When it comes to building and growing a blog, there are so many different strategies you could follow. Today I’m sharing How To Make Money Blogging And Still Have A Life to give you a few practical tips on how to build a blog you love.
But before we get started, if you feel a bit overwhelmed about the blogging process, I have a special gift for you.
I created a simple cheat sheet that breaks down the blogging process in 6 simple steps.
>>>>>>Get Your Free “6 Simple Steps To A Successful Blog” Guide Here
One thing that held me back from starting a blog for years was fear.
I had a lot of fears surrounding blogging, but one of them was the fear that I would spend a ton of time building a blog and never make a dime.
Here are some more posts I think you’ll love!
- How I Made Over $9457.65 My First Year Blogging
- How To Actually Make Money As A Curly Hair Influencer
They say that 90% of bloggers will never make a dollar a day.
And that statistic is scary.
Writing week after week without making a single penny, I remember just hoping and praying that someday it would pay off.
I could have made money much sooner on my blog had I implemented the 6 step framework I developed. But I had to just get started to even figure it out.
And let me tell you, in the beginning, all you want is one single dollar.
One dollar to prove to yourself that people are reading your posts and engaging with them.
One of the huge motivations I had for starting my blog was to pay for my kid’s private school.
I had three years to build my blog and if I couldn’t pay for my kid’s school by then I would have to go back to work.
After being a stay at home mom for 6 years, the thought of going back to work was painful.
Especially because after spending hours on the internet while I was raising my babies, I saw so many people that were able to make a full-time income from home.
If they could do it, why couldn’t I?
I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want to blog like a diary.
I wanted to write about something I care about, I wanted to add value, and I wanted to make money.
Today, I’m so happy to tell you that one short year later, my blog will pay for my kid’s private school as well as all the back to school shopping and extracurricular activities like gymnastics.
I am so thankful for God’s outpouring of blessing on all my efforts blogging thus far.
I’m sharing this to tell you that if you have a sparkle of a dream to build a blog that generates venue for your family, and you are willing to apply yourself, you can for sure build a blog that makes a tremendous difference.
How To Make Money Blogging And Still Have A Life
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning that at no cost to you, I may make a small commission on anything you purchase through my link. But don’t worry, I never promote products that I don’t believe in or truly love <3
Pick A Topic You Could Talk About For Hours
Blogging is a slow burn even for the best of us.
Though there is some truth to finding a trending niche, if you want your blog to be sustainable over time, you should write about something you love.
If you jump on the trending bandwagon, unless you are extremely disciplined, you will get burned out before your blog starts gaining traction.
I strongly believe that the best way to pick a niche is to choose something that you love and can talk about for hours.
Do you know those conversations that you have with your friends that you totally geek out about? That should be your niche.
Don’t get me wrong, your niche doesn’t have to be your end all be all passion. It’s perfectly ok to write about something that’s a hobby or past time.
My point is that it should be something that comes naturally and that you love talking and learning about.
Writing about curly hair isn’t my greatest passion.
Rather that I like my curls, I know a lot about having curly hair, there are many struggles when it comes to having curly hair, and it’s something do every single day since I have to care for my hair.
It was a no brainer to get started with the curly hair care niche.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to stick to the niche you start with.
Your niche can be ongoing and ever-changing which is why I’ve kept my blog a lifestyle blog with an emphasis on curly hair.
This gives me the option to have other niches as my blog evolves over the years.
By writing extremely detailed posts about specific topics, you will be able to get higher-quality views that actually engage with your posts which will help your blog grow quickly.
Manage Your Time Wisely
If you want to make money blogging without selling your soul in the process, you must learn to manage your time.
Although there is an overwhelming amount of content claiming that “hustle” is the key to success, I disagree.
If you become disciplined in time management, your blog will grow with a small amount of effort.
I thoroughly enjoy the time I spend on my blog each day and actually consider it a form of self-care.
Because, from the beginning, I have been strict about time management.
Setting timers and reminders, closing all browsers other than the one you are working on, and staying working on one task at a time are just a few simple things you can do to manage your time.
>>>>>>Get Your Free “6 Simple Steps To A Successful Blog” Guide Here
Batch Your Work
Because there are many fascinating aspects of blogging, it can be easy to get analysis paralysis and not where to get started.
I can’t tell you how many times people tell me that by the time they sit down to work on their blog, they don’t even know where to start.
I get it. It’s easy to feel like there are so many things to do and it’s easier to just walk away.
The best way I’ve been able to stay focused on one task at a time without getting overwhelmed is to batch my work.
I have themed days of the week to work on one specific task. This gives me the ability to ensure myself in each task and yields higher quality works.
My weeks always vary but typically look something like this…..
- Monday: Write blog posts
- Tuesday: Write the weekly email
- Wednesday: Work on any tech issues (example: SEO, updating accounts)
- Thursday: Work on collabs
- Friday: I like to keep my week to a four day work week (you can do that when you work for yourself) but I will typically return emails on Friday.
The great thing about working for yourself is that you get to choose what item you work on and when.
Take some time to work out a schedule that feels right for you. And don’t feel like you have to stick to it.
Your entire blogging journey will be changing.
And that is one of my favorite things about it! YOU get to choose and fill in the blanks of your schedule.
Create Good Habits And Stick To Them
“We become what we repeatedly do”
I have good news and bad news.
The good news is, running a successful blog isn’t difficult. When done right, it can be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do.
One key ingredient to building and running a successful blog creating and sticking to good habits.
Make a habit of writing 2-3 posts per week, sending out at least one email per week, and continually growing your mind.
If you can do that, then you can run a successful blog without minimal effort.
But the bad news……
The bad news is that when it comes to habits, there is just something about our brain that doesn’t want to establish them.
When you tell your brain that you need to write every day, your brain responds “yeah, but writing is boring and nobody will read it anyway”
Likewise, when you tell your brain that you want this because you want to build a better like for you and your family, your brain will respond “but who are you? You are not special. You don’t have what it takes”.
…..sadly many people cannot overcome the simple but painful task of sticking to healthy habits and seeing them through.
The key takeaway here is to overcome the doubts and fears that creep into your mind and focus on establishing daily habits that will grow your blog quickly.
Be Diligent From The Get-Go
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. Proverbs 22:29
When it comes to success in any area of life, diligence is a secret sauce that separates the men from the boys.
If you study any successful entrepreneur, you will find that they know their business inside out.
That’s why I don’t like the idea of outsourcing everything especially early on in your blogging journey.
It’s important that you keep track of your numbers, your views, your growth, and how people interact with your content.
And it’s important to run split tests on different posts and/or videos.
Don’t let these terms scare you. It doesn’t have to be over complicated.
Set the first day of every month (or the firth day that doesn’t fall on a weekend) to go over all your blogging stats, income, and analytics.
This is my favorite day of the month because it allows me to see where I’m doing really well, and where I need to make improvements.
Trust me when I say that you want to do this as soon as you get started. It will set you up for seamless growth in the future….
….which is bound to happen if you stick with my 6 step blogging plan.
In Conclusion:
If you are serious about starting and running a blog but still having a life, the first thing you need to do is to niche your content down to very specific topics. People want to know why they are coming to your blog.
Manage your time wisely. Because if you don’t master your time, it will master. Friend, your brain and your time are your biggest assets. DO NOT WASTE THEM.
Make a calendar of your week and pick a theme for each day. It will enable you to batch your work which will help you get more done and have better quality work.
Make good habits.
No matter how many times you try and fail (which you will because you are humans) get up and try again. Create habits that allow you to move your blog forward every single day.
When it comes to blogging, you have to be diligent. Because behind every successful business owner, is a person who has been diligent in both small and great tasks.
Xoxo
Colleen
