I’m no pro blogger, but blogging does make up a large part of my business now. People start blogging for many numbers of reasons including mummies on maternity leave looking for an outlet. For most people, it starts as a bit of fun. You become part of an ever-growing, welcoming, supportive community. You start receiving products to review, go to amazing events, stay up until 1 am blogging as a labour of love. Then PR companies start offering to pay you. Pay you to write! Advertise and maybe expenses and you realise you can start making money, earn an income from blogging. This is when you need to decide and make a distinction between a hobby and a job. If you decide to go with a job then you really need to be wearing a proper business hat and leave the hobby behind!
- Register self-employed. This is paramount. Even if your earning are minimal it’s good practice to get into and it’s also the law. You must register self-employed 3 months after you start trading – trading can be classified as advertising and marketing even if you physically take no cash you are still trading.
- Branding. Think about your brand, how it looks, what it says about you, your business, your blog.
- Set goals. Proper grown-up goals that mean something to your business like where you want to be in 5 years, financial goals, aspirations (many bloggers dream of getting their work published on Huffington Post) but make them SMART goals. With tangible, realistic, results and not have 100 Facebook likes by mid-June.
- Be organised. Diaries events, block off writing sessions, review sessions (sometimes just finding the time to sit and make/cook/play with products is 50% of the job so put it in the diary!), networking times and family time.
- Be professional. Have an up to date about me page and also a hire me/work with me page, which details what work you can do, brands you have worked with and how companies can contact you. I also have a published articles page which links to articles in magazines, online, crowdsourced and guest blogs I’ve written. It’s a great CV for those looking to become freelance writers.
What top tips do you have for turning your blog hobby into a business? If you have enjoyed this post do follow me on Twitter.
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Hello Joanne,
I think blogging for your business is a critical component of your content strategy. When you write a blog well, and regularly, you will accomplish many marketing objectives. And taking the time to write your blog will pay off. And Secondly, when you write engaging, informative blog posts, you’ll attract engaging and informative comments. You’re gathering off- site links, which boost your search engine rankings.
Worli recently posted..How to Fix 500 Internal Server Error in WordPress
As someone who ghost writes blogs for businesses, the absolute priority in a successful business blog is consistency. That’s consistency of ‘voice,’ of good quality content and above all, delivery.
Mark Richards recently posted..The Blogging Book
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Great point Mark, thank you for stopping by.
All great tips. I would add to it, to have a strategy so you know where you are headed and what you want to achieve from pro blogging. Then the incremental decisions that you make on a daily basis can help to take you there!
JuggleMum, Nadine Hill recently posted..Street Style Mums: Heidi Gosman of Heidi Klein
Great tips – time management is my biggest issue at the moment. I could do with an extra few hours in the day!
Cass@frugalfamily recently posted..Steps to take when hiring people to work in your home….
You also need to make sure that you have professional indemnity insurance, if you are blogging for business
Jen recently posted..Save the children club – The MUST HAVE Christmas gift
Great tips, I need to stop and think about my goals before I come back from maternity leave
Bex @ The Mummy Adventure recently posted..Me and Mine September
Great tips – O think time management of my work load is my biggest thing at the moment and thinking more clearly about branding. x
Lori recently posted..CALM BEDROOM MAKEOVER // INTERIOR INSPIRATION
These are some great tips – it amazes me how many people don’t register as self employed. x
Sarah Bailey recently posted..Win with Yushoi
Great tips, I need to be better at time management but sometimes life gets in the way
Kara recently posted..Mr. Bloom’s Nursery 4 in 1 Shaped Puzzles
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Me too Kara, but I am getting better with time management.
I think the branding is key, but it’s the most difficult thing to get right. I know I’ve made mistakes along the way.
Erica Price recently posted..September Round Up
Great tips, even a few new ones for someone who has been blogging for as long as I have! 😀 Time management is also my biggest problem, I could do with a few extra hours like Cass! 🙂
Emma recently posted..The Kurbis Fest
I’ve been making serious earnings from my blog for a couple of years now, and really do need to sit back and write down some long term goals – it’s time to step things up another notch. Great tips.
Michelle recently posted..Make A Simple Autumn Wreath – Crafty October Day 1
Great tips I wish I’d read when I first started. Time management is and always has been my issue. My brain is always jumping about like a grasshopper and I have to constantly rein myself back in.
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I have a similar issue with a jumpy brain! I think it’s because I’m creative I can’t just concentrate on one thing at a time!
Some great tips here. I have to admit I started out blogging with the intention to earn money from it but I do have a degree in journalism so I thought it was time to use it again.
Ness @ JibberJabberUK recently posted..Finance Fridays – The carrier bag charge
these are brilliant tips! I think once you really start putting the work in you really see a return. I love that blogging is now my job! x
fritha recently posted..love from first find
Some great pieces of advice here, thank you x
Rachel recently posted..Aromatherapy Associates Clear Mind Bath & Shower Oil
Some really good tips and advice here that I need to think about.
Stephen recently posted..Ted Baker – Ted’s Grooming Room
Great tips! My blog is definitely a hobby at the moment, I just dont have the time needed to make it anything bigger yet, maybe once the kids are a bit older
Gemma recently posted..Bucket List – September & October 2015
Great tips as always lovely. I wish I had more time for my blogging although I need to go with what pays the mortgage first! Hope you’re good x
Charly Dove recently posted..Photos from Audresselles and Wimereaux
Great tips – my blog is my job now, after two years of blogging and I love it! Kaz x
Ickle Pickle recently posted..Top Ten Baby Essentials
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That’s so great to hear 🙂
Very helpful tips! I am trying to work to a schedule better and I am off to have a read about SMART goals!
Erin – Yorkshire Tots recently posted..25 ideas for FREE February half term fun in West Yorkshire
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Glad you found it useful! I’ve a 2016 ten goals free download on the blog too at the moment x
I found this really insightful, often I read blogging tips and they are all the same, but yours had a little extra punch to it which I think is great, I love the grown up goals. Thanks for sharing these. Found you on #TopTipsTuesday
I’m gathering tips as I go along, just starting to make money from blogging. Some good tips here! #toptipstuesdays
Jenny (Midwife and Life) recently posted..Show and Tell Week 3
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Thank you good luck with your blog