Being a professional blogger comes with some amazing benefits, including working for yourself and location independence. Since most bloggers start off writing as a hobby, a lot of people have the impression that this career is not lucrative. Strangers may think you’re just doing it as a hobby in your spare time. Meanwhile, your close friends and relatives may be concerned about your “unemployed” status.
As a result, novices often wonder if the income from blogging is enough to make it a worthwhile career. I can respond in the affirmative: YES, you can make good money from blogging.
Numerous bloggers make 5 figures a month, while highly successful ones have been known to earn 6 or even 7 figures, and they’re not shy about telling the public. For example, Smart Passive Income’s Pat Flyn regularly shares his online income statements. Based on his posts, he nets more than 6 figures per month from his blogging efforts. That’s certainly nothing to sneeze at.
You’re probably going, ‘That’s not exactly the answer I’m looking for.’ Granted, these bloggers are highly exceptional, with cash flows that reflect their years of experience in the blogosphere. It’s certainly not realistic to expect the same earnings as a novice blogger. Understand that it took them years to get to that point, and it definitely didn’t happen overnight.
Let’s go back to the question ‘On average, how much would I earn from blogging?’ A good approach would be to rephrase this question this way: ‘How much would I earn by becoming an entrepreneur?’ The answer is quite similar to both questions. The majority don’t earn that much, some earn a good income, while a rare few hit the jackpot.
Still not specific enough? That’s because a fixed number doesn’t really exist. Blogging is quite different from your usual office job where you are paid X amount for working Y number of hours. Entrepreneurs earn from the value they provide, and the same holds true for bloggers. Sounds daunting? Think of it this way: this means that a blogger’s potential income is virtually limitless.
If you’re still undecided about making the leap into blogging, let me throw in a few numbers. A monthly income of at least $500 is certainly achievable for a new blogger, provided you’ve actually done your research and made an effort. In your first year, that can definitely go up to $2,000 per month or even more. Within 2-5 years, you can push those numbers up into a 5 or 6-figure income per month, with the caveat that you’ve kept up or even exceeded your original pace. Hopefully, this gives you a pretty good idea of whether a blogging income is enough for you.
Note that a lot of factors influence your potential blogging income, including your chosen niche, the size of your audience, your communication skills and credibility, and so on. As with any business, it’s not enough to have brilliant ideas or concepts. How you execute your ideas will ultimately determine your success.
The best part? If you’re enthusiastic about an obscure topic, blogging would be a great way to channel that passion into dollars, provided you have a loyal audience who shares your interest. Keep in mind, though, that some niches are naturally more appealing than others. To give you an idea, the most profitable niches include health and fitness, making money online, and insurance.
A lot of blogging newbies commit the mistake of choosing an unfamiliar niche, just because it’s highly popular. I’ve lost count of “personal finance” bloggers who can’t even balance a checkbook, much less give reliable advice about complicated investment solutions. As a result, there are multitudes of blogs that don’t make a profit, simply because the writers obviously have no interest or competence in their topic.
Real people read blogs, and they will spot a fake sooner rather than later. Save yourself the grief and write about a topic that you are well-versed in and truly passionate about. If you do choose an unfamiliar topic, make sure it’s something that excites you enough that you’re willing to become an expert on it. Your readers can tell if you’re just going through the motions, and they can definitely sense if you’re giving unprofessional advice or unreliable information.
Do you think you have what it takes to succeed as a blogger? You don’t have to look far for proof. Thanks to the internet, millions of bloggers now work from home or while traveling around the world. Not only that, they make substantially more money as online entrepreneurs, compared to their former office salaries. Some of the most inexperienced writers have launched insanely profitable blogs about the oddest topics imaginable.
Watch out for these pitfalls as a newbie blogger:
- Expecting instant results without putting in the effort. As with any real business, blogging requires an investment in resources. Blogging is not a scam, so you’re better off with this mindset.
- Talking about a topic you know nothing about. You don’t want to spout wrong information or fluff on your blog. That’s why being a blogger involves continuous, serious learning.
- Failing to launch. Fears are unavoidable, especially when you’re just starting. I certainly had my share of doubts! But don’t let your uncertainty and questions paralyze you into inaction. There will come a time when you simply need to get things done, so don’t overthink it.
So, what does it take to succeed as a blogger?
- Investing your energy, time, and resources. There’s no magic spell to a successful blog (or anything, for that matter). You need to do the work!
- Giving value to your readers. People pay big bucks for trustworthy, consistent content.
- Put in the effort and persist. Persistence is seriously underrated nowadays, but it is the secret to success in blogging and life in general. It may take five months or five years, but just keep blogging. The freedom is worth it.
Keep these 3 things in mind, and you will have a profitable blog in no time.
Nice tips shared! Thanks for sharing it.