You’ve been blogging for a while now and realize that more people than just your grandma are reading your posts. In fact, you’ve earned yourself an impressive audience. It sparks a little idea in your mind…what if I could make money from my blogging hobby?
Now what?
The internet is a huge space. There are over 70 million blogs in existence and 95% of those blogs are abandoned. There is room for you. For your blog. And you can finally make money doing what you’re passionate about if you’re willing to put forth a few hours a day and a whole lot of effort. If you’re ready to take your blog to the next level, we’ll walking you through the steps to make it happen.
The first order of business is to separate the blogging myths from the blogging truths. There are plenty of people out there who can tell you how great of a writer/crafter/stylist/chef you are and that you’re sure to be an instant success, but there’s a little more to it than that.
Here are the top three blogging myths and the truths behind them:
Myth #1: It’d be awesome if all you had to do to run a successful blogging business is write killer content, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, that isn’t reality. There are plenty of bloggers who are smart, crafty, passionate, thrifty, have great style, and enough skill to compose inspiring posts about what they love. Those bloggers, however, are not the ones making full-time incomes from their website. Maybe this is where you’re at. Allow us to gently burst your bubble and inform you that it takes more than great content to make money from a blog. There is a lot more behind the scenes work done for successful blogs, and many bloggers work a full-time schedule, and then some. Understand that you will spend thousands of hours collaborating, negotiating, advertising, designing, posting on social media, and employing SEO strategies to get your blog seen by a large audience. Don’t bank on your writing skills alone; you simply cannot build a successful blogging business without putting in the work.
Myth #2: All it will take is one viral post for your blog to be a success. There are success stories where this is the case, but those are the exception, not the rule. Don’t plan on your blog taking off and making millions, even if one of your posts goes viral. You’ll need plenty of quality content, proper SEO tactics, and probably a little bit of investment money to make your blog a success. In addition to one (or lots!) of viral posts, you’ll need to have a highly functional and user-friendly website that is attractive in design and style, as well as some business management techniques to build a genuinely successful blogging business.
Myth #3: You will make a lot of money in a short amount of time as soon as you turn your blog into an official business. A lot of new bloggers buy into this myth, and it’s easy to do. Often times bloggers focus on their own content and what they are doing, rather than taking some time to watch what others are doing to be successful. There are plenty of people who do what you do and blog about it, but what separates the successful blogs from the abandoned ones is a lot of time and expertise. If you’re serious about your blogging business, you’ll likely need to invest a little bit of money upfront for things like a professional logo design, a website template, your own domain, a business license, and more. Not to worry though, all of these expenses are deductible and can be used to reduce your tax obligation when you go to file taxes.
Successful blogs take a lot of work and a lot of patience to turn into something great. Your blog likely won’t top the “must-read” lists overnight, but with some perseverance, dedication, and a business mindset, you’re sure to see success with it in the long run.
Love this post in our Business of Blogging Series? You might also enjoy:
Deciding on a Business Entity for your Blog
Obtaining a Tax ID Number and Proper Licenses to Run Your Blog Business
Start Making Money on Your Blog
Creating and Maintaining an Organized Bookkeeping System for Your Blog
Tracking Blog Expenses the Right Way
How to Create a Budget for Your Blog
Making Smart Investments in Your Blog Business
