Owning a blog is a very fun way to earn an online income. If you choose the right niche for yourself, you will likely enjoy every post you have to write and publish. You’ll enjoy engaging with your audience and talking even more about the topics you blog about.
Monetarily, blogging also has nice perks. There are multiple income streams you can create on your blog so if something where to go away, you’d have other “money rivers” still flowing. The different methods also break up any monotony blogging can bring, since you will be finding new ways of earning money.
It’s one of the methods I use to build my online income each and every month.
Plus, blogging gives you a platform in which to become an expert in your niche. With your following, you could go on to teach courses or offer ebooks or products to help your readers and increase your income even further.
But…let’s not put the cart before the horse. There are some things you should know before you start a blog, so that you do things correctly and shorten the road to success!
6 Things You Should Know Before Starting a Blog
1. Blogging is hard work. Yes, there are some nice perks. However, in order to get them you have to establish yourself and your blog on the internet. If no one is reading, no one is going to pay you to blog about anything! You need to be consistent with your blogging efforts. Post regularly, share and engage on your social media channels every day. Get involved with blogging groups on Facebook and network to get more opportunities and exposure.
2. You will suffer burnout. All bloggers reach the point where they start questioning if they really enjoy what they are doing. Because it requires a lot of hard, consistent effort, blogging can really cause you to feel overwhelmed or even frustrated. That is a great time to take a step back, slow down on what your are doing, or even ask for guest posts from friends. You will push through it and come out loving your blog again after a break.
3. Start professionally from the get go. It’s true that you can start a blog for absolutely nothing, but it’s not the route any experienced blogger would recommend. It’s best to begin your blog on WordPress, with paid hosting. This makes you look more professional once you are ready to work with brands and advertisers. Plus, it saves you the headache of moving from a free platform to WordPress later – and trust me, at some point you would want to!
4. Begin your mailing list now. That may sound completely foreign and like something you cannot do as a beginning blogger. However, there are free autoresponders (the programs that send emails for you automatically) that can get you started with email lists – MailChimp is one. This list will become a valuable asset to you as you grow. It will be where your most loyal readers are found. Build that trust with them from the beginning.
5. The blogging world changes – A LOT! You have to be able to adapt in this crazy land. Things to get your traffic or more sponsored posts or ad revenue that worked just last year may be completely outdated now. Don’t be afraid to try new things and always keep learning so you will be successful as a blogger.
6. You have to spend money to make money in blogging. In no way do you have to invest $500+ right off the bat. But, like any business you would start, blogging will eventually cost some money. Invest in a professionally designed theme to attract more business and readers. Take courses to improve your skills in content creation and social media. Start using automation tools to free up more time for writing or blog photography.
Bloggers: What would you tell beginners before they start their blog?
