I finished University in 1999 and went into Further Education in the United Kingdom. After three years at Plymouth University as a student it seemed a natural step. I soon decided this was not a pathway for me. Little did I know that I’d end up running several companies and career blogging left right and center.
Since those younger years I have done many things of course, created lots of web sites and one or two six figure businesses along the way. I ran a successful traffic arbitrage business for several years and more recently moved into site, app and domain flipping.
For those who may not realize in laymans terms ‘flipping’ as it is called is a form of digital portfolio buying and selling. Like property in the real world but with digital assets instead. You can be sure there is a niche blog or two about it.
Is Full Time Career Blogging Right for You : This feature post on blogging 9-5 takes a deep look.
Yet it was this skill for buying and selling web sites on flip style marketplaces such as Flippa and Latonas that introduced me to the WordPress CMS platform several years ago now. Since so many blogs were and are built using the WordPress platform I frequently had to migrate WordPress blogs from one server to another for myself and as part of closing deals.
Over time I came pretty familiar with WordPress themes, plugins and all of the darker management aspects to running any kind of WordPress blog. Yes I was hooked, not because it made me huge sums of money, it made some income naturally but it was not the revenue that inspired me. You see I loved tinkering under the WordPress hood and making shit happen.
Digital Renovations – Like Flipping Property But Less Hassle
Then I learned that actually by taking a web site that was rather rough around the edges I could improve its earning capabilities often quite considerably. Often by adding premium themes and better ad placement and content and so forth. I soon compiled my own top list of killer WordPress plugins and proven monetization tools that could take a modestly earning blog and revitalize it at the core.
Yet boy did it all take time. WordPress saps time, drains it from your day like running water but did it stop me, not at all. Soon I realized I could easily replicate a typical salary just by working on WordPress based web sites and blogging part time. WordPress blogging fit in perfectly with my higher revenue ventures.
Testing themes and plugins and new layouts was my next big hobby. Rejuvenated sites can be kept for ad revenue or sold back on auction houses for profit. So for the unfamiliar what is  the enterprise of blogging 9-5 and what can career bloggers expect from their passion?
Understanding The Blogger Mentality
A blog is a personal website frequently updated with the latest trending or niche content. The blog targets specific audiences with a particular area of focus with frequently updated new content. For example a blog about puppies, sports cars or cake recipes, the list of blog niches is absolutely endless. Many people use their blog to express their private thoughts to the wider public. The blogs of course differ in their designs, content and target audience.
It is possible for an individual to have a private blog on a niche subject or topic. Also a company can have a blog for reaching their customers. Famous blog sites like those made with WordPress attract lots of traffic towards business and number among the most successful on Earth.
For established companies a common trait is to have a blog that complements their core product or service. As a way of keeping clients abreast of changes and enhancements. Ad networks do this all the time, as do network operators and game service providers.
Customers in business are hungry for exciting news and a blog is the ideal way to say something concrete about what they are up to. Unlike social media platforms such as Twitter for instance which is better suited for snack style news updates and quick thought style posts.
Becoming a Career WordPress Blogger in 2017
Of course blogging is a business like any other, and you can easily choose it to be a full-time job and 9-5 blogging career. However, some people practice blogging as a part time job also. Blogging jobs can be done every part of the world especially if somebody is a full-time blogger and familiar with WordPress. There are some reasons why career blogging is good practice.
Read below for more information why blogging is so much better. Of course WordPress is not the only platform but it is easily one of the most popular blogging platforms right now. Plus it is open source and inexpensive to get up and running.
Get paid to write awesome blog posts Looking for writing jobs with awesome payouts? Perhaps you are blogger with incredible content or prefer to write for other credible blogs and authority sites instead? If the answer is yes to either of these two questions then isn’t it time that you got paid properly for all that hard authoring, copywriting and editing work? Click here to start earning top payouts for your skilled and valuable blog writing. – Recommended –
Don’t Get in a Spin Over Getting Started as a Career Blogger
It may sound like a big deal to get started blogging in a ‘work at home’ kind of role but most things are. Focus on the small things first. Like gaining inexpensive web hosting and getting WordPress installed with a decent theme. There are some awesome free themes for WordPress, so there is no need to fork out big bucks on blogging empire day one.
The main thing with getting started as a career blogger is to moderate ambition, neither traffic, income or reputation is going to be there on day one. If you start trying to do ten different task then you will end up doing ten tasks very poorly. This way your blog will never gain any kind of traction, don’t get in a spin here!
i) It is Possible to Earn to Meet Your Income Desires
Blogging is an income opportunity for everyone that allows you to earn much money as you can. Individuals working in offline business often get frustrated by lack of income opportunities. I have heard those employed in some work sectors complain of poor pay. Some have worked for a long time yet with no tangible salary increment.
Not many companies reward their employees that frequently, and if they do, it is for a minimal percentage. You cannot realise your life goals and ambitions that easily if restricted by income. Higher income which career blogging can provide simply opens doors in life that previously remained firmly closed.
Recommended Resources and Further Reading
- Higher blog earnings, for less work 5 ways to monetize a WordPress blog
- Go Native : 10 awesome native advertising networks reviewed
- Optimize ad testing and earn more : How Ezoic automates ad placement
Watch Out for The Work at Home Gurus
Blogging is not just a personal hobby; you can make a lot of money from blogging about a passion or specific niche. I believe it is a powerful tool that can drive crowd in your business and earn a lot of money. Of course beware of the ‘gurus.’ There is a whole industry out there geared towards suckering novice WordPress blog owners into purchasing lame plugins and other tools that promise six figure blogs. Plugins that in reality do no such thing except separate you from your cash
This is not to say that there are not some great software and WordPress productivity plugins out there. Just stay grounded with a reality check and realise that a $39 WordPress plugin will not make your overnight fortune. If this situation sounds rather familiar then chances are that you are a prior victim of ‘shiny object syndrome.’
So Who is the Ideal Part Time or Full Time Blogger?
If you are a mum or unqualified worker employed in a growing company all too often promotion and pay rise opportunities isn’t a thing to expect every year. Full-time career blogging opens the whole world to your desires. You can reach every person in the world and sell your services and thoughts every time and with every new post or content release.
I mean you can work 24 hours a day unlike the traditional mode of working where your boss limits you. In fact blogging opens so many doors and you do not have to give up your 9-5 day job straight away, nor should you. Instead just ease into life as a career blogger. So who can be a 9-5 or even 27/4 blogger these days, the answer is anyone, you can currently be a :
- Teacher
- Student
- Shop Owner
- CEO
- An artist or musician
- A guru ( naturally )
The reach and abilities accrued gained from blogging enable you to earn much more potentially than your regular salary but remember it can be volatile revenue. Additionally, with a high traffic blog, you can hire people to get much work done. You expand the blog centric empire and that translates to more earnings over time. I tell you there is more freedom and opportunity to earn what is not possible in local companies. Just try doing it the right way!
ii) Blogging Leads to Diverse Means of Earning
One significant thing I should tell you is that being a blogger, it calls for creativity. There are a million opportunities online and blogging is but one. Many people want different services and products. Geographical location at times defines variable customer interest. You can customize your content and diversify your streams of earning.
Content writing is just a single means in which bloggers can get paid. However, there are other means of providing ads or affiliate products in your WordPress blog. Diversity also reduces boredom in doing a single thing. This also increases in creativity and customer relations. This approach helps in directing efforts on what you want to do. You can, therefore, implement the best strategies of diverse earning because you have freedom of choice. Freedom of choice opens doors and they stay open.
A Gentle Word of Warning
Being a blogger, there is no one to advise you or point out mistakes. Unlike companies where you are employed and given directions on the job, blogging gives freedom to choose what to do while online. Everything you do is up to you. So if you discover a greener opportunity for money generation; dive in it! You also have to learn from your own screw ups, that is how it is as a career blogger.
Also remember that when it comes to monetizing a blog you will almost certainly start with ad networks, such as Adsense, Media.net, BuySellAds, Taboola and the list goes on and on. Understand that from day one these third party firms hold the keys to your income.
Therefore with high traffic comes great responsibility as a blog owner/operator. This is not a feature post about Adsense or any other traffic network. Yet always ensure that you abide by their operating policies. As a career blogger you are here for the long haul, not to get rich quick.
Services like teaching online courses reward in millions. Offering online sale of products can extremely be a perfect deal. Note better; you need to have traffic for your dreams to mature and earn huge sums. Many business organizations need assistance in addressing business crises. If you are good in this, please do not hesitate.
iii) Bloggers Never get Bored ( Or do They? )
Blogging entails doing what you love as a passion and to fill your days. You need to have some skills and develop real competency in them. Full time blogging requires creative minds for to understand the possible market opportunities. Fast learning ability helps to create new earning techniques.
Nevertheless, you need to learn the techniques of addressing website technologies and writing customer touching and engaging posts. Boredom comes with doing one thing for a long time. Also, it may be facilitated by doing things you are not interested in. Being a blogger give the opportunity to choose the area of interest and target the best customer you want. If challenges arise, you know the best way to address them.
However blogging can be time consuming, some aspects of blogging such as technical headaches, testing plugins and formatting page layouts are routine and it is important to take regular breaks away from the computer as a full time career blogger working 9-5. Leaning and using WordPress can drain your time like a battery so be warned.
iv) As a Career Blogger You can Work from Anywhere
Working as a blogger is an interesting job and career choice because it offers an opportunity to work from different places around the world. As bloggers, we can work from our beds or even at the field. What we want is the laptop. Thanks to technology revolution! I can take a walk and after working for a certain moment. Go shopping or gym. It is free style. No investment in a single office.
Being able to work from your local proximity is a thing every individual can wish to. No travelling charges. In fact, when you go for a holiday it is possible you carry your laptop and blog from when you rest after hiking. Personally, I work when have visited my family or travel abroad. It is as flexible as that. Just try it, last month I was in Vegas for work and while there I just blogged, enough said.
v) You can Meet like Minded People and Other Bloggers
Blogging provides an opportunity to meet people of like minds. Let’s say you write content about beauty and fashion; well naturally your blog will have a lot of traffic involving persons working in beauty shops. Also, you can interact with companies that manufacture beauty products. Perhaps even open new revenue streams as an ‘influencer.’ Although pro bloggers tend to hate that term.
Full-time blogging as a career blogger generates the benefits of working independently and interacting with people who help you grow in the line of your career. My reach to friends is only targeted to my friends sharing similar views. In my blog I hang out with people, we assist each other in business and sharing productivity ideas. These groups help in developing a personal relationship and good business interactions.
Wrapping Up : Are You 9-5 Career Blogging Material?
Blogging jobs can pay like any other traditional job. If taken seriously, you can earn a lot of money and sustain a good life. With the benefits associated it is possible to enjoy benefits like those gained from a government paid job.
There is a lot of inspiration in doing what you like and in what drives you and of course spending quality time with people of like minds. In fact, you can enjoy good income returns and performance in working on blogs about your favorite activities and special interest hobbies also. My sincere encouragement to you as a potential career blogger in 2017 is be an action taker and try it yourself!