Part 1 of 11 things to consider before you start blogging
Blogs are by far not the easiest ways to make money online, not only this but to reap the benefits that blogs are famous for you need to put in the hours.
You need to devote your free time to writing articles, creating networks, experimenting with advertising programs, reading other blogs in your market, creating article ideas, researching and developing your blog in to something that will one day allow you to retire or at least bring a stable income that will help to pay the bills.
This may sound easy but seriously can you do it, can you devote your time and energy to a blog not just for a couple of months but for a year, two years perhaps, until you actually see a return for the time you have committed to your blog.
It’s a fact that most blogs don’t see much of a return on their time and investment within the first 12 months of blogging. This blog for example is coming up to its one year anniversary in November and I have still yet to see a return for my efforts however the joy I have for this market keeps me motivated.
Most blogs don’t see much of a return on investment within the first 12 months
Sure, sometimes I think why? Why am I dedicating so many hours to a website which has yet to repay me? Within the last 9 months I have found many other ways to make money online which seem less time consuming and more beneficial in the short term. But blogging isn’t a short term development; blogging is definitely a long term goal which takes time and dedication.
Blogging is a long term development there aren’t no quick dollars to be made here!
If you have decided to create a blog as a quick money making scheme then think again. Blogs are not get rich in one week schemes, although I am sure that there have been the odd few webmasters out there who have been able to jump in to a market at the right time and with their blog make money within the first couple of weeks. However speaking for the average blogger this is not the way it goes, it usually takes months to receive even the slightest return.
To succeed in the world of blogging you should have several different features
Determination To be able to put up with the months of Google adsense paying you cents for all your hard work you need to be strong minded. This will help see you through the rough stages of your blogging career and ensure you reach the light where you will be awarded with several cheques a month for hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
Patience If you’re looking for a “Get rich quick” scheme then blogging is definitely not for you and I would try something else such as affiliate marketing. To succeed as a blogger you need to be patient.
Drive To succeed as a blogger you need to have the drive, the ambition the motivation and energy within your self to succeed. Like with everything in life you need the drive to succeed.
Now these features are obviously not a requirement you don’t need to put them on your CV when you apply for a wordpress account (that’s a joke, there is no application or CV for that matter.) However these are just some of the common features I recognise in successful bloggers of today’s world. They are also features that I notice in my self and answers to questions like “How have I stuck with blogging”? Well it’s because of my drive and my motivation as it is with many others. However there are other unique features that may only be visible through one blogger there own unique features which help to get them through the tough times of blogging.
There are many different factors making a bloggers life a difficult one as well as many restraints which make the blog development long and hard.
Blogs take time to develop If you want to succeed with blogging you need to realise that a blog is not a short term development. They take time and with that time you gain experience and knowledge which in turn improves your blog. With this time to develop comes the lack of earnings throughout the earlier stages of your blogs development.
As I mentioned earlier most blogs don’t earn a substantial amount of income within the first 12 months dependant on what types of monetizing you use on your blog which we shall come to later on in this series, also whether you use the hard sell tactics or not.
However popular blogs are well known for making large amounts of monthly earnings due to the subscriber base that they have and the popularity that they have built through internet marketing and brand awareness.
Overall I hope you can see that a blog is not an easy development to undertake with many long term benefits come many short term losses both in a time and monetary value.
