I have been asked many times over by many people whether or not to start a blog, for financial gain, and so here’s the truth, if you are asking me this question, my answer is going to be an unequivocal NO.
No you should not even contemplate starting a blog if you are on the fence and need to ask someone if it is worth it.
I clearly think that it IS worth it, but here are some things I also know.
Blogging Is NOT Easy Money
I make quite a bit of money off of my blog. I do this through advertising, affiliates and sponsored posts, but none of it is easy and it did not start right away. I made my first 100 bucks about 4 months into blogging and then nothing came in for the next 4 months. It has taken time, hard work and determination to get me to the point where blogging is financially worth it and none of it happened overnight.
Blogging Is A Way Of Life
Financially successful bloggers know what I mean when I say blogging is a way of life. You are ALWAYS on. I check my comments, Twitter interactions, Facebook updates, IG tags and sundry other details multiple times a day. I try to do it in a way that does not disrupt my life, but sometimes it does. And this is blogging. So think real hard in your mind if all of this is something that you and your family situation can handle before you start a blog, because if what I said sounds like a nightmare to you right now, it will be even worse when it is actually you and not me doing all of these things.
To Make Money In Blogging You Need To Be Able To Diversify
A lot of people prior to starting blogs, have a grand idea for what they are going to blog about. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to at least have a starting idea for your blog, because I can promise you if you don’t, you will burn out. Content isn’t something you can fake, and writer’s block is a thing. It just isn’t a thing you have the luxury to entertain. Make sure that you are covering a topic you can talk about in your sleep, because you may be called on to do that.
I make money off of my blog because I am willing to diversify. As a blogger I will absolutely never partner with a shady product or company. I owe my audience both my loyalty and honesty. Anything featured here on JENerally Informed is going to have my stamp of approval. I hope that over the years that has come to mean something. The professional term is “brand.” It is hard to build and easy to destroy.
But that being said, in order to make money blogging I have had to be wiling to promote and share information about products I never thought I would. It has been fun learning new skills, but if you had asked me 5 years ago if I would be changing my own car air filters and blogging about it, or trying to concoct and make recipes with cereal, I would have never even thought it was something in my skill-set. I have done both of these things, and more, and have done well with them. So if prior to blogging you think that you will ONLY do a certain type of paid post that works with a certain type of company, I say good luck to you. You had better be really, really good and committed to be able to see financial solvency in such a niche market. There is a reason stock brokers tell you to diversify. It works. The same can be said for blogging.
Blogging Has Changed My Life
I feel like there are two versions of me. One that was prior to blogging and the other one that came after blogging. I really like the person that has emerged from her days and years blogging. This person has learned to fight trolls, make life long friends on the internet (that really are dear friends), she can type a 140 character tweet faster than you can blink and she does it all with confidence and a bit of humor. I like her and I know others do too, because they keep coming back to this little space on the vast internet.
It has taken both the good and the bad to get me to this point as a blogger and I won’t say I have loved every minute of it. I do love where I am at right now and I am no longer afraid of change or growth and I actually kind of look forward to each metamorphosis that blogging has brought me, I am always happily surprised at the person that emerges from each one of those blogging transitional phases.
So if none of this sounds like your thing, then perhaps blogging for profit isn’t the right path for you.
If after reading this you are still all in, I would like to say, “Welcome”! Blogging is a crazy, amazing ride and you are going to love it!
Love,
Jen
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