Why do I want to write about the most popular blogs, anyway? The reason is simple. I want to give you the motivation and inspiration to help you build a popular blog of your own.
You might think that it’s not possible to start a popular blog. After all, isn’t blogging dead? Far from it. I launched Do Six Figures in 2020 and already have built up a solid audience.
Another reason I wanted to put together this list of the most popular blogs is to learn from them. You’ll notice many of them have similar qualities. For example, most popular blogs use the WordPress blogging platform, are updated often, have blazing fast blog hosting, and write amazing blog posts.
Top 16 popular blogs
Here are 16 examples of popular blogs.
Humans of New York
Blog Type: Photography
Distinguishing Features: Unique storytelling
One of the most popular blogs is the photography blog Humans of New York. This blog initially focused on capturing the stories of randomly selected New Yorkers. It has since evolved into a website with a cult following, touching all corners of the globe.
They combine beautifully capturing photographs with the tragic, uplifting, inspiring stories of people from all walks of life. Often sharing a series of photos for each of the parts of their subject’s stories, they successfully capture their audience’s attention and hearts.
What makes them successful:
- Regular new content
- Engaging and relatable stories
- Exposes people to life experiences they might never have encountered otherwise
Adventurous Kate
Blog Type: Travel
Distinguishing Features: Solo female travel
Travel is undoubtedly a popular blog genre, and Adventurous Kate captures why. Providing equal parts escapist fantasies and helpful travel tips, Kate McCulley takes her readers along with her on her journey.
As a solo traveler, she has visited locations worldwide, offering her unique observations and suggestions. Featured as a top traveler influencer in Forbes, she offers her readers a realistic representation of what it’s like to live as a travel influencer.
What makes this blogger successful:
- Fascinating travel stories
- Variation in experiences
- Solo female travel
Follow Me To
Blog Type: Travel
Distinguishing Features: Unique photography style
Several years ago, an image went viral of a woman in a beautiful setting, her hand reaching behind her to hold hands with presumably the man behind the camera. The idea of “follow me to” a new travel location exploded overnight, and the blog behind the viral photo did as well.
Follow Me To provides glamorous shots that transport their audience to some of the most stunning locations around the globe. Their signature style distinguishes them from other travel bloggers.
What makes them successful:
- Stunning photography
- Unique style
- Luxurious travel destinations
Smart Passive Income
Blog Type: Business
Distinguishing Feature: Helpful business advice
There is no shortage of advice circulating in the business world, but helpful advice is often slightly more challenging to find.
Smart Passive Income provides its readers with clear, valuable information that can assist companies in growing. This blog shares helpful tips, interviews with successful business leaders, and success stories to motivate new business owners.
What makes this blogger successful:
- Specific business guidance
- Inspiration for entrepreneurs
Apartment Therapy
Blog Type: Home/Lifestyle
Distinguishing Feature: Shares helpful design tips
Mainly, as more people spend their days in their homes, having a personalized, comfortable space and reflecting your unique style preferences is more important than ever before.
Apartment Therapy, well-known for its social media (Instagram) and its successful blog, shares stunning images of creatively designed apartments. Their blog posts range from recommendations for spring cleaning to the best paint colors for your front porch.
What makes them successful:
- Wide variety of design inspiration for all home-types
- Helpful home and lifestyle tips
- Charming homes featured from around the world.
Making Sense of Cents
Blog Type: Personal Finance
Distinguishing Feature: Personable approach to finance
Personal finance is something that many people, particularly the younger generations, struggle with significantly. Keeping track of money, budgeting, and what to do with extra income are all things that can feel overwhelming.
Make Sense of Cents is a blog that aims to help everyday people gain control over their finances. Started by a young college graduate, Michelle, back in 2010, this blog serves as a massive source of information and advice on how to save, pay a debt, and increase income. Additionally, this blog offers guidance on how to start a successful blog.
What makes them successful:
- Specific monetary goal setting
- Inspiration for ways to make more money
Good Financial Cents
Blog Type: Personal Finance
Distinguishing Feature: Categories of Financial Advice
Good Financial Cents is an incredibly organized personal finance blog. With categories ranging from retirement to investments to taxes, there is a vast array of posts under any type you may need. With helpful articles detailing ways to make passive income or which tax software program is the best, readers can find many resources to help right their financial wrongs.
What makes them successful:
- A wealth of helpful advice
- A highly organized system for posts
Blogilates
Blog Type: Fitness/Wellness
Distinguishing Feature: Free programs
Blogilates, founded by Cassey Ho, focuses on a more holistic approach to healthy living for those wishing to make healthier lifestyle choices. Blog posts cover healthy recipes, workout tips, and ways to love your body.
Her resources include free workout plans, free printables, and information about avoiding diet culture. Blog post topics are varied, with one series, “Dear Cassey,” providing readers an option to ask questions about health and fitness.
What makes them successful:
- Free workout plans
- Cohesive brand across social media and blog
The Fit Foodie
Blog Type: Health/Wellness
Distinguishing Feature:
The Fit Foodie is an excellent go-to for everything wellness-related. Primarily providing colorful, healthy recipes, the blog also shares information on lifestyle, mental health, and fitness tips. The blog has an inspirational tone, intending to inspire you to live a better, healthier life.
What makes them successful:
- Delicious, healthy recipe
- Inspirational tips
Pinch of Yum
Blog Type: Food
Distinguishing Feature: Delicious recipes
One of the most popular food blogs on the internet, Pinch of Yum, stands out among the rest. With their fabulous recipes, clear organization, and their gorgeous photographs, they set the standard for other aspiring food bloggers.
The rating system on recipes allows their audience to comment and share their opinion of the recipe. This interactive aspect allowed the blog to build its cult following and community feel.
What makes them successful:
- Wide variety of recipes
- Beautiful photography
- Audience/reader interaction
Chasing Foxes
Blog Type: Lifestyle
Distinguishing Feature:
Chasing Foxes is a sleek lifestyle blog offering advice on travel, beauty, money, and home. The blog is clear, well-designed, and easily navigated. The blog boasts helpful tips to achieving the type of lifestyle that often feels unattainable.
The couple who runs the blog, Silas and Grace, share things they’ve learned in their travels and things they do to make their lives easier.
What makes them successful:
- Sleek design
- Wide variety of topics
Man Made DIY
Blog Type: Lifestyle
Distinguishing Feature: DIY Projects
Man Made DIY is a unique blog with a target audience of men. Mainly focusing on DIY projects, the blog teaches the modern man how to build and fix things around the house in a supportive space.
The popular blog also shares tips on style and grooming as well as food and drink. This all-encompassing site is an excellent source of information and advice for men. The blog doesn’t just give advice but teaches explicitly actionable steps to build handy skill sets.
What makes them successful:
- Tips for the modern man
- DIY Projects
The Pioneer Woman
Blog Type: Food
Distinguishing Feature: Endless recipes and advice
In addition to her widely successful cookbooks and dishware, Ree Drummond has an incredibly popular blog filled with recipes and advice that will help build your skills in the kitchen.
The Pioneer Woman blog posts are organized by food type, which allows you to search for a specific kind of recipe easily. Her recipes are beautifully photographed, with pictures of each step of the process.
What makes them successful:
- Huge social media following (3.6 M)
- Clear, easy-to-follow recipes
Marie Forleo
Blog Type: Lifestyle
Distinguishing Feature: Resources and Advice
Marie Forleo’s blog offers inspiration to those seeking to live a more intentional and aligned lifestyle. Through her thoughtful posts and interviews with others, she helps people unlock their inner success and move past their fears.
Her popular blog offers motivation through links to Youtube videos and her podcast, all of which make her blog a lively platform.
What makes this blogger successful:
- Huge social media following
- Inspirational content
We Wore What
Blog Type: Fashion
Distinguishing Feature: Sleek aesthetic
We Wore What is an excellent blog for those seeking to improve their style or expand their wardrobe. They offer a wide variety of posts, from lists of fashionable items at a great price, suggestions for outfits, and other lifestyle tips. Readers are sure to leave the site with a better understanding of fashion trends and great advice for achieving them.
What makes them successful:
- Well-designed aesthetic
- Detailed lists and advice
Gretchen Rubin
Blog Type: Personal Development
Distinguishing Feature: Free Resources
Gretchen Rubin is the New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project, a helpful guide for focusing on what truly matters in life. A Yale graduate and former law clerk, Rubin has dedicated her life to writing, specifically about finding the things that are most important in life.
Rubin’s blog shares information on topics like how to be happier, how to read more books, and even how to stop misplacing your keys. This blog provides excellent reads for anyone attempting to elevate their life.
What makes this blogger successful:
- Well-researched posts
- Free resources
- Other content (podcast)
Wrapping it up
So, what can we learn from the most popular blogs? Well, they have a few things in common. Namely, they are all fast-loading, well-designed, and, most importantly, post high-quality content frequently.
These blogs are in a class all on their own, clearly distinguishing themselves as the best blogs!
Until next time,
Edwin, DoSixFigures.com
What a fantastic compilation of some truly inspiring and diverse blogs, Edwin! Your insightful breakdown of each popular blog type, along with the distinguishing features and what makes them successful, is incredibly valuable. It’s refreshing to see the variety in niches, from photography and travel to personal finance and lifestyle.
Your motivation to share these success stories not only encourages aspiring bloggers but also highlights the enduring power of blogging as a platform for creative expression, information-sharing, and community building. I appreciate your emphasis on the commonalities among these top blogs—fast-loading, well-designed, and consistently delivering high-quality content.
Your own success story with Do Six Figures is a testament to the vitality of the blogging world. It’s evident that your dedication to providing motivation, inspiration, and learning opportunities has resonated with your audience. I’m excited to see how your insights continue to shape the blogging landscape and empower others to embark on their own blogging journeys.
Thank you for this insightful and motivating post! Looking forward to your next installment.
Awesome post. I am excited to be visiting these blogs that you have chosen. There are always improvements that can be done. I am doing a bit of a revamp on my site and will keep these tips in mind.