About every month or so, I get an email that goes something like this:
I’m thinking of starting a blog. How do I do this? And how do I make money at it?
When I get a question like this, I honestly feel overwhelmed. You might as well have asked this:
You have a BA. Can you basically tell me what you learned when you were in college? And in the space of about an email?
However, I am sympathetic to anyone who’d ask this question, because I was there at one time, too. Nearly two years later, I’m more passionate about my blog then when I started. It is the most fulfilling career move I’ve ever made. This month, I would like to share some of my personal journey, reflections, and general advice with you. What I’m not going to do is teach you how to build a blog from the ground up (for that, please refer to the most excellent Blogging with Amy). I hope that whether you are new to blogging, an old pro, or just kicking around the idea, you’ll find what I have to share useful. And, of course, I would like you to participate by asking your questions and sharing your stories, too.
Thinking of starting a blog?
There are a few questions that would be helpful to answer before you publish that first post and put yourself out there.
1. Why do I want to start a blog? Identify your purpose in starting a blog. Do you want to help others? Process through a grief you’ve suffered? Share your photos and family stories with friends? Promote your business? A word of caution here: starting a blog because you just want to earn money may not be a strong enough reason in and of itself. Making money blogging can be a long, difficult, and sometimes frustrating process. And there are no promises. I frequently say that I got my first check in the mail of $100 after 8 months of blood, sweat, and tears. If you need money NOW, blogging might not be your gig.
2. What do I want my blog to be about? I had the honor of watching my friend Keri launch her blog Pop Parables last fall. She did an outstanding job of asking herself this question. She wrestled with if she wanted it to be a Christian blog, a movie/book review blog, a Mommy blog, a forum site, a combination, or something else. She scoured blogs across other niches. In the end, she decided her blog was about ”finding God in the parables of pop culture”. If I recall correctly, it took her several months of careful planning to arrive there! Consider what you do and don’t want your blog to be about before you launch. Of course, there is always room for you to adjust course once you set out, but having a good sense of vision will help propel your blog forward and keep you passionate.
3. Who do I want to read my blog? As a blogger, I believe you set the tone for the readers you will attract and the comments left. When I started this blog, I wanted to make sure that new-to-coupon users would feel comfortable reading my content. Knowing this, I’ve worked hard to write lots of “how to” posts, avoid acronyms or terms wherever possible, and added the live webcasts. It was also important to me that I work to welcome male readers as couponing is sometimes unfairly portrayed as “for women only.” So you’ll NEVER hear me refer to my readers as “ladies” and I’ve avoided using pink/purple colors on my blog, girly avatars, and the like. I also wanted folks that were committed to a high standard of ethics and “thinkers” (for lack of a better word). Oh, and I wanted to attract readers who could just have some fun with me and not take things too seriously. In watching this blog evolve, I am extremely humbled by readers that continue to share their deals and thoughts here every day.
4. Where do I want to take this blog? If your goal is to share your family’s life story, you may not need to worry about driving in lots of traffic. On the flipside, if you’re hoping to make money, you will have the added duty to bring in new readers and find an effective monetization strategy. This will take considerable effort and learning to achieve. A sizeable amount of my blogging time is spent managing affiliates and ads, networking with PR and other bloggers, and finding new and interesting ways to grow my site.
5. How much time can I realistically spend blogging? You’ve probably guessed by now to successfully run a blog, you need to post regularly. How much is “regularly” is going to depend on your niche and your content. My niche can be crazy when it comes to frequency. However, a few times a week or even once a week may be more suited to other niches. I had a realization sometime last year. And that realization was: I can’t keep up. My niche is very high pressure, time sensitive, and it quite frankly drives me nuts some days. I’ve decided that I’m just going to miss some deals, but I’m not willing to give up my time with my children. So I made a deliberate move mid-year 2010 that I would concentrate on quality of posts, not quantity. I’m going to spend more time in a separate post on time management. But it’s important you ask yourself: how much time can I spend blogging? And when will I blog? (Particularly if you have another job or are a stay at home mom.)
Once you’ve decided to proceed, a final word.
Please take extra care in what you name your blog. As much as possible, make it memorable, keep it short, and easy to spell. Ask a few friends what their initial thoughts are about your proposed blog name. The name you think is cute may not be to others. Then, Google to make sure (1) your name is not taken and (2) nothing close to your name is taken lest you infringe on someone’s trademark.
More on this series soon….
Bloggers, what other questions do you wish you would’ve asked before launching your blog? Or steps you wish you would’ve taken? Things you think you did well? If you’re thinking about starting a blog, what things are you doing right now to look into it?
Photo credit B S K (Stock.xchng)
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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
Great info! I was one of the e-mailers that turned to you for advice before starting my own savvy savings blog. You are very helpful and as a new blogger I very much appreciate that! What I wish I knew before writing my first post, or 10th, is blogging etiquette…any good reads on this?
This is actually one of those topics that is on my list. I think it is worth discussing, b/c it can be SOOO hard to navigate, esp. when you are a newbie! If others know of posts written on this topic, please pipe in.
Great advice, Ang! I wasn’t as intentional about a lot of this stuff as Keri was in starting her blog. I think the main thing I wish I’d have known when I started blogging was how much of an emotional toll it can take on you. You can become obsessed with stats, comments, hits and retweets. Questions about why so-and-so didn’t comment, add you to their blogroll, share your link or more can make you feel insecure and small. My blog is my ministry, and I continuously have to go back and hand it over to God. My value is not in my site stats.
A couple of things I’ve learned in the last couple of years of blogging are:
1. The first year is about getting your name out there. Tweet, FB, comment on others blogs. It will go slow, but you’ll see huge growth in your second year.
2. Only about 10% of the people who read will actually comment.
3. People who don’t blog will not understand the amount of time you put into it or the depth of relationship you build with people you’ve never met.
I look forward to hearing more of what you have to say about this!
Ooooo….. I might have to add a post in now about the emotional aspects of blogging!! I too have struggled with weighing my worth as blogger by how much traffic I’m getting (or not), feeling jealous of others for achieving some sort of success, feeling like quitting when no one comments, yada yada yada. I’m human and blogging can sometimes bring out those “human” qualities, can’t it?
Can I say #3 is RIGHT ON? When I tell people I run a blog, sometimes they suppose it’s something I do in my “spare” time. Truth is, I pour about 20+ hours into this blog each week. I consider it a part-time job!
What an education blogging has been!
I’m eager to read all your thoughts on this as I’ve started my own diy blog. I realized that I love reading other craft blogs and I think I have something to share but mostly I want to establish myself in the web crafting community so I can form relationships with the others and connect with people who are interested in the things I’m interestd in.
I hope you’re going to do a segment on ways to promote a blog, particularly in the first year. Melissa talked a tad about it in her comment and I hope you’ll elaborate. I’d love to hear what you have to say.
I’m planning on talking about networking, but sure, I can talk about ways to promote your blog without coming off as spam!
Good, clear post. I’ve been working through these questions while finding my voice on my blog the last few months. I think life/family blogging is a little more…forgiving?…if you don’t have it all straight then monetary blogging would be.
The time issue is HUGE. I had no idea it could become so consuming (although I find I like it anyway). I think part of that comes from the relationship building though. Writing for my blog is not so consuming–it’s writing and keeping up with my readers/new-found blogging friends, and their blogs, and their lives, and…etc.etc.etc.
Hi Angela,
Thank you for writing about the topic of blogging! I have frequently been complimented on my writing by those who have read it over the years, and it is something I enjoy doing. I also enjoy teaching and sharing my experiences with others. My husband’s job frequently takes us away from home (we are in Japan for three months, currently), so I am seriously considering blogging as a way to contribute to the family. Blogging is something I can do from anywhere in the world!
Since I am completely new to this, I decided to start a little blog about my own life and experiences to “practice”. This blog is mainly for my own benefit, and so friends and family can follow along. At the same time, I am getting a feel for the world of blogging, etc., so I will be familiar with the technical side when I am ready to add content. I have also been following Yaro Starak on http://www.becomeablogger.com. He has a lot of useful advice.
I am definitely looking forward to reading what you have to say about blogging, and what you have learned from your experiences. Thank you for sharing!
I truly admire all the wonderful bloggers who work so hard at making their blogs successful and who bring in more and more readers/followers and money from it! I started my blog strictly to journal through an awful personal situation I was dealing with (hence the somewhat questionable name of my blog – a joke to try and pick up my completely deflated ego).
From there it has evolved to being about whatever I am currently interested in – I’ve gone through the entire Waite Tarot deck, blogging about a card each day; I’ve done product reviews; I’ve shown recipes for my fave meals; I’ve roasted my own coffee; I’ve made my own soap, etc etc etc. According to the little do-hicky, I have 37 followers and that number can go up or down at any time. I know that when I lapse into personal, somewhat darker posts, I tend to lose people – hmmmm
As for making money, I’d love to, but so far, I think I’ve garnered a whopping $13.50 in ad revenue or click-thrus or affiliate percentages, and that’s after two years. I never get links to deals up fast enough to get the click-here-and-sign-up referral credits, which would be nice, but takes real speed and attention! I work a full-time out-of-the-house job so I don’t have all that much time in which to check sources and sift through everything for the brand new deals – that’s hard work!!
Have you attended any of the blogging conventions that I see mentioned occasionally, like Blogher or Blissdom? I’d love to go to something like that, but can’t begin to justify the cost as this point. Someday – it’s a goal
I love your blog and love using your Savings Tracker!!!!
Yes, I attended BlogHer last year! It was certainly expensive, and I can’t say I learned a whole lot from the sessions. However, I got to meet a lot of people and it opened my eyes to how much of a COMMUNITY of bloggers there are. This year, I have my eye on applying for Savvy Blogging Summit and am currently trying to secure a sponsor. If I can answer any questions about BlogHer specifically, let me know.
As far as making money goes, as you’ve probably guessed it is about traffic and building a loyal reader base. That being said, yes, it IS possible to make money blogging. Last month I received a lil’ more than half of what I did working full-time in an office job! It took two years and many late nights, but it is encouraging to see blogging is starting to make a meaningful difference in our family’s finances.
Great series Angela! Some times I think that if I knew how much work it was going to turn into, I would have ran the other direction! But it is definitely AMAZINGLY FUN to watch something grow from absolutely nothing!
We’ve been debating about attending BlogHer and I’d love to hear your opinion on it. It is just too big? You say you didn’t learn much… I wonder if they need a blogging conference for frugal bloggers as our niche (as you said) is incredibly fast paced and competitive!
Do you know when/where the Savvy Blogging Summit will be held?
Cathy, I found BlogHer was valuable for understanding first hand why companies value relationships with bloggers such as me. I also got to meet a number of key folks and bloggers. I felt honestly the sessions were not up to par. In a couple instances, they were so packed I was sitting on the floor and there were NO handouts and for the ones I attended, no powerpoint presentation. More a “panel style” of experts on certain topics sharing their thoughts.
I honestly got more out of all the networking opportunities and off-site parties! LOL! It was a lot of fun, but I think Savvy Blogging Summit would be more up my alley this year if I am lucky enough to attend!
I’ve actually just considered starting one because there isn’t one for my local area, but I work full time and don’t know where I’d find the time, but I share my “deals” with friends and feel like there’s more people out there that could benefit from my deals. still up in the air, but will definitely follow this
thanks!
Thank you so much for all your insight, I’m just starting a blog and I am starting tl really think about how I want to set my blog apaprt.
This is WONDERFUL information! I am sooo glad that somebody has finally embarked on this subject! I am still to new at blogging to be of any help! I am still learning the ropes, and tips and tricks of the trade! Thanks so much for writing this series!!
Fabulous topic! I honestly feel like, if I had to do it again, I would have approached starting my blog the same way. A few things I feel like I did right:
I sat on my idea for a LONG time. I knew I wanted to blog and was kicking it around for several months, but I couldn’t narrow it down to one focus or niche that was any different from others already out there. I didn’t want to start blogging if I had nothing new to offer. Frugal blogging is not a new idea, but I wanted to carve out my own space.
I did not over-commit in the beginning. I told my readers I would tackle two big store match ups each week. Thank goodness, because these take a crazy amount of time! If I had committed to ten stores every week, I would have burnt out quickly.
Find a part of your blog you are really good at and promote it. You need to stand out from others in one way or another to get people to notice you. Network yourself like crazy! I left comments on other bigger blogs (only helpful, non-spammy comments of course) and readers found me that way.
I created my site months before I went live with it, even to my friends. I tweaked and turned and twisted and redid the layout 172 different times before deciding what I liked. Then when I went live, I redid it all over again. Make sure you have a good base before sending your blog out there. If you want to attract readers, they don’t necessarily want to grow with you from the ground up.
That being said, expect a STEEP learning curve. There is no possible way to know everything about blogging, especially if you haven’t been entrenched in it for a long time. The best thing that ever happened to me was to be invited to join a fabulous group of “experienced” bloggers (including the fabulous Miss “The Coupon Project” herself!). They give me a forum to ask questions, vent, share hilarious stories and just generally learn. I would not have continued blogging without this group!
Seriously, Angela is not kidding when she says this is not a get rick quick career. It took me ten months to make my first $100. That’s not just ten months of sitting around doing nothing either. That’s ten months of working diligently, night and day, during naptime and after my kids went to bed, early in the morning and late at night. It’s not easy, but it is MAJOR rewarding once things start to happen for you.
I feel so blessed every day when my readers tell me things I have done that have helped them save money and make their lives better. This is what I knew I could share with the blogging world.
There are so many things I could add, great topic! Can’t wait to see the rest of your posts!
I started my blog just for fun. Little did I know the beast it would become! I spend 30-45 hours a week on it and I’m just 1 of 5! What am I doing wrong Angela??? I can’t wait to read about TIME MANAGEMENT! Speaking of… I have a post I am supposed to finish! Distractions distractions distractions!
Well I can’t say you are doing anything wrong!
We all have different reasons for blogging, different lifestyles, different visions, and different resources.
That’s where it comes down to deciding what each of our individual blog paths is and why we blog in the first place. I quit a F/T job to be an at-home mom to my kids, so for me, it’s important that I do all I can to keep this from growing into a F/T job…or at least until the kids are in school anyhow!
That means I turn a lot of stuff down and it means I walk away from the computer when I don’t feel like it. It also is why I don’t own a smartphone and force myself to get out of the house usually at least once a day…. simply put, it is a choice to put those limits on myself and my time.
I hope to write a post tomorrow or the day after about a mission statement and values and why they are important. Once I had my values written out, it became much clearer to me how to move forward with my blog.
Thanks for stopping by, Cathy!
Thanks so much for taking the time to write this series. I can relate so much to what you are saying especially #5 – “that realization was: I can’t keep up. My niche is very high pressure, time sensitive, and it quite frankly drives me nuts some days. I’ve decided that I’m just going to miss some deals, but I’m not willing to give up my time with my children.” Well said!
I have been spending lots of time re-evaluating #2 and #3. Even though my blog is about 1 year old, doing this re-evaluating and adjusting to it is breathing new life into my blog and making me feel more passionate about blogging.
And to comment on Julie’s question on promoting. If you’re a craft/DIY blogger, I think linking your posts to craft/DIY blog parties helps. I’ve done it with my DIY series and it’s been great!
Thanks for making your blog welcoming to male readers. Not many of us out there are using coupons since it is often portrayed a gender specific activity. I love saving money using coupons but its I often get asked at the grocery store if my wife sent me with the coupons. Its an uphill battle for the males in the coupon world. Cheers.
You should do a post on the different sites you can build your blogs from. My friend and I want to start one together, at some point when we actually have the time lol.But when looking into where to start from and what sites are the best and easiest to navigate it became a little overwhelming.
Wow, I’m honored to be mentioned in this post. Blogging has been an amazing journey for me. As a SAHM, it is the perfect outlet because it allows me to use a part of my brain that mommyhood just doesn’t require. Not to mention, my faith has grown leaps and bounds as I’ve had a purposeful and intentional place to discuss what I’m learning.
A few things I thought of while reading the post and comments:
1. Running a blog is HARD WORK! Don’t be fooled into thinking that a post is just a random string of thoughts the blogger had in the shower that morning. NO! A well written blog takes blood, sweat, and tears.
2. You don’t have to be tech savvy to blog, but it sure does help! For me the technical side has been the hardest part of it all.
3. Explore other blogs in your niche to find out what’s going on and stay up on the pulse of things. It’s also helpful to explore other niche blogs to get new and fresh ideas.
4. Even if you start with a strong mission, don’t be afraid to change, evovle, and grow with your blog. Just be sure not to stray to far off the beaten path of your mission, because then it leaves the readers confused. They aren’t sure why they read your blog or should be returning to your blog.
5. Put a lot of thought and work into your blog BEFORE you launch. Like Ang said, take your time thinking of your name, your readers, your mission, etc. This will set you up to be able to focus on the writing/posts after you launch. It’s not easy or exactly fun to do the setup, but you’ll be glad you did it once you start writing.
Lynzee-I’d really encourage you to check out bloggingwithamy.com
Angela included a link to it above.
I keep sitting down to write a comment on this post, but everything I’ve come up with sounds like, “Ditto,” so I’ll just thank you for your generosity in doing this series. I’ll be hanging on every word!
Great post! I found a free e-book on blogging a couple years ago that I’ve really enjoyed reading that covers a lot of ground on starting a blog:
http://www.just1step.com/2009/04/blogging-in-pink.html
Great post! I really like what you said about not being able to post every single deal. As someone who really tries to stay on top of things, I cannot do it. I used to get very upset at myself, but realized that I am only one person running the entire blog and there is just no way I can get them all. Eventually I would really like to find a “partner”. Someone to help with the work and take the load off of me. I love blogging, but it is time consuming. I have been fortunate to receive a few checks since starting in June of 2010. It’s not much, but it has helped when we’ve needed it most.
Looking forward to reading more
Thank you, Angela!
Yet another helpful post! The beginning stages of developing a blog can be quite daunting but these tips can definitely help me keep things in perspective as I plan and develop. I am looking forward to seeing what I can come up with. Thanks for the advice!
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