Excited to start a personal blog? To start any personal blog, it is crucial to get an idea about how to start and how to grow.
It’s okay if you are new to this game. With just some baby steps you can competently place your name on the board of popular personal blogs.
But it won’t be easy without your determination and consistency. You have to learn, observe, and write with your brain as well as your heart.
You must have a peek at many bloggers earning millions of income by just posting some blogs. How did they do it? How did they start?
If these questions are bugging your mind, so don’t worry, I have brought a list of 11 popular personal blogs and unveiled the secret behind their success.
So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
What Is The Meaning Of A Personal Blog?
The term “personal blog” is basically nothing else but a kind of website where an individual starts to showcase thoughts, knowledge, and views. A personal blog can be a casual way that’s used as an online journal, to express opinions on current events, share personal stories, and offer advice and tips.
Let’s understand that by the way of an example. Let’s suppose you are a good kitchen maker or a food lover. If you love to explore and enjoy delicious recipes you can start a personal blog and share your favorite recipes and photos of your meals.
Someone who is looking for a particular recipe will hit your blog. And soon it will become a part of a community hub for people who love cooking. Eventually, your blog could become a source of information and inspiration for foodies.
There are a lot of benefits to starting a personal blog, including fame, money, and knowledge enhancement.
11 Best Popular Personal Blogs To Follow
Now, we will discuss the list of our favorite blogs that started as personal blogs and now earning at a scale of an MNC conglomerate. Their journey is inspiring, as once, they were started by someone like you, who didn’t know anything about blogging, and with a consistent approach, they attained a spectacular level.
1. CookieAndKate.com
Blogger | Kathryne Taylor |
Niche | Food |
Monthly Traffic | 5.9 Million |
Estimated US Revenue | $1.6 Million |
Income Source | Sponsorships, Affiliate marketing, Blogs, PPC advertisements, CPC strategies, Subscriptions, Selling Own Books Online |
Over 1.5 billion vegetarians are currently living across the globe and are seeking fresh recipes every now and then. Kathryne Taylor (Kate) took advantage of this fact and started sharing her crazy recipes via her food blog.
And the craziest fact is, she is earning $2 – $5 million per year. Her blogs are gaining more than 10.8 million visits in which most of the audience belongs to the 18-44 age group.
Following her love for photography and cooking, Kate started blogging in 2010. She named her blog “Cookie and Kate” in which ‘Cookie’ is the name of her doggo whom she adopted in 2009
In 2017, she unleashed her first book of recipes called “Love Real Food”.
What does CookieAndCate.com Write About?
- Vegetarian Recipes
- Dinner recipes, dessert, breakfast, and lunch
- Occasion-specific recipes
- Diet-specific food
- Reviews of various food, veggies, and drinks
2. MinimalistBaker.com
Blogger | Dana Shultz |
Niche | Food |
Monthly Traffic | 2.4 Million |
Estimated US Revenue | $705.6K |
Income Source | Blogs, PPC advertisements, Affiliates, Subscriptions, Selling Own Books Online |
If an elite cafe media food publisher has a name, Minimalist Baker is the one. With plant-based simple & tasty baking, founder Dana Shultz showed up in 2012 through her blog.
For 10 years, Dana has been working on her blog and has gained more than 2 million followers on Instagram. The most amazing fact is, she generated annual revenue of $5 – $10 million without any sponsored posts or blogs.
She also provides you, an opportunity to work with her on various working profiles regarding cooking.
What does MinimalistBaker.com Write About?
- Easy cooking with fewer ingredients
- Recipes for dessert, snacks, and weekly new recipes
- Vegan, Vegetarian, and gluten-free recipes
- Oil-free and naturally sweetened recipes
- Shopping platform for kitchen equipment, pantry, photography & lighting equipment, spices, and ingredients.
3. PinchOfYum.com
Blogger | Lindsay |
Niche | Food |
Monthly Traffic | 1.3 Million |
Estimated US Revenue | $451.7K |
Income Source | Blogs, Sponsored posts, PPC advertisements, Subscriptions, Selling Own Books Online |
Another food blog in our listing is Pinch of Yum. This ‘best personal blog in the food category’ belongs to the former 4th-grade teacher, Lindsay who has been a full-time blogger since 2010.
She started this blog as her casual hobby and loved it. And made an empire for her kitchen with 1M+ followers on IG and Pinterest.
She has her income and traffic reports from Sep 2011 (a year after) to Feb 2017 an experiment named “The Food Blog Money Making Experiment“. If you are thinking to start a food blog, you should follow this blog and must read all the reports.
What does PinchOfYum.com Write About?
- Vegan and meal preparation recipes
- Soup, Taco, and Pasta specific recipes
- Instant & Easy Recipes
- Quick pot recipes
- Healthy freezer meals
4. JamesClear.com
Blogger | James Clear |
Niche | Books |
Monthly Traffic | 1.1 Million |
Estimated US Revenue | $258.7K |
Income Source | Sponsorships, Affiliate marketing, Blogs, PPC advertisements, Online workshops, Subscriptions, Selling Own Books Online |
Have you read “Atomic Habits“? If you didn’t, then let me tell you it’s the #1 New York Times bestseller with 10M+ sold copies in 50+ languages.
Do you know about its author? It’s James Clear. He started writing blogs in 2012 with zero traffic. But he kept doing his best and kept publishing.
James launched his first “habit workshops” with Nathan Barry which paid him $25K and just after 3 months he earned more than $250K. His net worth is estimated to be $8 million with a monthly income of $40K.
What does JamesClear.com Write About?
We all have certain habits, and James knows that. It was a unique idea to point out people’s bad habits and help them. Here are some topics that he mainly covers.
- How to start good habits
- Making good choices and understanding bad ones
- How to get results in less time
- Staving off bad habits
5. SkintDad.co.uk
Blogger | Ricky and Naomi Willis |
Niche | Finance |
Monthly Traffic | 213.4K |
Estimated UK Revenue | $149.4K |
Income Source | Sponsorships, Affiliate marketing, Blogs, PPC advertisements, Subscriptions, Selling own books online |
Every penny counts and your wallet deserves to stay occupied with currencies. Around 3.32B people are employed worldwide, and all are concerned about their savings.
That’s why Ricky, with his wife Naomi Willis, teamed up to help all these people who are struggling to save money. Over 300,000+ readers are currently connected with the couple.
This award-winning blog is one of the largest money blogs in the United Kingdom. It was started in 2013 and in just 3 years, they were able to earn over £3,000 monthly online with 210K+ traffic.
If you want to advertise on Skint Dad, take their interview, ask anything, or want to do guest blogging here, you can contact them.
What does SkintDad.co.uk Write About?
- Tips and tricks to save money
- How to make money online
- Methods of money management
- Competitions with amazing rewards
- Sales updates of various brands
- How to eat cheap and delicious
6. Tim.blog
Blogger | Tim Ferris |
Niche | Make Money Online |
Monthly Traffic | 155k |
Estimated US Revenue | $359.3K |
Income Source | Shows, Podcast, Sponsorships, Affiliate marketing, Blogs, PPC advertisements, Subscriptions, Selling own books online |
If you were looking for guidance over other online businesses, then you should follow Tim Ferris.
Tim Ferris is a big name in the business world. He is best known as the author of bestselling books in Wall Street Journals and the #1 New York Times.
He is also popular for his podcast “Tim Ferris Show” which exceeds millions of downloads monthly. Early investments in Alibaba, Twitter, Uber, and Facebook made his net worth reach up to $100 million.
With the title of “most innovative business person” of Fast Company, he started this blog in 2016 and is now an Amazon affiliate as well. You can also contact him for sponsored posts.
What does Tim.com Write About?
- Transcripts of Tim Ferris Show and all details
- Selling books online
- Tips for an economically healthy lifestyle
- Success stories
- Guides on how to write
- Sources of passive income
7. CupOfJo.com
Blogger | Joanna Goddard |
Niche | Entertainment |
Monthly Traffic | 149.6k |
Estimated US Revenue | $137.1K |
Income Source | Sponsorships, Affiliate marketing, Blogs, PPC advertisements |
Meet the founder of one of the top personal blogs Cup Of Jo, Joanna Goddard. In 2007, this blog emerged as a weekend hobby and now it is a popular brand that needs no introduction.
This blog is the inspiration for all women who want to try something new and achieve some goals in their life. It’s an online magazine that covers almost everything including, Beauty, food, culture, travel, and lifestyle.
What does CupOfJo.com Write About?
- Career tips and options
- Relationship, Friendship, and dating tips
- Airplane survival, city guides, family vacations, and packing hacks
- Best recipes entertaining ideas, quick dinners, and drinks
- Favorite books, house tours, gift guides, and movies reviews
- Beauty hacks, fashion style, grooming, hair tutorials, weekly outfits
8. DavidLebovitz.com
Blogger | David Lebovitz |
Niche | Food |
Monthly Traffic | 110.7K |
Estimated US Revenue | $26.3K |
Income Source | Sponsorships, Affiliate marketing, Blogs, PPC advertisements, Selling own books online |
Paris we all know is not only famous for its city lights but it’s also loved for its bakeries. David Lebovitz is a renowned pastry chef here, who also loves to share the taste of Paris and its ultimate recipes.
He began blog writing in the year 1999 after becoming a professional chef with his first book “Room for Dessert“.
In the list of popular personal blogs, Lebovitz’s blogs deserved a place. When he was 16, he used to wash dishes at a steakhouse and now he is the owner of his own restaurant.
His blogs and his famous cookbooks gained a lot of fame that paid thousands to millions of dollars monthly.
What does DavidLebovitz.com Write About?
- Recipes of various loaves of bread, cakes, ice-creams, cookies, bars, and brownies.
- Making cocktails and drinks
- French cooking style with French pastries and desserts.
- Discounts on his own cookbooks
- Reviews of famous restaurants in Paris
- His favorite pastries and chocolates
- Paris travel tips
9. ZenHabits.net
Blogger | Leo Babauta |
Niche | Personality Development |
Monthly Traffic | 117.7K |
Estimated US Revenue | |
Income Source | Paid Blogs, Online training, Subscriptions, Selling own books online |
Zen Habits, is a blog that talks about a classical & minimal lifestyle. This blog was initiated by Leo Babauta in 2007 and gained the trust of more than 2 million readers globally.
Here he talks about how you can live a fearless life just by following 3 core pillars, fearless habits, fearless purpose, and fearless impact.
Being a blogger, author, and coach, he also provides training to people as a Zen practitioner. Leo kept his entire blog and all ebooks uncopyrighted since 2008, which shows his low-key behavior.
What does ZenHabits.com Write About?
- Free training bundle to change habits
- Personal life experiences
- How to be open to meaningful things
- Personality transformation
- How to resist bad things and get a deep focus on good ones
10. MyWifeQuitHerJob.com
Blogger | Steve Chou |
Niche | Make Money Online |
Monthly Traffic | 68.9K |
Estimated US Revenue | $219.2K |
Income Source | Sponsorships, Affiliate marketing, E-commerce, Course selling, Podcasts, Blogs |
This Blog was started by Steve Chou about his personal life including his wife and kids. He is the owner of his online store, Bumblebee Linens, which started after his wife quit her job.
Back in 2007, Chou and his wife Jennifer used to work as employees and were tired of their routines. “We were coasting our way through life like lifeless zombies,” says the founder of MyWifeQuitHerJob.com.
After having a child, both quit their job and started their online store and personal blog. Soon, their six-figure business was able to generate a monthly income of $100K in a single year.
In his blog, he promoted his brand and E-commerce site bumblebeelinens.com very efficiently. The couple is currently making $1 million per year and living a great life.
What does MyWifeQuitHerJob.com Write About?
Their blog helped them to blend entrepreneurship with parenting. See what they cover in their blog.
- Personal Stories
- Tips to start your store
- How to make money on Amazon
- Branding their store BumbleBee Linens
- How to become a successful entrepreneur
- Making money via social media
- Reviews of shopping websites
11. MrMoneyMustache.com
Blogger | Peter Adeney |
Niche | Finance |
Monthly Traffic | 70K |
Estimated US Revenue | $96.2K |
Income Source | Sponsorships, Affiliate marketing, Blogs, PPC advertisements, CPC strategies, Subscriptions |
Imagine a world where you don’t have to do anything for work. All you are going to do is to sit on your couch with a cup of coffee. Fascinating! Right?
Canadian blogger Peter Adeney presents himself as the character Mr. Money Mustache, who is retired and knows how you can live a life of leisure.
He used to be a software engineer before 2005 in his 20s. After spending 6 years into his early retirement, he started blogging in 2011 at the age of 36. In an interview with Kiplinger, he unveiled his annual revenue of $400,000 which is accumulated via his blogs.
What does MrMoneyMustache.com Write About?
Adeney was frustrated looking at his colleagues living as lifeless zombies. To adopt odd behavior and help others, he covered the following topics in his blogs.
- How to live a better life than your current one.
- Live life with 50-60% less expense.
- How to get rich with less effort.
- Taking retirement at an early stage.
- Advice for various life experiences.
- Personal finance and saving tips.
Importance Of Social Media Presence For Bloggers
So, we discussed some of the best personal blogs with traffic and earning stats. They are getting massive traffic through search engines.
But, for you, we also want to share their social presence. They have their pages across popular platforms and as a beginner, social media will help you get your initial traffic.
Site Name | YouTube | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CookieAndKate.com | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
MiniamlistBaker.com | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
PinchOfYum.com | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ |
JamesClear.com | ❌ | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
SkintDad.co.uk | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ |
Tim.blog | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
CupOfJo.com | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ |
DavidLebovitz.com | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ |
ZenHabits.net | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ |
MyWifeQuitHerJob.com | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
MrMoneyMustache.com | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ |
Social media is the best place to promote your blogs. More than 5 billion people use social media and spend hours of time scrolling. It is a powerful way for bloggers to connect with the audience, increase visibility, and drive traffic to their blogs.
All the above-mentioned popular personal blog sites have made a huge fan following through social media. As you can see how all have separate blog pages on each platform.
Just for an example Minimalist Baker now has 2.1 M followers on Instagram.
Key Takeaway: Someone who is a beginner and knows nothing about SEO, can capitalize on social media platforms instead of waiting for Google to help you 🙂
Read: Future Of Blogging 2024: Is Blogging Evergreen or Dead?
Read: Top 5 Go-To Search Engines for Conservative Users in 2024
Read: Check Out 100+ Simple Free Blog Commenting Sites List for 2024
FAQs: Popular Personal Blog Sites
In order to determine the “best” personal blog, people need to consider their own preferences and the type of content they are looking for. Some popular personal blogs are Cup Of Jo, Minimalist Baker, Cookie And Kate, and Tim Ferris.
When starting a blog, it’s important to write about topics that you’re passionate about and knowledgeable about.
Finance and investing, health and wellness, technology and gadgets, beauty and fashion, travel, etc. are some blogs with the highest CPC that earn the most.
Blogging is a constantly evolving industry, and what’s trending can change quickly. However, there are some current trends in blogging such as video content, tutorials, advice, reviews, cheap products, money-making tips, and many more. Follow Google Trends for more ideas.
Conclusion: Personal Blog Examples
Now you have these 11 popular personal blogs to read in your free time, just understand the way they write that helped them grow.
In recent years, personal blogging has become an important source of inspiration, information, and connection for millions of people worldwide. Personal blogs allow people to share their stories, express themselves, and connect, whether it is through fashion, food, travel, or any other topic.
Hi Anil,
Thank you for compiling this extensive list of free guest posting sites for 2024! As a blogger and a digital marketing enthusiast, I completely understand the value of guest posting in not only building good quality backlinks but also in establishing authority and expanding one’s reach. Also, Medium.com and Substack.com are 2 other good platforms that deserve a place on this list.