This guest post was written by Alan Johnson, the person behind The Online Business Handbook.
Most online entrepreneurs out there make the mistake of launching a blog just because they see it as a potential moneymaking machine. Is that your case, do you only blog in order to make money or are you actually passionate about what you’re doing?
Can you make a lot of money as a blogger? Most definitely, and not just from monetizing the blog in itself. You have to understand that, as a blogger, you are also building a brand around yourself and, as a result, every new project you’ll be launching will automatically receive an impressive jumpstart. Being a blogger opens a lot of doors, you will be able to take advantage of a lot of opportunities you didn’t originally have access to. And just think about the possibilities as far as networking is concerned. The fact that you’ve build solid relationships with other bloggers, many of which you will consider close friends, is an important advantage and, just like you will always be glad to help one of your friends out by mentioning a new product he or she has launched, they will be more than willing to return the favor at any point.
But you will not be able to make the most out of everything if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing in the first place. As a blogger, you add value to the Web through your articles, are building a community thanks to the comments section and are networking with other bloggers. If you don’t like what you’re doing, others will quickly realize that and, as such, you can’t expect to succeed.
If you are not passionate about blogging, if you just write for the sake of writing, your readers will pick up on that, even if you don’t realize it. As a result, they most likely won’t return, since they are not enjoying their experience (you’re not adding value to the Web) and they won’t even think about commenting (there goes the potential of building a community around your blog). And, also, if you don’t have the right attitude towards your fellow bloggers, you will never be able to make friends and, as such, networking is out of the question.
If you are not passionate about what you’re doing, you will never be able to tap your true potential. This applies to blogging just as it does with everything else. You will never succeed if you just jump on the blogging bandwagon because you want to make money. If you treat everything like a chore, readers as well as other bloggers will realize that and, as a result, establishing a relationship is out of the question.
Are you interested in becoming a blogger? That’s great and the experience is excellent, as long as you add value to the Web through your presence. And that, my friend, can never be accomplished if you don’t like what you’re doing in the first place. What about you? Are you passionate about blogging?
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Great article, I think to many people start blogs or even internet business’s for the wrong reasons.
The first step to success is doing things that you are passionate about or at the least really enjoy, then participating in them and becoming a part of them.
I have been a blogger for only a few months and I have a problem with attracting people to my blog. I’m not sure how to go about it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Bag Lady’s last blog post..A Fabulous Table Cloth
So, so, so true. I am very passionate about mens’ take on relationships. If I weren’t, I don’t think I would have lasted the three short months that I’ve been writing. I like to think that passion shows in my writing.
I’ve met some really great people online and continue to be impressed with what people have to say. Great thoughts Alan!
cory huff’s last blog post..Divorce is Too Easy
I am not really a good writer but I try to write useful information that people are looking for. It seems to work as most of my visitors are from the search engines and stumble lately.
I like visiting other peoples blogs and leaving relevant comments.
It must be pssion as I go online everyday though I may not post everyday.
David’s last blog post..Wordpress Backup
As I am ALL about the passion I really love it when I read posts like this.If you are passionate about what you are blogging about, you will quickly become passionate about blogging.
Katherine Reschke’s last blog post..New great value coaching packages
Hi there and thank you for your comments, glad you found my guest post useful
Bag Lady , providing value is the name of the game and, basically, every visitor will be asking two important questions: “Why would I want to visit your blog?” and “Why would I want to return?”.
Your ability to provide the right answers will, in the end, make or break you as a blogger.
Best wishes,
Alan Johnson
Alan Johnson’s last blog post..Phase 3: Time to Spread the Word
I have been blogging for about 3 months, and I have seen some changes in myself in a positive way. For one thing, I just wrote a long letter to my husband analyzing our marriage. I was able to figure out something because I have been writing and thinking. It’s interesting that I got into blogging. To be a writer was my only dream when I was a teenager, and I finally gave it up when I was in the university. After so many years, I got back into writing, it felt like a dream. I don’t know if I will make money or not-I believe I will-but I know for sure it’s very good for my personal development.
Yi Hui@The Simple Wealth’s last blog post..Bow tie pasta with broccoli and roasted chicken breasts
If you choose a subject you know already about,it will be fun to share your expertise with others and you can earn money on the side.If you blog just for the sake of making money, you will most likely not be successful.You need the passion.
Tom Lindstrom’s last blog post..More Problems Associated With Being Self Employed
Blogging for me is very much about the community that I am part of and whose values I share. The niche that I write in (vegetarian food) is a very positive one and that helps a lot. The more I blog the more I see the value of comments. Bag Lady, look for other bloggers in your niche and comment on their blogs, then some of them will come to your site.
Cookiemouse’s last blog post..Cookiemouse healthy raw food quiz
I am thrilled at your post. Grammology has been a pure pleasure for us. Truly trying to bring grandparents back to the family. Each sharing with their children and grandchildren what they can offer to the family. Our true passion. Now our drive is to increase unique visitors. Sound like we did it right.
Thank you for the information.
Dorothy from grammology
remember to call gram
http://www.grammology.com
Dorothy Stahlnecker’s last blog post..Church Inspired me Today
More true than you know, Wendy.
I do know some bloggers who run very successful blogs who have no personal interest in their subject matter. Most of us (myself included) can’t do that.
The difficult part is this: if you want to be able to monetize your blog at some point, your niche has to be marketable. There are some areas of interest that will never be very profitable.
My Dungeons and Dragons blog (dndreviews.com) is a perfect example of this. Especially right now, the roleplaying game industry is in a slump and I’m not seeing any revenue whatsoever. Still, it is a passion, so I keep it going.
Great advice, Wendy. Keep up the great work!
Bob Younce’s last blog post..4 Keys to Establishing Your Brand as an Internet Writer
I have been blogging for only a couple of weeks and it’s pretty fun, but I guess that’s because I’m interested in the things I’m blogging about. If a person has discipline then I believe they can blog about things they are not very passionate about but it’s definitely much easier talking about things you care about.
David Fath’s last blog post..NVIDIA embraces Open Source, offering PhysX to ATI
Hi Alan,
I think this happens a lot - thinking that blogging is a great way to make $$, and that’s the main motivation to start blogging.
I am passionate about my topic and I wouldn’t want to put all of the time and effort into creating great content just for the money - that wouldn’t be fun, and I’ve decided that my main goal in life is to live in joy now - not later when I’ve reached a certain goal.
So, with that as my basis, I personally wouldn’t blog about a topic I wasn’t passionate about in some way. Sure, I want to be compensated and earn a living from doing this, but I couldn’t do it for only that reason.
You also need to be in this for the long haul (unless you only intend to sell your blog), so if you’re not geeked about what you’re writing, then you probably won’t make it.
Thanks for the reminder of our blogging purpose!
JoLynn Braley’s last blog post..Party On by Living Your Joy In This Moment!