This guest post is by Moon Hussain of Experiments In Passive Income.
This post comes from the bottom of my heart. After coming in like a cowgirl blogging newbie and failing with making money online with my blog, I have figured out what lead to my blog bringing in $0.00 most months. To think I came into the blogging world with a typical “make money online” blog and with the mindset that I’d blow everyone away with loads of affiliate income rolling in was foolish.
Pay close attention, because what I’m about to reveal here has the power to make you a full-time income. The stuff we both have been dreaming about. Make notes. I want you to walk away with a plan.
If you don’t think that’s such a bad thing, that’s probably because you are a new blogger, probably less than six months into blogging. Let me tell you: after a year of providing good content and not making money, you will come to a stop.
Churning out quality content two to three times a week takes a lot of time. After plugging away for over a year, I can tell you providing quality content is not enough!
It’s only one part of the equation.
If what you are reading right now is bringing you down or you think it’s “too much work”, then stop wasting your money on hosting fees and kill your blog now. If you want to make money with your blog, it’s about to get good.
What phrase starts with “Busin” and ends with “lan”?
I hope you said business plan, I really do. Instead of lecturing you on how bad you have been by not having a business plan, I’m going to show you with a real, live case study: my own blog.
What was my business plan a year ago?
In the last year, I never had a business plan for my blog. Not a written one, anyway. Here was my thought process over the last year: “I’ll build niche sites, blog about my experiences, I’ll make money from these sites, people love to learn how to make money so they’ll absolutely, feverishly flock to my site!”
Forget an internet entrepreneur … I’d be an internet rockstar!
In my mind, this was the ideal plan that was supposed to take place:
Seem familiar? Yeah? In all honesty, you should be scared.
That was my business plan. Officially one and a half years into blogging, I am in the process of formulating a much more concrete business plan. And now I cry looking at my old “business plan”.
How to get specific with your business plan
Blogging about a topic, however passionate you are about the subject, does not make a business. It is a platform that can help spread your expertise. You can use it to connect with your ideal customers. Here are some key questions you need to ask yourself:
- How can I take my blog from “just a blog” to a blog that generates me business?
- What do I know about my blog’s main topic? How can I showcase my expertise about this topic?
- Why are people reading my blog? (Is it entertainment, education, a particular solution they are looking for)?
- How can I take the answer from question #3 and answer it with my expertise (question #2)? (Result: a product or service you can serve your audience).
Before you jump the gun, before you can do much with any of the above, you need to figure out the missing pieces.
Let’s backtrack a bit and work through the process…
What are your missing pieces?
For me, it happens to be my email list. I have a super-tiny email list. My goal is to increase the number of people on my email list and to help them resolve something that I have experience with.
Sure, they say it’s not the amount of people on your email list but the type of people on your list (whether they convert or not) that matters. I agree. But no one can say that having a good number of quality people on your email list is a bad thing.
These people are the ones who want what you may have to offer. Your work, your services, your expertise, your products! I know this isn’t a new revelation but stick with me. Trust me when I say this, I’m ahead of 90% of you…
In case you are one of those stubborn bloggers, read the next few lines carefully.
Name three big bloggers you know. I pick Darren as one. How about the other two big bloggers you have picked. Do they have an e-mail list? You bet your inexperienced butt they do! An email list is how Darren launches super profitable ebooks and courses and leverages his traffic.
If you haven’t picked up on the importance of having your own email list, the rest of this post is useless.
We have backtracked one step. But we have more work to do. If all of this seems overwhelming, grab a piece of paper and pencil. I guarantee you will have a comprehensive plan before you leave this page!
How do we build our missing pieces?
The so-called “blogosphere” has evolved and people (smart ones, that is!) are no longer willing to give up their email addresses just because you asked. No sir! The only way you’re about to get those email addresses is if you have something people want.
For example, if by the end of this post I have helped you by constructing a cohesive business plan for your blog, you’ll want to read more of my content. Because I helped you. Because you liked what I had to say. Because you want more.
And if you haven’t noticed, it’s not just one guest post I’ll be publishing to build my email list. You should be seeing me around. In other words, after you create a free report, you need to find big hubs where your ideal customers are hanging out!
Create a list of five big sites and blogs where your readers are. Expose yourself (*ahem* with your unique posts) multiple times.
I’m doing the exact same thing right now. I am exposing my content to new readers who don’t know me. If you have “kind of seen me around”, then the more I expose my work, the more chances I’ll have of getting your attention.
It’s how all of the big bloggers roll; you just weren’t paying attention or think that your blog will surely take off after one of your posts “go viral”. Hah!
What I’m discussing with you took me a year to figure out. Ignorance isn’t bliss, apparently. Here I have my sexy, newly defined business plan:
You can bet my plan is even more specific than this. It may seem exhausting but this is precisely what you need. In fact, I have goals written down for how many people will join my list in June, July, and August, and how much money I expect to earn in each one of these months. I’m also in the process of designing my survey and constructing my consultation reports.
Before you leave, answer the following questions and construct at least a rough diagram of your business plan:
- Do you have an email list?
- Do you necessarily need to grow your email list? If so, how exactly will you do that? How many guest posts? Start writing down guest post ideas.
- What kind of service or product do you want to offer? What would you be excited to provide people with?
- Survey your growing email list.
- Can you come up with a service, membership site, or ebook that you have experience with?
Write down your answers. Get super specific. No one else can do this for you. If you don’t do this, your blog is dead.
After you write down your answers, you need to create and stick with a plan. Remember, if you want to earn an income from your blog, you need to treat it like a business and must have some sort of business plan.
Reality check!
Would you rather create your own detailed business plan for your blog … or leave it to lady luck to make your content go viral? (By the way, in case you didn’t know, viral traffic like Stumbleupon doesn’t convert and sucks. Sure, it’ll make you feel cool for a day or two but that’s about it!)
I would love to hear your business plans in the comments section. Bring it!
Check out Moon Hussain’s blog, Experiments In Passive Income, where she discusses details about how to build your own income generating niche sites and blogs. Download her free ebook, To the Moon & Back, in which she details all that she learned about niche sites over the course of a year.
Interesting. I’m working on just such a business plan. Good luck achieving all your goals.
Before launching any blog I always set and write a couple of plans for it in my notebook including:
– Keeping my objectives quantifiable and attainable.
– Creating a clear path defined to reach each and every goal of mine.
– Understanding who will want to read my blog and where to find them.
– and finally STICKING TO MY PLAN!
Oussama, sounds like you’ve done this a couple times before ;) If I were to launch another blog, it would definitely be with a detailed plan with five pillar articles written from the start, leveraging my network, etc.
Sounds like you know what you’re doing which is 90% of the battle.
Yeah.., business plan is important., after reading this, maybe i’ll build some email list., Thx for sharing.., :D
I have to say that your advice soundly beats “winging it.” My business plan is very simple though – write blog posts, guest posts, and ebooks – all of tremendous quality. I’m releasing my first ebook for free to prove my content is golden, and then I’ll sell the others!
Stephen, you’re on the right track but you’ll only see true results once you make precise plans. For instance, how many guest posts will you be writing in July, August, September, where you’ll be submitting them, and how many subscribers you expect each month.
It all comes down to making a specific plan with deadlines and holding yourself accountable.
Thanks for the comment, Stephen!
That’s a good point. I could be more productive if I set some goals and held myself accountable. Thanks Moon.
Good perspective & honesty. I think people should write more about this mindset in the blogging industry! It will weed so many neo-bloggers out and save them time and money, once they see that blogging is no walk in the park. It seriously takes time, great content, thorough PLANNING and execution. Not to mention the blog itself is not even a business, it’s about the value, product or specialties you can provide.
Hi Moon!
Many of us have started out blogging just as you have – with such high hopes and motivation. It all seems so easy, write some posts, pull in the traffic and bam, here comes the dough!
But it doesn’t work that way, especially if you’re relying on affiliate commissions and adsense.
When people complain to me about not making any money with their blogs, I ask them the same question you did:
What kind of service or product do you want to offer?
That’s because it wasn’t until I started offering my services, that I started making a stable income. It’s my expertise and time-saving services that people are willing to pay for. If you can figure out what you can do to save people money, time or frustration, that’s when the money will come.
Thanks for an insightful and engaging post!
Kiesha, thanks for the great comment. I’m sure that providing services or products seems like a huge, intimidating hurdle (I’m going through this myself) but you’re absolutely right.
Great post Hussain! I’ve seen some senses in your article and would be making some changes on my blog soon. Thanks for the post..
I’ve always said that what bloggers generally lack is a business plan. If you want to make money, it’s not going to happen by accident – whether you’re an internet marketer or a landscaper.
Also – so right about Stumbleupon. unless you have an eyecatching infographic or NSFW pictures, SU is not going to be the ticket for you.
You’re right about Stumbleupon traffic, does not convert for jack. I got 1000 visitors from Stumbleupon, of which only 4 subscribed, and 3 confirmed opt in. Had I got the same amount of visitors from ProBlogger, for example, I would have got 300-400 subscribers!
Overall great post. As much as it breaks our little hearts, it is the truth. Its tough out there. The competition is stiff. Organise or die.
Sounds like a lot of hard work.
Thanks. I have fun blogs, but I keep trying to come up with something that I can use to offer a valid service and monetize. I keep reading Darren and a few others for inspiration.
You’ve got an infectious attitude; I like it :-)
Direction is key in any business, so knowing where you are going and why is absolutely key.
Thanks Tom!
You’re absolutely right. It’s way too easy to not take the business approach with blogging.
Great post .Thanks for writing great points ,We need a great plan before launching any blog
Hi Moon,
Great question and answer session here.
Lucrative blogging begins after intense question and answer campaigns. Figure out you how you make money by drilling down your strategy.
The more details, the better. The less details, the more you wing it. Winging it is rarely profitable, even for the most supremely talented bloggers.
You must build a responsive list if you plan to grow your business long term. Most people need to see you again and again to build up a sense of familiarity. Familiarity leads to trust, and trusted people can make a pretty penny running a blog.
Thanks for sharing your keen tips Moon!
Ryan
Great comment, Ryan. It really does come down to growing a relationship and building a community. Most people don’t buy/download/tweet unless you impress them in some way or have that rapport with them.
Thanks Ryan!
I agree with your point that a plan makes a business, however I think many bloggers approach their blog without a business head – at least to start with.
A blog was originally a concept aimed at people who wanted to share their thoughts with the world. very quickly it became a way to make money. There are still people out there who just want a place to air their ideas, while making a little money on the side. For them, the idea of having a plan is a nonsense.
I have concerns that I may become so concerned about making money from my blog that the ideas, the words, the content and the care will be lost somewhere along the way.
For me at least, the first part of my business plan is ” write well, write for my audience and provide value”. the rest will come in time.
thanks for the thought provoking post!
Megan
As long as you are aware, Megan, you’ll be fine. You have both extremes: bloggers who don’t have a business plan, and then people with a business plan who are blogging for money only.
Either way, bad idea!
Best thing you can do is sit down, start defining measurable goals and actually accomplishing them.
I’ve not yet written down a business plan such as yours, although I do have a model. Having a direction or goal for where you’re looking to go is most important. I once read about the first woman to swim the English channel. The first time, it was so foggy she couldn’t see how far ahead she had to go until she was finished and failed to complete the tast, the second time, it was on a clear day and her goal was in sight. It shows how much having some sort of goal makes a difference!
A business plan is very important if you’re looking to make more money or grow your audience. Thanks Moon!
Really nice post. A business plan is the key
i’m going to try this as soon as possible, thanks!
This is just the post I needed today- I’ve been blogging for just over a year now and it’s not enough anymore. I’m going to get to work.
One of my older posts has been going strong for 2 weeks on SU, I like seeing my traffic numbers but don’t like seeing visitors clicking away.
This is a great post Hussain, I quite agree with some of the things you say and that is the major reason why I did not make money in 6 months of blogging. I have learned my lessons, and with your advice, success is sure for me.
Yeah i agree a business plan is a must for a blog. Even if it is not for generating income you should have a plan to manage your blog.
I recently started a blog like a week ago and i have already made plans to do different things on different days. And then weekly analyse the plan and improve it if reqd:D
Thanks for the post.
I’ve never really thought about having a business plan written down for my blog… until now. Your comments have really struck me and I’ll be getting one written and pinned up, so it can be a source of inspiration in the future.
Moon i agree- a goal without a deadline is no more than a wish!
To each his own, I suppose.
I agree that you need a plan starting out. This includes how to make money. My very first blog, I had no plan! I thought i’d write and miraculously make money. I had no ads, no products, nothing! I got a LOT of readers but I obviously made no money. So you definitely need to figure out how it is that you’ll make money.
I am loving Stumbleupon for my new blog! I’ve had stumblers read through just about all my posts, spending more than 2 hours on my blog and then subscribing to my rss feed. I suppose they’d have joined my newsletter if I had one, but my plan is to not have a mailing list before I hit 500 visitors a day. (Hopefully that’s not too far off! Just crossed 100 visitors in 24 hours today).
So yeah, there are some great points here and you definitely need a plan. But different things work for different people, when it comes to the details.
I completely agree with this article! So many people get lost while trying to host a successful blog because they don’t have a good business plan! I also think that people get so caught up in trying to drive traffic to their site, or gain new readers that they forget to post new content. I know that happened to me, and then I realized that having quality content on my site should be my first priority.
Keep doing what your doing!
Loved the post! I agree that the money is in the email list. I was listening to a BlogcastFM interview with Dave Navarro and he said someone with 100,000 email list converted one or two. Then one with six people converted much better.
I’m working on building up my list. I am working on a lead magnet to offer in exchange for their email. But I’ve read some say that you should offer your product for free and not make them sign up. I keep going back and forth about it while I’m finishing up the ebook.
Keep “hustling” Moon!
I wrote an business plan for my new niche site and for my personal blog a year ago and it was a true success. When you have something in stone that you can go by and a schedule you feel a lot more productive along with you get a lot more things accomplished. My most recent ebook I launched about receiving more website traffic got a lot more downloads because of the business plan that I created for it.
Hi Moon!,
I worked a similar plan recently and it does work. ;]
Would be cool to network with you in the future…
All the best,
David Edwards
Hi Hussain – I love your eye for details. Great layout for anyone ‘scared’ of putting together a functional blogging business plan.
Not long ago, I wrote a post on my blog about making business plans as simple as possible (using to do lists or mindmap sketches) to get beyond “start” – the fear of detailed writeup scares people to create a plan.
I had a plan before I started my blog, with a mindmap sketch similar to the one you illustrated in the post. I am working through the structures, and it helps me Focus and avoid overwhelm.
Thanks for sharing.
Great article! Having a solid business plan is really the key for both your blog and business in general. For a great overview about how to write a plan and free financial spreadsheets, check out my site by clicking on my name.
Some of us start out not thinking about earning money from our blogs (I went into it as a hobby). I do make money with Google ads now, enough to cut a check each month – but I’m working on adding two more search boxes, 2 more Google ad units, a Paypal “donate” button and more ads. Plus I’ll be looking for a travel agency to sponsor the site. My blog is over 4 years old now, with a solid audience – and I expect this year to finally really start making a reasonable income with it.
Have to agree.
Without a plan being put in place, whereby necessary adjustments are made accordingly, it is like sitting there hoping that Blogging success will turn up at your door.
Ugghhhh…. Formulating a PLAN!? I have no idea what my blog’s purpose is. Dammit! I shoulda stayed in my comfy seat of ignorance
I guess I do need to throw a plan into the mix also.
I can’t tell you how invaluable my email list has been over the years. And it doesn’t even require my attention in the least – notifications of new posts on my blog are instantly emailed to the list every Friday. My biggest struggle has always been monitizing the blog, but I’m currently working on that with an amazing business plan.
Great post!
How much traffic should I be getting before going after other advertisers besides adsense?
Having a plan before starting on your blog project would really help put you onto the right track. Competition is becoming more and more stiff and having things laid down before hand would prevent things from being missed.
Great sharing! In anything that we do, ‘failed to plan’ is almost certainly equal ‘plan to fail’. But planning is one thing, achieving and sticking to the plan is another thing!
Cheers!
Moon,
Thank you for your insight. Most of us started just as you said, big hopes, lots of desire, but no plan. Even though I had read of the importance of having a plan, I ignored it. I knew better. Well, I finally, after about a year plus, had my eureka moment. You can lead a horse to water, but …
Thanks,
Carlos