Many of the bloggers I am in touch with via my blog consultancy or Twitter have great ambitions with their blogs. The majority talks about quitting their jobs and making a lot of money online.
It is good to be ambitious, but it is also important to be realistic. Only few bloggers make it into big money and it takes a lot of time and hard work. These big ambitions might be the effect of all the different membership sites and products that promise you to get rich from blogging when you sign-up.
Think of your blog as a side business at first
Too big ambitions contribute to bloggers giving up after a few months when they see that it is not easy to make money by blogging. I believe starting with smaller ambitions is a much healthier way to go.
People are increasingly finding ways to spend their free time that simultaneously helps them grow and brings them enjoyment. An increasing number of people are creating side businesses out of their hobbies and earning additional income and diversifying their income.
Recessions such as the one we live in now, shake people loose from old habits, from dying business practices, help them decide what to do with their lives, and force them to be creative, step outside the box, and figure out new and innovative ways to live their lives and earn their living.
Internet has made it simple for anyone to create a side business online. It is now easier than ever to make a business out of your passion. A lot of the stuff people are doing now would not have been possible some five years ago before blogs and social media. Now, everyone can connect with people from all over the world and build an audience.
Blogs can lead to extra work and new business opportunities
Pursuing a small business on the side is very low risk, it’s a cheap investment; you do not need to put your life savings into starting a blog. It is a productive outlet that helps build your personal brand, and can connect you with like-minded people and show them what you do, what your passion is, what your abilities are and what you are good at. From these connections, a blog can lead to extra work and new business opportunities.
Earning a side income from a hobby through a blog sets the stage for future growth. It opens up opportunities that were not previously thought possible. By selling ebooks, creating membership sites or by consulting you can earn an income big enough to enable you to turn your passion into a career. It has limitless possibilities as long as you are willing to work hard in a consistent matter over a longer period of time.
Turn your passion into an online business
Test and try it in small steps, install a WordPress blog and work on it on the side of your day job. It will take some long hours, it will be hard work, you would need to work like crazy, but you are the author of your destiny and you could make it happen. You could make a great living from your passion, by doing what you love. Be entrepreneurial, take that passion of yours and go for it – climb your way up and turn your passion into an online business.
Image by Lewis Chaplin
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I wrote a similar post yesterday talking about the same thing. To many people are trying to conquer the world instead of just making enough money to live happy. Instead of making millions of dollar each year I think most people would be satisfied with making a extra $500 each month to spend on pleasures. But they are caught up with the get rich quick-schemes and give up if they haven’t made several hundreds of dollar within a few weeks.
Definitely! I have seen that same thing many times, huge expectations at start and as there as so low barriers to enter the blogging world people also have an easy exit when it doesn’t fulfill these big dreams in short term.
Well said! That is my plan exactly. I have a full time job plus one general blog now, and I plan to get going on a niche blog in the next few months. I’m just enjoying the blog, getting to know my readers and talking to them in the comments. By a few years from now, I hope to have at least one very busy blog from all this, hopefully making some good money too.
That’s a great plan! Keep building content, keep connecting to your audience on your blog and also very important – keep connecting to the people in your target group via social media like Twitter and StumbleUpon and drag them back to your blog where they can become regular readers.
I very much agree with this, some people are assuming that blogging is a short and easy way to gain much. This post serves as a reminder to those individuals.
Ambitions and inspirations are good but it’s just a small part of a big puzzle. Effort, time and dedication are the ones that you should invest to succeed. Keep in mind; it won’t happen for just a short period of time better to be realistic indeed.ss
Definitely true. Small steps, a lot of hard work, a lot of time spent on writing content and on connecting with people through social media. Kind of gaining your readership one by one. Slowly you will see results, from word-of-mouth, from Google search and so on.
I agree with you. Being a blogger is like being a footballer. Only few footballers make millions although it inspires many to go into playing the game.
True. But remember that you can make a great life earning far less than a million. That’s what this post is about. Have “smaller” ambitions money-wise and word hard on it in consistent manner over a longer period of time and you might just get $500 $1000 or even much more per month to enjoy your life with.
Good post. It’s cool that you are getting a lot of search engine traffic now and don’t have to post as much. This site is a good example of working hard to build a long term asset that is already paying off.
great post. First mistake all blogers do is to try to make so much money at begining… take it slowly.
Good post Marko. I realize I can’t make a million on my blog, but I would definitely be happy starting with $100 extra dollars a month, or at least enough to pay for my domain and hosting fees to the wife doesn’t get too upset over the time I spend on it
Actually, the blog she started 2 weeks ago is probably more popular than mine!
Great post. Thanks. I completely agree with you. Thinking of money in the very begining is equivalent to putting The End to the story before it begins
I speak with people sometimes who think that if you launch a blog you will just make money on it. Each blog should be treated like a business and actually not just a blog.
Great point. I think its the fact that most bloggers are preoccupied on thinking about monetizing their blogs directly. In own opinion, having a blog has way more benefits rather than just the money thing as it can be a powerful business tool that could pave the way for many other opportunities…
Great article.
It’s important to have dreams, to have goals… but to put everything in one basket isn’t wise.
I agree with some earlier comments… while the goal of making your living from blogging is a great goal to have, there is great value for many people in earning an extra $100 per month. $200, $300… etc.. and the experience of building your blog(s)/website(s) into a part time business.
Great insight. I think if you do what you have just told us not to do that you will fail with any business. You really hit it on the nail with this post. Loved it!
A very nice post. I have been blogging for about 9 months now, as a side business. I have a full time job too. I am starting slow but steady. Good advice for especially newbies who see pro-blogging as a money making tree! It is true but it takes a huuuuuuge time to grow the tree, before reaping benefits
Well said. I started with a small expectation to make money from blogging. There are times when I was thinking to give up. Few months later, I found my true goal by changing my perspective to focus on writing a lot of quality posts. I feel satisfied by seeing my writing skill improve from blogging. I believe many beginner blogger tends to have the same mindset which in their mind is how to “make money fast” but when things not working, they will give up easily.