I am not really the best one to write this post. Since this is a hobby blog, I am not making money from it, and I have limited writing experience. However, in a series about working from home, writing and blogging are great opportunities for many. Today, I’ll share what little knowledge I have about it. You can do your own research and find out more specific information if the idea interests you.
Consider Your Goals
If you enjoy writing and you want to make money doing it, you need to consider your goals. Do you want to become a published author? Do you want to write for magazines? Or are you just wanting to make a little money to go out to eat once in a while? This is a recurring theme no matter what line of work you enter, but it is important to consider ahead of time where you want your work-at-home journey to take you.
Blogging
The great thing about blogging is its versatility. As I already mentioned, I blog primarily for fun. It gives me a platform to express my thoughts. Those thoughts can be overwhelming or completely boring to my family and friends. It is nice to have a place where listening to my ramblings is completely optional for the world’s population. 🙂 I have dabbled in product reviews and a little affiliate marketing . However, from an income perspective, my blog is a liability rather than an asset at this point.
On the other end of the spectrum, some bloggers make a six-figure income from their blogs. Also, blogging is the best way to break into a book deal, I am told. A few of my favorite bloggers were approached by major publishers because they had popular, well-written blog content and a large following.
Always approach any income-earning from your blog with caution. Remember that your readers are there because they trust you and your opinion. If you promote things just to sell a product or get a commission, they will soon know. The best bloggers only recommend products they use and love. Also, content is king. If you have nothing solid to offer readers except sales pitches, they will likely not want to hang around for long.
Here are a few of the ways you can make money from blogging, if that is your desire:
1. Selling Advertising Space
Bloggers sell space on their blog for companies relevant to their blog content to place a button or banner ad on their ad. This is obviously an income stream that comes after establishing a readership. Companies are not going to want to purchase ad space on a blog with only a couple hundred readers. They know the probability of the small number of people who will actually click through their ad and the smaller amount of people who will decide to purchase their product. However, if your blog is generating a lot of traffic, this may be something for you to check into.
2. Affiliate Marketing
While companies may be wary about paying you to advertise for them directly, many companies are willing to give you a cut of the sales they make from your blog. This cut can be from a link you place in a post or an ad you put in your sidebar. If a reader purchases through that link, you can usually get a 10-30% commission. Combined with other streams of income, this can be a substantial, especially if you have content relevant to many different companies.
3. Reviewing Products
No matter what size your blog is, a lot of companies will send you a free product in exchange for an honest review of the product on your blog. While this will not put cash in your pocket, it will give you an opportunity to try products you may not have otherwise. If you love to try new things and tell everyone about them, this may be a great fit for your blog.
4. Providing a Product
Working with other companies is a great option, but you can also create your own product to sell. Information products are huge, and many bloggers have their own e-book or video e-course. If you have a physical product or a sales business such as a home party business, you can also promote it through your blog.
Freelance Writing
Blogging requires a lot of hard work without pay for months or years before you can generate an income. Other types of writing still require work but may turn a profit sooner. Online writing is generally the fastest, but it may not pay very much. Writing for print such as magazines can offer a more substantial check.
To make good money from freelance writing, you must treat it like a business. You will have to generate clients and do quality work for them to continue using you. A client can really be anyone that needs something written. This can include sales ads, magazine articles or brochures.
Generally, you will have to study the market you want to write for and suggest a topic by way of a query letter. If they accept your idea, you will follow their guidelines and deadlines and usually receive payment after publishing. This type of writing can often be “feast or famine” since you are at the mercy of editors regarding acceptance and timing.
The freelance writing community offers much debate about pay. While most agree that you rarely should work for free, there is some disdain for what are called “content mills”. These are sites which will connect you with clients who need a specific article written and will pay a small amount per word or article.
I personally do not have time to maintain a full writing business nor the need for a full-time income, so these sites offer me the opportunity for steady work even if the income trickles in rather than pours. Also, they give me an opportunity to hone my writing skills for better opportunities in another season of life.
Writing can be an good income opportunity, but only if you love the process of writing. It can include long hours of work and research. If you do not naturally enjoy writing, you will find it a tedious process and hard to maintain. However, if you love words and ideas and sharing them with others, this can be a fulfilling line of work.