In another article, I shared with you a difficult choice. I talked about my status as a travel blogger and web entrepreneur, find the article here. Today, I am going to talk to you about a related topic: monetizing your blog.
How to make money or monetize your blog?
To be honest with you, when I started the adventure, I didn’t know how to make money with my blog and it was after 4 months that I started earning money. I will tell you what I did during those first four months:
- Work 30 hours a week on my blog after my job.
- Write 100 articles in 4 months to create content.
- Write guest posts on other travel blogs.
- Develop my network of travel bloggers.
- List my blog on several dozen directories.
- Comment on other travel blogs every 3-4 days.
Needless to say, during those first 4 months, I had a full-time job. Of course, I was helped by other people whom I thank. However, it is not guaranteed that if you do the same you will get results, and yes, that is the harsh reality of the web.
The skills you need to acquire or have to make money with your blog.
- Perseverance and work, less than 1% of bloggers earn 1000 euros/month (roughly).
- Knowing how to find and search for information (when I created my blog, it took me 4 months between installation and writing the first article because I had a technical problem installing it).
- Having time and not letting yourself get distracted. A blog that works must be maintained if you want to make money, you have to invest yourself.
- Having skills in SEO, writing, and website development.
- Developing your social circle on the web: with other bloggers and on social networks, it’s a whole job.
It is a big job that requires many diverse skills.
Controversy on the web, monetizing your travel blog.
I myself make money (see my 2012 report for the travel advice blog) and I started from zero (or almost). I had 2 years of travel content to write so that helps :D. Let’s get back to the current controversy: taking a course to make easy money with your blog.
My opinion is quite mixed since it is possible to make money with your travel blog, but is taking a course to succeed a good solution?
Personally, I think not even if it seems easier. Why?
- On the Net, you have free, simple, and accessible documents if you manage and are curious, you have the possibility to pay nothing and learn everything by yourself. Here is a useful and free guide to create your travel blog: here, thanks to Haydée.
- I managed to do it without taking a course, by persevering and learning by myself.
- Gaining the habit of finding the solution by yourself is a skill that is priceless. Several times I have changed themes or searched for information to optimize it, or looked for other hosts for my other sites. I gained quite a few skills behind that.
- I will also help you for free with my new blog (which I created this week, it is empty for now): create your blog which will gather the knowledge I have acquired during 1 year of blogging (I have several travel blogs where I tested different techniques).
And you, do you think you need a course to help you create your travel blog?
