Why You Absolutely Can Start Blogging To Make Money
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To be clear, this post is about the reasons why blogging is great income source for some people, not why you should start a blog. That’s all whole different topic.
Why I Started Blogging
I only started this blog about 3 months ago. I had been looking for a new hobby or business to start, and at the advice of some friends, I started a personal finance blog because it was a subject in which I was interested and people said I was pretty good at giving financial advice, such as how to stick to a budget, how to start investing or how to save more money while still enjoying life. My day job was getting a bit stale, and I found that blogging was a great way to keep myself intellectually stimulated without taking too much time or money to get started.
So this was how Not Your Parents’ Financial Guy was started. I scratched my own itch, and by doing so I took a topic in which I was interested and began writing about it as a way to get my thoughts out of my head and onto a computer screen in a more coherent form. This also allowed me to share my thoughts with the world, whether people decided to actually read them or not. Still working on this part….
When it comes to actually making money from blogging, this is a pretty interesting topic to me. Though I did not start my blog with the intention of making money, it was absolutely in the back of my mind that this could be a potential income source in the future. Especially since Lauren and I will be taking a 6-month mini-retirement in May 2018, having a source of income while I was on the road would be a great option.
The Only Way To Do Great Work Is To Love What You Do
This quote from Steve Jobs has always been one of my favorites. Anytime I thinking about pursuing a new job, a new hobby or basically anything that requires significant time and effort on my part, I keep these words in the back of my mind. Because it doesn’t matter if you are playing a sport, starting a business or going back to school, if you don’t truly enjoy what you are doing, then you are not going to be great at it. If you are only doing something for the money, then you are only going to put in enough work to make sure that you are getting the money. When times get hard, you will probably quit.
I enjoy the topic of personal finance because it is such an essential part of everyone’s life journey. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or make, everyone needs financial knowledge to ensure they can live their life to the fullest. Some people might say that money doesn’t matter, but it’s likely that they have never found themselves in a truly desperate financial situation. Hopefully the words I put on this blog make a difference in someone’s life.
I’ve also found that I enjoy writing, though this has not always been the case. During high school and college, I DESPISED writing papers. Part of the reason why I chose to major in engineering was because I didn’t think of myself as a good writer. I was best at math and science. But now that I’m actually choosing what I get to write about, I’ve actually found that I like writing and how it enables me to express my thoughts.
Because I enjoy personal finance and writing, it only made sense for me to pursue a personal finance blog as a line of work, and thus as a way to make money. I am passionate about the topic and the process, so even though it has been 3 months and I haven’t made ANY money yet, it doesn’t really feel like a big deal to me. I’ll keep writing new posts every week even if no money comes in.
So Should I Start Blogging To Make Money?
The answer to this question is actually pretty simple. Is there something that you are REALLY passionate about? Something that you love talking to your friends and family about, or even complete strangers? If so, then this is probably a good start.
Then do you enjoy writing? Running a profitable blog involves a lot of writing on a regularly basis for at least a year before the money will start coming in (so I’ve been told). There are other ways to turn your passion into a business, so don’t think a blog is the only way. But if you enjoy writing and have a subject in which you are extremely passionate about, then yes, starting a blog could be a great way for you to generate an extra source of income.
This doesn’t mean that the money will come easy. In my first 3 months of blogging, I have learned so much and still feel like every day that I know nothing yet. It’s a long process, and you need to be committed to see it through, but if you are truly as passionate as you think you are about your chosen subject, then you’ll find that you can’t wait to write new material each week. Monetizing your blog is all about learning a few new skills and having the patience to build the traffic required by writing quality content.
I absolutely started blogging to make money. I like writing and personal finance so it just made sense to find a way to turn my passions into an income source.
If you are interested in starting your own blog, no matter what the subject, check out Bluehost, which is the hosting service and WordPress provider that I used to start this blog. I’d be happy to give anyone personal help on how to start their own blog, so just shoot me an email if you need help!
Are you looking for an extra source of income and considering blogging? Do you think starting a blog to make money is a good or bad idea? Leave a comment or send me an email!
NYPFGuy
