Blogging is not just a hobby, it is a business as well as a very exciting and rewarding career choice.
Whether you have a business you want to grow online, or you are looking to start an entirely new online business, blogging is certainly a great option. It is one of the easiest ways to start an online business.
But the question is: should you start blogging? Is it really worth it?
I can’t give you a definitive answer whether to go ahead or not. That’s because everyone’s starting circumstances are different, as is everyone’s aptitude.
But by asking yourself the following questions, I hope to help you decide.
1. Does blogging seem to you like an easy way to make money online?
It isn’t as easy as you may think, especially today. Unless, of course, you know your onions. You need to put in the work and be very intentional about your success. Such guides to ‘making easy money’ are usually scams, and in the very rare cases they are real, they don’t remain easy for long.
As an internet business, blogging can provide passive income – money coming in without having to do much work – which is always nice! However, you’re only likely to get to that stage once you’ve invested lots of time and hard work, which brings on us on to…
2. Are you in for the long haul?
Let’s face it, blogging is a business. And like most businesses, it may take time to start earning six, seven or even eight figures.
Unless you’re lucky or work extremely hard, you won’t earn anything straight away. Even if you have low overheads, you’re likely to operate at a loss initially.
To start a professional blog, you need to pay for a domain and hosting, and other blogging tools required to help you succeed. Plus, you need to spend countless hours researching, creating and promoting your content.
And you won’t start making any money until your content begins to gain traction and you start gaining some audience.
This takes time depending on your work ethic, and willingness to invest your time to learn and improve.
So if you are not in for the long haul, blogging is not for you.
You will surely see results, but you will be lucky if that takes just a couple of months. When I started my first blog (around 2016), it took me around nine months to make $65!
And it took me another six months to really figure out what I was doing. Now this is not to say you can’t start blogging today and hit the ground running. Because 6-Figure AI Blogging has made it really simple for you to start a blog today and earn at least $1,000 monthly in 60 days or less. However, this is me just being realistic. It may take some time before you start seeing some real results.
If you really want to start blogging, prepare to be in for the long haul.
3. Do you have a plan for your blogging business?
I can’t say this enough: blogging is a serious business! And like with any serious business, you need a plan.
Even if you’re starting really small, you need to have a solid strategy. Are you going to use blogging to promote a business you already have and want to grow online? Or is blogging going to be your business?
What are your passions or areas of expertise? What audience will you be serving? And how will your content help them?
This is what will make or mar your blogging endeavour, and you should really get it clear from the beginning. You also need to set clear targets – not forgetting your own living expenses.
Even if you end-up revising them, by setting benchmarks from the start you can measure your progress – or lack of!
4. What are your motivations?
It requires dedication to be a successful blogger, or to grow your business online successfully with a blog. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, then you’re less likely to put in the work and acquire loyal customers/audience.
To state the obvious: you need to be interested in blogging to become a successful blogger. And you need more than interest, you need to be passionate about it as well.
All new businesses experience setbacks, and you’ll need passion and enthusiasm to overcome them.
5. Will it be a hobby?
Many people start blogging as a hobby. But when it begins to take more of your time than you realize, then you will know it is a business and a full time job.
It is definitely not up to me to decide what you mean with your blog, but it is my candid advice that you take blogging as a business and start on that note.
6. Do you have capital to invest?
I know at Kobopress, we’ve made it low-cost to set up a blog without worrying about tech overwhelm or spending loads of money on expensive training that yields no tangible results. But there are other costs you need to factor-in, beyond your time.
Such as:
- monthly cost of internet subscription (data plan)
- blog promotion (organic and paid)
- equipment and tools, e.g. laptop, software, etc.
Like all businesses, it is wise to have money set aside for contingencies as well. So while it’s possible to start for next-to-nothing, you’re more likely to succeed if you have some savings or something to fall back on.
7. Will you make a living out of it?
Many people make a living out of blogging, me included.
But you’ll need to work hard and promote your blog to the right audience for this to happen.
I don’t want to put you off. Like most things in life, you’re rewarded for the amount of effort you put in.
Just don’t expect the Ferrari in the drive next week.
8. Do you have a target market, or have you seen a ‘gap’ in the market?
As mentioned above, blogging is a highly competitive area, and you’ll be competing with large corporations, small businesses as well as other talented and passionate individuals.
With it being an online business, you may well be competing against those in other parts of the world whose costs of living are lower.
That’s why before you start blogging, it’s a good idea to niche down and have a target market. You define your market with something as simple as a shared location or language, or an industry vertical, like photography, for example.
You might refine that with a target age group, lifestyle, interests and where they hang out on the internet. Finding your niche will be a lot easier – and cheaper – than going up against the big established brands or bloggers.
Getting more specific will narrow your potential audience, but it helps focus your message and your marketing spend. In my experience, those who stick with what they know are the most successful bloggers.
9. Do you enjoy helping others?
Even though internet businesses generally demand little human contact, they require a great deal of personal connection.
For your message or content to resonate very well with your audience, you need to connect with them on a personal level. This is what will earn you their trust and ultimately keep them loyal to you.
To achieve this, you need to enjoy helping people and make it your duty to help them always.
This way, when you recommend an offer to them, they will not hesitate to buy. And when you launch that product, they will gladly buy or subscribe to it.
Best of luck
Hopefully, thinking about these questions has helped you determine whether blogging is right for you, but I am available for any questions.
I don’t want to put you off the idea of becoming a blogger. But at the same time, I want you to become successful. I just don’t want to set up any false expectations.
While I’ve advised caution, I am keen to note: blogging can make a fulfilling and fruitful online business.
So if you’re about to take the plunge, then join 6-Figure AI Blogging and get started right away.
