Daily Dose of Design: 8 Ways to Take Your Blog Full-Time

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

8 Ways to Take Your Blog Full-Time


We all start blogs for different reasons - to have a creative space that's just our own, to share knowledge about something we're passionate about, to have a hobby. Most of us don't start saying "I want THIS website to be my full-time job. I want to make a living off of this website." And if you are starting like that, you're likely setting yourself up for having a really difficult time getting anywhere with a side of insincerity. #realtalk but starting anything for the right reasons is important!

Today more than ever, unconventional jobs are everywhere. They may not seem unconventional to us, but compared to 10 years ago, running a full-time blog can seem off the beaten path to some. But if it's your passion, whose to say it isn't right? Our blogs usually start off as our beloved side hustles, but what does it take to turn that into what you focus on and pour your love, heart and soul into 24/7? A hell of a lot of work, but it's possible. Take your passion to the next level; here's 7 things you *need* to do and know before going full time with your blog:


1. Do your research and make LOTS of spreadsheets


If you're going to pursue your passion full-time, that effectively means you're your own boss and means you'll be leaving your main source of income elsewhere. It's SO important to take the time and research if it's a feasible, workable concept. Crunch some numbers (AKA figure out how much you owe Nordstrom each month! ;) and know exactly what you need to do to grow your business and stay afloat - and beyond - month after month. That's where the spreadsheets come in - I do not know what I wold do without my folder of spreadsheets. Keep track of your income, have a sheet for accounts receivable and know where your money is coming from, how much is coming and anything else you can possibly think of.


2. Get comfortable, knowledgeable and passionate.


Before turning full-time, you have to decide just how much you love what you do. A huge part of being able to do this 24/7 is loving it, eating it and breathing it. It shouldn't always feel like work when it's something you love, and that's so crucial for a job that requires you to make all of the decisions. You have to be smart about this decision (going full-time) and know exactly what it's going to require. (This is where my love for spreadsheets comes in again! LOL) The more passionate you are, the harder you'll want to work and the sooner your goals will turn into your reality.


3. Have a business plan and a personal plan


This is one thing I wish I had from the get-go, but am so happy I have now. Take the time to write out a business plan and a personal plan, both of which will help you grow in the long run and stick to your goals, aspirations and keep you on track. More than anything, plan for what's to come. Plan for your first self-employed tax year, figure out if you need to hire out for anything (i.e. a virtual assistant, a designer, an SEO junkie, etc.) and learn the ins and outs of your industry.

When it's written out and visual on paper to you, you can see what you're missing and how to manage what you're taking on. You'll have a great idea of what you need to do, the time you'll need to do it in and most importantly, if and how it's actually possible to fulfill your dream and feed your passion.

[RELATED]: 7 Things No One Tells You When Starting a Blog or Business

4. Set realistic, but substantial, goals


Is it important to set goals you can actually meet? Most DEFINITELY. Is it important to set significant, more lofty goals? Without a DOUBT! You never (obviously) want to set yourself up for failure by making unrealistic goals, such as making a ridiculous amount of money or gaining an outrage number of readers in a short amount of time; but challenging yourself is one of the best ways to grow your business and grow in every personal way possible. It makes you work harder and it's really freakin' exciting when you meet a goal you never knew - or thought - was possible before.


5. Learn to diversify your income


AND what the best ways for your business are. There's hundreds of ways to maximize what you make based on your niche/industry and it also is super important because you aren't putting all of your eggs in one basket, AKA making sure you don't fall on your ass at any given time. Some of the main income streams for bloggers include:

  • advertisements 
  • affiliate marketing 
  • sponsored content 
  • your own product(s) - digital or physical 
  • offering services 

Obviously these aren't the only options, but they're usually most common. The sooner you diversify your income based on whatever is a good fit for you, the sooner you'll be raking in the results you strive for.

6. Be willing to put in the work it takes


Girlfriend, let's get real - it is NOT easy to 1. be your own boss 2. stay motivated to hustle 24/7 and 3. not get discouraged. It's easier said than done and it's a huge learning curve, but when you figure out what sort of schedule works for you, it is much more achievable. Know from day one that it's no walk in the park - it's arguably much harder to be self employed and have to hustle at all hours, but it is worth every. single. second.

[RELATED]: The Fine Line Between Work and Life When You Work from Home

7. Focus on constant growth techniques


When you're your own boss, everything is in your hands and happens on your time. You decide what happens, when it happens and how it happens. You *need* to always be trying to grow and expand, no matter how you plan to do so. Whether you set yearly growth goals or take it monthly, make a goal(s), right them down and figure out exactly how you can get there.

8. Understand that quality matters more than quantity


This goes beyond blogging! Quality over quantity, all day every day. When you're working for yourself and are running your blog, you know that there's so much to do on any given day. That's 1001% why I try to never rush to put up a post. My blogging schedule is typically Monday/Wednesday/Friday, but if I had a super busy weekend and first half of the week and can't get my act together (this happens waaaay more than I'd like to admit...) I try my best not to rush to get SOMETHING up on a Wednesday just because that's what's in the schedule. I do believe sticking to a schedule, but I totally believe in being proud of the quality of your work, so I find that this is a helpful rule of thumb.

Most importantly, love what you do and do what you love. That's always been my goal, and doing something all day every day that I L O V E so much is a dream. Hustle hard, make plans and do what you gotta do to make it happen. It's SO worth it.

XOXO -A

26 comments:

  1. These are such great tips! :) I need to update my business plan because I haven't even looked at it since I started my blog last year. I feel like it would help me feel more organized!

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  2. These are awesome tips! I have thought so many times about wanting this blog to be my full-time job, but at the same time...I still want it to be my haven away from the drama and anxiety of all the other things I do!

    xoxo, SS


    Southern and Style

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  3. Wow these are some awesome tips and are different than a lot of what you see in these kinds of posts.

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  4. These are such great tips! I'd love to blog full time!

    Kristin
    The Blush Blonde

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  5. Putting in the work is a serious tip that people sometimes overlook! In the age of buying followers, it's easy to want to not work for it when you see many other "big" bloggers taking the easy way out!

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  6. Love these tips! I'm still pretty new, but I have serious respect for those that are able to blog full-time!

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  7. Diversifying your income is so important. Relying on just one source of income won't do anyone any good.

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  8. Great insight. It really is like owning your own business and I think a lot of people don't realize exactly what goes into that.

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  9. Yaaaaas all so true, amen to all of the above! Do you blog full time??? If so, I had no clue you do girl!!!

    Coming Up Roses

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  10. Such a great post! Even though I don't have plans of taking my blog full time, I really should do more research on growth techniques.

    XO, SS || Seersucker Sass

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  11. I'm not a really big fan of the "full-time blogger" job. I love blogging, I can do it professionally while having a full-time job. While I know there are a lot of people out there who turned blogging into a real business (Gal Meets Glam, Zoella, Chiara Ferragni), I feel like this is starting to become a trend that people wish to follow. Full time blogging doesn't always mean only 8 hours of work per day or a full income.

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  12. Blogging is no joke! Early on, I was told to always think about it as a business more than a passion project.


    Prerana | http://broadcloth.co

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  13. Omg #6! I'm constantly working on growing, engagement etc. and I'm not even full time!

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  14. Til this day I'm still working on growing!! Blogging isn't easy.

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  15. Love all these tips! It almost seems like a dream to be a full-time blogger. I work full-time and have my blog as a side gig. It's some hard work!

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  16. Thanks for this great post! I'm definitely NOT in a position to blog full-time, although I wish I could! I have several freelance gigs going on, plus my K-Lee's Kreations business. But I do enjoy blogging and I'm just in the transition of treating blogging as a business rather than a hobby. I especially like your 4th tip about reasonable, yet substantial goals; and the 5th, about earning an income (I'm not there yet and need to figure this out!)

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  17. I've been blogging full time for a year and a half and it sure isn't easy! It's a lot of hard work for sure but I'd do it over a traditional job any day!

    Greta | www.gretahollar.com

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  18. Perfect for the newbie! If only they knew just how much work it takes to blog full-time.

    xx Tatyanna

    http://www.apopoflife.com

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  19. This was so interesting for me to read, I think it definitely is very important to be passionate about it. For now, my blog is definitely an escape and I love that I can do something for myself with it!

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  20. I am so in awe of people who blog fulltime! I still have a hard time understanding the whole money making side of it. Yes, I use affiliate links and yes I write some paid content but that would never be enough as of now. I am just happy with my little blog and am excited to see where it goes :)
    xx, Theresa

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  21. While I am not ready to make my blog full-time, I would love to be able to make a part-time income with it to subsidize the things I love to do! I am in awe of the people who can really make a living doing it, but I am happy where I am, too. :) Love these tips for making your blog a business, though, full-time or not!

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  22. Being organized and methodical about our approach has made a huge difference for us. Totally agree with these tips!

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  23. I don't have any plans for taking my blog full time I definitely need to do more to grow my blog!

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  24. I love all of these tips. I have to second goal-setting — it's the most important thing you can do for your business.
    Tori || Victori Media
    https://www.victorimedia.com

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  25. It is really awesome to see. Launching a business in short time. You can choose different third party business process outsourcing company to give you professional services in different areas, like social media management, blog content management, customer services and management, and even you can find delivery companies also.

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  26. There are a variety of strategies for ranking your website first in order to get the best response from customers. You'll need to make some on-page and off-page efforts to get the attention you need. You could want to look into the Philadelphia SEO agency, who are working hard to give you with fantastic results at a fair price.

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