New home for your blog

Mavenseed is a place where you can host - and sell - your digital stuff, from a simple blog to a portfolio, or even a video series.

Bloggers should feel right at home here, with all the tools they need from running a simple text-based blog to creating their own community, all under their own brand.

What's in this guide?

Who are you blogging for?

So you're starting a blog. Who will be reading it?

Maybe it's just you and your grandma - and that's perfectly fine.

Blogging as a hobby has many benefits, including the well-documented therapeutical impact of journaling.

(At a time where mental health is becoming our number 1 asset, that's certainly as big of a benefit as they come.)

If that is the case, jump to building your blog right away.

In the rest of this article, we'll focus on writing your blog for an audience and building it as a business.

Why bloggers need their own site

If you want to attract visitors, owning your content and being in control of how your site looks is crucial.

Sure, blogging is mostly about writing, but the same care that goes into crafting your content should go into its overall feel - and that starts with your domain name.

Own your blog's domain name

With Mavenseed, you can set up a free domain name in seconds (e.g. your-blog-name.mavenseed.com) or opt for a premium feature with your own custom domain (e.g. your-blog.com)

>> Read how custom domains work at Mavensesed.

Decide what your blog looks like

Got your domain name? Good, now comes the tougher part.

No pressure but...did you know that you only have 50 milliseconds to impress your blog visitor?

Yes, people judge your blog by its cover.

A well-thought-out look with a unified style - from your logo to the colors you use - will make your blog recognizable and memorable.

At Mavenseed, you will always own your content and decide how your site looks.

Our page builder lets you build beautiful landing pages in minutes with a drag & drop builder and a wide range of design options.

>> Read more about creating your first blog post with Mavenseed.

Using your blog to build a brand

Once you have a beautiful blog with your own domain, there's one thing to keep in mind.

Every blogger is building a brand.

Your tone of voice, your blog's look, the topic you are blogging about - everything together creates your brand.

Authenticity is key, so this should be pretty close to who you truly are in real life.

Successful bloggers have a strong brand voice, which translates into a unique way of connecting with their audience.

Your brand has many elements and it makes sense to keep them in mind from the get-go. Here are a few tips on crafting your blog's brand.

How to make money with your blog

The next step is turning that brand into a real business that generates revenue.

The advantage is that you don't need a big readership to get started making money this way.

Ways to make money with your blog:

• include affiliate links in your articles
• run paid ads
• write sponsored content, like product reviews
• write guest posts for other outlets

Here are a few additional tips to make money with your blog.

Selling your own content on your blog

After you've put so much thought and effort into your own brand, you may want to grow it - instead of using your blog to promote somebody else.

In that case, you can diversify your offering and add an e-commerce element to your blog.

In short: sell something you've created.

With Mavenseed, you can easily turn your blog into a simple e-shop and grow it as you go.

What you can sell through your Mavenseed blog:

• an eBook
• a single video download
• a full course
• livestream access
• your artwork
• anything else in digital format!

You can sell each product individually or create bundles.

It's even possible to offer free downloads, too.

For established blogs with regular readership, you can even create a recurring membership that your readers can subscribe to.

>> Read more about selling with Mavenseed.

Let's build your blog!

Building a blog on Mavenseed is free and fast - as in, get it done during a coffee break fast.

Step 1: Create a free Mavenseed account here.

Step 2: Create your first site here and choose its name.

Step 3: Start building your blog!

Still unsure about how to get the most out of Mavenseed for your blog? Message us at [email protected] - we're here to help!

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Who are the people behind Mavenseed?

The three of us - Wes, Nick and Jonathan - are friends brought together by a shared passion: we love launching new products that empower digital creators.

Our portfolio includes a thriving online school CG Cookie with 100,000+ members worldwide. We also run Blender Market where artists can sell their products.

Mavenseed takes what we've learned and helps creators build their own brand - from a simple sale to their own community.

>> Read more about Mavenseed in our Manifesto.