How much does blogging cost?

Blogging has become very popular over the last two decades. Whereas it’s easy to set up a blog and it’s relatively cheap, there might be other expenses besides the set-up costs.

Domain registration and hosting

Once you decide you want to start a blog that is self-hosted rather than writing on a free blogging platform, you will need a domain name and hosting. Basic plans start at as little as £2.39/month, however, the annual fee is often required to be paid in advance and in full.

Theme

If you choose WordPress, you are likely to need a pre-built theme for your blog or website which you can customise yourself. This is a one-off cost, and the price depends on the theme you choose and can be as little as £22 to £60. There is always the option, of course, to hire a web designer to create a unique design for your needs.

Software and applications

There are tons of softwares and applications a blog and the linked social media channels may require. Whereas there are free tools available for resizing and editing photos, obviously the best and perhaps the easiest way of doing it would be with Lightroom and/or Photoshop. The basic plan costs £9.98 per month. It’s worth considering if you are likely to make your own photographs and it also allows you to edit photos on the go (LR mobile).
Of course, if your blog has a YouTube channel and you use royalty free music, subscriptions start at £7 per month.
Then there is the social media scheduler and marketing platforms like Mailchimp or MailerLite to manage your email list etc. The list of additional apps and softwares can go on and on.

Technology costs

You may not consider this as an expense saying you already have a laptop, a smart phone, internet at your house and on your mobile, but once you use these for your blog, website and business, these become expenses. I would also add costs of cloud storage here.

Photography gear

If you decide to take your own photos, you will need either a camera or a smart phone. If you invest in a camera, you find that the list of gears and accessories will be an ever-growing list. And photography is not cheap.
Of course, you can always use stock photos, but that also can cost money.

Utility

As you use electricity for your devices, utility also becomes an expense. If you are working from home and run your own business from home, these expenses will be work expenses too as the heating and electricity are used during the day whereas if you worked in an office, they would be switched off.

Props

You may use props you find around the house for photo shoots but you will need some props and gear sooner or later. Even a white foam board to reflect light costs or a white vinyl background to make your e-commerce product photography.

Travel

If you are a travel blogger this is one of your top expenses at least at the very beginning until you get sponsorship. If you are not a travel blogger but your niche requires travelling, it becomes an expense linked to your blog or website.

So how much does blogging cost?

As you can see, with everything included, blogging is not that cheap in the end. Depending on your choices and budget, the cost of blogging can vary and a blog can be a money pit. It’s good to be aware of it before you jump into something.

Would the cost of blogging return?

Even if you are a full-time blogger, today you have to really work hard to turn a blog into a successful business. You have to have a popular niche and stand out among thousands of bloggers. Also, with people having less time to read and the world moving towards videos, it’s becoming even more difficult to keep a blog alive.

However, there is still one thing a blog definitely do on your business website: it builds trust and it helps your SEO. That’s why I encourage you to have a blog for your business.