How to Start a True Crime Blog: 7 Step Beginners Guide

Is true crime your favorite genre?

Me too! I love researching about criminal activity, law enforcement, and forensic science. That's why I started Murder Meme Coin.

We'll explain:

1. Why you should start a true crime blog.

2. Examples of successful true crime blogs.

3. How to start a true crime blog.

4. Special considerations when researching true crime

5. Frequently asked questions.

Get ready to earn how to start a true crime blog.

Why Start a True Crime Blog?

True Crime is one of the most popular segments of the entertainment industry. More than half of American's love true crime content which means you have a huge target audience.

In addition entertainment bloggers make an average of $4,416 per month just from affiliate marketing.

True crime writers also help raise awareness for cases and causes that the media doesn't publicize. So you get to research interesting crimes, help people, and make a living doing it. What's not to love?

Examples of Successful True Crime Blogs

You'll want to look at what other true crime writers are doing. There are a ton of successful true crime blogs out there today. There are all kinds of true crime writing that can do well. Some of the top performing sites include:

• AETV: The A&E Global Media website is one of the largest true crime niche websites with over 4100 pages and an estimated $184K monthly revenue according to ahrefs.

• My Favorite Murder: This true crime podcast website includes blogs about how to help people going through events. Check out My Favorite Murder.

• The Innocence Project: This true crime site focuses on helping get the wrongfully accused out of jail and telling their stories. Check out the Innocence Project.

How To Start a True Crime Blog in 7 Steps

To start a true crime blog you'll need to:

1. Choose your niche.

2. Create your branding and logo.

3. Choose your web platform.

4. Create essential pages.

5. Start writing.

6. Promote your blog.

7. Monetize your blog.

   
   

Keep reading to find out more about each step.

1. Choose Your True Crime Niche

During the first step, you'll want to choose what type of true crime you'll write about. Building a brand in a sub-genre of true crime is easier than covering all aspects of the topic.

In our case we write about serial killers and true crime entertainment, basically all the morbid things that dig into the psychology of killers, their investigations, cases, and how to earn more about them.

There is so much content about true crime that you could never write about it all (without AI) so you have to cut it to a more manageable niche. Think about what you're interested in, the demand for it, and how it can be monetized.

Some popular true crime niches include:

• Famous cold cases. There are cases about famous serial killers and other criminals that were never solved. You can dig into them.

• Forensic science. Discussing forensic science can be a fun topic. I'm starting to dig into it some to learn more.

• Murders and serial killers. Many of the serial killers give a glimpse into the darkest corners of the human psyche and make for great stories.

• Recent true crime cases. Recent cases like Luigi Mangione or the Las Vegas PPP serial killer make great stories also.

• Unsolved mysteries. Unsolved cases range from kidnapping and human trafficking to murders and break-ins, which ads some diversity for those who want to understand other aspects of crime.

Next, you'll want to establish how much traffic you can get from each topic by using SEO tools like ahrefs and SurferSEO.

2. Decide on Branding & Log

You'll want to come up with a logo and color palette you'll be using. It might look at little like the one below, which was generated with coolors.co. These will be the basis for your website design and social media communications.

Note, while it's tempting to use a black background with red words, it makes it hard for readers to process the information. You can use red for headings, but use a white or off white for paragraphs.

3. Choose A Website Platform

To launch a blog, you need to choose a blogging platform for hosting your content.

Many bloggers recommend using a self-hosted WordPress site for greater control and customization, but I prefer Wix, or Shopify depending on the functionality you need.

You'll need to buy a domain, web host, and website.

Your domain name should be unique and memorable to attract visitors.

4. Create A Website With These Essential Pages

Every blog needs essential pages such as a homepage, an about page, and a contact page.

Homepage

Your home page should introduce people to your blog and website. It should provide links to major subject matters and help people easily understand your site and what it's all about.

About Page

You'll want to introduce yourself to readers on your “About page.” Explain your background and why you have a passion about your content.

Contact Page

Your contact page let's people know how to get ahold of you by phone, email, or social media platforms. It's one of the simpler pages but is necessary to help with user experience.

Privacy Policy + Terms & Conditions Pages

The privacy policy and terms and conditions pages are legal pages explaining what data you collect when people come to your true crime website and how they are allowed to you your true crime blog.

Consider using a tool like PrivacyPolicies.com to generate them easily.

4. Start Your True Crime Writing

Everything you've done so far was just getting to the point where you can write. Writing true crime isn't something you should just do randomly.

Using a keyword-focused content strategy can elevate a true crime blog's visibility in search engine results.

Producing keyword-focused content involves writing content that satisfies queries people are typing into search engines like Google. You can use ahrefs to get the keyword difficulty and search volume.

When you first start writing true crime stories you won't be able to rank for difficult search terms that everyone competes for like "serial killers." It will be way easier to rank for some of the other terms listed below though.

Find 10 topics to write about, then come up with titles using the target keywords. As a good rule of thumb keep the titles under 45 characters long so it will show fully in search engines. Here's some examples

• 7 Terrifying Female Serial Killers

• 10 Black Serial Killers In The U.S.

• 7 Famous California Serial Killers

People often search the number 10 before a term, but they tend to click titles with odd numbers and especially 7 more.

After you've come up with 10 blog titles, start writing true crime blogs. There's some strategies you can use to maximize your results.

• Use SurferSEO. The content editor in SurferSEO gives you a ton of information to make sure you include everything critical in your true crime stories.

• Use Simple Language. Readers understand an intriguing story better when it is written at their education level. Keep your stories at an 8th grade level for maximum readership of your true crime articles.

• Scatter Keywords Throughout Blogs: Your target keyword should be in the title, URL, first paragraph, at least one heading, and included once in approximately 200 words.

• Access case files.  Uncovered and The True Crime Database are good sources to find case files.

• Become an investigator. Research the cases and share your findings with your audience. Meticulous research is the foundation of any good true crime book. True crime stories often include interviews from people related to a crime or the victim.

• Stay compliant. Get permission to use pictures and quotes.

• Implement expertise. Share any experience you have with law enforcement, criminal justice, or forensic science.

• Join forums. Interact with other people who are interested in the true crime genre through forums.

• Expand your education. Study the subject in depth by listening to true crime podcasts, reading true crime books, and watching documentaries.

While you're writing keep in mind that most true crime stories should focus on victims and avoid glorifying criminals. Given you're writing non-fiction, creating a timeline of events helps maintain accuracy and consistency in true crime stories.

6. Promote Your Blog

84% of the U.S. population consumes true crime media.

Most successful blogs get the majority of their visitors through organic search engines or social media. This takes time though. I've been publishing for 6 months now and am just over 600 views a month despite having 5 years of SEO experience.

You might try some of the following ideas to help bring people to your blog:

• Join true crime communities. Many true crime audiences are dedicated and actively engage in online forums and social media. Share what you find with links to your blogs.

• Collaborate with influencers. True crime bloggers and influencers enjoy working together and can help get your name out. Their audience trusts them so they are more likely to check you out if they share your content.

• Start a podcast. People love true crime podcasts. You can narrate what you find then use AI transcription to write the true crime articles. That way you get at least 2 pieces of content for your efforts.

• Make your publications visually appealing. Visual elements such as book covers or website banners play a significant role in attracting readers to true crime content.

• Target regional publications. Targeting regional publications can be effective for pitching true crime articles.

Make sure to promote your blog in a way that is transparent and ethical. As you produce more content you should attract more readers and start to build some success. Once you do, it's time to think about monetization.

7. Make Money With Your True Crime Blog

The point of any blog is to eventually make money through your tips and insights. The true crime genre is no different. Some of the best ways to make money with the true crime genre include:

• Affiliate marketing

• Display ads

• Products

• Courses

Affiliate Marketing

You can use affiliate marketing to sell true crime books, audiobooks, clothing, and other products. You'll get a commission each time someone buys through one of your links. You don't have to create products or carry inventory, so it's a low cost way to start selling stuff.

You can read my guide about affiliate marketing on UpFlip. One of the easiest ones to start with is the Amazon affiliate program where you can recommend books about the genre, Audible audiobooks, movies, and murder mystery games, and clothing.

Display Ads

Display ads generate income for true crime bloggers based on the traffic they receive. You'll earn a little bit of money each time readers click on the ad. Ezoic lets you add ads to your website earlier than most, but you'll want to switch to Mediavine or Raptive when you have more traffic.

Products

Selling your own products can potentially earn true crime bloggers more income than traditional monetization methods.

Create and sell physical or digital products like books and true crime merchandise. Products can make substantial revenues and profits compared to affiliate marketing and ads. Don't forget to optimize your product pages for keywords. You can use print-on-demand like Printful to design and list the products on your website.

Courses

Someone who is successful in law enforcement, private investigation, or forensic science can create courses teaching people how to succeed at tasks and sell them to professionals or students interested in learning more. Consider using Teachable to release courses.

True Crime Books

When you've dug really deep into a subject you can enter into self-publishing true crime books sharing stories about the history of murder, your experiences, and cases you have done research about. Amazon makes self publishing easy.

How To Research True Crime

To research true crime there are a few unique aspects that you should be aware of including:

• Interview Primary Sources: Interviewing primary sources such as investigators and families of victims provides unique insights into true crime cases.

• Avoid Defamation Risks: Navigating legal issues is crucial when telling true crime stories to avoid lawsuits. Defamation can occur if false information damages someone's reputation when discussing true crime.

• Use FOIA Requests: Obtaining Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents can provide valuable information for true crime cases.

Learn more about True Crime Research.

FAQ

Do true crime blogs make money?

Yes. True crime blogs can earn an average of $4,416 per month or $52,992 per year. Each blog is different and will depend on their traffic and revenue streams. True crime content creators who create videos, podcasts, and blogs, plus sell their own products normally make the most.

Do you need permission to write a true crime book?

No. Anyone can write a true crime book, but to write the best book possible you'll need to interview the people who worked on the case and lived through it. This will require their permission to publish.

Closing

Writing about true crime like missing people or murdering in cold blood can be extraordinarily creative, engaging content that helps people make sense of what happened and discover what the dark side of the world is like.

True crime is many people's favorite genre of entertainment and non-fiction, but it should be done in a way where the glorification of the serial killers is limited and hope is maximized.

What type of true crime content do you enjoy most?