This is such a broad topic that I have wanted to write about for a few days now but wasn’t exactly sure how to approach it. I am somewhat split down the middle and want to discuss my reasonings on both sides of the argument.
I feel there are two distinct differences when it comes to making money with a blog. The first is simply “blogging for money”. That is, your main goal with the blog is to make money. Ventures like this generally turn me off. One of the keys to a successful blog is being unique. It’s almost impossible to be unique if you make the same recycled posts as everyone else. I’ve seen enough “SEO Guide” posts to last me a lifetime, and I certainly will not be returning to those blogs because if I wanted to find that information, it is readily available.
In short, it is a very saturated market and unless you can offer up something new and unique, I don’t think you will be very successful. Proof of this is everywhere. Thousands of these blogs are just left to die… no explanation given, they are just abandoned. The authors simply realize that making money online isn’t as easy as everyone says and thus, they quit and move on to something else.
This leads to another reason why many of these blogging for money sites fail. The people who start them simply have no motivation. I fully believe that if you take on a venture, give it your all, don’t just half-ass something. Doing that only wastes your time and mine. And as you know, time is of the essence.
Ok so it’s clear that I am against full-out, money-making only blogs. Next up we have the topic of monetizing a blog. I have no problems with monetizing a blog, but I think it should be done so only under certain circumstances.
First, don’t start a new blog and instantly monetize it. The second key to a successful blog is content, and lots of it. Getting a reader to your blog is one thing, but keeping them there is a whole different ball game. You need to have a ton of useful, fun and informative posts to keep your readers entertained.
That said, monetizing your blog from the get-go will do two things. First, it won’t net you hardly any money and you will probably get discouraged. Second, it makes your blog feel cheap and makes you look like you are only in it for the money. Whether that is true or not, who knows, but you don’t want readers getting that first impression.
How long should you wait before you start to monetize your blog? Or should you even monetize it at all? That just depends on you, your individual blog and how much time you put into it. You could build a decent, content-filled blog in just a few months if you really work at it and make several posts per day. If you only make one or two posts a day, it could take you a lot longer to build a content-rich environment.
So, will I be monetizing this blog? Perhaps, but certainly not anytime soon. Sure extra money would be nice but I realize this blog is still young and I didn’t start it with the intent to get paid. My content is steadily increasing as is my reader base, two things I am very proud about. But most importantly, I am having a blast with it!
