I know the title of this post raises the eyebrows of some of you here but let me just get my point here. So basically here in this blog, what I have been preaching is that you can never make money blogging unless you put in enough effort. you do it wisely and execute things strategically. Heck, most successful bloggers even take like one year before they even get to where they are now. And that comes with the fact that they are consistently putting effort from day one.
In this blog, I wrote some few tips related to making money blogging although this blog is NOT about that topic. I wrote posts like how this blog makes money, how I doubled my advertising income, monetizing local traffic and stuff like that. Another popular blog posts is this post which is entitled making money isn’t hard, it just involves a lot of hardwork which has completely nothing to do with making money blogging.
If you read those posts, you can see that most of the things that I do or attain are possible because I’m workaholic. I do exert a lot of effort in this blog (although not these days though) and most bloggers that I know do the same so there’s a commonality between bloggers who are making money.
Work hard, Don’t Expect at All
Ok I know I’ve been taking both sides of the fence here which definitely will confuse you but let me explain. Some of you here know that blogging isn’t really the main way I make money ever since. Before it was affiliate marketing. I did a lot of CPA stuff, promoting offers through PayPerClick, making a lot of money back then and some of you are aware with it.
I don’t do it that much today because of all regulations and affiliate marketing is a fly-by-night thing. I can be making $100 in one day or losing more than that. There’s that much risk that convinced me to stop doing it.
I also spent some little time with freelance writing early back in my college days and was associated with some companies. This was just a part-time gig for me as I was studying so I could have some allowance on my part.
I enjoyed blogging ever since and probably had spent the most amount of time in it without really making nearly the amount that I make with other things.
Having a Day Job
So late last June, I took a job at a certain software development company as their online marketing guy and with that I applied all the knowledge that I have to that company.
Obviously its nice for me because it was my first ever job and it allowed me to kind of like have an income source outside the internet which I also considered consistent (at least for the first 6 months) because you’re getting paid monthly.
Consulting & Client Work
The demands of having a day job is tough but that didn’t prevent me from pursuing this consulting & client work business. Very few know that I manage a startup company at Round Table Networks and that I did some consulting way back last year. It was good and the money was enough but back then I didn’t find it that fulfilling so I stopped doing it and instead focused on my sites.
Late September I started doing it again to just try to see what would happen. Luckily I got some clients that I have been working until now and that has brought both good things and bad things to me. The good is obviously the compensation and the bad is that I have lesser and lesser time to spend for my web properties which includes this blog and some other stuff.
Making Money Blogging & Not Expecting at All
I don’t know. I, myself is confused on what the topic of this blog post really is but I guess its just about accepting the fact that living off with the sole money that you make from blogging is almost not possible these days. I mean I still make a decent (not phenomenal) monthly passive income from this blog and some of my other sites but they just take a backseat with what I do primarily.
The main point here is that if you’re trying to make money from your blog but you have a job that you make consistent amount of money with, then just don’t expect too much from your blog. Sometimes its better to just work without expecting something because in that way, you don’t get depressed or frustrated when you don’t make that much money.
Looking back now, I realized that blogging was NEVER the main thing for me. Sure, this blog is one of main prized assets that I have online but it just acts as a second fiddle to the things that I really do. It was affiliate marketing before, having a day job and consulting work for now.
I think it’s equally important to have this mindset that sometimes enjoying something is enough and may alone justify the effort that you put into it. I know that statement is debatable.
I try to make money blogging, but I don’t expect that much. And that helped me a lot in focusing on more important things that I need to prioritize without getting frustrated. How about you?
I understand what you’re saying. I work part-time 60% for a college in Norway (I used to work full-time). I don’t expect much from my blog when it comes to money, but I am very pleased every time I get a notice about new commission (received one for $58 today from AWeber) and the feeling is awesome. I don’t blog in order to earn money, if I was, I expect I would be fairly miserable right now.
If I was going to blog full-time I would have a strategy, and probaly work many hours every single day, but no matter how many hours I was working I don’t expect it to be a lucrative business.
Working part-time 60% is perfect for me, and it gives me time to blog, work with clients and write a novel (my first novel).
Hi Melvin
There are a lot of successful marketers who do make a full-time living on-line. I see what you are saying though in that you do need to do it full-time if you want that sort of income. Especially when getting established.
That is my plan that I have. To eventually earn a decent income from on-line marketing. I will not put all my eggs in one basket. Will have different income streams and I have already begun with my sourced products. Will put up some affiliate products soon that go with my blog. With blogging it takes hard work, perseverence and patience and it doesn’t happen overnight that’s for sure!
Patricia Perth Australia
I agree completely with you. it happens to me too… every time I expect to make money – I don’t make money. whenever I don’t think about making money, I make money.
the problem is, I think about money almost everyday! 🙂 I mean, who doesn’t??? (bill gates probably) lols. anyways, it’s a good thing there’s melvinblog… we learn many things here! 🙂
You were right about the “catchy” title. It did raise my eyebrow 🙂 After reading it, finally understood the true meaning and I agree with you that making money online should be dealt with a lot of effort and determination.
Mmm…I get a sorta mixed feedback and feeling when I read and reread this blog post. Melvin, I don’t agree with that. Now, I understand when you say to “not expect anything at all”, you may refer to those who are deeply affected by setbacks and when things do not go their way. Yes, in a way, its emphathetic, yet, I don’t think that’s the full story.
I believe you’re referring to having a positive mindset when it comes to making money online, and to anticipate by experimenting, and if things don’t come your way (herein, actually making money online), then it doesn’t hurt so bad.
I’d like to add that people learn through setbacks, emotionally, physically, mentally, and even spiritually. It’s how we learn as human beings – I can’t recall how many times I’d fallen down trying to learn to cycle, how much money I had ‘invested’ and lost with my ascent to learning to make money in business and trading, but they were all necessary to me building my experience, expertise and the energy to go on.
Because my pain of my mistakes remind me what not to do next time.
Now if someone wants to make money, online or offline, I do tell them, don’t just drop your current income, build up your side job until it hits at least 80% of your main job, then you can consider to, but the point that it is a goal to reach. And until the goal isn’t reached, you’re not to drop your main job, it’s a goal. So if the goal isn’t met, ok.
However, if I really wanted to make money, and I expect NOT to make money…then, it’d be kinda contradictory, isn’t it? I’d want to make money when I expect to make money…and that’s what I tell my staff, my accountant, my wife, my family, my friends. All the time.
If you don’t hit the goal, find out why, and work on it. It’s really a lot like internet marketing, my offline business – a lot of testing, retesting, and replicating what works. At least you’re making fair money online, I sucked at it, and I’m taking time out to automate my offline business before coming back to the online marketing arena.
Perhaps, emotional management and mental strength needs to be honed further – I do that by praying, reading, thinking about what I like, what I liked achieved, and what I can learn from the situation, no matter what the issue. And trust me when I say that I’ve lost a deal of money just learning.
You can do all things through Him who strengthens you man, keep up the good work!
Nigel Chua | Get Richer, Happier & Fulfilled by Being Courageously Authentic
I have a day job I really enjoy. I also really enjoy my blog and see it as a great hobby that makes some money on the side. However, I know that it’s not income I need to rely on, so it takes a lot of pressure off and allows me to really enjoy my blog.
I wanted to make money blogging, and I guess almost everyone wanted it, but most of my income comes from my daily job at my father’s business and also PPC from Yahoo and Google. My mind is I didn’t like to work, and I believe almost everyone didn’t like, I rather spend my time on something that give back good benefit then something that almost never gain anything. But… what can I do when money doesn’t come… it’s daily job once again…
yeah that was exactly my point. If we were about to expect to make 10k a month or not even anywhere near than that, we would definitely be upset if we dont meet that goal.
I’m in a same situation minus the novel part, lol.
lol.
we thing about money everyday but we have to understand that we don’t make money everyday so i think there has to be a fine line between those two things.
everything takes hard work including online marketing (or blogging). I’ve been blogging for more than 3 years now but the compensation I’m getting is just enough to “have fun” with all my blogs. all of my blogs are now self-sufficient…no more money from the pocket.
if you really can’t take blogging as a full-time (or if this is not really for you), then just blog when you want and not when you need to.
making money online is just a like a piggy bank for me, nothing else…at least for now.
Initially, my plan was to make money from blogging. After reading how bloggers earn a full time income, I wanted to do the same. Then, I setup my word press and begin to write for months. Soon, I realized how much time and energy it takes. I also realized that I wasn’t was good at blogging. After a few months, I quitted blogging for good.
Currently, I am working full time in the corporate world and am earning over 80K per year. I like working there because the money is good, but at the same time, it’s also stressful and frustrating. I been creating websites/apps on my spare time and would like to make a living of it. The question now is…do I save up enough money so I can quit my full time job and focus on my own business stuff. Try it out for the next 6 months or so..then if it doesn’t work out, I can always fun another corporate job? or Just take the safe route and stick with what I have?
I appreciate everyone opinions. Thanks.
Mmm…I think, that you should first keep the day job first. Though I understand the allure of saving for 6 months then going to focus on making money online and internet marketing; from a business perspective it is not a very feasible idea.
I’ll look from a perspective of sustainability, and in the case of emergencies – perhaps you can consider thinking in the mindset of potential investors. If you were an investor, would you invest in your 6-month internet business?
That’d be food for thought.
Suggestion: keep your day job, and schedule time of between 1 – 7 times per week, non-negotiable, where you will work with your internet business, be it marketing, producing or technical aspects. Have a business plan for your business, and keep to it for at least 6 months, and make sure you test and tweak its monetisation. Only when and if your MMO business reaches 60-80% of your day job (in this case, when you reach $48-64K per annum then can you consider dropping your full time job to focus on your MMO business.
What do you think?
Nigel
Totally understand that man, I’m doing the same thing as well, solidifying my own offline business, systematising it, testing it, and see if/when I can scale it up and outsource it, before I can focus more on making money online.
Keep it up man!
Niguel, you mentioned some good advices. I tried to work 2 or more days out of the 7 days on my business stuff, but it’ll drain too much out of me. I realized that I need to balance my life with fun + work. My biggest enemy now is time. If I keep up this rate, where I work 1 out of 7 days on my business stuff, it’ll take me a very time to even get to where I want.
Now, I work part-time 25 hours or less to make stable money while focusing on my own business stuff for 25 hours. I don’t know man…I’ve been thinking about this for a few weeks now. If I do quite my current job fully, I’ll give it another 4-5 months or so. This way, I’ll see how much revenue I’ll received from my own business stuff.
I appreciate your time.
Hey Mike
We’re in here for the long haul, no quick rich scheme. As a business provider, we want to provide the maximum service for the maximum profit, as long and as often as possible. To do this, we need a solid product or service, good business planning and execution, and the day to day execution and fine tuning. It’s ok to slow down a little, be a little patient, and focus what you need to do, one thing a time.
It’d be good to find out what you need to do, prioritise them and schedule your priorities. Perhaps you might want to consider a 3x week schedule, about 2-3 hours each time dedicated purely to internet marketing.
The most important thing is to have a plan, ensure your second stream of income can at least match you day to day spending, plus with enough resources to last you 6 months, only then consider to move out. Don’t rush things, not all things when rushed will turn out good.
Nigel
Hahaha, we can make money everyday man. =)
I find myself involved in the same scenario. though, my day job is far from where I would like it to be.
I can relate with Melvin on this, coz you see I have been trying a lot before and then setbacks and frustrations come in which makes you sink.
I believe you should approach it like the game of chess (I am a chess player that is why I want it to relate to that game). The most successful grandmaster are those that are more of analytical than just after the results, they are not much affected much by up and downs during the game and just calculate moves on cold blooded analysis without nervousness thus producing more profound results.
I think blogging is also the same, you just do your thing and money will come in because by not expecting much you produce more blog gems.