Should You Make Blogging Your Career?

Recently, someone asked me a question; How much do bloggers actually
make? This is a question that generally gets asked around a lot. And no
matter how successful a blogger is, he has wondered about the same thing
at some point or another. The fact of the matter is, there’s no simple
answer to this question, as there is no generalization in this industry.
Some bloggers earn more than a normal job would get them, while others
just look on! So is blogging worth it? In this post, we will (hopefully)
discuss whether it is or not. But to me, it depends. There are really
so many factors that it is hard to anticipate anything. But here is a
list of last year’s Top 10 Earning Blogs which will hopefully give you a general idea of how much a pro blogger can earn.

Blogging for money?

For most blogs, especially the ones that have started up recently, money
is the primary motive behind them. You will find numerous resources on
the internet telling you how profitable blogging is. Indeed, blogging
seems very promising.

First of all, blogging is self-employment. You don’t need to apply
anywhere, no need to appear for interviews, and you don’t answer to
anyone. You are your own boss. Those with a 9 to 5 will understand this
better than anyone else.

Secondly, there’s no ‘eligibility criteria’ for starting a blog. You
don’t need to have a degree, or a profession. Just an area of interest,
and you’re good to go.

Every business needs initial investment. Blogging is a business as well,
but it seems that the investment part is minimal. So why not start a
blog of your own? It seems great, right?

Some factors that determine earnings

Before you jump on to any decision though, there are some things you
should consider though. These are the factors that will ultimately
decide how much you will earn from your blog.

Your niche – Your niche will determine the future prospects of
your blog. It will also decide how far out your blog can reach, hence
effectively having a good say in how much you earn. The broader the
niche, the farther you can grab. But too broad, and you’re stranded at a
vast sea, unable to go anywhere. Ad income is dependent upon the
‘quality’ of your niche. For example, if your website is about cars,
then ads from large automobile manufacturers, such as Mercedes can be
very profitable – $3 per click or similar. Something about pet animals,
however, won’t get you as much.

How good your content is – Yes, content is important. People
think SEO is more important, but I beg to differ. SEO will only take you
so far. If your content isn’t capable enough, then what good can the
SEO do? Remember, SEO is applied on content, and not the other way
round! The better the content is, the more chances you have of getting
approved by advertising companies.

How effectively do you socialize – This is an extremely important
factor. For a lot of bloggers, their fortune changed for the better
when they socialized and met with popular bloggers. If you are fortunate
enough to be recognized and linked by them, then you’re good to go!

How much effort do you need to put in – Blogging requires a lot
of effort. For some people, it might just not be worth the effort. If
you posses determination and will power, and the energy to invest a lot
of effort daily, then you can seriously consider blogging as a career
path.

How much time should invest? – Blogging
takes up time, there’s no denying that. Even if you are a pro, you will
still need at least a couple of hours each day for blogging. As a
general rule of thumb, the more time you put in, the higher your income
will be. Blogging isn’t just about writing stuff. It’s about
socializing, networking, SEO, and more. The more time you put in, the
better your blog will be and the more you will earn.

So how long does it take to earn?

If you are looking to earn some money fast, then look somewhere else!
Starting a blog does not pay instantly. There’s a lot of time and work
required, as mentioned earlier. And it’ll be some time before you get a
decent income, based on how much time and effort you put in daily. It
can take months and years before you have in your hand a decent pay
cheque. So wait at least a few months before thinking about monetizing
your blog.

When MBT started, the main focus was not on earning money, but on
educating people. Hence, it took two solid years of work and dedication
for a decent first cheque. It also depends upon your know-how about
blogging. That can only come with time. Compare the 2 years time for MBT
with the three month time for our companion blog SEM. SEM has had the
best possible start, with all the content and know-how at hand. But
still, it took no less than three months before it started earning.
Hence, blogging is a game of patience. Learn to play at it.

‘Hidden’ Costs of running a blog

At the beginning, I said that a blog is a business. Well, as a business,
there’s got to be some investments involved right? At first, it seems
that there are minimal investment required. But as it turns out, there’s
a lot more to it than that. There are ‘hidden’ costs that appear while
you are in the process of building your blog. Some of these include;

• Web hosting
• Web storage / access fees
• Advertising
• Themes and Templates
• Software (e.g. shopping carts etc)
• Email software (for newsletters)
• Salaries (for staff)
• Outsourcing
• Forums
• Hardware or equipment (if any)
• And more

Hence, the point is, you need to make a careful analysis of all the
costs you are likely going to incur, and then deduct that amount from
the total income you have, to get the projected profit. If there is a no
profit, then it’s really no use at all, and you are going at a loss.
Even if you are getting a profit, but if it’s too little considering all
the time you put in, then it might not be worth it.

On a final note, blogging requires continuous effort. If you are
planning on quitting your regular job for blogging, then be prepared to
work on a regular basis. An ordinary business relies on the products you
sell. So even if you stop working on it for sometime, it won’t make
much of a difference. A blog is different though. As soon as you stop
working on it, it starts to fade away. Hence, it relies upon you, rather
than the services you offer.

In the end, I would like you to share your experience with us by simply
answering a few questions in the comments section, so that our readers
might get a better idea of how much do bloggers actually make. Simply,
copy and paste the following questions in the comment box, and type out
your replies next to them!

• Blog Niche? :
• Page-views per month? :
• How long it took to get a decent income? :
• Monthly Income? :
• How much time do you spend per day on your blog? :
• Main income streams? :

Remember, if you like, you can keep your confidentiality, and don’t
mention your name or website URL! Just an ‘Anonymous’ would do. All I
ask is, please be honest about it. Thanks for your co-operation 🙂