A blog is a great way to get your voice heard and share your knowledge with the world. It’s an easy way to build connections, grow your audience, and promote yourself or your company.
Blogging has lots of many benefits, but it also has some drawbacks that you should consider before starting. In this blog post, I will explore both the pros and cons of blogging so you can make a highly informed decision about whether it’s worth doing for you.
I’ve been a professional blogger since 2004, and I want to give you the most balanced view that a pro blogger can give.
Why Do People start Blogging?
My core motivation for starting a blog was to escape the 9-to-5 rat race and focus on a topic that was close to my heart.
I wanted to make money by writing about something I loved.
It was a counterculture blog, and it allowed me to create connections with like-minded people and network with people I had a natural affinity with. Eventually, most of my social circle was filled with people who shared the same values as me.
But people start blogging for a variety of reasons. They might want to practice their writing and improve their public speaking skills, or they may have an idea that they feel is worth sharing with the world.
Some people do it as a full-time job, while others blog part-time in order to supplement their income from another source.
Some people blog as a way to help others in the field with their questions or provide resources.
Others do it as an escape from some other aspect of their life, like boredom or loneliness. Some people are just looking for another creative outlet that they want to try out.
Is blogging dying out?
It’s a common question new bloggers ask when they’re not receiving the results they expected. No, blogging is not dying out. It is here to stay.
I’ve been blogging since 2004, and I have only seen the industry grow stronger and more profitable.
The number of blogs has grown exponentially in recent years, with a new blog being launched every few minutes.
While that means more competition, it also gives you an opportunity to work with like-minded people who share the same values as you.
It can be pretty difficult to stand out from the crowd these days with so many new voices entering the arena, but with the right strategy, you can rise above it all and find your tribe.
What is the right strategy? It starts with finding the right niche for your blog.
So this will show you how to find your blog niche.
Do bloggers still make money?
Blogging is now a huge industry.
The barrier to entry is very low for anyone wanting to start a blogging business.
However, most people who blog also have regular jobs or other sources of income on top of their blogging activity.
While some bloggers are able to quit their day job, they are in the minority. Even publishing high-quality content does not guarantee success.
You need the right digital marketing strategy built around search engine optimization. That starts with keyword research.
In fact, a survey by Digital Nomad Wannabe found that only 5% of bloggers work full-time on their blogs.
The ones who do turn their blogs into profitable businesses often manage it by offering services like sponsored posts or advertising banners that generate revenue.
While there’s no guarantee you’ll make a living by blogging, it can help you make some extra money on the side.
It will take at least a year or two before you start seeing traction.
If you’re willing to put in the work, blogging might be worth it for you.
How do bloggers make money?
A blog will give you multiple opportunities to make revenue.
The most common way to make money blogging is by displaying CPM adverts, like Google Adsense.
Bloggers also generate revenue through affiliate marketing programs and selling merchandise.
And more advanced bloggers often progress to making and selling their own products.
Some bloggers also make money blogging by charging for premium features, such as removing adverts from the site.
Blogging is a time-consuming activity that will require effort and persistence to succeed.
The key is finding a balance between giving away too much information or selling too many products without providing value in return for them.
Here is how to make money blogging and how long it takes.
How to start a blog with no money
Can you start a blog without money?
While you can technically start a blog with no money, I would not recommend it. It will be must harder to build a successful blog.
Sure, you could use a blogging platform like Blogger.com or WordPress.com and create a free blog, but it will be very limited.
You won’t actually own it. You can’t edit the template; you won’t have much control over your design or branding.
And the hosting company can shut you down without warning, so there is a potential risk to your business blog.
I remember a few years ago, Blogger.com deleted thousands of blogs overnight. Bloggers woke up to find years of hard work had vanished. That was a tough lesson for them to learn.
Talk about a lot of work for no reward.
Don’t put your online business in jeopardy.
If you’re willing to invest a little money into starting a blog, there are plenty of great WordPress hosting providers that will let you create an entire site on their servers with just one click.
You’ll be able to use any theme you want (or customize it yourself), as well as set up your own domain name if desired.
And if you go against the terms of service, you have a legal right to move your blog to another host – they cannot keep it from you or delete it.
And most web hosting providers also offer 24/hour customer support via email or chat so that you won’t be on your own.
So what about the costs?
Okay, you’re going to need a domain name. They cost around $10 a year.
Next, you’ll need a web host, which should not cost any more than $5 a month for professional-level hosting.
With an investment of around $70 a year, you’ll have all the tools needed to create and manage your own blog that will look professional without any hassle.
The best part is – it’s easy. You don’t have to do anything too complicated or technical, as the technology has become so advanced anyone can do it.
The pros of blogging
Because I’ve been a blogger for so long, I’m obviously in the pro camp. But why would you consider starting a blog?
The benefits of blogging:
-You can make money with blog posts via advertising or affiliate marketing
-Bloggers are more likely to be found on the internet because they have a unique voice, which means their content is less likely to get lost in an ocean of other people’s work. This makes them easy for prospective employers to find when looking for candidates.
-Blogging gives bloggers control over what they want to share about themselves since everything on their blog is self-generated instead of curated from social media like Facebook or Instagram.
-You can build connections with other bloggers in your niche by commenting on posts and getting involved in discussions – make sure not all your interactions online happen via a screen.
-Blogging gives you the chance to be creative and maintain a different persona than who you are in real life, e.g., if you’re an introvert at work but enjoy being more extroverted online, then blogging is for you.
-It’s also great practice – there’s absolutely no better way of practicing writing skills than by writing with minimal constraints on all sorts of topics (e.g., politics vs. fashion).
One of the biggest benefits of blogging is that it helps you build a community. It’s not uncommon for bloggers from all over the world to comment on each other’s posts and share their thoughts, ideas, or experiences with one another.
This can be both an online support group and provide pieces of advice from others who have successfully navigated through challenges like yours to get where they are today.
Some communities even take this idea further by hosting meetups or conferences so members can spend time in-person interacting with one another.
There are also many different tools available such as Facebook groups, forums, Slack channels, and more, which help make these connections happen easily online.
The cons of blogging
But blogging has its downsides too.
It takes a long time to become successful, and even then, you might not even notice your progress.
It can be difficult to keep up with all of the changes in technology and social media trends, which means it’s important to stay on top of things so that your blog doesn’t fall behind.
And there is no guarantee that blogging will actually make money for you. You could spend months or years writing content only to find out at the end that this wasn’t a good use of time after all.
This is especially true for bloggers who don’t have a strategy. There’s more to blogging than just writing content you think people will enjoy. You need to make data-driven decisions at every stage.
Blogs take work–and they also require persistence and patience, especially if success is what you hope for.
Blogging schedule
Successful blogging takes persistence. You need to publish on a regular basis, and having a blogging schedule is your best chance of success.
At a minimum, you should be publishing a blog post at least once a week, but more if you can.
What is the best blogging schedule?
Blogging three times a week, publishing new content every Monday, Wednesday and Friday seem to work well for many bloggers.
This is the schedule I followed for a long time, and being consistent allowed me to grow my business faster than publishing just once a week.
This approach isn’t right for everyone, though; find out what works best for you by experimenting and trying different schedules.
It’s better to find a routine you can be consistent with, instead of publishing several posts over a few days and then nothing for months on end.
How to build trust with a blog
Publishing blog content is a great way to connect with people in your niche, but it can be challenging to build trust.
Having a consistent schedule is one way to help you build trust.
But I sometimes see the written word as a barrier, especially when read through a screen. It can be impersonal.
And it’s easy to overlook the ‘human’ element in your content marketing approach. We’re constantly being told to provide educational content – which is a must, but in doing so, it’s easy to forget that we should be communicating with our readers as human to human.
The biggest trust-builders for me are videos and emails.
Communicating via email is a vital element of my business, and I do it frequently. But email is a two-way street; it should be a conversation.
That’s why I often ask for feedback. I want to have a dialogue with my email and Youtube subscribers; I want to know what they think and how they feel. This builds trust too.
But the biggest trust-builder of all is video.
I am showing my face on video, letting people hear my tone of voice, and letting them see the whites of my eyes. I’m a firm believer that people can sniff out BS a mile away, and video is a great way to show that you’re for real.
However, I get it; most bloggers don’t want to step foot in front of a camera. The good news is you don’t need to.
Here are a few ways you can build trust:
-Writing content that is informative without being too promotional or self-serving
-Be authentic and genuine, which also means admitting your mistakes
-Share your vulnerabilities and fears; these are human traits that everyone experiences
-Providing contact information (e.g., email address) and social media links on the blog’s homepage or sidebar
-Offering tools like live chat for responsive customer service from within the post itself
-Creating unique content that your readers can’t find anywhere else
-Engage with visitors on social media and creating relationships via email or chat
Conclusion
So is blogging worth it? The answer is yes if you do it right.
You need the right strategy and the right expectations. A blog isn’t a magic bullet to quick revenue, but it can be an essential business tool.
It will take time, persistence, and dedication to become a successful blogger, but if you’re willing to go the distance, listen to the data along the way, and respond accordingly, you can achieve it.