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In this blog post, you will learn what to expect from amateur blogging within the first year and how to make money online.
When I found out about blogging, I was looking for work with flexible hours, allowing me to stay home with my youngest child, travel more, and make some money to offset some of our travel expenses. We love traveling and were doing a good bit of it already, so I started a travel blog. For that I had to learn how to start blog from scratch.
Here is what my day and lifestyle look like.
I wake up and send older kids to school and the entire morning I play with my three-year-old, doing housework in between. After lunch, he goes for a two-hour nap and I work on my blog. Checking emails and seeing an answer from sponsors saying they want to work with me makes me excited. I send a few more emails and start creating the next blog post, anticipating it will help my readers to make their life easier.
Blogging is fun and it can change your life.
Once my son wakes up, we fix supper and I dream about my next trip while peeling potatoes.
On long weekends and school breaks, we travel, and once we come back; I create content for the sponsored activities we have had the joy of having.
What a life!
To be fair, I will add, we already were traveling a lot and luxury family travel blogging was a natural addition to our lifestyle. But the good news is you can blog absolutely on any topic that lines up with your lifestyle and get both pleasure and income.
Parenting, dancing, cooking, healthy lifestyle, emotional support, dog training, home organizing, cleaning, knitting, preschool activities, fitness are just a few niches I know my classmates succeeded in.
I said classmates because I learned to blog from a course where together with the other six thousand bloggers; we were tackling the exciting road of blogging.
Most of us blog on what we are passionate about so I picked the luxury family travel niche because I can share much about it and help other families to find the best destinations, family attractions, and since it is also a food travel blog, we spotlight the best restaurants in the area.
Amateur blogs. Expect to learn a lot.
Even when I do things for my pleasure, I look for an excellent teacher to learn from. First, I took this free 5 day’s course to create my website. Each lesson was 10 minutes long and took me a day to create a website. Yep. They were so good at explaining all the details that I set it all up within a day! Plus, it comes with a Facebook support group where I could ask all my questions. It sped up the process a hundred times.
The next step was to write my first 20 blog posts. Since I had about six hours a week for writing, it took me a year to create those twenty. I wasn’t in a rush, though.
It was a check for me too. I promised myself if I can commit to blogging for a year, I will take the next step and learn to profit from it. I planned to take a course that teaches:
- how to monetize your blog,
- to get complimentary/paid trips,
- what you need to make your website legal, how and where to promote it,
- list of networks to join to get paid opportunities,
- email template to pitch to sponsors for paid trips,
- And the most important resource is the 2 support groups. One is to ask all questions about blogging and the second one is a support group with bloggers who come and leave comments/likes on your blog and social media posts.
- and much more
In short, this course offered everything a person needs to take blogging for pleasure to the next level, the pleasure of making money. He! He! I was eager to discover the full potential of the blog! I was on the edge at first, but since this course had a money-back guarantee, I bought it.
BIG DAY!
I pressed the “Publish” button on February 15, which is the official birthday of my blog. Happy Birthday to my fourth “Child”!
Amateur blogging. Expect to earn your first buck.
Yes. Even if you blog for your joy, you can profit from it. Anything from passive income gained from ads to million-dollar projects.
Here are just a few ideas how bloggers make money
- commissions
- sponsored posting
- content creation
- selling digital products (photos, videos)
- writing books/courses
- placing ads on their website
- coaching/consultant services, etc.
If you think blogging is for stay-at-home moms with little kids. Nop. Disney, National Geographic, Coca-Cola, Walmart, Allstate, Wholefoods, The Ritz-Carlton, and millions of other smaller and bigger companies run blogs. A blog is a regularly updated website, and about 99% of the entire web fits this category.
But let’s get back to my blog. It took me a few weeks to read a four-week course specifically for travel bloggers and another one that is for any other niche. The first thing I did is I used template email, adjusted it to my business, and pitched it to several companies.
I waited for 2 days and I got my first “YES. We are interested in working with you”. Hurray! I was dancing like crazy! My heart still bits faster every time I recall that email. I knew from that day that this job was a gold mine. This first deal covered my expenses for one course. Within the year of blogging, I worked on six paid projects and am getting more!
Here are the sponsored projects I had the honor of working on:
Tecumseh Outdoor Drama, Is More than Just a play
Kentucky Horse Park. All you need to know before you go.
Fun Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, North Pole Adventure.
Come to Lake Metroparks Farmpark, and Milk the Cow.
Great Lakes Science Center. Things to do in Cleveland.
Greater Cleveland Aquarium. Fun things to do in Cleveland.
Can you make money online with Amateur Blogs? Expect to progress.
I remember my first ten blog posts. I deleted them because they were one paragraph long and just a bundle of thoughts thrown on the paper, but I kept writing and my eleventh post was over a thousand words long, had good pictures, and was worth reading.
When you blog, I inspire you to do your best, be proud of your work, and continue. Nobody is perfect and ever will be and you do not need to, but when you keep working, the result gets better.
There is also a ton of support around. English is not my native language and I can still blog and land paid deals. I found this service called ProWritingAid, which corrects grammar mistakes and gives me 10 in-depth reports such as readability, writing style, plagiarism, overused words, etc. This program is so good that writers and publishers use it.
The same is for any other sphere. If you have a question, there is an answer.
Expect to develop new habits and skills. Can you make money online with Amateur Blogs?
Every blogger starts with hers/his own set of skills, which will be unique to you too. Here is what I had to develop:
- Self-starter. No one will tell you what your next goal will be. Set it yourself, set the deadline and finish the project. When you take the course, you will have a “map” but you choose a route and the speed yourself.
- Discipline. Make time for blogging. When I looked at my schedule, I thought: “Oh. I already run a preschool, there is no time for blogging”. But since I wanted to do it so badly, I made time available. I do blogging during my youngest son’s nap time, I also work during my kids’ practice time. Previously, I would chat with other parents, now I work on a blog. So total 6 hours per week and I have a part-time “joy” that brings me income.
- Take pictures that pass emotions. I love taking pictures, especially of my kids, and as long as they are not blurry, they all are precious to me. With blogging, I learned to take pictures that rise emotions even if my kids are not on them. It took time.
- Make videos that tell a story.
- Prioritize. Did you know blogging can bring million dollars a year? I didn’t either until I met my teachers. They have been earning this much for years. They work full time and have a team to help them reach those goals. Well, I want to have such income but since I work 6 hours per week; I have to prioritize. This month I pitch for sponsored trips, next month we travel, a month after, I write a post, etc. I can’t do it all in one week, but I can do it all one by one.
Expect to make new friends
Blogging is an exceptional opportunity to meet likewise people. We, the travel bloggers, are adventurous and easy-going, so it makes it natural to cooperate and make friends. And our business partners are usually the best people on the earth that are interested in building strong business relationships. Although it is not a goal, it is an enormous benefit of the industry.
Amateur blogging. Expect to enrich your life.
Besides money, travel blogging brings unforgettable experiences for our family that we could never afford or experience otherwise. One of my favorite aspects of travel blogging is the VIP treatment. When we are on a paid project, our kids get goodie bags and we get the best seats, private tours, and that special attention that makes the job a dream job.
Amateur blogging. Expect to be proud of yourself.
Blogging is fun, rewarding, and challenging. Expect to be proud of yourself. I remember when I made my first 97 cents. NINETY-SEVEN CENTS! I felt like a millionaire. I knew I can double, triple, quadruple this result to stream money my way.
My advice, celebrate every single bit of success. If you do that, it will fill your entire journey with holidays. Finished that blog post? – Give yourself hurray! Got your first deal? – Have a happy dance. Finished that assignment on time? Get a cookie. Had a sponsored trip? – Dance all the way to the destination!
Whatever you achieve, celebrate!
Amateur blogging. Conclusion.
When I started this path, I expected some fun, but I didn’t expect to find out that with amateur blogging, the sky is the limit.
Happy Birthday to us!
Can’t wait to see what a New Year brings!
Blogging is enjoyable, but it requires a significant amount of effort and dedication, and a commitment to lifelong learning. Thank you for sharing.
Agree with all the points! lifetime commitment!
Happy blogging birthday!!! So cool to see what you accomy over your first year!!
Thank you for your greetings, Tiffany!
This was a fun read to learn to blog and that you refer to your blog as a fourth child. Travel blogging sounds like fun and what a good lesson for your kids.
Glad to hear you liked reading my post:). I am having much fun here and yes, blogging is like a child, has it’s own needs to grow healthy and strong.
I agree on many points. And making new online friends seems to be a great perk!
It is! Friends are everywhere! All over the world!
I have met the kindest, heart-warming people in this blogging journey than any other one. The camaraderie is unparallel to others.
Making money is fantastic and knowing that you can take your job with you anywhere in the world, is priceless.
I love this journey and would not change it for anything else.
Happy Anniversary!
Oh! So glad to hear from someone who understands my passion and joy! Thank you for your greetings!
I love this! Congratulations on your blog and its accomplishments. Blogging is hard work but so worth it.
You know that Alexis:). Thank you for sharing my joy!
Good for you! Way to work hard and have it pay off!
Thank you, Barbara! Nice to hear you are celebrating with me!
So happy to hear about your success already within a year. Wow, getting a paid deal within two days is amazing! Wishing you continued success and joy blogging.
Thank you! I can not believe it happened! I did get a few refuses prior but I just kept pitching and got it! It had to happen.
Blogging is a lot of fun. I too am enjoying the journey. Wishing you all the best.
Thank you, Sabrina! Glad you enjoy the process and wishing you success!
Happy birthday to your blog, since today is the anniversary of your first published post! It is encouraging to see how many opportunities you had to be paid for your work! I hope you continue the trend!
Oh, thank you so much for sharing my joy and for nice words!
This is my second year blogging and I am enjoying it although there is no income yet for me, but I take this as a learning curve for me and how I can do it better. I have found true meaning in my life through blogging.
Meaning is that’s all that matters. Money will come:)
YAY! Congratulations on your blog’s anniversary! Like you, I took a year after taking the course to hit the “publish” button. I took my time writing those 20 posts and figuring out the design, etc. I loved hearing what your day looks like. My 4-year-old doesn’t nap anymore, so I’m really struggling to find time to blog unless I wake up early or stay up late. And COVID hit my blog hard because all of the kids stayed home for over a year and needed a lot of help on school work. You are so brave for going out right away and getting sponsored posts. I’m still intimidated by that. I’ve done the affiliate marketing and ads route. Mainly because I don’t have consistent time to dedicate to getting sponsored posts. But once my little one is in school full-time, I’ll be going after those! Thanks so much for sharing your blogging journey. It’s so impressive that you’ve had that many sponsored posts in one year!
Hi Chelsea,
So nice to hear about your journey and success. I know life is taking over but I am hanging there too waiting for my youngest to go to school full time! Let’s grow together! Nothing will stop us!
Beginning of my blogging journey, I was overwhelmed with my passion and all the info I was getting! The trick for me was taking one little step after another, being consistent and not letting the slow progress discourage me.
Awe! how cool! Way to go!
This is so encouraging!
Glad you to be be helpful:)
Blogging is definitely a journey! Well, in your case, a trip 😅
Agree! It is a trip and journey and the way!
Congrats on your first year of blogging! This post is very encouraging to me as a mom of young ones where finding time is difficult. It definitely inspires me to keep going!
Thank you for greetings!
You can do it! And one day it will pay you back!
Happy one year of blogging! I just hit my one year too, and it’s been so fun. I would love to turn it into a full-time job someday!
Oh yes! I love that blogging can be anything- a hobby, part time job, full time job and a corporation! Wishing you success!
You are absolutely right about the improvement as you write. I cringe when I look back at my first posts. My writing has improved by leaps and bounds over the last three years.
Yea. But don’t you feel proud that you progressed?! Guess what without those first posts you wouldn’t have it. They are valuable!
Happy Blogging Birthday! I have set up my blogging email template to send out to my followers, but I didn’t think about making an email template to pitch to companies. Thanks for the great tip!
Thank you and your welcome!
I love blogging! I’m coming up on my five-year blog anniversary. It’s not always easy to make time for it, but as a teacher, I’m lucky to have summers to really focus on travel and the blog.
I think the greatest thing I’ve learned is that when all is said and done, my blog is for me and it makes me happy. All the rest is icing.
Couldn’t say it better!
I love to travel and enjoy blogging. Keep at it and have fun.
Yea! Isn’t it the best job in the world?!
Happy Blogging Birthday! You’ve had such a good year! I began my eighth year of blogging in January. It’s been an amazing journey and I’ve grown and learned so much! I love the community of bloggers. Everyone is so encouraging.
Thank you for the birthday wishes! And wow! Eight years?! No wonder you’re so good at it. I love everything you do!
Happy Blog Birthday! It is such a big accomplishment to make it one year! Blogging is fun and so many great opportunities can come from it.
I totally agree fun and no limits!
Sounds like you are well on your way. I’m hoping to land some sponsored activities this year! My blog will be a year old in August, so right now I have been focused on content.
So great to hear about your journey!