Have you noticed that everyone is trying to become a blogger? I’m sure you (the reader) are also considering it. Blogging is therapeutic to me and something I’ve always enjoyed. Although there are perks that come with blogging such as paid adverts on your blog, there are some important things you must consider before starting one.
1. Are you willing to be your own financial advisor?
You need to track your income and declare it, you need to do tax forms based on whether you’re fully self-employed, you’ll need to track your expenses and approach brands and clients for opportunities to work together and sponsored posts. This means you’ll also need a media kit and a savvy knowledge of consumer trends, are you willing to step the game up or are you more comfortable having a blog just to share personal things?
2. Do you have the time to consistently create content?
Gone are the days when you just write about anything and even if you do choose to write about the simplest of things, do you realistically have the time to continuously provide content for your blog. Success is achieved through hard work and consistency.
3. What will you focus on? What is the purpose of your blog?
Some people choose to create a niche for themselves. Examples of a broad niche include: Beauty blogger, Tech blogger, Lifestyle blogger and Fashion blogger. In general, a post has 4 purposes: to entertain, to solve a problem, to encourage discussion and to teach (not always the same as solving a problem)
4. Will you be anonymous or public?
This will most probably depend on what you decide to talk about, but it is something you should consider before you start blogging. Once you start and you do go public, everything will be attached to your name. If future employers decided to search your name in Google, would you be comfortable with them coming across your blog?
5. Are you comfortable with blogging platforms?
Although you may not know how to professionally use these platforms it is important that you understand the basics in order to do the best for your blog. Alternatively, you can always hire freelancers to assist you but it’s always good to gain the knowledge alongside this.
6. Are you willing to learn?
Blogging is the only platform that allows you to get instant feedback from clients and readers, you’ll need to learn about branding, social media, SEO and a whole host of other things, if you’re not willing to dedicate yourself to your blog then it might be best to keep it as a quiet, personal blog instead of trying to monetize it.
If you’ve asked yourself the above Qs and honestly think you are ready to start blogging for money then what’s stopping you? Go for it! What other things to do you think one should consider before becoming a blogger?
