Pet Blogging: How to Start and Make Money With Examples

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Are you a pet lover? Do you know you can turn your love for pets into a business? This post will show you how to start pet blogging and make money.

It’s not rocket science or unheard of; anyone can do it…and many people have turned their love and passion for animals into a lucrative online business.

But first, let’s settle the claims on how big or lucrative the pet niche is and what it could be in a few years.

According to the American Pet Product Association, about 85 million households in the United States own a pet, and pet ownership has increased from 56% to 68% in the last 30 years. 

The global pet market size crossed $232 billion in 2020, mainly due to the COVID-19 lockdown, and is expected to reach a 6.1% CAGR in 2027.

So, if you’re not thinking of pet blogging today, consider the future of this market a few years from now.

Why You Should Start a Pet Blog – 6 Benefits 

If you’re still not convinced about why you should start a pet blog, here are some of its benefits.

• It is an ever-evergreen niche; you’ll never run out of content ideas or products.
• The industry is growing year after year. 
• You’ll meet new and exciting people like you, also pet lovers. 
• A pet blog is easy to monetize with contextual advertising or affiliate products.
• You can make a decent long-term income from running the blog.
• As you write about pets and your experience on the blog, you also learn about other animals.

Let’s explore the details of starting a pet blog and making money.

Step 1. Choose a Topic 

This step is one of the most crucial aspects of starting a pet blog; you must think it through before proceeding. 

Do you want to create a pet blog around one particular animal or a group of species? 

You can write about one type of animal or be a generalist. For example, you can start a pet blog on topics around dogs or talk about all domestic animals.

There is no right or wrong way to do this. You must consider your experience level and how competent you can discuss the topic with others without getting lost.

The choice is yours to decide.

But here are some of the marketing advice to consider.

• Do market research – Keyword tools like Semrush keyword magic can help you analyze the market for niche validation. Research your target market, analyze the competition, and explore the business side to validate your options.
• Identify Your Passion – What you’re passionate about or genuinely interested in might be the starting point. But the problem here is that monetizing your passion might not be easy. So, you must devise a list and analyze each option to pick the winner.
• Market Value – You need to know the pet market’s value before entering it. This is an important exercise because you don’t want to waste time, money, resources, and energy on a market that is not valuable. The bigger the market value, the better your chances.
• Identify Problems – Check if there are problems with the pet niche that people are willing to find solutions to. You must be the solution to get the best out of your efforts.
• Research Products and Services – Google your niche to see if advertisers run ads on relevant keywords. Check out affiliate network programs, review sites, marketplaces, etc. If there are positive signs to all these, you’ve found a good blog topic.

Step 2. Register a Domain Name 

After validating your niche topic, register a domain name.

Choosing a good, relevant, memorable domain name is essential to your pet blog. It will help people identify your blog topic quickly. People can tell what you blog about from reading your blog name.

To help you get ahead quickly, you can use a domain name generator to pick a good blog name. This will help you come up with lots of options to choose from.

And here are five domain name registrars with 1-year free domain name registration. They will register your domain name free of charge for the first year before you renew it.

But you need to purchase hosting to be eligible for this giveaway. So you need to check step 3 below…

Step 3. Purchase Hosting 

The next step is to get a good and reliable web hosting plan. This is an essential aspect of an online business. 

Though you can always move to a better host, purchasing a reliable web host from the onset can make a huge difference in your business.

Here are what makes a good web hosting service:

• Security – A good web host will provide a hackerproof hosting security system that ensures your files and content are safe from cybercriminals.
• Speed – Speed is an important ranking factor today. Your web host server must be configured to provide quick server response time and optimized performance.
• Support – Real-time and different support channels are promising signs of a reliable web host. Your web host should provide various means of getting your request answered. 
• Hosting features – What hosting feature do you want? Check to see if your web host provides it or not.
• Transparent hosting pricing – There shouldn’t be hidden fees or non-transparent hosting prices. Every pricing detail should be precise on the merchant’s website.

So which web host should you choose? From experience, NameCheap is a reliable web host, affordable and suitable for beginners.

NameCheap 

If you’re going to start your pet blog this month, I recommend you host it with NameCheap. There is a reason.

Namecheap offers incredible low-budget hosting plans but high-quality hosting services that beat many competitors.

And that is not all; NameCheap comes with freebies, making it an even better-hosting choice for beginners. Here are some of the Namecheap hosting features:

• Namecheap is an ICANN-accredited domain name registrar with years of experience in the industry.
• The entry-level hosting plan is invoiced at $25.88 for the first 12 months. As you can see, that’s extremely affordable to ignore. And you can host up to 3 websites. 
• Namecheap hosting plans include a free domain name, SSL certificate, unmetered bandwidth, free website builder, and a Supersonic CDN.
• Namecheap also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee policy. So you don’t have to worry about risking your money.

Next, you must sign up with Namecheap to set up your pet blog hosting account. Here are the step-by-step instructions for buying your hosting account.

First, click this link to get a special discount on the Namecheap website. If you go through the link, you get up to a 51% discount on annual purchases.

Pick a hosting plan that fits your website requirements on the Namecheap website. There are three available Shared hosting plans and EasyWP WordPress hosting.

Since you’re starting a new blog, go with the Stellar hosting plan. You can host up to three websites, get a free SSL certificate, unmetered bandwidth, and more hosting features.

But just in case you’re curious, here are the three Shared hosting plan features and prices at a glance:

• The Stellar plan costs $2.18/month and is billed $25.88 for the first (51% discount) 12 months. The renewal price is $49/88. It allows three websites, 20 GB storage, a free domain name, an SSL certificate, and 30 domain-based mailboxes.
• Stellar Plus offers more freebies and hosting space. In addition to everything in the Stellar hosting, you have an unmetered SSD, unlimited domains, unlimited mailboxes, and auto backup. It costs $3.18/month. You pay $37.88 (51% discount) for the annual plan and renew at $75.88/yr.
• Stellar Business is for high-traffic websites. It offers everything in the Stellar Plus and access to automatic website backup and cloud storage facilities. The price is $4.98/m, $58.88 (47% discount) for an annual plan. Renew at $108.88/yr.

After selecting a hosting plan, you’ll be directed to the next page to enter an existing domain name or register a new one.

You can skip this step since you can connect your domain to a hosting account anytime. 

After filling in the appropriate field, register an account with Namecheap. And connect your billing option to your account.

As you can see from this image, the entry-level plan is $25.88 for the first 12 months. This is cheaper than many web hosts in the industry, even cheaper than Bluehost and Hostinger.

Once payment is made and your receipt is issued, you will receive your hosting account details at the email address you registered.

All the details you need to log in to your Cpanel are available in the email. 

Now, you can go ahead to install WordPress and create your blog.

Step 4. Choose a Theme 

Once your hosting account is set up, the next thing is to start designing your blog to look fantastic and attractive. 

Many free themes are available online, but you don’t have to be like everyone; you’re unique and different. This is why going for premium WordPress themes might be the right choice.

WordPress has thousands of themes that make setting up your blog pretty simple.

While there are hundreds of theme developers, Astra themes are my favorite. It is fast, affordable, and has many customization features that make it possible to make the theme entirely yours.

WP Astra theme comes with a built-in theme customizer, different layout options, modules, add-ons plugins, and the ability to set custom links, typography, font, colors, elements, etc. You can define global settings or set customized options for each page.

How Much is Astra Pro Theme?

Astra offers two theme options – Free and the Astra Pro. And two pricing options, too – An annual subscription and a lifetime deal.

The free Astra theme does not cost a thing to use on your blog. Just visit the website and download it. You can begin designing your blog with it in minutes. 

The Astra Premium gives you more flexibility, design options, and advanced features and gives you total control over your blog design.

Here are the three pricing plans for Astra Premium themes

Astra Pro – The entry-level plan for the Astra theme gives you access to hundreds of customization features. You can use it on unlimited websites. The price is $47 per year with support, a 14-day risk-free guarantee, and extensive training options.

Astra Essential Bundle – costs $137 for the yearly plan and gives you access to everything in the Pro plan. You have 180+ premium starter templates, a WP Portfolio plugin, and extensive training support.

Astra Growth Bundle – You can get this plan for $187 per year, and everything in the Essential bundle plan plus the Convert Pro plugin, Schema Pro plugin, and ultimate add-on for Beaver Builder and Elementor.

All Astra themes plans offer a 14-day money-back guarantee policy. So if you’re unsatisfied with the theme performance, ask for a refund. 

I use the Astra theme on this blog and can vouch for it. Astra theme is fast, lightweight, and SEO-optimized, allowing many customization options to make the theme exactly how you want it.

Still, if you’re not a fan of Astra, for whatever reason, check out other alternative WordPress themes to Astra.

Step 5. Publish Your First Post

Now that we’ve walked this far, it is time to get your first post online. 

If you’re not competent in writing, you can outsource this task to freelancers and give them instructions on what you expect. An excellent place to get cheap and affordable freelancers is Fiverr.

Fiverr is a marketplace to source any digital marketing services at meagre prices. However, you can also get low-quality services, too.

So you must be careful with who and how you get people to work for you on the platform.

However, if you like to get things done yourself, here is an article to help you write better and improve your writing skills.

How to Make Money With a Pet Blog

The most exciting part of this article is how to make money from a pet blog. That’s one of the goals of starting the blog, and it is not wise that I leave you hanging here, so let’s jump in.

One of the best ways to monetize a Pet Blog is with Custom Coins. This covers various custom lapel pins tailored to individual and organizational needs. 

GS-JJ is one of the leading American custom lapel pins manufacturers. They cover premium handmade custom pins and fast delivery; you can get up to 30% off. 

However there are lots of other ways to make money from a pet blog, but here, I will discuss four proven methods you can explore. 

Contextual Advertising

If you drive high traffic and pageview numbers per month, serving ads on your blog might be your top choice.

Contextual advertising programs like Google Adsense and Media.net can be an excellent place to start.

Google Adsense is the most popular and high-paying display advertising network on the internet.

But as with all ad programs, your earning potential is directly tied to your traffic number. The more traffic you drive to the pet blog, the more you earn.

However, Google Adsense is not the only display ad network you can try; here are some alternatives to Adsense;

• Mediavine
• Infolinks
• Bidvertiser
• Taboola
• propellerads
• AdThrive
• And more…

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is my favorite; the money you earn from affiliate marketing does not depend on pageview or traffic numbers. 

You must select and promote the pet care affiliate product your audience will love buying. The kind of pet product that helps solve real-life pet care problems.

But your audience must trust and buy into your recommendation to make this happen. Trust and authority are significant factors in affiliate marketing.

You can achieve this by publishing high-quality content regularly and helping your audience in any way possible.

Then occasionally write about product and service reviews, and join relevant pet blogging affiliate networks.

You can be part of many pet blog affiliate programs; look at the ShareASale affiliate network program. There are merchants in the pet care industry you will find there.

Here are some pet blogging tips to maximize your earning potential in affiliate marketing.

Promote High Paying Affiliate Marketing Products.

The key to earning consistent affiliate marketing income is to promote products with a high commission rate or have recurring affiliate commissions. 

So when searching for pet blogging affiliate programs, watch out for the commission structure. It will help you make the most of your affiliate marketing campaign.

Promote High-Quality Product

One golden rule of affiliate marketing is to promote products you believe in yourself.

A product that you can use and happily recommend to others because you have experience with it.

Your audience will thank you for recommending a product that helps them solve a problem and achieve a better result.

Offer Service

If you know pet care, you can offer your service to your audience.

This does not necessarily have to be in-person; you can package your services in an ebook format, video content, podcast, webinar, or course. 

Whatever format that’s better for your audience’s consumption is what you should deliver. Offering services on your blog can charge premium prices and build a loyal audience around your pet blog. 

You can take this further by building a membership community where members pay to access the platform.

If you approach this strategically, it can become a life-changing business that lives on its own.

People who are pet lovers will be willing to join the community and share experiences with other animal lovers. It is an excellent way to bond among people of similar interests.

Examples of Pet Care Tips Blogs 

If you need inspiration or examples of pet blogging, here are some of the best pet blogs in the industry.

These blogs about pets offer great advice, share resourceful materials, and constantly update your industry knowledge.

Adopt A Pet

Adopt A Pet is a non-profit organization cute pet blog that helps people with pet adoption.

People looking for pet adoption can use the website to find a match. It is so simple to use, and you will learn a lot from reading the blog content.

The blog offers pet blogging tips and content on pet health, safety, nutrition, and more.

Adopt A Pet specializes in Dog and Cat adoption; it looks after other animals, too, but you will find more talks about dogs and cats on the website. It is an excellent resourceful dog blog.

Walkin’Pet

Walkin’Pet focused on sharing advice on dog caring and mobility issues. It is run by Handicapped Pet, an organization promoting awareness and caring for handicapped dogs. 

You will find many inspirational stories on how dogs survive rare mobility challenges and return to everyday life. Walkin’Pet is a resourceful blog to learn how to start a dog blog.

Pet Live Today

Though the blog published articles on rabbits and other animals, you will find many publications focused on dogs and cats.

Pet Live Today offers professional advice on pet care ideas and treatments. Expert pet care-certified veterinarians run the Ask A Vet section on the blog.

This blog is an excellent place to visit if you’re looking for professional advice on issues with your pet.

FAQ – How to Start Pet Blogging

Conclusion…

If you’re running a pet care-related business, starting a blog around the topic can be an incredible source of income.

You can start a pet blog as a side project and take some of the pet blogging ideas shared in this post to move ahead.

You don’t have to go full-time into it if you’re not ready or still hold a regular day job. Start by setting aside a few hours weekly, and see how you can grow it gradually.

If you have any questions related to pet blogging, let us know in the comment section.