Recently a listener asked me about my journey into full time blogging, and I wanted to expand on my answers in a podcast episode, as it’s a question that gets raised a lot. Charlotte asked:
“When did you make the transition from blogging being just a hobby to blogging as a profitable business? What was the turning point for you and/or what were the major changes you made to get where you are now?”
I thought I’d share the things that happened when I went full time. Though initially I started blogging as a hobby, I quickly found myself spending more and more time experimenting, creating content, interacting with readers, and learning about this new media.
It soon became apparent that I was going to have to earn some money to fund my new “habit”, and when I had been blogging for about a year I started dabbling with AdSense and Amazon ads.
After another year of making part-time cash, things started to escalate and it was time to make the leap into full time blogging.
7 Ways I Knew I Was Ready to Go Full Time
There is never really a right time to go full time, it’s always somewhat of a leap of faith, but in this episode I talk about the things that helped convince me it was now or never:
- At what point I believed my traffic was enough
- A mindset shift I had around readers and their needs, which helped me write the right content
- Treating my blog like a business and being proactive about making money
- Income streams and which ones worked best
- Working with other bloggers and how that helped grow my traffic
- Creating and selling products
- My thoughts around long-term strategy rather than short-term gain
So while going full time wasn’t an easy task, there certainly were things that made it smoother. Everybody’s tipping point will be different, as will their motivation. But these are the things that worked for me and I hope they help you along your own full time blogging journey.
Further Reading:
- Can You REALLY Make Money Blogging? [7 Things I Know About Making Money from Blogging]
- How to Make Money Blogging
- Theme Week: Make Money on Your Blog by Partnering with Brands
- Make Money Blogging: Start the New Year by Increasing Your Income Streams
- Start The New Year off Right with Jeff Goins’ Three Secrets to Full Time Blogging
I have been blogging since past 6 years. I am doing it part time. In last 2 years, I have noticed that I am making enough money and the growth is consistent. Now I believe that this is the high time I start it full time but hesitating to make a decision. Hope your tips will help me make a right decision.
Hey Tauseef,
I agree many newbie bloggers even probloboggers don’t tell that the key of successfull blogging is consistency. apart from creating quality of contents and quantity of contents, consistency for a long period is the key. many bloggers don’t realize this.
Great Post Darren Rowse!
Absolutely a great piece of content! <3
Thanks for writing such Ultimate tips to become a full-time blogger. I will indeed follow all the steps to become a full-time blogger. Looking forward for such lovely posts.
Hi Darren,
Many new bloggers or part timers ignore blogging bonds.
Goodness knows I did.
I tried to do it all on my own. Miserable failure.
Then I commented on blogs to create bonds. Sometimes I wrote guest post sized comments. Really in depth. Really helpful. Really bond building.
I made friendships this way. Those friends promoted me and commented on my blog. I snagged more blog traffic. I made more eBook income.
I got more 5 star reviews and celeb endorsements. I landed on Virgin and Forbes.
My friends made it happen, along with me. Simple. No blogging in a vacuum.
I got help by helping.
Promote bloggers. Comment on blogs. I mean REALLY comment. Help. Ask how you can be of service.
Tweet, Facebook Share, give reviews, offer endorsements to top shelf bloggers.
My journey gets easier and easier as I make more good friends, and bonding is preceded by doing other bloggers a solid.
One of my recently released eBooks nabbed 40 5 star reviews on Amazon, within a week. On reviewing, I’d say 80% of those reviews are awesome blogging buddies who I have know for a minute.
Your friends will take you to places you could never imagine. From part time to full time blogger.
From broke, fired security guard to globe trotting, full time blogging, Amazon best selling author.
Nuts, how my friends have taken me to places I could never reach on my own. Darren, you’ve had this same experience, I know.
Signing off from sunny NYC.
Ryan
These 7 ways will certainly help bloggers to pursue their passion and to make it as their profession. Writing is not just a logic way of telling somebody in calligraphic way instead it is a medium in which certain people use to express their true and genuine feeling. It is their only way to get out of this world and be alone in their fantasized world. By writing, they tend to feel that they fit in this world for they know that by writing, people will notice their greatness. It is an exceptional gift which must be treasured and mastered.
Hi Darren,
This is an amazing post, New bloggers always wanted to convert them into Pro bloggers but they fail.
But, Once if they follow your words and your way they can achieve that in their long blogging run.
Thanks for giving these valuable posts.