Tag Archives: Blogging Income

Why I Won’t Publish Income Reports

October 31, 2016 By in Blogging Tips Tags: , , , , , , , , 54 Comments

Hot Chocolate

 

A quick disclaimer, this post is not about any blogger in particlularly. It is a simple opinion post. I hope you enjoy the read.

 

Income reports have become a thing in the blogging world and I kind of get why. Many people still believe pro blogging is no job, while some find it hard to understand how bloggers make money. So I get why income reports have become so popular. And I get why some bloggers like to shout from the rooftops about how much they make. It feels so good to make a living from your dream career/job. I can still remember the feeling I got when I published my first sponsored post, or when I got my first paid freelance job. I still get that same feeling everytime a new fab opportunity lands in my inbox, so it never really goes away. Working for yourself, doing what you love is a dream, so it is worth screaming about.

I enjoy reading income report posts. I find them very informative and interesting. It is always good to read about various ways bloggers make money, and how much they actually make in a month.

I would love to read more income reports, especially from the mega big bloggers, but I doubt that would ever happen. I guess the figures would be too crazy to write down.

 

Layering

 

I would love to publish income reports. It would be a nice way to show off my figures and motivate other bloggers, it would also help me set income deadlines and keep me focused. But the cons of publishing income reports outweighs the pros massively for me, so you won’t be reading an income report post anything soon on Fashion and Style Police, and I will tell you why.

 

Privacy

I love reading other bloggers’ income reports, but I am way too private to publish mine. I think it is just one of those things to be left offline. I won’t publish my payslip if I was working for someone else, so why should I publish my income report?

 

Real Life People

Privacy and real life people are my main reasons for not publishing an income report. People I know in my real life (that didn’t I play on my laptop for a living) will become too aware of my financial situation and that never helps.

 

Unnecessary Pressure

Publishing my monthly income reports would put unnecessary pressure on me. I have monthly goals I aim to smash every month, and that includes my finances, but putting them online is another level. I know I would be under a lot of pressure and that is pressure I don’t need.

 

Red Christmas Jumper

 

These are my reasons for not publishing income reports on Fashion and Style Police. I respect other bloggers who are bold enough to publish theirs, it is just not for me.

What are your thoughts? Do you publish or plan to income reports on your blog?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thank you for reading.

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.

 

 

Are Bloggers Selling Out?

May 22, 2016 By in Blogging Tips Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 62 Comments

Nothing Clothing Company Poncho

It is no news that bloggers make money through a variety of ways, with sponsored posts and product reviews, being a very popular way of making money in the blogging world. I for one, make majority of my blog income through sponsored posts, with product reviews coming close behind. So it comes as no surprise that there is a lot of huffing and puffing about bloggers selling out; publishing everything and anything, regardless of whether it is beneficial to their blog readers, as long as there is some money involved.

The truth of the matter is, many pro bloggers depend solely on their blog’s income, and they work tirelessly to earn it. I am not talking about a regular 9 – 5 weekly job. Pro bloggers work crazy hours everyday, including weekends and evenings, to keep the blog and their social media profiles active. There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes you don’t get to see. I know I am always working on my blog whenever I have a moment, and when I am not working on Fashion and Style Police, I am thinking of working on it. In any other job, this would be pathetic, but it is not for me because I genuinely enjoy what I do, and I will keep doing it even if I no longer get press samples or sponsored post opportunities. But then again, Fashion and Style Police is more than a job for me, it is part of who I am.

Many bloggers publish multiple quality posts a day, with amazing photography shared on social media. Many of these blog posts are informative, engaging and entertaining, so it is only fair for us to be paid for our time and effort in publishing these posts. Having said that, I do believe many bloggers have sold out and I will tell you why.

 

OOTD A Tartan Dress

 

It is so hard to reject unrelated sponsored post opportunities these days because great opportunities that do come are few and far between. So many bloggers will grab almost anything offered. So if you are reading a beauty post, and the blogger is all of sudden blogging about life insurance or pets, now you know why. Does it make the blogger a sell out? Yes kind of, but if beauty brands are not interested in collaborating with this blogger, but pet brands are, I won’t blame or judge her for accepting such offers. A girl has to eat…

However if you want to make money blogging, and not look like a sell out, follow these 5 tips:

 

Focus on More Than 1 Niche

Sticking to 1 niche may do you more harm than good. Instead, go for related niches to open more doors of opportunity. Related niches like fashion and beauty, health and beauty, pets and lifestyle, fashion, beauty and lifestyle, are all good examples of how you could position your blog for a variety of sponsored posts and product review opportunities.

 

Always Disclose

I see a lot of bloggers not disclosing press samples and sponsored posts and they wonder why no one is reading their blogs. Transparency and honesty will attract blog fans, so you not disclosing is killing your blog. I know some of the famous and hugely successful bloggers do not disclose, but you have to remember they started their blogs back in the day, when blogs were few. They have established their blogs already so they can kind of get away with not disclosing. Their readers may not know any better or may still idolise them regardless. But as for you that started a year or so ago, think twice before you decide not to disclose.

 

Outfit Post OOTD 1

 

Limit your Sponsored Posts

I sometimes struggle with this as I usually have loads of sponsored posts request at the same time, but when you can, try not to have your sponsored/collaborated posts back to back. So maybe out of 10 posts, you can have 2 or 3 sponsored, but published days apart. I see a lot of bloggers publishing sponsored posts (even when some are not disclosed) day after day, and I wonder what they are thinking.

 

Review Products Honestly

Now this is a very important tip, so I need you all to take notes.

Regardless of whether I am paid for a review or not, or whether I am sent press samples, or they are products I bought, I always write my product review posts in the same style. So short introduction, product description, pros, cons, and if I would recommend said product or not. You won’t know the difference between a review that is paid for and 1 that is not on this blog because they are ALL written honestly, and that is what my readers really care about. However I had to work to earn my readers’ trust, and I did so by reviewing products I bought with my own money as well as press samples. So every week I review a press sample sent, may be paid or unpaid, and then I review a product I bought myself, to balance out. And I still do this.

The main reason why I review press samples and products I buy, is just so my blog is not all about press samples, but products I buy myself because I have interest in them. For instance, I bought these Boots No 7 Quick Thinking Wipes and Oil-Abosorbing wipes with my money, I was sent this Premae Face Wash to review, and I was paid to review this VITASTIK Vitamin Vaporisers. As you can see, my review style is the same, I always list the pros and cons for each product, and I make sure I state any negative or cons in the most polite way possible. I don’t believe in slating brands, so I check the tone of my review, but I make sure I don’t mislead my readers in thinking a product is great if it’s not.

I see many bloggers reviewing only press samples and I wonder what they are thinking. Don’t you buy products? Why don’t you review them as well? I realised I can’t trust a blogger that reviews only press samples because I am not sure how you will review products you buy yourself, and I also cannot trust a blogger that writes only glowing reviews, with no cons whatsoever. All products cannot be that great. For instance, here is a positive product review of 2 Acquablend Bottles I was sent some weeks ago, this review had no cons. Now, here is a not so positive review of MeMeMe Cosmetics I was also sent.

Blogs are not magazines, our readers expect to read real life reviews and posts, they can relate to, so having only positive glowing reviews will bore your readers. There is a very thin line between positive every time, and being a liar.

 

Be a Story Teller

If you are strapped for cash and you are keep getting offers unrelated to your blog, you may still be able to accept them if you have your story telling cap on. Think outside the box, and develop stories that can incorporate the brand in question. So if you blog about parenting and fitness, and you get an offer to write about a fashion brand for example, create an outfit post, and show off your style, or include the brand in a mummy outfit wishlist. There are many ways to include slightly unrelated niches if you think outside the box and let your creative juice flow.

May the forces be with you.

 

 

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