Blogging Bootcamp is Stupid
Last week I announced that I’m doing a week-long series on how to blog.
Then I received an onslaught of emails reminding me of how I have always said that it’s stupid to try to earn money blogging. Here’s the post where I outline the rationale for this. But the bottom line is that making money from blogging based on getting tons of traffic is a terrible goal because so few people can do it.
So most advice about blogging is stupid, because making money from ads on your blog is a lost cause. But you know what you can do really well with a blog? Create a stable, engaging, career – that is not blogging – that accommodates your personal life. Because a blog is a career tool, like a resume. It’s the magic pill for your career.
Here’s a photo of what I did last week. I went to galleries, in New York City, with my kids.
Do you know why I can do this stuff? Because I have a secure career. I can always make money, I can control my own hours, and I can always find someone to give me work if I need it. I am not more diligent than you or more lucky than you. I am a fanatic about always making sure I can make money in ways that are interesting to me.
So when I tell you to blog, I tell you that as a way for you to give yourself the same sense of career stability that I have. I worry about a lot of things in my life, but I don’t worry about being unemployed or having boring work.
I can show you how to get that confidence. That’s why I decided to do the Blogging Bootcamp. Here’s what blogging can do for you:
1. Blogging makes career change easier.
Most people have trouble with career change because they know what they want to do but they can’t get a job doing it. A blog allows you to show people your ideas and your investigations in a given field. And that’s what being an expert is: asking the best questions. Make your blog an exploration of the field you want to be in, and sooner than you realize, you will actually be qualified to be hired in that field. This is not rare: it happens all the time, in a very wide range of fields.
2. Blogging lets you skip entry-level jobs.
No one wants an entry-level job if they can avoid it. The pay is low, the responsibilities are questionable, and the assumption is that you are paying dues. A blog can allow you to skip over this drudgery by making you well known in the field for your ideas, rather than for your experience. Also, as you are linking and responding to other bloggers in your field, you are building a network of people who know you as someone with a reputation in the field and they can help you land a job that’s not entry-level.
3. Blogging opens up the world of part-time work.
Pew Research reports that most moms would rather work part-time than have a full-time job or be a stay-at-home mom. This means that almost every mom is the US is competing for the jobs that are engaging, well paying, and part-time. How do you stand out in this crowd? Blog. A blog shows people how you think and how you’re connected in a way that a standard resume or standard work history simply cannot. A blog is a differentiator when the competition to get the job you want is fierce. You don’t need a lot of readers, you just need one reader, who is able to hire you, and is impressed with what they read.
4. Blogging makes it easier to re-enter the workforce.
If you’ve been out of work for a while, your resume probably has a hole in it, and your network is waning. A blog can solve both problems by showing you as intellectually vibrant on your blog and engaged in your field. Your blog is a better calling card than a resume if you have been out of the workforce.
5. Blogging builds a network super fast.
When you blog about the arena where you want to get a job, you start building a network of people who can help you get that job. Blogs are best when they are filled with ideas, because people like to talk about ideas, and share ideas, and we all like to be around people who are interesting thinkers. Your blog creates a magnetic force that brings people who would be interested in you toward you. When it comes to getting a job and staying employed, you’re much better off spending time cultivating a network like this than spending your time actually hunting for a job. With a blog-generated network you won’t have to look for a job again—they will be there when you need them.
If you want a stable career, if you want to take charge of where you’re going in your career, then you should be blogging. But you need to know how to manage blogging in your life so you don’t spend too much time on it, and so you don’t get sidetracked by snake oil salesmen telling you that you should make money from your blog.
So look, this is why you should learn how to blog. You should learn how to blog to get the life you want. So you can go to art museums in the middle of the day, so you can have someone to build Lego projects, so you can think about things that are more fun to think about than how to stay employed.
ugh. now i feel like an asshole for signing up for blogging bootcamp. I don’t even want to get to the bootcamp-affirming punchline.
Blogging helped me find a new job in under one month, instead of the nine months it took me last time, when I was just starting to blog. My new boss said she loved how I’m actively involved in the local marketing community (my blog focuses on marketing in the N.C. Research Triangle) — I don’t think I’d have gotten that attention without having my blog as a platform to share my ideas. To be clear, my blogging takes a lot of time and effort, but it has definitely paid off.
I think your blogging workshop should have a two-part introduction: a) reasons not to blog, and b) reasons to blog (in other words, strategies that don’t work, and strategies that can work). Because it seems to me that most people-i-know’s first problem when it comes to socializing on the internet is understanding why, or rather knowing what exactly they expect to achieve (and that’s all blogging is – a medium for socializing on the internet). And then how they are going to measure those achievements in a meaningful way. That’s how I’d approach blogging, anyway, if I blogged… Maybe I should.
What great ideas! This blog is awesome because it is sharing information with the generation who may be intimidated by technology, about why they should be interested in taking part in the latest fad that is blogging. Blogging is SO much more then writing about random topics, but it really can further your carreer in countless ways. As a soon-to-be college grad, I am well aware of the advantages of having a blog, and utilizing it to get ahead in a job-search. Blog’s are most certainly becoming a go-to tool for employers to see what kind of person you are, and the great ideas you have, whether they be about your career or other aspects of life that you are passionate about. As someone hoping to go into the PR field, I know that a blog will be an essential component in setting myself apart from others hoping to land a job in the same area. Blogging is the easiest way to show people how talented and knowledgeable you are, while being able to express your creativity.
I would really love to be a better blogger. Mostly, though, it is my own failure to just sit down and do it…I have so much trouble getting started on a post. I really want to take your bootcamp, but not sure if I can budget for it since I am on an entry-level paycheck right now. It’s a lame excuse, I know, but I just snubbed the NPR fundraisers and am feeling especially guilty right now.
Exactly.
I’m a freelance court reporter. I have no problems getting work. My blog is giving a fresh perspective on the field because it is not getting the kind of attention it deserves. It’s a great job for entrepreneurs who want to work from home. The new technology out there is amazing for people who are into technology too. Maybe, eventually, like 10 years from now, I could generate deposition schedulings as well.
I’m taking Penelope’s bootcamp because I need to determine if I’m sending the right messages on my blog. It’s a creative outlet for me, but I also want to make court reporting sound like a desirable option as a career.
CourtReportingLife.typepad.com (Reporting Life) if anyone is interested.
I am unable to open the registration page because you have it in something called TTP that I don’t have in my windows operating system and have to download. Can you put the registration in a different format?
I am unable to open the registration page because you have it in something called TTP that I don’t have in my windows operating system and have to download. Can you put the registration in a different format?
Hi Charity! The link was broken when you tried but I just fixed it. Try the links again or just go to our page to sign up directly! http://brazenu.com/secrets-of-an-a-list-blogger-a-week-with-penelope-trunk/
I completely agree with your points, especially the last one. Building relationships is the key to getting much what is desireable in life, from a professional and personal standpoint. Blogging and connecting with bloggers in your subject area is a great way to do that.
I always say people who make money telling other people who to blog are like people who teach people how to manifest money by holding expensive workshops about it. The only people who make the $ are those who actually run the workshops…not the attendees.
I use my blog as a means to talk about things that I otherwise wouldn’t in my real life. It has created a part-time job for me doing intuitive readings and I couldn’t be more grateful. I call it my hobby – that’s what it is.
Anyone who thinks they’re going to be able to quit their job and blog full-time is welcome to do it – some people who do it are wildly successful. But for most people, it’s just another hobby.
I think most people would agree with you that you shouldn’t start blogging with the idea that you’re going to earn a living off of it. It’s unrealistic. (And if everyone could just hold workshops and make money off of things, why doesn’t everyone just do it? They don’t–it takes a certain kind of person, with initiative, teaching ability, and desire and ability to connect with others to be successful at holding workshops and bootcamps. I don’t begrudge anyone doing what they do well.)
Blogging is a hobby for some. But I think the point here is that when done well, it should fall somewhere between “hobby” and “living.” You won’t make money off of it, but it can bolster your career in ways you can’t know until you commit to doing it well.
Yes! I just attended “Blog World” in Los Angeles and it was disheartening to hear (from Technorati) the “State of the Blogosphere” – their yearly report on how bloggers are doing and how brands/clients are perceiving them. Not a lot of money being made on the whole. On the other hand, I treat my blog as a relationship-builder, a trust-accelerator, etc. I consider it more a portfolio of what I’ve done – and what I can do. I don’t think your blog camp is stupid (though I like the headline) but I do like your (new) focus. Thanks!
Hi Martha, am interested to know why it was disheartening and how brands are perceiving them/us?
I just attended my first event as a blogger, meaning I was invited because I’m a blogger and I was given some perks solely because I’m a blogger.
I had a great time. I met freaking Martha Stewart (very briefly, but still). I had a great seat to an event that others paid to attend. Oh, and I got to meet freaking Martha Stewart.
One thing I noticed was how other bloggers presented themselves. I wore business-casual clothes (it was a Saturday event), but many other bloggers were there in tennies and jeans.
Would you go to a job interview in tennies and jeans? My momma taught me better than that.
I’ve gotten plenty of jobs based on the fact that I showed up suited up.
For me, in my non-niche, it didn’t even matter. I’m not a craft or a food blogger. But the two food bloggers sitting next to me who arrived without business cards and dressed like they were skulking the Saturday garage sales surprised me. I would think that meeting a person with a lot of power in your niche would inspire you to dress like it.
I think bloggers get the amount of respect they deserve. If you show up disrespecting your craft then how can you expect anyone else to respect you?
The disheartening part was that so few bloggers are garnering much income from this. On the upside, brands are recognizing the influence of bloggers and hopefully, before too long, may incorporate more of that into their marketing strategy.
This is disheartening, but at least they were honest there. I attended BlogHer and I wasn’t quite certain how to discern the shit from the shinola.
I attended a full day with Ree Drummond (who seems sweet as a cupcake, by the way), but her humble-as-pie persona and her self-effacing, “Aw shucks, I ain’t making much money” schtick really confused me because if The Pioneer Woman isn’t making any money then ain’t nobody making any money.
Ree said that she makes what money she does make from her ads, not from her books or Foodnetwork TV show.
I’d be curious to know what Penelope thinks about Ree’s claim that she’s not making that much money and that what money she is making is coming from her site ads.
Ree’s a big fibber. From her interview in the New Yorker:
“Whenever I brought up the subject of ad revenue, Drummond grew acutely uncomfortable. She said that she is "reticent to quote numbers." Eventually, she told me that her revenue for 2010 was "solidly one million" dollars, a portion of which goes to overhead and expenses. (This sum doesn't include her book advances, royalties from her best-sellers, and revenue from Hollywood for the movie option.)”
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/05/09/110509fa_fact_fortini?currentPage=all
She did seem “acutely uncomfortable” when the question of how much she is earnings came up.
Her brand is built upon the notion that she is a simple little farm wife who homeschools her kids and blogs for kicks.
She is Anywoman; just folks like you and me. How is that supposed to jive with her pulling down a cool million a year? How can she admit that and keep her core audience? What can she do about that fact that her brand doesn’t match her income?
Or is this a gender issue?
Can women admit to making lots of money and still be liked by other women?
Blogs are great tools to use to move people forward to spending time on retail sites. In researching the marketing for a new retail hub that I will be assisting with social media development – I find all my competitors are writing product reviews, and blog stories to keep their visitors engaged in the need to purchase. The trend of pushing people from their Twitter feed and Facebook pages to their websites with blog and content is very high. Having a blog that is being updated every few days, refreshes web content which does positively impact the sites SEO.
Ah, Im just a grasshopper – but I know I will need to jump in this pond soon when assisting the new business.
Love your blog Penelope! I will take your blog class again if you offer it later. $ too tight right now.
-Lynny Young
I’d love to see data on what percentage of bloggers avoid entry level jobs because they have become known as experts. My guess is it’s infinitesimally small.
You could say that about resumes, too: “I’d love to see the percentages of resumes that actually got someone a job they loved.”
You know what? It’d be like, I don’t know, two percent. So probably you shouldn’t write a resume either.
Penelope
in lorrie moore’s famous short story “how to be a writer”, she starts off: “First, try to be something, anything, else.”
it’s completely legitimate to try to steer people away from blogging as a career and then, when they insist on doing it, tell them the best way to go about it.
I love, love, love that short story. And also all the others in that book. Self-Help, by Lorrie Moore. If you want to be a writer, you should read that book. It’s just such great, innovative writing.
Penelope
Excellent! I’ve ordered it:)
I couldn’t finish reading your post because it felt dishonest to me. Blogging can not help your career. In the stretch that if you were one of the few who’ve built a popular blog, which takes the course of a few years and has a huge following, then maybe you’ll get credited with knowing the specialty that you blog about. Just the same as an author or a journalist. But the reality is, if you do anything for as long as it takes you to be a successful blogger: with focus, patience and generating solid information, you’d be good at any career. Your post just reeked of self promotion, and a need to generate sign ups for your boot camp. Lesson learned: be careful about what you gripe about. You will appear to have ulterior motives when promoting it. Especially if it’s paid.
Yeah. You’re right that the post is promoting my Bootcamp. I think I’m pretty straightforward about that.
As for the idea that blogging helps your career. Here’s another way to think about it. A resume emphasizes experience, and a blog emphasizes ideas, and blogs are so powerful as job hunt tools that LinkedIn shifted their whole interface to give members a way to make their profile mimic a blog.
I’m not saying LinkedIn does a good job of creating blogs for people, but LinkedIn does a great job of promoting the idea that people get hired from blogs, because people get hired for their ideas.
Penelope
“But the reality is, if you do anything for as long as it takes you to be a successful blogger: with focus, patience and generating solid information, you’d be good at any career.”
That’s true … but who else but yourself and a few other people you knew would know how good you are in a certain discipline?By reading a blog I can get a good assessment of how well the author knows their field. Also the comment section gives me a clue as to how the blogger thinks and how talented they are at interacting with their community.
Maybe it depends on what you're doing. I've been interviewing
founders of startups (from a few employees to startups with over $100 mill in
revenues) and they're all saying the same thing – show me who you are, not a
list of places you've been.
One CEO quoted someone saying, "you can fake a resume, you can't
fake 500 blog posts." Show that you have a voice, that you're active in the
community, that you're engaged in the industry online and these CEOs want to talk to
you. Just send them a resume, and you'll never get seen.
BTW – each one of these startups is hiring now-everything from marketing directors to tech engineers. So they’re not just making noise. They’re interviewing candidates and saying “show me your blog.”
Maybe it depends on what you're doing. I've been interviewing
founders of startups (from a few employees to startups with over $100 mill in
revenues) and they're all saying the same thing – show me who you are, not a
list of places you've been.
One CEO quoted someone saying, "you can fake a resume, you can't
fake 500 blog posts." Show that you have a voice, that you're active in the
community, that you're engaged in the industry online and these CEOs want to talk to
you. Just send them a resume, and you'll never get seen.
BTW – each one of these startups is hiring now-everything from marketing directors to tech engineers. So they’re not just making noise. They’re interviewing candidates and saying “show me your blog.”
Maybe it depends on what you're doing. I've been interviewing
founders of startups (from a few employees to startups with over $100 mill in
revenues) and they're all saying the same thing – show me who you are, not a
list of places you've been.
One CEO quoted someone saying, "you can fake a resume, you can't
fake 500 blog posts." Show that you have a voice, that you're active in the
community, that you're engaged in the industry online and these CEOs want to talk to
you. Just send them a resume, and you'll never get seen.
BTW – each one of these startups is hiring now-everything from marketing directors to tech engineers. So they’re not just making noise. They’re interviewing candidates and saying “show me your blog.”
Maybe it depends on what you're doing. I've been interviewing
founders of startups (from a few employees to startups with over $100 mill in
revenues) and they're all saying the same thing – show me who you are, not a
list of places you've been.
One CEO quoted someone saying, "you can fake a resume, you can't
fake 500 blog posts." Show that you have a voice, that you're active in the
community, that you're engaged in the industry online and these CEOs want to talk to
you. Just send them a resume, and you'll never get seen.
BTW – each one of these startups is hiring now-everything from marketing directors to tech engineers. So they’re not just making noise. They’re interviewing candidates and saying “show me your blog.”
Maybe it depends on what you're doing. I've been interviewing
founders of startups (from a few employees to startups with over $100 mill in
revenues) and they're all saying the same thing – show me who you are, not a
list of places you've been.
One CEO quoted someone saying, "you can fake a resume, you can't
fake 500 blog posts." Show that you have a voice, that you're active in the
community, that you're engaged in the industry online and these CEOs want to talk to
you. Just send them a resume, and you'll never get seen.
BTW – each one of these startups is hiring now-everything from marketing directors to tech engineers. So they’re not just making noise. They’re interviewing candidates and saying “show me your blog.”
Right on. That’s the way I understood it but it’s refreshing to hear you “nut up”. As always. I’m looking forward to it.
I’m so tired of people asking me: “How are you going to monetize your blog?” I feel like punching them in the face, especially when they don’t even have a blog and they just picked up that question from some infomercial. It’s not about monetizing “the blog”, it’s about leveraging your existing skills so you can hopefully have a smooth transition to something else you’re interested in.
I’m so tired of people asking me: “How are you going to monetize your blog?” I feel like punching them in the face, especially when they don’t even have a blog and they just picked up that question from some infomercial. It’s not about monetizing “the blog”, it’s about leveraging your existing skills so you can hopefully have a smooth transition to something else you’re interested in.
Link to Pew study?
I started blogging to document what I was learning internet marketing. About the time I started reading I was going through a divorce and re-entering the workforce. I never expected anyone to read what I wrote but it established me as an expert locally then in my field. Penelope even commented a few times.
My blog helped me change careers and make a good income. It helped me rebuild my confidence. Now I’ve remarried and have a new baby. For the past 4 years I’ve worked PT. I credit this arrangement and all of my freelance work to my blog.
I keep thinking about your boot camp. I’m not a beginner I think I could still learn.
-Janet
I totally agree with you Penelope. It is one more way to get yourself out there. I have 81 followers. Not a lot. But those 81 people read my blog and often comment. I learn from them and they from me. I am older and so I am not looking for a new job but if I were I can see how having a blog could help you network. Right now I am doing it to get my jewelry designs out there and it IS working. Some very successful people in my field are beginning to notice my work. It works in spite of what the naysayers say. We aren’t saying make money ON the blog. We are saying get noticed in your field!
I loved that first blog post by Penelope because it made me realize that as far as blogging was concerned I wasn’t doing something wrong because I wasn’t making oodles of money FROM THE BLOG. However, everything she says in this post is absolutely true. Blogging legitimizes you. For me, it gave me the opportunity to stay in touch with the folks who wanted to hear more of what I had to say. Later, as I got more into social media and wanted to teach others how to use it, it gave me legitimacy. Now I ghost write, consult on social media, and do just what Penelope says-create my own hours, do interesting work, stay employed! Any person would be lucky to take this course because Penelope won’t bore you with platitudes and things to try that MIGHT work. She’s going to share what actually does work. Whether your building a brand, establishing a presence or simply getting your feet wet this will be a course that will catapult you in blogging knowledge.
Thanks Penelope. You are inspiring, and the way you connect ideas is great. Currently, I am in a job that I know I will move on from one day, but I will definitely start a blog in the area that I have a talent in and which I want to explore. I need to be building my skill more strategically in that new area. Thanks for this piece. Certainly drives the point home. Makes so much sense, and you are very right about building a network automatically when we do this.
It seems that the discipline required to blog consistently and intelligently sharpens the mind and helps to focus our random ideas into something more coherent. For me, at least, this is worth the effort.
“I couldn’t finish reading your post because it felt dishonest to me. Blogging can not help your career. In the stretch that if you were one of the few who’ve built a popular blog, which takes the course of a few years and has a huge following, then maybe you’ll get credited with knowing the specialty that you blog about.”
I have to agree with that too, as well as his argument that this post is just intended to generate leads for your course.
I am curious: if you say the current offering is too cheap at $200, which is $40 an hour (5 hours of podcasts right?), what would the correct price be? The one people tell you to ask for?
if 1000 people sign up or buy the bootcamp later, this is a whopping 200,000$. So, what numbers do you expect? Since it is an internet driven course the number of participants is not limited by the same concern as a traditional course in an auditorium.
Become a Real Housewife of – .wherever and send us your story.
http://businesswomensociety.blogspot.com/2011/11/real-housewives-of-augusta.html
As you note, it’s so important to make a distinction between earning a living BY blogging (which is for the very few) and using blogging to enhance and extend your career and business opportunities (which is available to anyone with writing skills, expertise in their field, and the willingness to follow through).
In my book, “Social Networking for Career Success,” I explain how blogging can be an important part of a social media strategy. As you note, it provides the blogger a platform to demonstrate expertise beyond what he or she can show in a resume, for example. You were generous enough to contribute some tips for the book, which was perfect, since I learned to blog, in part, by reading your blogs almost four years ago!
I can’t think of a better way for careerists (job seekers and small business owners) to “show, don’t tell” what they know. Blogging can allow people a place to illustrate how their skills make them well qualified to take on the positions or gigs they are targeting. Point #5 (blogging builds your network) is so important, and often overlooked. The more people who know, like, and trust you, the better off you are when it comes to landing opportunities.
I teach my clients how to reverse the job/business search process; instead of applying for or bidding for opportunities, attract those opportunities to you by demonstrating your expertise and by owning your name online.
When it’s so important to distinguish yourself from everyone else, blogging (when done well) and being able to create a community of colleagues via a blog and other social media tools can mean the difference between being found or being lost in the shuffle.
There are 3 levels that we make decisions from. (This can be in hiring for business, personal relationships, selecting a company etc). Most of the time we don’t even realise we are using these criteria.
1) Looks, status symbols, titles, size of bank balance – generally surface level stuff 2) Skills and talents – what the person or company can DO for you3) Character – how it is done, who that person or company is underneath, it’s the culture. Which level do you make decisions primarily from? (And which would you like to…)Often times we make decisions based on the first two categories. And that can work perfectly okay, for a while. But it is the third category that makes the real difference in whether people end up staying or leaving. And it is this third category that can be the hardest to see for what it truly is in a short period of time.
Blogging and many social media platforms are a good opportunity to display your character consistently. When you explore your ideas in a blog, you demonstrate many facets of who you are that simply are not visible on a resume or in a job interview.
It is for this reason that all the benefits Penelope explains in her post are applicable.
However I would certainly agree with people who say BLOGGING CAN’T HELP YOUR CAREER if say you want work that does not require you to think. If you only want work that requires that you follow instructions (and there’s nothing wrong with this – the vast majority of the middle class really want work like this) then absolutely DON’T BLOG.
Blogging has been known to demonstrate your ability to think, to solve problems, to adapt more quickly to changing environments and to create originality. All these things are detrimental to getting a job where you only follow instructions so PLEASE DON’T BLOG.
kat :)
p.s. The ways in which we have made decisions form in the past has often been due to our environment. However it is simple to change once you become aware of what you’re doing. But again – if you don’t want to think – don’t do this!
I don’t like this post or your decision to run a blog boot camp when you so often bash blogging. You keep saying you mean A, not B, but in fact you’re mixing the two together.
However. I can say that I agree you can make connections even with -minimal- followers. I live in a decent sized metropolitan city. But there isnt’ a huge mom blog presence her. I leveraged my blog to get invited to free events, including costly live entertainment VIP rooms.
While savvy PR people and businesses will figure out if you have minimal followers, you’re not under obligation to tell them if you’re not asked. So that means if you want to blog about baby gear, because you use it all the time, you are a suddenly an expert. Even if 94 people are following you, a blog with a few year’s worth of baby gear reviews and reflections will definitely get the attention of certain companies.
3 Reasons Bloggy Boot Camp is not stupid (apart from maybe the name):
1. You can establish yourself as an expert in your field if you have a great blog.
2. If you have a crappy-looking blog you may instead establish yourself as an amateur.
3. Social media and blogging are brilliant ways to network, especially if you are shy. For 10 years i could never get a copywriting or web design job unless I met people face to face. After I’d been blogging for a while I started to get work from people all over Australia (where I live) then all over the world. That happened as a direct result of my blog and even though I was writing travel and personal stories on my blog entirely unrelated to my work.
Penelope,
I can’t attend the bootcamp. I am already in a class this week and next. If you are recording it, can I buy it afterward?
Penelope,
I can’t attend the bootcamp. I am already in a class this week and next. If you are recording it, can I buy it afterward?
I’m the “odd mom out” when it comes to a blog. I put myself out there, and out there, and out there…and no one comes to my blog. I guess I lack that magnetic attraction, cuz it aint happenin’!
You should have put a link in with your comment.
Yeah, there are lots of ways to get people to the blog (if you want to) lots of info online etc. & maybe in that course too? ;)
Britto?? Love his use of color!
Blogging has helped me find out new things about myself and has helped stretch me as a person. Right now I’m in a contest to win a $100,000 blogging job! (I would love your vote if you want to help out http://www.cheapsally.com/profile/ashley-walkup/) Hopefully blogging will lead me to a new job…a blogging job, but a new sustained job nonetheless.
Any biz model that gives the idea that it is a get rich quick or quit your day job sort of thing should make any level headed person raise an eyebrow. Blogging just like any other solid biz model is a process and it takes time to generate money. I have generated money from my various blogs over the years. Can I quit my day job, well not yet. Will I be able to one day due to the income that I getting from my blogs, well maybe.
Everything ain’t for everybody and it is best for one to find the biz model that best suits them.
Here’s how I see it:Many of my friends, and others I know started blogging with the express purpose of making money. When I say making money, I mean direct AdSense and affiliate marketing type monetization.There are a lot of falsehoods disguised as truths when it comes to what really sells and what really works with blogging.A successful blog – for profit or passion – takes work. You can niche site anything on this Earth, but you need to put in the work and have a plan of action. Another thing people don’t think about or consider is that a successful blog – like any business or endeavor – takes a strategic plan of action. So many of us do the research but don’t do the real research it takes to succeed. I talk about this in my Holyfield vs Tyson blog. You have to really do an assessment of your competition and create a plan of action to attack it. Copying another’s formula is only good if you think you can replicate and exceed their results. If you can’t and aren’t willing to do the work..it’s pointless.When blogging became a big thing, the idea was “making mad money being yourself” or “gossip material about celebrities” or any number of things including “niche marketing” … All of these models are successful as long as you have a UVP based on your strongly devised SWOT Analysis. Trunk is someone who is brazen, contradictory and seems to put her foot in her mouth. However, she still has an audience and has made it. Her angle is… immediately creating a “for profit” blog in the sense that you’re seeking to make money DIRECTLY from things you place for monetization on the blog is bull… because it’s over-saturated, poorly executed, and basically not what a blog is meant for. People who are passionate about their work can blog about it. People who are passionate about their goals and dreams… or anything … can really learn to blog about it. I can’t tell you too much to prove this except to say that while I’m not necessarily where I think I should be… for the longest time I felt I was going nowhere. Looking at the scope of how things are changing in the Internet and Media industry… I’m in the right place. and I know it. and nobody can tell me different. I feel how it looks contradictory, but she’s not talking an AdSense or XFactor Style blog. She’s talking about finding a blog strategy that’s hopefully based on a strong passion that serves you as much as you serve it to really live your dreams and pursue it. In the end of course there’s money involved… we all need it. But money is a reflection of passion and energy…. how you look at the means in which you acquire it can show you whether or not you’re really using passion to acquire it and put in the work. You’re not going to blog about mutual funds if it’s not your passion, even if that’s the field in which you work…
Very excited for your BloggingBootCamp… Must make a comment though, went to
the Webex to make sure I was all signed up. Didn’t realize the tagline for
Brazen Careerist was “Where ambitious YOUNG professionals can connect and grow.”
REALLY?? Maybe consider NOT using Brazen Careerist brand for main line content
like blogging bootcamp.
Rebecca, everyone is YOUNG by heart? ;) My Grandma at 80 called herself ‘young’ hehe!! :)
I would like to hear about 2 people who skipped an entry level job because of their blog or were considered an expert because they blogged. Experts blog and are considered experts because of non-blogging accomplishments. I whole heartedly disagree with everything except #5. As someone who is interviewing for a career changing job, I would never bring up my blog nor would my potential employer take the time to read it.
Nor would I take the time to read the blog of someone who submitted their resume if I wasn’t interested by their resume.
I stopped reading Brazen Careerist (your company) because the blog entries written by non-experts were fairly boring and repetitive. Most were about how you should start blogging to be thought of as an expert in your field.
after i read this, my mind open…. thanks bro for share,,
excellent…kpsskazan.blogspot.com and hertelden-kartalizma.blogspot.com
excellent…kpsskazan.blogspot.com and hertelden-kartalizma.blogspot.com
Thanks for the encouragement. Your comment “You don't need a lot of readers, you just need one reader, who is able to hire you, and is impressed with what they read.” is great – but how do you reach that one reader? At this point my blog is read mostly by friends and family. I’ve posted on Facebook and Twitter without much success. How tactics would you suggest to get the blog in front of the one person who will hire you?
I signed up for the bootcamp but didn’t watch the videos just read through all the transcripts. They are amazing, truly amazing. In fact, I have to go to a stupid holiday, or christmas, or whatever party tonight and I soooo don’t want to go because I wan’t to start ripping away on my blog with all the things I just learned. But I’m single, so I have to go to parties and get out, so they say. So here I go, and the stuff I learned will start tomorrow.
Really, most amazing workshop ever, thank you