Blogging As A Business

Obviously, I'm a blogger. But It's not only my hobby, it's my job. It is something I am passionate about, I had always wanted to be a writer in some capacity. When I got into blogging, it was just a fun way to spend my time, but it has become my brand. My income.

The "secret" to making blogging into a business is first and foremost to make sure it is something you love. Doing this just to try to make money or get press samples or anything if the like, but not actually enjoying it is the quickest way to fail. Necessity and novelty run out, passion endures.

In the same vein, make sure your blog is true to who you are. Don't try to write for some hypothetical audience out there somewhere. Write what you know and what you care about. While product reviews and basic lifestyle content may be my area of "expertise", you may be great at beauty tutorials or recipes or travel tips. Embrace your strengths.

Go at your own pace. It is important not to try to do everything all at once. I have done that, and it just leads to failure. Some people can work quicker and handle more than others, but anyone can get overwhelmed. This is going to be a long-term business and it generally does not take much initial investment, so there is no rush to make a ton of profits right away.

Know your worth, but don't be conceited. We all want to get paid fairly. Actually, it would be lying to say that we don't want to get paid as much as possible, even if it's more than we'd expect. Just was we want to earn as much as possible, companies generally want to pay as little as possible. That's just life. Generally, don't settle for less than you are worth. But also, don't cheat yourself out of money because of inflated pride. Actors take smaller roles even after landing huge ones. You can take a smaller gig even if you are used to bigger ones. My bills don't care how good I think I am and neither do yours.

Make connections. Not only is it great to have friends and get support from people who are in the same boat as you, now, it is a great strategy that could possibly help you out in the future. People change jobs all the time. So working with that small company now, and getting to know the rep, may build a foundation to work with them again, when that rep has moved on to a huge company. I have had several contacts that have kept in touch with me when they have went on to different positions, and it is great for us both. I get to work with a great new company I may have never considered, and the rep gets to start their first campaigns at the new job with bloggers they already trust.

Invest in your blog (and yourself). Like any business you get out what you put in. So don't be afraid to invest in your blog. One of the best things you can invest in is help. A VA can be great, so useful for the generic aspects like posting to social media, proofreading and more. Another great option is a consultant. I know many people often wonder "What does a consultant do?" Well, they can do many things, that's why they are so great. They can offer help with advertising campaigns, analyze performance, manage/plan budget and more.

Treat your blog with as much importance and passion as you would when starting your own business, because it is just as important. It does take work and planning. Anything worth having is worth working for. Whatever you do, the most important step is to get started.You can do it.