Tag Archives: Blog

Can Blogging be a Full-time Job

October 26, 2016 By in Blogging Tips Tags: , , , , , , , , , 67 Comments

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Many people start blogging as a hobby. In fact, a majority of pro-bloggers started blogging as a hobby. They never thought blogging would turn into a profitable business. Some have been able to earn a comfortable income from blogging enough to quit their 9-5 jobs. But does blogging really have the potential to generate such income? Yes it does but it won’t happen for many bloggers.

Blogging is not like a conventional 9-5 job. It allows you flexible hours and you have the luxury of working from anywhere and anytime you want to. But it doesn’t quite work out for every blogger.

Before you can consider blogging as a full-time job, there are some things you need to consider.

There’s more that goes into blogging

Blogging does not only involve creating content and posting it on your blog everyday. There is a lot more to blogging than that. As a blogger you have to promote your posts, pitch to brands, sort out your bookkeeping (or employ someone else to) and engage with people. You have to be a Jack of all trades to succeed as a blogger. Such activities could take up as much as 80% of your time but it is responsible for as much as 90% of your success. It is those activities that will help you earn a comfortable living.

Avenues for multiple streams of income

The real business behind blogging lies in the services you offer and the products you create. Services like consultancy, affiliate marketing or writing sponsored posts help diversify your income and increase your chances of raising your income potential.

Creating courses, ebooks or premium content that you offer in a membership site will create some passive income. These multiple streams of income can make you earn a lot more than your 9-5 salary.

Ability to determine how much income you want to make

Conventional jobs restrict you to a fixed salary. Blogging on the other hand gives you the opportunity to dictate how much money you want to earn. If you want to earn more, you can add more income streams, raise your rates, accept and chase after more work.

Unlike a 9-5 job, as a blogger you are in control of how much you want to earn. Some bloggers were able to earn double and even triple the salary they earned from their 9-5 job. Some even make their one year salary from one month of blogging, it all boils down to how successful you are.

Job security is ensured

With blogging you never run the risk of losing your job or being fired. Your business is always secure. You are your own boss.

Conventional jobs don’t give you this same opportunity. You could lose your job at any time. You work under a boss and you are subject to his orders.

When you’re blogging, your primary duty is to your readers and to your clients: If they like your work, your products or your services, then you will get more views and comments, which will lead to more work/income.

Doing what you love

Self-fulfillment is important in your life. Blogging gives you the opportunity to do what you love. You are able to do what you enjoy doing and at the same time earn a living from it. When you do what you love, there’s no limit to how far you can go or how much you could earn. The sky is just your starting point.

 

 

How to Make Sure You Get Paid

September 24, 2016 By in Blogging Tips, Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 35 Comments

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I have been meaning to write this post for some time now but with all the talk and confusion after the sudden shutdown of Mode Media (formerly known as Glam Media) and the soon to be shut down Passion Fruits Ads, this is the best time to talk about how to make sure you get paid as a Blogger/Freelancer. Many bloggers are being owned thousands of pounds by both companies, and they may never be paid. I was never part of both networks (thank God) but I know quite a number of bloggers affected by these sudden shutdown. and it is very frustrating to work and not be paid.

Here are some ways of making sure you get paid as a Blogger/Freelancer:

Now these tips work for me 98% of the time, the remaining 2% are those difficult clients that just like to mess you about. Sometimes we always have to deal with them.
1.    Do a quick background check on your prospective client
Engage in a friendly conversation with your prospective client to get an idea of what they are like in person. Is that person someone you’d love to work with? An attractive project with a horrible client is as bad as not having a job at all.
The best way to ensure you get paid is to avoid working with people who have a reputation of not paying. Watch out for people who have a habit of initiating a transaction only to cancel or ask to include details not mentioned before, like a do follow link or infographic.

2. Find out if the potential client has the budget to pay for the project.
If they have a website, go through it to find out if they’re genuine. You can ask fellow bloggers/freelancers in the same niche as you if they’ve worked with the client before. There’s a possibility that your client might have worked with someone in your niche. Always ask what the budget for the job is, and agree on a figure. Leave no room for assumption.
3.    Have a contract
Have a contract that spells out the terms and conditions of your service, including your terms of payment, how much your client is expected to pay and on what day, and what happens if your client fails to fulfill the terms of your contract, and how you would like to receive the payment. Having a contract ensures you have every detail in black and white.
4.    Get paid up front before you do any work
In my PR world, I always ask for full or half payment upfront if I am not comfortable with the client, or if it is a new client. In the Blogging world, payments are usually done after the job is done, but I sometimes ask for an advance payment, depending on the circumstances. This makes your client committed to the project.
5.    Send invoices promptly
If you have retainers or you have a client that hires you monthly, send invoices early or immediately after you have finished the project. That way your client will always be aware of the next payment. As an added benefit, you can offer your client an incentive when he / she pays early, like a 10% discount for early payments. That will encourage your client to pay you quickly.
6.   Chase Up Payments
When the client’s silent on the other end, follow-up. There’s a possibility that the reason why your client didn’t pay was because your client might not have seen your invoice or may have forgotten all about it due to a busy schedule. Don’t be afraid to pop an email to ask if everything’s alright or a phone call if necessary. I won’t leave an invoice pending for weeks, I will follow-up daily if I have to, to ensure it is paid. There is nothing wrong with demanding money you are owned.

7. Decline Crazy Terms

I won’t work for a client and wait for 30 days to receive payment. That is just too long. I know many freelancers accept those terms, but I won’t recommend them. Anything can happen in 30 days. You never know the true state of affairs of your client, so accepting to wait to receive payment in 30 days can be dangerous, especially in te digital world. I am more comfortable with 14 days, and that is the maximum I would accept.

 

I hope we have all learnt a thing or 2 from the sudden shutdown of Mode Media and the upcoming shutdown of Passion Fruit Ads. I hope all the parties involved reach an amicable resolution.

 

Are you affected by these shutdown? How do you make sure you get paid?

 

6 Facts about Writing for Huffington Post

September 7, 2016 By in Blogging Tips Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , 85 Comments

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There’s nothing as exciting as writing for a highly recognized and respected website like Huffington Post! I was so thrilled when I got accepted to be a Huffington Post blogger. There are plenty of opportunities hidden behind writing for Huffington Post. It all depends on how you make use of these opportunities. There are some writers who do not encourage writing for Huffington Post, and there are some who are blatantly against it. I am neither, I am all about how to make the most of any opportunity I get and writing for Huffington Post when I have the time does have its perks. It all depends on how you make use of the opportunities Huffington Post offers you. Here are 6 facts you should know about writing for Huffington Post:
1.    Huffington Post does not pay its bloggers
This is one of the main reasons many writers are against writing for Huffington Post, and they are right –to some degree – to feel upset for not getting paid for their hard work. What they don’t know is that you can land sponsorship deals with businesses and advertisers. The money that you’d get from those deals will be adequate compensation for the hard work you put in writing for Huffington Post. Sometimes we have to look at things differently to see the big picture. I choose to write freshly written articles Huffington Post on rare occasions (I have written only once this year) because I need the credibility, I want to be able to reach a wider audience, and I want the freedom to write certain articles I won’t want to publish on my blog.
2.    Huffington Post does not publicize your articles
Promotion is not Huffington Post’s responsibility. It’s yours. You are responsible for your success as a Huffington Post blogger. Promotions can be a lot of work but it is extremely rewarding. As you share your posts on social media or to your subscribers in your email list, you are creating awareness about your writing skills. This is a good way of attracting clients to yourself.
3.    Writers can leverage on Huffington Post’s prestige
This means a lot for a Huffington Post blogger. Having the articles you published on Huffington Post looks very good in your portfolio. Since Huffington Post’s credibility is known all over, people will respect you as a writer. This opens doors for paid opportunities.
4.    It validates your work
You know how competitive it is in the writing space – in fact, any industry. So when you pitch for work, you have to compete against so many other people pitching just like you. Saying that you’re a Huffington Post blogger sets you apart from the crowd. It creates the impression that you are skilled and credible. Since you were able to make it to Huffington Post, this gives you an edge over other applicants.
5.    Huffington Post allows you to republish your earlier work
Unlike some websites that don’t allow you to republish your posts anywhere else, Huffington Post gives you the opportunity to do so if you wish. This is time-saving, especially when you’re also trying to maintain your own blog. You can republish your earlier blog posts on Huffington Post while you concentrate on creating new content for your blog. However I always write freshly written articles for Huffington Post, I don’t like confusing Google by republishing my blog content but many writers do. At the end of the day, the choice is yours.
6.    Access to exposure on Huffington Post
Huffington Post is very popular and it receives a high dose of traffic from its loyal readers. When you write for Huffington Post your article gets a chance to be viewed by several readers on Huffington Post. This helps to increase exposure to your article as well as to all the other articles you had written for Huffington Post. You may also get traffic and new followers on your blog and social media platforms if you include your links at the end of your articles.

 

Do you write for Huffington Post? Would you consider writing for Huffington Post? Do share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thanks for reading.

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