The blogging realm is constantly buzzing along, and according to Technorati, two new blogs are creating every second. The craziest part is that statistic was published in 2006, a time when blogs were in their infancy, and very few were creating successful businesses from them. I’m not sure about you, but when I had my first idea for a blog, or any ideas for that matter, I get really excited. I start thinking of possibilities, how to structure the site, and so on.
Also, my aspirations can get the best of me, and I feel that it’s going to be a huge success right out of the gate. However, success is not something that just happens, but takes time to manifest based on a bunch of different factors. Before kicking off your next blogging adventure, don’t go too crazy, and jump off the deep end. First, ask yourself these three questions:
Do I want to make money, or do I just want to build something for fun?
Depending on your goals, you may want to monetize, or just start up a new pet project. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with monetizing a blog, but if your main aspiration is to make money, you’re going to have a bad time. Making money blogging has no eight step program, and there sure as heck is no such thing as a “set and forget” system. [Read more…]