I have been blogging off and on since 2012. I didn’t realize how much my first blog truly was considered a professional blog until I sold it. In order to be considered someone who does blog professionally you have to first look at your definition of what that means to you directly.
What is a Professional?
Webster’s definition of a professional is someone “engaged in by persons receiving a financial return.” So, technically as long as you are making at least $1 from your blog, you could really call yourself a “professional blogger.”
Although, in my mind, someone isn’t fully a professional blogger till they are generating thousands of dollars a month. The reason that is MY definition is that this is the amount it would take for me to be able to leave my 9-5 job to do this strictly for a living again.
I sold my first blog for stupid reasons! The income wasn’t guaranteed. I relied too much on sponsored posts. As a result, the blog became something totally different than what I envisioned for my blog to be. Over time, I lost the loyal fan base I had gained because I was no longer being authentically me. Blogging became a chore and a nightmare.
For all intents and purposes, I was technically blogging professionally already. In my opinion, though, blogging professionally is taking your blog more seriously than I was doing. It also means writing in a way in which your readers leave your website gaining something from their visit.
Can you make money blogging without having a passion for doing it?
The simple answer is NO!
You literally have to have a passion for blogging in order to survive to do it. Blogging has to come from the heart and soul; otherwise, you don’t capture your readers. You only get traffic that just passes through. It’s hard for a person to connect with you if they can’t feel your emotions.
Even if you’re a blogger that is primarily designed to share how-to’s and informative news, you still have to show your zest for what you’re teaching others about. To me, it’s like going to sit through a lecture where the professor just talks in a monotone voice the whole way through it. I’m sorry, I’m the type of person who’s going to run out the door as fast as my feet will carry me from that kind of lecture.
What do you need to blog professionally?
The first thing you need is the lust for blogging!
Then you need to invest some time and maybe even some money into learning all you can about blogging. There is so much more to blogging professionally than just writing a blog post and posting it online and hoping the traffic comes! The chances of you earning any serious money from your blog will be slim to none without proper training.
Blogging is an ever-changing line of work. While taking classes from other professional bloggers is certainly helpful being connected with active bloggers and taking part in active blogging communities will help you keep on track.
It’s also helpful to create a blog tribe so you can share things you learn about online. We can’t all see everything on our own.
Other Investments
Blogging professionally means you’re ready to treat it like a business. That means you’re going to have to invest through your time spent on it and its products including but definitely not limited to high-quality blog hosting.
Some of the tools of the trade include:
-Domain
–Blog Design
–Social Media Scheduling Tools
These are the main ones that come to mind. Yes, it looks overwhelming and like a good bit of money.
Do I REALLY NEED to buy all of this to start blogging?
In truth, you could start a blog with little money by buying your domain and hosting for less than $50 a year. However, trust me when I say you’ll spend loads of time learning all of the ropes by doing a BUNCH of searching. We’re talking hours and days, maybe even months. By the time you invested in all of these products I’m suggesting, you could be well on your way to making more money than you invested!!
The Reason I’m PUSHING these things
I’m very passionate about blogging! I’d love to have everyone on board making as much money as Making Sense of Cents makes with her blog.
Through the years I worked as a virtual assistant for bigger bloggers, I’ve seen the money that can be made with blogging. It’s honestly there, but it requires dedication and love of it.
There will be more blogging tips on this blog. I have missed sharing the skills that I know by heart about blogging. I want to help fellow bloggers grow their blogs. However, I also know the value of the Elite Blog Academy.
Talk to me in the comment section:
What lingering question do you have about starting a blog?
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One of the first questions I get when I tell others that I blog for…
I started my blog last year and it’s so hard but it’s definitely a spend money to make money kind of biz.
Nici,
The only MUST have blogging expenses you need to make money from blogging is good hosting and your domain name. Both of which will run you at max $140 a YEAR. By the time you need more expensive hosting fees, you will be bringing more than enough money to cover the cost of it!
If you need help in making that happen without spending more money, holler.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.
I just started blogging! Great article.
Julene,
I’m glad you found it helpful. Blogging will totally change your life in ways you never expected it to.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.
If you knew then what you know now would you start a blog?
Colleen,
I definitely would. I would NOT have sold my first blog for all the money in the world. However, hindsight is always 20/20. I am on the mission though to make this blog just as great if not better than the first blog I owned now that my passion for blogging has fully returned. I also have a desire for who I want to help out now.
Are you considering starting a blog?
I started my blog about a month ago and I’m still learning a lot. I’m looking at ways to monetize it now. I’ll probably do a course like you suggested. Thank you so much for the tips! Cherry x
Cherry,
You’re welcome. I’m confident any of these courses will help you get on the right track.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.
It used to be positioned as easy money, but it isn’t! Over the years I’ve known so many people who want to make money as bloggers but only a few very focused bloggers ever make much more than a few bucks a month.
I agree! Blogging for money requires far more than people realize it does! It’s fair easier to get another kind of job or pursue another passion.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.
I love this! Blogging means so much to me and it has definitely changed my life.
I lost my passion for blogging for a period of time, but it has certainly came back over the last few months. I’m eager to see what happens with this blog over the next couple of years. My first blog completely utterly changed my life too. I’m glad we’re on this journey together.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.
Blogging is hard work and it just keeps changing daily. Finding the right people to help you is so important. I think the hardest thing is implementing everyone’s how to’s.
I agree that putting everything in action is definitely the hardest part of the whole process. However, you have to find a system that works for you and follow it. I’ve learned that it’s worthwhile to follow the experts in the field versus listening to everyone’s advice.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.
I had to search to find your name. Other than that, the post is well-written. I’ve been blogging since 2014, but I do it mostly for fun. Maybe I’ll get the energy to monetize it.
The good thing about using affiliate links and ad networks, you can earn money without doing much more than you are already doing. If you need help let me know.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.
Great information. I’ve been blogging for about eight months and I’m still learning everyday. I think it’s an amazing creative outlet that can potentially lead to making a little money. It’s a great option. Thanks for sharing your experience.
There are plenty of things to learn about blogging for sure. If done right blogging can become a very lucrative project.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.
Thanks for the info. Visiting from the anything goes linky.
You’re welcome. I hope it gave you something to think about.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.
Very informative! Thank you so much for sharing.
You are welcome. I hope it helped you in some way.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.
It’s just been a month since I started blogging and I’m learning a lot. I agree with the fact that you need to have a passion for blogging. If you love what you do, you can work hard all day and not feel tired at all. Enjoyed reading this informative post 🙂
I’m glad that you found this post to be informative. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions on your blogging journey. 🙂
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.