platform might suit you better.

Take your time, do a bit of research, and try not to get overwhelmed. Think about your budget, your comfort level with tech stuff, and how much control you want over your site.

Do you love the idea of customising every little detail and managing the backend yourself? WordPress might be your thing.
Or would you prefer something that’s beautifully simple, with the tech stuff taken care of so you can focus on your content? Then Squarespace or a similar platform could be the perfect fit.

Don’t stress too much—there’s no perfect platform, only the right one for you. Once you figure out your budget, comfort level with tech, and what kind of experience you want, the best choice will become clear.

Whichever way you go, you’ll find what works best for you—and that’s what matters most.

Getting Traffic to your blog

Once you’ve set up your blog and started sharing some posts or tutorials, the next big step is getting eyes on your content. Promoting your blog is so important, and there’s a lot to cover—so I’ve rounded up some helpful resources that will point you in the right direction.

First up is this fantastic article from The She Approach: 65+ Ways to Promote your Blog Posts  Ana, a seasoned blogging strategist, shares her favorite tried-and-true methods for getting your content out there. You’ll find tons of inspiration and actionable tips inside!

If you’re not using Pinterest yet, it’s time to start—it can be a total game-changer for your blog and small business. To learn why, check out my post: Power up your Profits with Pinterest

For beginners, I also highly recommend Getting Started on Pinterest - a Guide for New Bloggers another great article from The She Approach. It’s packed with beginner-friendly tips that will help you build confidence and momentum.

And if you’re looking for more in-depth guidance, the free  Blogging for New Bloggers Course is an amazing place to start. It covers Pinterest, SEO strategies, and how to drive traffic to your blog. You’ll even learn how to grow a loyal, engaged email list.

Bonus: the course gives you free access to the Blogging for New Bloggers Facebook support group—with over 36,000 members! It’s a wonderful space to connect, ask questions, and find the support you need as you grow your blog.

Now It’s Your Turn…

I truly hope you found this post helpful and encouraging. Wishing you all the success in the world as you grow your blog—it’s such an exciting journey!

If you have any questions, thoughts, or just want to say hello, I’d be so happy to hear from you.

With love, Karen x

Useful resources:

Power Up Your Profits with Pinterest

Blogging for New Bloggers Free Course

The She Approach to Affiliate Marketing Free Course

65+Ways to Promote Your Blog Posts

Getting Started on Pinterest-a Guide for New Bloggers

Free Ultimate Bloggers Guide by Rising Tide Creatives