Today, I’d like to answer the question: why start a blog?
We live in a gig economy. Everyone needs/wants extra money. Most people have some type of side hustle going on, even professionals and six figure income earners.
We also live in a digital world. Because of the internet, there is a true level playing field. We all have options in life. If you don’t want to pursue the traditional 9 to 5 career, you don’t need to. You can work from home in your pajamas or at the beach.
More importantly, it’s expensive to live. Everything seems to go up but wages. Even with two income families, it can be a struggle to make ends meet. When it comes to making additional money, you have many options. You could.
- Get a part-time job
- Sell on eBay
- Drive for Uber or Lyft
- Sell at the flea markets on weekends
- Invest in the stock markets
- Crypotcurrency investing
- Buy and sell FOREX, silver or gold
- Be a freelancer
- Work more hours at your primary job
- Or countless other things
The bottom line is you have a lot of choices. What works for one person might now work for someone else. While blogging is not for everyone, nor is it fast or easy, it can be a viable move for the right person, especially if you enjoy writing, can take the long-term view, and are disciplined with your time.
What is a Blog?
A blog is simply a website that gets updated frequently. It is normally arranged chronologically or by category. In most cases, it’s centered around one niche topic, but not always. There are business blog and personal blogs. What you see below is a definition I found online.
According to Wikipedia, a blog is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries. Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order, so that the most recent post appears first, at the top of the web page.
How Much Does it Cost?
In some cases, you can start a blog for free. However, if you do it right with a self-hosted domain, it’s probably going to cost you about $200 per year, give or take. That includes hosting and your domain name. If you want a custom layout or theme, that might cost you another few hundred dollars, give or take. Blogging is very inexpensive compared to other entrepreneurship alternatives.
Why Start a Blog?
You might be wondering: Why start a blog? In fact, why start a blog when there are so many other options to earn extra money? I’ll give you some simple advice that should help you.
First off, it’s easy to trade hours for dollars. That is what most people do. The problem of selling on eBay, driving for Uber or getting a part-time job is that you are simply trading time for money. The MOMENT you stop working your income is gone. The second you lose your ability to work, your income is gone. Plus, you can’t SELL a part-time job.
While those income streams do create an IMMEDIATE income source (which is great) there is no residual or ongoing income. Plus, you cannot sell your part-time job and cash out for a big payday.
While building a blog is MUCH slower (upfront) than other methods of making additional money, and does not typically provide much income for the first couple of years, a blog can become a great source of passive income over a period of a few years (individual results will vary). It can also be a valuable asset you could sell one day, if you choose to. It is not uncommon for a popular, high traffic blog to sell for six figures or more.
At first, you work for less than minimum wage when you are blogging. Much less. That’s actually quite common in any new business. But over a period of time, assuming you stick with it, the COMPOUND EFFECT kicks in and you start to gain some traction and momentum. You make your first sale, then you earn a few dollars per month, and at some point in time you start earning a few hundred dollars per month.
Eventually, if you keep going your income can grow substantially. The first few years of blogging, putting in a ton of work, I don’t think I made $1 per hour. However, by the third and fourth year, it started to get exciting. By the fourth year, it provided a livable income.
Now that I am 10 years into it, it’s life changing. My wife and I haven’t had jobs in at least 6-7 years and we both work from home. Was it easy? Heck no. Did I want to quit? Yes. Many times. Was it worth it? Oh yeah!
I knew that had I just gone out and got a part-time job, I would have never earned my time and money freedom. That is why I decided to start an online business and blog.
Plus, my blog gives me a ton of fulfillment. I get to write every day about a topic I am very passionate about: network marketing. I’ve written approximately 1,500 articles on this website alone, and I never get bored or tired of it. When you love what you do you will not work a day in your life!
Should You Start a Blog?
That depends on a lot of factors. Do you like to write? Are you passionate about a specific topic? Are you disciplined with your time? Are you willing to practice delayed gratification? Only you can answer those questions.
For most people, it’s probably not a smart moved when compared to other ways of making money. The only exception would be if you were starting a blog as a hobby or as a labor of love. If that’s the case, go for it!
If you need some extra money NOW, go out and get a part-time job or side gig, and just work on your blog a few hours per week. Over a period of a year or two, those few hours per week can really add up into something significant. At that point, you can devote more time to your blog.
Can Blogs Make Big Money?
The answer is yes and no. Like any other profession, there are a select few people who really master their craft and earn absurd amounts of money. Some bloggers earn MILLIONS of dollars per year. Many others earn six figures.
On the flip side of the coin, many bloggers make NOTHING. That’s really no different than any other business model. For example, some restaurants in town make fists full of cash week in and week out, while other restaurants in the same town go out of business in just a few short months.
Individual results will always vary. What I like most about blogging is the low startup cost. Your overhead, when you are beginning anyway, should be around $100 or $200 per YEAR. When compared to most other business models, that is an amazing deal.
Making the Decision
I wouldn’t just rush into the decision to start a blog. That is what most new bloggers do and that is also one of the primary reasons so many bloggers fail. You should put some serious thought into it. You should do your research. You should brainstorm potential niches. Ask yourself “could I see myself writing every day?”
One of my best tips is to talk with other bloggers. Make a list of your questions and pick their brain. Pay them for their time if necessary. Also, you could volunteer to work for a blogger a few hours each week for free (or as a paid side gig) to learn the ropes and see if you actually enjoy it.
I would much rather see someone go through those steps first than just jump into it. It is time and money well spent.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, these are my answers to the question: why start a blog?
Even though starting a blog inexpensive and easy to do, I do not recommend it to everyone. It takes a lot of hard work, time and patience to build a profitable blog. Looking back, I’m glad I did it; however, it took me twice as long and twice the work I initially expected.
What are your thoughts about blogging? Are you a blogger? Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great day.
Sincerely,
Chuck Holmes
Network Marketing Professional (21+ years)
Top Recruiter & Top Rep
mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
I can honestly say that I have tried to start a blog a couple times. This is something that interests me however I have not been able to get it up and running to far. I’m not sure if it’s because I am a multi-tasker & did not take the time to actually sit down to do it frequent enough or if it’s because I am OCD with the way things appear and I was never satisfied with the layout of my page. I have learned a lot over the years and have always wanted to share that with others, Blogging is a great way to do that. I feel that it’s definitely worth a try if it’s something that someone what’s to do.
Yes, it takes some time to get a blog off the ground. There are so many things to do. Creating new content, getting comments, marketing your blog, editing old articles. It can become a full-time job quickly.