This is a guest post by Arba. If you wish to write one, kindly check out the guidelines to write a guest post.
Internet in general, and search engines like Google in specific, has made it a lot easier to obtain both basic and advance knowledge, pertaining to just about any topic whatsoever. However, there are some downsides of learning something while relying solely on Internet. Take the example of blogging. For anybody looking to earn some part time income, blogging is one of the many considerations, and one of the most preferred one, thanks to the simple concept and a variety of ways to earn money via blogging. Now, when you try to learn the ins and outs of blogging from Internet, it can leave you a little more confused after some time than the time when you actually started. According to some sources, earning money via blogging is a walk in the park, according to others the stories of people earning fortunes via blogging are nothing but hoax, and for others, blogging is, at best a source of extra income that can never replace a full time job.
In the following post, I will try to eradicate some of these confusions, and try to put it in the simplest of words. I am not trying to sell anything via this blog post (except of course, I am interested in getting featured on this blog as a guest author), so I am going to share nothing but facts. Following are three simple questions with simple answers.
Let’s take a look.
Would you be able to make money via blogging?
Yes … there’s quite some scope for money making in blogging. But while it’s a given that one can make money via blogging, the amount will differ from one blogger to another. Do remember the difference in currency values, some income (say $100) might be good enough for someone residing in a country where the local currency is weaker than the Dollar, but for someone living in United States, the amount is not worth the effort. Also remember that not all blogs will turn out to be money spinning. It’s definitely not that starting a blog guarantees some income. If the truth be told, there are many bloggers who won’t be able to make any money at all.
In order to make money via blogging, you need to have good writing skills, basic understanding of Internet Marketing, and of course, a little bit of luck (at times persistence can be a good substitute before luck arrives).
What you need to do?
Instead of jumping straight into the ring, you need to do some evaluation. The very first thing you need to do is to assess your writing skills. There are many ways to do so, start from commenting at other’s blogs and see the response. Take part in discussions at relevant forums, or contribute at blogs as a guest author. Next and the most important step is to choose a topic for blogging. The ideal topic should be able to fulfill two requisites. First, it shouldn’t be a general one, because it will make you compete with hundreds and thousands of websites. Second, in an effort to go for a unique topic, don’t choose a topic that you’re not fond of, because it will get too tedious after some time. And last but not the least; you need to learn the basics of Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization. Once you’ve done your homework, the practical stuff is a lot simpler. You can learn to set up a blog using WordPress in a matter of hours, or you can simply choose a host and ask them to do the installation and they will comply. And you’re all set to blog.
How long will it take?
Depends on the topics (e.g. blogging, technology, travel, etc) or the keywords (e.g. 1and1 discounts, Network Solutions coupons, etc) you’ve chosen. You can also refer what Michael has to say about Geographic Keyword Research. Some topics have low competition and you might start getting visitors in next to no time, on the other hands, these topics with low competition are often hard to monetize (that’s precisely the reason why there’s not much competition). But whatever topic you choose, it will usually take a couple of months before the search engine or your targeted users start to get familiar with your blog (except if you are investing good amounts of time and money on marketing/optimizing your blog). Coming to the income, in normal circumstances, it will take up to 3 – 4 months of relatively hard work before you can make any money from your Blog. Of course, this time can be reduced if you have some prior experience, or lots of money to invest. On the other hand, this period will extend, if you are totally new to both blogging and internet marketing.
Author Bio:
Arba has been making money via blogging for years. She works for various coupon codes and discount blogs including verybestsoftware.net that lists money saving tips and different types of coupon codes and discounts for software like Norton 360, System Mechanic, or Acronis.