Note: Some links in this post contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you make a purchase. That’s actually one of the ways you make money blogging! Thanks for supporting my blogging dreams! 🙂
Most people are drawn to blogging because they have an urge to do something that they are passionate about. They lack the passion in their everyday lives and in their jobs and they feel driven to contribute something worthwhile to society.
As a millennial, I’ve always had two conflicting ideas drilled into my head: You can become anything you want! & Go to college and get 3 degrees or else you won’t get a job (i.e. won’t be able to make money).
So those two ideas are conflicting because doing or becoming anything I want means not thinking about money, and go to college and get many degrees means that I should be worried about being financially secure.
And to be honest…millenials are split between these two ideas: 50% of us are super motivated, ambitious, really educated, and wanting to climb the corporate ladder, and the other 50% of millennials are like, cares to the wind, still live at home with parents, and work part time jobs to take a year off from their non-existent careers to travel the world.
I honestly don’t agree with either of those ideas and think that both of them are pretty dangerous mantras to live by…
A corporate job to me is not the safest way to financial security especially since I grew up in one of the biggest depressions to hit the US since the Great Depression. You can literally become laid off at any time or become disabled–anything can happen. That’s a scary time to not be in control of your destiny. That’s why I always suggest having multiple sources of income. You never want to be reliant on just one source of income.
Obviously, the second idea, just living a passionate life without having skills to make money is not really realistic because you have to worry about money to live in the real world. Those kids (because that idea is just childish) who think you can just travel the world or do whatever you want without having to worry about making money are seriously a drag on the economy and parents everywhere. Harsh? Yes, but as a person who has always had multiple jobs I just don’t get how some people think it’s okay not to work.
That’s not to say I don’t think you should live a passionate life…
From the wise words of Kayne West, money isn’t everything but having it is. I know that wanting to make a lot of money is like an evil idea in our culture, but the root of many issues for families in this economy is the lack of money. My main goal is to live the life that I CHOOSE, not the one that a corporation chooses for me. I want to one day have a family that I can spend time with whenever I want or be there whenever they need me. That’s my dream and that dream can only happen with a lot of mula.
So when starting a blog should I follow my passion or the money?
The answer is your blog really should be a little bit of both.
It definitely has to be something you’re passionate about because if its not you’re not going to want to write about it.
Unless you’re already super passionate about your job or career and you’re really just blogging for the sake of blogging, you should do research to see if your blog topic can make money.
How can you find out if a topic will make money or not?
There a few ways to find out if your blog is profitable:
- Research other blogs in your niche–do they keep income reports or report making money from their blogs? Do they have high traffic (low alexa score, large social media following, being featured on major publications are indicative of this)
- Do these bloggers in your niche sell things? (they’re showing you there is an audience of people in your niche willing to buy)
- Do the bloggers in your niche review a lot of stuff? (they’re probably getting paid to sponsor products. This is popular in the lifestyle blogging niche)
- Are there a bunch of people already blogging about what you want to blog about?
If you’re a human being you probably have several different passions. Try to pick one that will make you money. You’ll enjoy what you do and you’ll have the potential to make a living off of it. Who wouldn’t want that?
The Run-Down of this article:
- Make a list of things you’re passionate about
- Do research on the passionate things to make sure you can blog about it AND make money.
- Start a blog about a passionate thing that you know other bloggers are making money from.
I hope this helps you decide what you want to write about. And also, you can totally change your topic if the initial one isn’t working out. I started out blogging about how to freelance and make money online and now I’ve niched down to how to make money online with a blog utilizing social media. I thought I would never be able to niche my topic down, but I did once I started talking to people and realizing what people need and want. So don’t be afraid of a change if you feel like you’re going in the right direction.
Thank you for reading day 1 of my blogging challenge! Make sure to post your article in the Facebook group and if you haven’t joined my blogging challenge yet and would like to be a part of it, check this out!
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My name is Amanda and I'm a biz coach for creative entrepreneurs who want to build an authentic business that they love. I'll help you get clear on your purpose, values, mindset, and business strategies that'll help you create a business that offers you true freedom not a "I work 12 hours a day" freedom! Schedule your 30 minute strategy session with me today. 23 Comments on When Starting A Blog Should You Follow The Money or Your Passion?
1Pingbacks & Trackbacks on When Starting A Blog Should You Follow The Money or Your Passion?
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[…] When Starting A Blog Should You Follow The Money Or Your Passion? […]
Tiffany Shand
January 4, 2016 at 2:44 pm (9 years ago)Great post, Amanda! Some good points here.
proassistblog
January 4, 2016 at 5:04 pm (9 years ago)Thank you!
Sheri K Little
January 4, 2016 at 3:37 pm (9 years ago)Nice post. As a millennial myself, I have also found that that mix of schooling and do what you are passionate about can be tough and divisive. My blog is all about passion and I love it.
proassistblog
January 4, 2016 at 5:04 pm (9 years ago)That’s awesome Sheri! It’s important to figure out what you value in life and mold your life in that fashion! Thanks for reading.
Anna Palmer
January 4, 2016 at 4:53 pm (9 years ago)It is a tricky balance…
proassistblog
January 4, 2016 at 5:03 pm (9 years ago)Yes it is!! Thanks for reading.
Lisa Jones
January 4, 2016 at 5:14 pm (9 years ago)Great article! I’m not sure if I’m a millennial, but i totally agree about the two sides. I’ve been self employed, and I’ve been in the corporate rat race. From my experience, I’ve been a little jaded by “the grass is greener” mentality. Maybe we can find a happy medium!
proassistblog
January 4, 2016 at 6:34 pm (9 years ago)Yes! It’s all about whatever you value in life. Many people would never want to be an entrepreneur and enjoy being part of an organization. I think its just a small group of people who really strive to break free from the 9-5 (even though more people say they would). I definitely am looking to have a happy medium. Thanks for reading Lisa.
Paul Mathis
January 4, 2016 at 5:23 pm (9 years ago)I had never thought of monetizing my blog, but the more I read the more I think I should!
proassistblog
January 4, 2016 at 6:34 pm (9 years ago)You should!! Thanks for reading Paul.
Sharon
January 4, 2016 at 5:26 pm (9 years ago)I agree with having multiple streams of income because you are right you never know what can happen. Being reliant on once source can cause overwhelm and stress for many families. It’s a lot to carry on your shoulders as the sole income for your family.
Iman Brooks
January 4, 2016 at 5:41 pm (9 years ago)Love this, I think it should be both. As a reader of blogs you can tell with the passion is gone and it becomes all about the money. Likewise, as a writer it kind of sucks not making money on something you spend a great deal of time doing.
Mary, Living a Sunshine Life
January 4, 2016 at 5:51 pm (9 years ago)For me blogging either comes down to being a hobby or a business. If you want to make money, then it’s a business and you’re self employed, and you should treat it as such. Either way, you’re right, having a passion about your blog vision is the way to go because that passion will translate into your writing and will get other people excited about your topic which keeps your page views up and your bounce rate down.
proassistblog
January 4, 2016 at 6:34 pm (9 years ago)All very true! Thanks for reading Mary!
Kusum
January 4, 2016 at 6:45 pm (9 years ago)Brilliant, Manda! Just what I wanted to read as a new blogger – literally 10 days since I launched my blog 🙂
http://www.sveeteskapes.com/2015/12/meetsveeteskapes.html
proassistblog
January 4, 2016 at 7:58 pm (9 years ago)Aw that’s awesome! Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
Chrystal | Nevermore Lane
January 4, 2016 at 7:11 pm (9 years ago)My theory has always been if you are a good writer and you write what you love and it shows in your work, you will find people who share the same passion and love what you are writing as well. The money will come, if you go for it authentically.
proassistblog
January 4, 2016 at 7:46 pm (9 years ago)I agree with everything you said except for the last part; yes sometimes money comes automatically but not likely. That’s like a similar premise to “do what you love and the money will follow”. If you blog all day and don’t bust your butt promoting your content and all the other work that’s involved in monetizing your blog, you’ll just have a blog with no money. 🙁 Thanks for commenting!
Trish
January 5, 2016 at 5:42 am (9 years ago)This is a great post! It’s just what I needed to read right now. Thank you for writing it 🙂
proassistblog
January 5, 2016 at 2:15 pm (9 years ago)Aw thanks for reading!
Michele
January 5, 2016 at 9:41 pm (9 years ago)Very good read. You made points that hit close to home…lol
proassistblog
January 6, 2016 at 12:03 pm (9 years ago)Thank you for reading!