Be taught what you really want to learn about running a blog full-time from somebody who is aware of precisely what it takes to be a blogger on daily basis. Whether or not you’re a blogger trying to change into a blogger, to take your weblog full-time, or to study extra concerning the each day lives of full-time bloggers, this publish shares an insider’s look into my very own private experiences running a blog as a full-time profession.
For background, I began this weblog as a part-time pastime in October 2019, and I left my full-time job in February 2022, once I began specializing in my weblog full-time. Nonetheless, I did even have prior data of WordPress, search engine optimization, and the way to earn a living running a blog.
Initially, earlier than I focus on running a blog full-time in-depth, I’d like to deal with a number of widespread questions which can be associated however don’t actually match into different areas of this text.
First, lots of people ask why I stop my prior job (a lawyer) to change into a full-time blogger, however there have been so many elements that got here into play that it’s arduous to state succinctly. Nonetheless, I do discuss a few of the benefits of full-time running a blog beneath, which had been main issues. I may also add that it really satisfies my private passions, even once I’m coping with a few of the disadvantages (additionally mentioned beneath).
Second, lots of people additionally ask when is the suitable time to take your weblog full-time, and there’s no easy reply to that both. It is dependent upon what you contemplate to be a full-time revenue, what your bills and time/financial obligations are, what sort of security web you have got, what the job market is like if you want to return to conventional employment, and so on. I personally felt glad with all of those elements once I stop my prior full-time job, plus another life elements had been steering me on this path, like the flexibility to journey extra regularly, which is a vital a part of my husband’s job.
Moreover (pay additional consideration to this), you want to have the ability to have accessible A LOT of cash for taxes. In case you are in the united statesA., I like to recommend you get an thought of what your estimated taxes will seem like BEFORE you make the leap to turning into a full-time blogger — mine had been considerably larger than I anticipated.
I additionally need to notice that this publish is about my private experiences as a full-time blogger, not a full-time social media influencer.
90% of my time spent and revenue earned is by the use of long-form articles on this web site, not my social media channels, so I actually can’t supply the experiences of somebody whose work is predicated on social media right here.
This publish about running a blog full-time shares my work schedule, revenue particulars, the professionals and cons of running a blog full-time, tips about the way to change into a full-time blogger, and, lastly, solutions to regularly requested questions on running a blog full-time to be able to study all the things you actually must learn about it.
It’s half “behind-the-scenes” and half recommendation!
What You Have to Know About Running a blog Full-Time
Full-Time Blogger Schedule
Beneath is my very own private full-time blogger schedule. I can’t say everybody’s is similar, as each individual AND enterprise is totally different, however I’ll say that many, if not most, full-time bloggers I do know do work full-time hours.
I had a really regimented schedule in my prior full-time job, working about 8:30 a.m. till 5:30 p.m. on the laptop, so I’m used to those hours and that is still the schedule I maintain as a full-time blogger, with the caveat that I now work earlier than and after hours extra typically, in addition to on weekends. This was widespread in my prior job however positively much less widespread.
After all, I hoped to work much less once I stop my prior full-time job, however I shortly realized that operating a enterprise requires my full-time consideration to each keep its present degree of success PLUS develop. (On the finish of solely my first week full-time, I misplaced one in all my largest streams of revenue! This type of factor occurs ALL THE TIME in enterprise.)
That being stated, I actually love spending my time this fashion and sometimes CHOOSE to work on my off hours, which I couldn’t say earlier than.
Right here’s what “every week within the life” seems to be like for me:
Monday to Friday:
Once I first get up, I test my telephone for all my statistics, emails, social media, and so on. I like to right away know each the place I stand and whether or not there are any main fires to place out.
As soon as I begin working, I typically spend the primary hour on administrative duties, like responding to emails, writing e mail newsletters, studying articles concerning the running a blog trade, and so on.
Then, the majority of my days on Monday via Thursday (not Friday) is spent writing weblog articles. I write one every day, and so they can take anyplace from half a day to a full day from analysis to writing, publishing, and advertising and marketing them.
As to what I write, it’s closely data-driven, and I normally do search engine optimization analysis and plan the whole 12 months upfront. Then, I enable issues like private inspiration or model offers I get to affect me to vary my content material calendar alongside the best way. I similar to batching the content material plan effectively upfront to save lots of time on a day-to-day foundation. Many full-time bloggers I do know plan content material forward of time as effectively.
In no matter time is left every day, I then work on social media and “huge image” initiatives. These initiatives are extraordinarily various in nature, but it surely appears I at all times have one thing occurring behind the scenes. It may be product creation, tax or authorized points, studying a brand new ability, technical points, outreach/networking, updates that have an effect on some or all weblog posts (lots of) and require guide consideration, and so forth.
(For a extra particular instance, proper now, I must replace sure model colours on 500+ posts, and I’m making an attempt to do a minimum of 5 per day.)
At evening, I spend some quasi-personal/quasi-work time on social media and, right here and there, I’ll have a lingering weblog difficulty I select to proceed engaged on earlier than the subsequent work day. I normally test all my statistics once more too.
Fridays are “catch-up” days. I typically don’t write a publish that day, however somewhat I do my accounting and work on no matter initiatives are nonetheless excellent. I’m hoping to get again to running a blog on Fridays too, but it surely normally feels out of attain.
Saturdays and Sundays:
I are inclined to at all times spend time on social media on the weekends, and I typically choose up my laptop computer once more for a number of hours Saturday and/or Sunday to deal with my inbox, a undertaking I need to get performed, and so on.
All Days:
As a result of my weblog is primarily a guide weblog, which means I additionally must learn loads, which is a mixture of enjoyable and work. I typically hearken to audiobooks throughout the day once I can, and I normally learn a tough copy of a guide for about one hour per day at evening. Typically it’s purely my selection of what to learn, and generally I’m studying one thing extra with the weblog in thoughts. Nowadays, I’m studying for functions of the weblog a lot most of the time.
Hours per week:
Not counting studying, 45-50+ hours sounds about proper, typically talking, and together with studying, 50-60+ sounds about proper. However, that is simply me, and that’s good now.
Full-Time Blogger Earnings
There’s a reasonably truthful probability you arrived at this publish about running a blog full-time to study extra a few full-time blogger wage and/or the quickest option to change into a full-time blogger financially.
However, it’s an extremely complicated query, so I’ll do my finest to keep up my very own private privateness whereas additionally supplying you with some perception into what a full-time blogger revenue seems to be like.
For starters, once more, a full-time wage means one thing totally different to every individual.
That being stated, most bloggers earn an revenue by way of some mixture of the next:
- show advertisements (such as you see on this web page)
- online marketing (commissionable hyperlinks by which you earn on the purchases a reader makes from the linked retailer)
- sponsorships (a.okay.a. model collaborations)
- product gross sales (like my Studying Journal)
- and companies (teaching, consulting, and so on.).
Nonetheless, every of those revenue sources varies dramatically for every individual primarily based on a numerous variety of elements, together with, however positively not restricted to, what number of web page views and followers your weblog has, the worth of commissions and merchandise offered (excessive ticket versus low ticket gadgets), and so on.
However, belief me, it will get far more sophisticated than that, and it might even rely upon dozens of things as detailed as what font dimension you employ!
There are full-time bloggers who earn anyplace from a few hundred {dollars} per thirty days to lots of of hundreds of {dollars} per thirty days. (Sure, you learn that proper!)
For extra particular numbers:
I’ve used the info within the video beneath as a guidepost for years now, and I’ve discovered that it presents fairly good averages total at quite a lot of ranges.
However, notice that simply since you publish a sure variety of posts doesn’t imply you will notice the numbers specified within the video routinely. You want a stable enterprise technique to see these outcomes, which requires a number of training, implementation, and pivoting.
Professionals and Cons of Being a Full-Time Blogger
Each job has execs and cons, and running a blog is not any totally different! What I discover particularly attention-grabbing right here is that a few of the execs and cons might be intermixed, relying on the way you take a look at them.
Beneath are my private opinions and experiences on the professionals and cons of being a blogger full-time.
Professionals of Running a blog Full-Time
First, you’re your personal boss AND co-worker.
Not everybody likes or desires this, however in the event you do, this implies you don’t need to reply to anybody however your self on the finish of the day, and also you additionally don’t need to cope with petty gossip, time-wasting conferences, poisonous cultures, and so on. One of many first issues that shocked me about being a full-time blogger was that an 8-hour work day really produced 8 hours of labor product.
Second, you’ll be able to work anytime and anyplace.
Once more, not everybody likes or desires this, however in the event you do, it may be essentially the most extremely liberating feeling. I now not need to overwhelm myself with stress about site visitors; time without work for sickness, emergencies, or appointments; cultures the place individuals solely suppose you’re working if they will see you sitting at your desk, and so on.
Third, you’ll be able to earn a dwelling out of your ardour.
what “they” say — do what you like and also you’ll by no means work a day in your life. Most bloggers are enthusiastic about writing and/or the subject they weblog about, so this profession really can scratch one or each itches.
Fourth, you’ll be able to doubtlessly earn extra revenue than you probably did in a “conventional” job.
That is actually not assured, but it surely’s positively doable. The earnings you make go on to YOU — not your boss, and never an organization, whereas in a conventional job, it’s possible you’ll typically see solely incremental raises over time, and that’s not assured both. Your weblog can be one thing that may be offered at a revenue in the event you determine to stop running a blog. I like to think about it as digital actual property.
Fifth, you study an unlimited array of transferable expertise.
Running a blog is exclusive in that you just grasp so many expertise, together with copywriting, coding, search engine marketing, pictures, videography, advertising and marketing, public relations, social media, gross sales, accounting, legislation, and on and on. All of those expertise are useful it doesn’t matter what you do sooner or later.
Cons of Running a blog Full-Time
First, all the things, and I imply all the things, is your duty.
And, even in case you have help, the buck nonetheless stops at you. Your full-time weblog IS a enterprise, and you’re the CEO in addition to the worker (normally, as most bloggers don’t have groups or have small groups).
Most of us simply need to write articles all day and work together with readers, however you continue to want to keep up your web site as a bit of digital actual property so to talk — not a lot totally different than if it had been a extra conventional enterprise that will cope with repairs, customer support, tax points, and so forth, or the enterprise would fail.
And, because the CEO, you additionally must handle the long-term technique, make huge enterprise selections, and the like.
Second, bloggers get burned out.
After studying the previous paragraph, you will have already realized that running a blog might be overwhelming, and it requires a sure mindset (plus good old style work) to realize and keep success.
I’ve discovered myself overwhelmed at numerous occasions studying model new expertise for the primary time, needing to grasp a number of fully totally different jobs by myself, and coping with all the things from complicated authorized points (like logos and worldwide gross sales tax) to complicated technical points (like hackers and issues that “break” on my web site).
It may additionally really feel like numerous threats are looming in your small business all day, on daily basis. (I do know many enterprise homeowners, not simply bloggers, really feel this fashion.) There are some basic threats, just like the recession and synthetic intelligence, after which extra particular threats, like rising competitors within the blogger/influencer area, adjustments to algorithms, and so on. Because of this it’s vital to remain on prime of all the things.
On prime of this, it typically takes a number of years of labor earlier than bloggers see cash constantly coming in. Because of this, many bloggers stop and/or break down at occasions.
Third, running a blog is at all times altering.
This will not be totally different than another job, but it surely’s nonetheless a “con” right here too. It appears nothing in running a blog stays the identical for too lengthy and, as quickly as you study one thing (like a sure social media platform), the panorama adjustments, and you must transfer with the tide to keep up your success, which typically requires extra work AND extra uncertainty about the way forward for your small business.
Fourth, you lose some quantity of privateness.
The extent of privateness that bloggers surrender varies from a little bit to loads, however typically talking, a minimum of some factor of privateness is misplaced whenever you’re running a blog full-time. The results can vary from receiving imply feedback from strangers to going “viral” in a means you didn’t intend and even bodily safety dangers.
And lots of, if not most, bloggers lose some degree of separation of area between work and life, which has change into an issue in many roles lately.
Fifth, individuals could not take you significantly.
I debated whether or not to contemplate this a con of running a blog (as a result of we shouldn’t care what anybody thinks), but it surely form of drives me nuts on the similar time. Feedback like, “What do you do all day?” and “Didn’t you stop working?” sting greater than I need to admit, particularly as a result of I’m so passionate and pleased with my work each personally and on a communal degree (Selling literacy advantages everybody!).
Since so many bloggers are ladies, I additionally suppose these perceptions concerning the job proceed a historic cycle of undervaluing the work of girls. I strive my finest to take a look at it as a possibility for dialogue, however as a lot as I hate to say it, it’s not at all times straightforward.
7 Tips about Easy methods to Make Running a blog a Full-Time Job
Now that you realize extra about what full-time running a blog is like, it’s possible you’ll be concerned about the way to make running a blog a profession for your self. Listed here are a number of of my prime ideas for what obtained me from zero to full-time:
First, consider in your self.
I believed in my running a blog skills from the minute I began, and I used to be fully unwilling to listen to any opinions on the contrary. It may be arduous to maintain going when different individuals doubt you. This meant I needed to set many private boundaries, together with not even discussing it with a few of the individuals closest to me for the primary few years.
Second, run your weblog as a enterprise.
Discover I stated “as” and never “like.” A full-time weblog is just not “like” a enterprise, it IS a enterprise. Set your weblog up the best way you’d begin another enterprise: conducting analysis, making investments, complying with the legislation, budgeting, strategizing and planning, setting objectives, making projections, and so on. (My Weblog Planner can assist you with this.)
The reason being that, normally, companies don’t constantly produce a full-time revenue by magic or luck. And also you additionally have to be ready to face as much as everybody else, together with the federal government and actually anybody within the world who could assault your small business for no matter purpose, both enterprise or private.
This may increasingly sound over-the-top, however I can let you know with certainty that my running a blog enterprise required the identical focus to develop to a full-time standing AND it nonetheless faces threats that concern me each single day of the 12 months (see “bloggers get burned out” above).
Third, put money into your weblog.
Running a blog is VERY low-cost and simple to begin so far as companies go, but many bloggers nonetheless balk at spending cash on it, particularly once they aren’t but getting cash. This REALLY holds you again each personally and professionally.
You want the very best running a blog sources so as to have a weblog that capabilities effectively, and also you want a well-functioning weblog so as to develop. The givers of weblog site visitors, like engines like google, don’t reward websites that don’t adhere to finest practices. Higher sources additionally assist maintain your web site secure and safe. For instance, you aren’t saving something when dangerous sources allow your web site to get hacked and you may now not entry it.
Investing in your weblog additionally means investing in your self. You should study A LOT so as to develop. Weblog programs can assist with this dramatically and shortly, though they price cash. I’ve taken extra running a blog programs than I can rely and, whereas they haven’t all been price the fee individually, the prices balanced out total. On the finish of the day, I made far more cash than I ever spent. I simply advocate doing all your analysis earlier than you determine on which programs to speculate.
Beneath are the running a blog programs I like to recommend essentially the most:
Fourth, work arduous.
Running a blog is a marathon, not a dash. It requires constant effort over time to succeed in the end line. There’s merely no different means round it. I don’t like to advertise “hustle” tradition, however I additionally don’t suppose you’ll change into a full-time blogger in the event you don’t put within the work each day over a protracted time frame.
Fifth, work sensible.
Working sensible is extremely vital. Running a blog includes a number of duties, and a number of these duties might be “time sucks.” (I personally would categorize social media this fashion, however that’s not the case for everybody.)
It’s vital to determine what the time sucks are for you, what the money-making duties are, and to regulate your schedule accordingly over time as your small business develops. You may’t do all of it, and just some duties will make you cash on the finish of the day.
For me, one factor this meant was setting boundaries with the various authors who reached out to me for (free) advertising and marketing help each single day. It was turning into a job simply to reply to emails, not to mention learn and promote their books, and it induced me a number of nervousness and guilt as effectively. So, I created a number of weblog posts that function good, free sources for them (as a result of I nonetheless need to assist), and I can now passively assist them by providing the hyperlinks with out giving up an excessive amount of of my time every day.
Don’t simply set objectives — set money-making objectives — if you wish to change into a full-time blogger as quick as doable.
Sixth, concentrate on the reader.
Your weblog isn’t actually about YOU, however your readers — the identical means any enterprise is about its prospects/purchasers on the finish of the day. The needs of most full-time blogs are to assist readers: generally by informing, generally by fixing an issue or answering a query, generally by providing inspiration and proposals, and generally by making another person really feel much less alone.
The reader ought to at all times be on the forefront of your thoughts, and you need to at all times be gathering up to date suggestions and studying about your prospects as you develop so you’ll be able to finest serve them. Each time I’ve really listened to what readers wished from me and altered course in that path, my enterprise has grown considerably, generally in methods I by no means anticipated, but that’s precisely what obtained me right here immediately.
Seventh, construct a novel model.
The extra time goes on, the much less I see distinctive manufacturers within the running a blog area. There’s much more flat-out copying to attempt to obtain quick development (It’s unlawful, by the best way, and I do look ahead to it, gather proof, and take motion once I consider it’s warranted), slapping up large portions of content material with no private expertise on the subject (generally even written by robots) so as to get web page views, and so forth.
Briefly, some bloggers immediately are extra targeted on getting extra eyeballs than extra engaged readers. And to get eyeballs, lots of people copy what was profitable for you and/or attempt to recreation the system.
There are such a lot of issues about these methods that make no sense to me. First, all of us have very totally different audiences with totally different wants. Second, it’s illogical to create content material that’s aggressive somewhat than distinctive. Wouldn’t you somewhat have much less competitors on a publish than not?! Third, readers should still view your posts, however they most likely received’t stick round except you give them good causes to take action. And in the event that they bounce, you received’t make as a lot cash.
I personally see these as short-term success methods and, in my first 12 months of full-time running a blog, one of many largest and finest classes I realized was to focus somewhat on constructing a neighborhood and a model, and to have very private, significant intentions behind each weblog publish and each enterprise choice I make.
I ask myself a number of “why” questions and contemplate what distinctive qualities I could supply earlier than I do something now. This goes hand-in-hand with my prior level to place your readers’ particular wants first.
It’s modified all the things when it comes to the standard of my work product and the way readers obtain it, and I look ahead to seeing the way it continues to impression my enterprise. In my view, this is what offers you the very best probability of avoiding dangers, holding your readers invested in your small business over time, and sustaining your full-time revenue over the long run it doesn’t matter what adjustments happen within the running a blog trade and threaten your small business.
Continuously Requested Questions About Full-Time Running a blog
Beneath are fast solutions to regularly requested questions on running a blog full-time.
Sure, many bloggers weblog on a full-time foundation and earn a full-time dwelling from running a blog via show advertisements, commissionable hyperlinks, model partnerships, product gross sales, and/or companies.
Full-time bloggers make a variety of cash, relying on many elements, together with what number of web page views their blogs obtain. Many full-time bloggers earn hundreds of {dollars} per thirty days, and a few earn 5, and even six, figures per thirty days.
There isn’t a set quantity of hours that bloggers work. They’ll spend any variety of part-time or full-time hours on them. Nonetheless, many full-time bloggers do work full-time hours on their blogs.
Most bloggers receives a commission cash from running a blog via a mix of show advertisements, commissionable hyperlinks, model partnerships, product gross sales, and/or companies.
There are a lot of downsides to running a blog. First, some degree of privateness is misplaced by publicly posting content material on-line. Moreover, running a blog requires bloggers to grasp a big number of totally different expertise, is time-consuming, and might trigger burnout.
That’s all the things I feel you want to learn about full-time running a blog as a full-time blogger myself.
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