How awesome would it be to start a car blog?
You could build a community of fellow automotive enthusiasts. Then, partner with brands to make money.
It’d barely feel like work because you’re the type to talk, and post pics/videos all day, anyway.
Maybe you’ve got some experience at a shop or just years of tinkering around. Or, maybe you’ve got a knack for restoring old cars. You could be the type heavily into racing, car shows, and auctions.
We’re showing you how to build a car blog in this post.
- It’ll be cheap to create and easy to setup
- You won’t need to fiddle with any hard, technical stuff
Sound awesome? Let’s rev up those engines and get to it.
Types of Car Blogs You Could Create in 2018 (with Examples)
The first thing you need to do is figure out what type of blog you’ll make.
Blogging is writing, sharing photos, or posting videos much like a journal or a Facebook account. Except, having a focus and idea of what you want it to do will help attract people. And, give you opportunities to make money eventually.
We think the best way to get those creative juices flowing is by first looking at what’s out there.
Use the following as inspiration – ask yourself, “could I create something like this?”.
Car Care Blogs
Car care blogs, as they sound, include tutorials and guides to help users repair and maintain their vehicles. The topics are generally broken down into bite-sized chunks this way readers aren’t overwhelmed with intimidated teardowns.
Classic Car Blogs
Classic car blogs are everything to do with the love and appreciation of classic autos. These blog types talk about history, design features, legacy, and collections. This is a perfect blog if you’re a classic car owner or enthusiast – you could dedicate it to a model, brand, or era!
Used Car Blogs
Used car blogs are a combination of maintenance/repairs and shopping. You’ll find these blog types usually dedicated to a model or brand, sharing guides, and where to buy them. There’s a bit of a blend of car restoration with these blogs, too.
Auto Events Blogs
Auto event blogs collect and share the best car shows and events around the area, state, or country. This has a good opportunity to get big if you’re regularly going to these shows. You could include a ton of photos/videos, and interviews with people bringing cars to the event.
Automotive Industry Blogs
Auto industry blogs are more of a top-end type where you’d share the business workings of a brand and the industry. This would be topics like new product lines, tech, news, and reports. Your audience is those in the industry – though, can easily blend with general audiences if you make things easy to read & fun.
How to Build a Car Blog: From Start to Finish
We don’t want to overload you with tons of technical jargon.
There are three main components of a blog:
- Domain Name
- Website Hosting
- Content Management System
You can get a free domain name from most hosting providers these days. We recommend Bluehost because it’s affordable, fast, and includes tons of features to set up a blog quickly. This includes WordPress, a content management system, that’ll be the “chassis” of the entire site.
Visit Bluehost and click the ‘Get Started Now’ button.
Go ahead and choose the plan you want (we recommend the plus because it has a good set of options without the extras you probably won’t use).
Add the blog’s name into the New Domain box and check if it’s available.
You can name your blog whatever you think is fitting:
- Using Keywords – “FixCarTroubles” or “RestoringOldEngines”
- Using Personal Branding – “(Your Name)CarBlog” or “AutoHelpBy(Your Name)”
- Using Something Fun – “SpeedDemonAuto” or “PedalToTheMetal”
You get the idea.
Think about the name for a while – keep passing ideas back and forth – until you find something that sticks. You can technically change it later, but it’s easier to have it ready from the get-go.
Complete the order form with contact and payment (uncheck the other stuff but leave domain privacy checked – this stops people from spamming your account).
The hosting service will do its thing in the background getting your account set up. Wait a little bit until you’ve received a confirmation email. This email will have your basic login details.
Go ahead and log in to your dashboard. You should see that you have a basic WordPress installation available. They used your domain name to create this. But, it’s relatively barebones.
Click the box and log in to your WordPress blog.
You’ll want to add some nice features to it:
- Blog Theme
- WordPress Plugins
We recommend ThemeForest because it has tons of inexpensive blog themes and neat plugins. This includes some car blog themes perfect for what you’re building.
Buy a theme, go back to your site, and install the theme in the Appearance > Themes option.
You’ll also want to install a few, basic plugins (these improve the blog). Most plugins are free.
We recommend installing these plugins:
- Yoast SEO – To manually add SEO elements (helping you rank) to your posts/pages
- Jetpack – This helps your WordPress install stay secure from hackers and spammers
- W3 Total Cache – A caching tool helping reduce site load, making it generally faster
There are tons of them available through the WordPress plugins directory. Look around, see which ones sound good, and give them a try.
Once plugins are added and configured, it’s time to create the basic pages:
- Home Page
- Blog Home
- About Us Page
- Contact Page
- Privacy Policy Page
Congratulations!
You’ve got the car blog up and running.
It’s a little barebone but it has the basic features needed to start creating neat content. Try creating a post and playing with the formatting. Learn the WordPress basics to make it easier to use.
Keep configuring the site until you get it the way you want. You’ll get the hang of it.
5 Car Blog Topics and Content Ideas to Get Started
So, you’re probably wondering… What should I blog about?
We’ve got a few car blog topics for you:
- Build/Repair Guides — These would form the cornerstone pieces of your blog as they provide maximum value and longevity. These could include detailed, step-by-step procedures, and sharing how to fix something. Or, topics like building an engine, mods, and more.
- Reviews — Each car could undergo a complete review including a full breakdown of the engine, performance, design, and experience. This could also become the main feature of its parts and accessories. Or, again, mods and restoration projects.
- Media — The thrill of autos is in its sights and sounds – especially the rumble. Do you attend car shows or races? Take pictures or record them! This includes the drivers. This content could not only give something fun to read but also help create a solid network of car enthusiasts. You could even review car-related media like movies, books, art, and more.
- News — Got something to say about a new car line? Or, want to talk about some of the happenings within the industry? Share your thoughts and cover the news. This is good stuff for readers wanting to keep up with the auto industry. Or, just keeping in the loop of what’s going down around your area, car-wise.
- User Discussions — Pose a question and get the community involved by using the comments or installing a forum plugin. You never know who may chime in! People love sharing their vehicles, what they’ve done, and their thoughts about a brand. Give them a platform and most of the site’s blogs will pop up for you!
This is your blog – create content you would like to read. Give it some personality to attract fellow car enthusiasts versus just some passersby. 100 regular followers can do wonders for getting your blog found versus 1000 that never chime in.
How to Make Money with a Car Blog
Starting a car blog is a fun way to give back to the auto enthusiast community. Or, just having something fun to share your experiences. But, it’s always nice to make a bit of money with the work, too.
Follow this section to make money with your car blog:
- Affiliate Marketing. Affiliate marketing is when you sell other people’s products and get a cut of the commission. You probably talk about parts, accessories, car sales, and the like. You could get paid anytime someone buys through an affiliate link on your site. Check out our Cars & Trucks Affiliate Directory to find brands offering these programs and sign up!
- Sponsors. Get in touch with some of your favorite brands – you talk about on the blog – and see if they’d like to sponsor the blog. This usually means you’d place an ad on the site or do reviews for them (letting readers know it’s sponsored). Some brands will even pay for trips to events letting you document and share it with your community!
- Advertising. Google AdSense is an ad platform where you can add ads to your site. This requires an account and pasting a snippet of code (it’s very easy). You’ll earn a bit of money anytime someone clicks on one of these ads. See our Google AdSense Guide to start using it.
Over time, other money-making opportunities will come your way.
Vroom, Vroom. There’s a New Car Blog Rollin’ Through!
Hopefully, we kept this about as easy to understand as possible.
Feel free to drop us a line on Facebook, Twitter, or email if you’re getting hung up creating it. We’d be happy to give you some extra pointers with getting it set up.
Be sure to check the rest of our site for tons of extra tips & tricks for growing a blog. And, turning that blog into a money-maker with advertising, affiliate marketing, and more.
Also, subscribe to our email list for regular updates!
