What Should I Post on My Blog? (Hint: It’s More Than You Think)

Okay, so you’ve set up your free WordPress blog — that’s a great start! You’ve explored themes, maybe even tried out some layout changes. But now comes the big question: What should I actually post?

Is It Just a Photo Dump?

Well, it can be. A lot of people start their blog just to keep a tidy record of travel photos or life events. That’s perfectly fine. Life gets busy and having everything in one spot — even just your best photos — can be a lovely way to look back over the years.

But your blog can also be more than that. Think of it as a place to tell your story — or leave a little legacy.

Maybe you grew up in a different era, had a different lifestyle, and you want to write down your memories so the grandkids can read them later. You can make your blog public so anyone can read these memories but you don’t have to. You can keep it private, and just send your family the link.

🔐 Public means anyone can find it on Google and read it.
🔒 Private means only people with the link (or a password) can access it.
It’s easy to choose what suits you — just go to Settings > Privacy.

Not Sure What to Write?

Here are some popular blogging topics people enjoy sharing — and searching for:

• Travel (like I do on Life with Janet — just the good photos and the best memories)
• Recipes (especially family favourites your kids might ask for)
• Crafts like crochet, knitting, mosaics, sewing, art… you get the idea
• Everyday life — hobbies, routines, funny moments, lessons you’ve learned

To give you an example, I started a blog just for my crochet projects because I made a hat I loved… and when I wanted to make it again I couldn’t remember which pattern I’d used, or what yarn, or what size hook! Now on each post I keep a photo, a link to the pattern, and all the little details I might need to make it again. It’s like a digital notebook I can search anytime. But it’s public too — so if someone else is looking for a great pattern or idea, they might find it and get the benefit as well. And the patterns are usually free.

Life with Janet is much the same — it holds my travel photos, family recipes, and those little memories I don’t want to lose. My kids sometimes ask how to make “Nana’s version” of something, so it’s become a handy place to store and share those favourites.

I actually started this blog during the Covid lockdowns, as a way to share recipes of dishes we like. Around the same time, hubby Basker began writing down his own family recipes on his cooking blog — and he even started making little videos for our kids, showing how to make dhal or chicken curry.

I mostly stick to baking, especially the old family favourites, but I also wanted a space to write about our holidays. Honestly, I’m not sure many people read the travel posts, but the recipes are definitely popular!

It’s a public blog too — so now and then, someone might stumble across it and find something helpful, or just enjoy a good read.

Here are some good free WordPress themes that work well for hobbies, travel, or recipe blogs:

• Baskerville — A visual grid-style layout that’s perfect for sharing a mix of travel photos, family stories, or craft projects. It looks tidy and modern, and it’s easy to browse.
• Neve — Clean, fast, and easy to customise. Great for travel and lifestyle blogs.
• Astra — Lightweight and flexible, works well for recipes and hobby blogs with lots of photos.
• Bard — A stylish theme good for lifestyle, crafts, and travel content, with lots of widget areas.
• Lovecraft — A neat, minimalist theme that focuses on content—good for writing and photos.

You can also use your blog for a business. WordPress has great themes for just about anything — whether you want to sell handmade crafts, offer consulting, share your photography, or run a small online shop.

Some popular themes for business or professional blogs include:

• Astra — lightweight and highly customisable
• OceanWP — versatile with lots of features
• Neve — clean, modern, and fast
• Hestia — stylish one-page theme great for small businesses
• Zakra — flexible and beginner-friendly

These themes work well whether you want a simple blog or a full website with shop and contact pages.

Coming Soon…

In the next post, I’ll show you how to create pages and menus, and how to tidy up your homepage if you’re ready to go a step further.

For now, this is my main message: Your blog can be anything you want — a scrapbook, a storybook, a recipe book, or just a simple place to share.

So don’t overthink it — just start. I’m sure you will be glad you did. – ♡ Janet