Start Blog, Make Money? Good Luck With That.

Start blog, make money? If you prefer writing to speaking, if you're an introvert rather than an extrovert, if you want to share your opinions and passions with the world... Then yes, blogging is probably the best way to express yourself publicly. But you know by now that making money from a blog isn't something that happens overnight. It's not like you write a few posts, throw them online, and watch the cash roll in. Nope, it's far from that.

Building a blog that brings in money takes time - a lot of it. You're not just writing posts; you're building an entire platform from scratch.

Not Easy, Of Course Not.

Starting up is dead easy. You can get your website started in the next few minutes if you want. But you'll need to build it up, you're not going to make money so soon, but you will, believe me. Like anything else in the world, you need to learn the how-to's (the right how-to's) as you get along. But wait. I said in the beginning "If you prefer writing to speaking..."

Not For Everyone, Of Course Not.

Some people are better at verbal communication than written communication. Face-to-face, over the phone, live chat such as Skype. Some people are ONLY good at communicating verbally. It doesn't necessarily mean they're more suitable for vlogging on YouTube rather than writing blogs. Generally, extroverts often find it easier to digest information by talking themselves out, even though they know the answer. They prefer two-way communications rather than one-way broadcasts such as blogging and vlogging. 

In my experience - in the past few years I've had a dozen people whom I communicated with on Skype and talked them through how to start a blog to make money because they requested so. They insisted they wouldn't understand text manuals or training, but they wanted me to show them step-by-step via webcam. None of them made it to publish more than a few blog posts. It might tell you something; if you don't like reading, you're unlikely to continue writing.

The Traffic Challenge

Here's a big hurdle - getting enough traffic. For a blog to make money, people need to read it, right? But getting readers isn't easy. You're competing with millions of other blogs out there.

And let's not forget about SEO. You need to know how to make your blog show up in search results. That alone is a whole different ball game.

Content Creation Is a Marathon

Now, about content creation. It's not just about writing something and calling it a day. Your content needs to be engaging, informative, and something people actually want to read. And you need a lot of it.

Constantly coming up with fresh, appealing content is a challenge. It's not just writing; it's research, editing, maybe adding images or videos - it's a lot.

Monetization Methods Aren't Always Straightforward

Then there's the part about actually making the money. There are a few ways to do this - ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, selling products or services.

But guess what? Each of these requires its own strategy and comes with its own set of challenges. For example, with ads, you need a ton of traffic to make decent money. Affiliate marketing? You have to find the right products, integrate them naturally into your content, and hope your readers are interested.

The Constant Need for Adaptation

The online world changes fast. What worked for monetizing a blog a year ago might not work today. New platforms emerge, algorithms change, and what audiences want evolves. Keeping up with these changes and adapting your blog accordingly can be exhausting. It's a never-ending learning process.

It's a Crowded Space

Lastly, let's not forget about competition. There are millions of blogs out there. Standing out in this crowded space is tough. You're not just competing with other bloggers but also big-name publishers and companies with hefty marketing budgets.

So, there you have it. Monetizing a blog is hard work. It's not just writing and posting; it's strategizing, marketing, constantly creating, and always learning. Sure, some people do make it, but it's a long, challenging road to get there.

The Overdone How-To Guide Epidemic

Let's be real for a moment. The internet is oversaturated with how-to guides. And as readers, we're getting pretty tired of seeing the same old, “been there, read that” kind of content. It's like bloggers are churning out common sense advice and dressing it up as groundbreaking wisdom. Let's talk about why this trend is, frankly, a bit tiresome.

Recycling the Obvious

It seems like every blog you visit these days is loaded with how-to guides that tell us things we already know. "How to Boil Water," "Tips for Tying Your Shoes" – okay, maybe not that basic, but you get the idea. It's a bunch of recycled, obvious advice. We're all for learning, but when the information is something that most of us have known since we were five, it's a snooze fest.

The "Groundbreaking" Illusion

You know the drill. You click on a guide thinking you'll find some incredible, life-altering advice, only to realize it's the same stuff you've heard a thousand times. It's like some bloggers think they've stumbled upon the Rosetta Stone of everyday life, but really, it's just another pebble on the beach. We get it, basic advice can be helpful, but dressing it up as something revolutionary is a bit much.

Quantity Over Quality?

It feels like there's a race to see who can pump out the most how-to guides. But what happened to quality over quantity? We're bombarded with endless lists and bullet points that offer more fluff than substance. It's like bloggers are filling their pages with words just for the sake of it, not because they have something new or interesting to say.

The Search for Something New

As readers, we're always on the hunt for fresh ideas and perspectives. But when we're met with the same regurgitated advice, it's disappointing. Where's the creativity? The originality? We're not looking for a revolutionary invention in every blog post, but a little innovation would be nice. Something that makes us think, "Hey, I never looked at it that way before!"

The Endless Echo Chamber

The blogging world can sometimes feel like an echo chamber, with everyone repeating everyone else. This repetition makes it tough to find content that really stands out. It's like wandering through a maze where every turn leads you back to where you started – nowhere new or exciting.

So, that's the deal with the endless stream of how-to guides. As readers, we're craving something a bit more substantial than the standard fare. We want to read content that makes us think, laugh, or see things from a different angle. Not just another post telling us how to do something we've been doing our whole lives.