How To Become A Full-Time Blogger (All You Need to Know!)
Looking for a way to escape the 9-to-5 grind?
Want to build a career as a successful blogger?
You’ve come to the right place.
In this post, you’ll learn how to generate full-time income from blogging.
But first, I suppose a quick introduction is in order.
Table Of Contents
- 1. How I became a full-time blogger
- 2. Is blogging worth it in 2021?
- 3. Examples of successful bloggers
- 4. Benefits of blogging as a business
- 5. How to Become a Full-Time Blogger
- 5.1 Step #1: Find the perfect niche
- 5.2 Step #2: Save up for the initial costs of blogging
- 5.3 Step #3: Build the perfect website
- 5.4 Step #4: Plan your content strategy and schedule
- 5.5 Step #5: Spend some time on content promotions
- 5.6 Step #6: Implement monetization strategies
- 5.7 Step #7: Have an emergency fund
- 5.8 Final Step: Quit your job
- 6. Training programs and courses
- 7. Maintaining your full-time blogging schedule
- 8. Treating Your Blog as a Business: How to Grow Your Blog
- 9. Conclusion
How I Became A Full-time Blogger?
First and foremost, blogging isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme.
It took me a total of eight months to make money from my first blog through Google AdSense.
At the time, half of my attention goes to my full-time job. But through patience, hard work, and many sleepless nights, I managed to pull through.
Thanks to affiliate marketing, my blog eventually began to make more money than my full-time job.
That’s when I ultimately decided to quit my job and become a full-time blogger.
Watch me speak at Digi Sessions Conference in 2018:
Is Blogging Worth it in 2021?
My story is no different than countless other full-time bloggers who were once employees.
The question is, will you be able to do the same?
Truth be told, blogging isn’t as easy as it was several years ago.
With so many aspiring bloggers entering the market, profitable niches become more and more saturated.
As the competition gets tougher, it gets harder for the average Joe (and Jane) to get into the blogging game.
So, what’s the lesson here?
No – it’s not “blogging isn’t feasible for beginners anymore.”
It’s “don’t be average.”
You can’t make it big as a blogger if you just copy whatever everyone else is doing.
You can do it across different aspects of blogging, including web design, marketing, and especially content quality.
Other people can do it by pouring their heart and soul into their blog.
To give you some inspiration, let’s go over some examples of bloggers who turned blogging into a successful business.
Examples of Successful Bloggers
Full disclosure: we’ll also take a quick look at each successful blogger’s income.
Take note that the data collected are from income reports that they published themselves.
Some of these bloggers stopped publishing income reports months or years ago. That means they’re most likely significantly bigger sums today.
Without further ado, here are some of the most successful bloggers and what made them great:
1. Lindsay and Bjork Ostrom – Pinch of Yum
Pinch of Yum is one of the biggest food blogs in the industry today.
They made $95,197.34 in November 2016 – the month they published their last income report.
Pinch of Yum’s success lies in Bjork and Lindsay Ostrom’s dedication to helping their audience make tasty dishes at home. Apart from their brilliant food photography skills and clearly-written recipes, they also created Food Blogger Pro for aspiring food bloggers.
The couple left their jobs in June 2014 after Pinch of Yum’s earnings surpassed their full-time income.
2. Matthew Kepnes – Nomadic Matt
Matthew Kepnes – AKA “Nomadic Matt” – is a well-recognized name in the travel blogging sphere.
In one CNBC interview, he revealed that he once made over $750,000 in a year.
Matthew was inspired to become a travel blogger after meeting full-time travelers in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He then took a huge risk and spent $30,000 on an 18-month tour across the globe.
It’s worth noting that Matthew practiced teaching English while traveling from country to country. He did it because he’s badly in love with travel writing and wanted to make it a full-time career.
3. Jamie Silva – A Sassy Spoon
A Sassy Spoon is a relatively young blog that started in 2016.
Fast forward to May 2020, food blogger Jamie Silva revealed that she made over $11,000 in one month.
In her income reports, she often mentions she was inspired by Pinch of Yum’s own income reports. It just goes to show that a little encouragement by setting an example can go a long way.
4. Kate Kordsmeier
Kate Kordsmeier doles out “soulful business advice” through her personal blog.
Her first blog is actually called Root + Revel. It’s a wellness blog that Kate started after being diagnosed with PCOS, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and hypothyroidism.
After turning that blog into a six-figure business, Kate created her new blog for people who needed blogging advice. Consequently, her latest income report stated she earned over $23,491 in March 2020.
5. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner – Making Sense of Cents
Making Sense of Cents is a personal finance blog run by former financial analyst Michelle Schroeder-Gardner.
In 2012, she had a student loan debt that amounted to a scary $38,000. She then started Making Sense of Cents to capitalize on her knowledge in finance and generate passive income – mostly through affiliate marketing.
Now, Michelle comfortably makes over $100,000 a month from her blog.
Benefits of Blogging as a Business
At this point, you should know that your potential income as a blogger is nothing to joke about.
But there’s more to blogging than just money.
If you’re still not excited about the idea of being a full-time blogger, perhaps these will change your mind:
1. Make Money Doing What You Love
In case you didn’t notice, all of the bloggers above made their dollars blogging about what they love.
Imagine spending the rest of your days writing about your favorite hobby and getting paid handsomely for it.
There’s definitely research involved in looking for a profitable niche. But at the end of the day, you should still look at your own passions and fields of expertise as starting points.
2. Work From Home
A successful blog gives you the freedom to work anywhere you want.
With the exception of bloggers in the travel, events, and similar niches, most of us prefer to work from home.
After all, every single resource you need to build a profitable blog from scratch can be found online. That means you’ll have more time and energy to spend with the people you care about.
3. Grow Your Business
For some people, a blog’s purpose is to be the digital extension of their business.
However, that also means exploring other avenues of income, like affiliate marketing, publishing sponsored content, creating subscriptions, and so on.
In some cases, a business blog actually stops being about the business and more about these other monetization strategies. That’s when you can say you’re no longer just an entrepreneur, but a full-time blogger as well.
4. Widen Your Network
Blogging lets you connect with other popular brands and influencers in your niche.
This unlocks a number of opportunities that will ultimately take your blog to the next level. Some examples are collaborative products with influencers, interviews, public speaking engagements, and more.
5. Have More Time For Everything Else
Aside from money, successful bloggers are also rewarded more time for other things.
Sure, your first year as a blogger probably involves sleepless nights and busy weekends – until you start generating passive income. But once you’re over that hill, maintaining your blog will no longer require full workdays.
This will give you more time for other activities, like taking vacations, your kid’s little league practices, and so on.
6. Become a Lifelong Learner
Being a blogger exposes you to learning opportunities that you’d otherwise miss being stuck in a dead-end job.
After all, you’ll need every advantage you can get to outshine the competition. And knowledge is one such advantage.
Other than information related to your niche, you’ll also learn about web design, marketing, monetization, and various blogging tools.
How to Become a Full-Time Blogger
Great – we now established that full-time blogging can be one of the best decisions you can make in your life.
Now comes the question, “how do I do it?”
Allow me to walk you through the process that worked for most of us:
Step #1: Find The Perfect Niche
Choosing a niche is a step you can’t take for granted.
By now, you should have a few ideas linked to your personal interests. However, chances are you still need to “niche down” to find something that still has room for new players.
I suggest reading my guide on how to choose the perfect niche.
Here’s an overview of the required steps:
Start With The Core Markets
Most blogging niches belong to the three core markets: relationships, wealth, and health. Narrow it down by looking at submarkets you’re familiar with, like freelancing under wealth and cooking under health.
Explore Micro Niches
Even submarkets can be narrowed down to find more focused niches called “micro-niches.” These focus on a specific skill or topic, like freelance Elementor development and Indian vegetarian recipes.
Look At Monetization Opportunities
The end goal of full-time blogging is building reliable monetization channels that will eventually pay for everything. Before you commit to a niche, be sure you have a clear idea of how you’ll monetize your blog content.
Click here to learn 89 ways to monetize your blog today.
Look For Your “Ikigai”
Ikigai is a Japanese word that describes a person’s “reason to live.”
It is found at the very center of four “whats”:
- What you love
- What you’re good at
- What the world needs
- What you can be paid for
Anything outside your Ikigai can only be considered as your passion, mission, profession, or vocation.
As such, you should ask yourself the following question before going all-in on a niche idea:
- “Am I truly passionate about this?”
- “Do I consider myself good on a competitive level in this?”
- “Can I get paid for this?”
- “Is there a demand for what I have to offer?”
If you answered yes to all questions, then you’ve found your Ikigai.
You just need to validate your niche’s profitability with the help of keyword research tools. In addition, you should also use Google Trends to gauge the long-term viability of your selected niche.
Here are two resources that can help:
Step #2: Save Up For The Initial Costs of Blogging
Picking a great niche is every blogger’s first step towards greatness.
Next, you need to plan how you’ll afford the initial costs of blogging.
Basically, you need to stick with your full-time job until you have enough money for the initial costs of blogging.
Important: If you already have a hobby blog on the side, feel free to skip this step.
How Much Does It Cost To Start A Blog?
Starting a blog costs anywhere around $100-$2,000, depending on your approach. That’s the total upfront cost you should pay for your first year in blogging.
You can pay a lot less if you focus on the essentials, like domain registration and hosting.
Here are three budget plans I mapped out for different types of bloggers:
- Hobbyist –$100 for the first year just for domain registration and hosting. Use WordPress, a free theme, and free trial versions of paid tools.
- Part-Time Blogger – $188 for the first year for domain registration, hosting, premium theme, and Elementor Pro. Buy Canva next once you get the extra cash.
- Full-Time Blogger — $1,000-$2,000 for the first year for everything. You can lower costs by holding off on your SEMrush, Social Snap, or Grammarly Premium purchase.
Curious how I came up with these budget plans?
Let’s do a quick breakdown of your expenses.
Domain and Hosting Registration
Nowadays, domain registration and hosting services come surprisingly cheap.
SiteGround, for example, charges only $6.99 per month (paid annually) on top of a domain registration fee of $15.95.
With just that, you can get a WordPress website up and running with a free theme installed.
It’s then up to you to customize the theme to your liking, which is entirely possible with some research.
Once you’re happy with your theme, you can start writing and publishing your own blog posts.
If you did the steps above, then congratulations – you’re a hobby blogger.
Congratulations – you only spent less than $100 to get your blog running for a whole year.
You’re now what most people in the industry call “hobby bloggers.”
However, if you want to blog competitively and care about monetization, you’ll need to make a few more investments.
I’m talking about a premium WordPress theme and perhaps your first page builder.
Getting A Premium Theme
Premium WordPress themes can go for as little as $39 on Theme Forest – $29 if they’re on sale.
There are several reasons why you should get a premium WordPress theme.
Here are some of the most important ones:
- Search Engine Optimization – Professionally-designed themes are built with SEO in mind. They help you get higher rankings on search engines, which will bring you more organic traffic down the line.
- Optimal website performance – A good premium theme loads fast, providing your would-be audience with a better user experience. This, in turn, will lead to a lower bounce rate, higher conversions, and more sales.
- Security and stability – Premium themes like GeneratePress are known to have top-notch security and stability. As a result, you can maximize your blog’s uptime and avoid missing out on profits.
- Easy customization features – Most premium themes offer easy customization features for details like colors, typography, menus, and headers. This can save you money from hiring a professional WordPress developer.
- Customer support – Theme developers also offer various options for customer support. You can get assistance in setting up your WordPress site, troubleshooting problems, and more.
If you use a premium theme from the get-go, the total upfront cost of your blog is around $140. This can be higher if you opt for a more expensive theme.
Related: 6 Best WordPress Themes for Blogging Success.
For your page builder, my go-to solution would be Elementor Pro – the page builder I personally use.
This leads to my next point.
Premium Blogging Tools
Lastly, let’s talk about the tools that full-time bloggers use.
If you’re a hobby blogger, it’s perfectly acceptable to rely on free tools.
But if you’re serious about blogging, consider paying extra for any (or all) of the following tools:
- Elementor Pro (Costs $49 per year) – Drag-and-drop page builder for effortless website customization.
- Semrush (Costs $99.95 per month) – All-in-one platform for SEO, social media, competitive research, content planning, and PPC.
- Grammarly (Costs $29.95 per month) – Automatic proofreading tool to help you create polished blog content.
- Canva (Costs $12.95 per month) – Graphic design and image editing tool for creating visual content.
- Social Snap (Costs $39 per year) – Integrate social media features into your blog, like social sharing buttons, tweetable quotes, and “pin it” buttons.
Of course, I don’t recommend buying all of these tools in one go if you’re an absolute beginner.
SEMrush, in particular, can be too expensive if you don’t have monetization yet.
At the same time, Social Snap’s base features can also be implemented through free WordPress plugins. This includes social sharing buttons, sidebar buttons, and tweetable quotes.
If you want to be a full-time blogger, consider paying for Elementor Pro, Canva, and Grammarly before content creation.
That way, you can have consistent quality content and page design for your blog from day one.
Besides, these three tools have a free version with all their essential features. Use these to get a feel for each tool while you save up for their premium versions.
For more useful blogging tools, check out this post.
Step #3: Build The Perfect Blog
Let’s say you now have a barebones WordPress blog built on top of your own domain.
You’re still far from ready to quit your job and do blogging full-time, but you’re getting close.
Related: How to Start a Blog (Step by Step)
How To Build A Blog While Working Full-time?
First things first, allot at least two hours each night to complete your blog’s structure.
You should also consider putting most – if not all – of your spare time during weekends into building your site.
Start with cookie-cutter pages that every blog has. Some examples are:
- About page
- Contact page
- Homepage
- Privacy policy page
- Blog categories page
Related: 6-Step Formula to Write an About Me Page for Your Blog
Also, don’t forget to look at your theme’s page template (or templates) for blog posts.
Most premium themes have multiple layouts you can choose from, like full width, boxed, and sidebar.
In most cases, you can easily choose the blog post template you want to use in WordPress’s built-in theme customizer.
From there, modify that template to set the appearance of all your blog posts moving forward.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About WordPress Themes
Here’s a tip: look at the top blogs in your niche to borrow ideas and inspiration for your design.
Google your blog niche plus the keywords “best blogs” to get ahold of them.
After finding them, look at every single detail and figure out how you can instill your brand into each page.
Some things to focus on are:
- Your competitor’s homepage layout
- Most-used page elements
- Navigation
- Typography and color combinations
- Overall language and writing style used
It shouldn’t take long to have your blog’s cookie-cutter pages ready. If you’re using Elementor, you can probably get it done in one weekend.
Now that the skeleton of your blog is ready, it’s time to start thinking about your blog content.
Step #4: Plan Your Content Strategy and Schedule
Obviously, creating blog content is a time-consuming deal.
If you’re blogging on the side while working a 9-to-5 job, it can take all week to finish one post.
But as long as the quality’s good, I guarantee it’ll be worth your time and effort.
How To Write Quality Content For Your Blog
Today, being an excellent writer is no longer enough to create compelling blog posts that will cut through the noise.
You also need research, professional visual content, basic SEO knowledge, and loads of patience.
A great first step is to read my step-by-step guide to writing high-quality content. You should learn everything you need to know there, including:
- How to look for keywords that will attract quality traffic
- Building a blog post outline that rocks
- Ways to improve the readability of your articles
Related: 12 Powerful Tips on How to Write Persuasive Blog Posts
Planning Your Weekly Schedule
During early blog development, two hours per day is enough, especially if you bought a premium theme.
However, writing blog content is a whole different ball game.
Some days, you can easily output 1,000 words in those two hours. Other days, you’ll spend hours doing research, hitting the delete key, or just staring at a blank page.
I’ll tell you what – the “writer’s block” is a real thing.
To prevent it from happening, you need to build a solid weekly schedule that can maximize your productivity.
I recommend the following routine:
- As soon as you come home, rest for up to an hour – have dinner, take a shower, or both
- Spend 30 minutes creating or reviewing your outline and decide which parts to write
- Write for 60 minutes straight
- Rest for another 30 minutes
- Decide if you can write for another 30-60 minutes
For most people, juggling their blogging tasks and 9-to-5 job is the biggest obstacle to blogging full-time.
But with a sustainable schedule that doesn’t drain you out, you’ll get used to it in no time.
You can make it official by creating a schedule like this:
Just use any word processing or note-taking app. What’s important is, you have a visual schedule to follow on a daily basis.
It’s also a good idea to plan out your content ahead of time.
This involves deciding the topics you want to cover, how many words to write, and when to publish each post.
To learn more, read How to Create a Blog Editorial Calendar (with Templates).
Step #5: Spend Some Time on Content Promotions
While content is undeniably important in a blog, it’s not enough to start generating recurring traffic.
You need to put some time into content promotions to reach your target audience.
No one else will do it for you, so be prepared for more late nights.
First, I’d like to introduce you to the 80-20 rule of content marketing.
Using The 80-20 Rule For Content Promotions
I practice the 80-20 rule when it comes to content creation and promotion.
That’s 80 percent content promotion, 20 percent content creation.
So, if you spent a day creating a post, spend around four days promoting it – that’s the basic idea.
Of course, you don’t have to take this literally.
It only means you shouldn’t be too focused on content creation when you should be putting more hours into promotion.
After all, most content only needs to be created once. Marketing, on the other hand, can be done on a number of platforms.
- Social media networks
- Q&A websites
- A weekly newsletter
- Other blogs that accept guest posts
- Online message boards
Here’s a list of easy content promotion strategies that cost nothing.
Doing Content Promotions with a Full-time Job
Here’s the thing:
Content promotions in general may take a lot of time.
However, certain content promotion activities don’t.
Some of them can even be done on the go – specifically through your smartphone.
A good example would be social media sharing, which you can do anytime and anywhere.
With Social media marketing tools like Social Animal, it only takes a second to share your content on your social media accounts.
There’s also plenty of stuff you can do to promote your blog without burning too much time.
When you get the chance to sit in front of your computer and do some real work, try the following:
- Help people in social media groups (10 minutes) – Joining relevant social media groups will help make your blog visible to the right people. Just become an active member, help those in need, and occasionally link to one of your blog posts.
- Post on subreddits – Reddit is a very active online community with various subgroups for specific interests. Similar to social media groups, you need to be a helpful member while promoting your blog whenever it makes sense.
- Build an email capture form with a free plugin (less than 30 minutes) – Setting up an opt-in form on your blog is the first step in email marketing. This enables you to launch campaigns like weekly newsletters, automated welcome emails, and more.
- Send a weekly newsletter (30-60 minutes, once per week) – Broadcasting a weekly newsletter is a reliable way to generate recurring traffic to your blog posts. This will also help you nurture leads and bring them closer to making a purchase from you.
- Answer a question on Quora (30 minutes) – You can get free traffic from Quora by looking for questions that your content can answer. This has a high chance of generating high-quality traffic since you’re presenting solutions to people with problems.
Related: How to Get Traffic from Quora (All You Need to Know!)
Step #6: Implement Monetization Strategies
Here’s the deal:
Before blog full-time, you need blog monetization strategies that can exceed or at least equal your current income.
If you want to push your luck, you can quit your job when your blog income can cover your expenses. But it won’t be ideal since your blog earnings aren’t assured yet – at least for the first few months.
In any case, you need to learn about blog monetization strategies.
What Are The Best Ways To Make Money With Your Blog?
As a new blogger, I urge you to do some research on the following blog monetization strategies:
- Affiliate marketing – Earn commissions while promoting another company’s products or services. This is a great source of long-term, passive income for bloggers.
- Sell your own digital products – Selling your own digital products not only monetizes your blog but also builds your authority in your niche. Some digital product ideas are eBooks, online courses, audiobooks, and downloadable printables.
- Selling consultancy services – Professional bloggers sometimes sell consultancy services to clients who need their expertise. This applies to digital marketers, graphic designers, lawyers, health experts, and so on.
If your blog starts amassing thousands of monthly traffic, displaying ads can also be a lucrative source of income.
For more blog monetization ideas, read this post.
Step #7: Have An Emergency Fund
Having monetization strategies in place is an exciting time for new bloggers.
However, you shouldn’t quit your job just yet.
The next step is to save up an emergency fund for everything life throws your way while you pursue blogging.
What Is An Emergency Fund?
An emergency fund is ready-to-use cash for unexpected expenses. This includes emergency medical bills, car accidents, property damage, and unemployment.
A widely accepted practice is to set aside enough for six months’ worth of expenses. Just calculate your total expenses over the past six months and save that amount as your emergency fund.
NerdWallet has a handy-dandy emergency fund calculator that will help you with this.
Simply enter the cost of your basic living expenses, like mortgage, utility bills, and insurance, to calculate your emergency fund.
Why Six Months?
Let’s say the worst-case scenario happens and you lose your job.
With an emergency fund, you have half a year to look for another job, focus on your blog, or both.
Remember, it’ll take months to make money from a freshly made blog. Even then, the amount you’ll get will probably be nowhere near the money you invested.
That said, keep your job for now and save up. Only when you have an adequate emergency fund should you begin thinking about quitting your job.
Final Step: Quit Your Job
Does your blog’s income match that of your full-time job?
Have you saved up an emergency fund for the sake of, well, emergencies?
Nice – you’ve now earned the right to quit your job and call yourself a full-time blogger.
I remember that feeling as if it was yesterday. So, cherish it and reward yourself with a well-earned day off or two.
Just remember that your journey is only beginning.
You still have a lot of work and growth to do. And to help you with that, allow me to share with you some of the best programs for full-time bloggers:
Training Programs and Courses
Keep in mind that the programs and online courses below are all paid.
Invest your money smartly and choose the program that can fill the knowledge gaps you’re missing.
1. The One Funnel Away Challenge
What you will learn:
- Building sales funnels
- Publishing lessons
- Ways to get traffic
- Lead generation and nurturing
The One Funnel Away Challenge is created by digital marketing expert Russell Brunson.
It is a 30-day, results-driven challenge that will teach you how to construct profitable sales funnels. Each day, you’ll get a daily challenge email, exclusive training content, and a live coaching call.
The OFA Challenge also requires you to complete all the tasks assigned to you at the end of each day. This makes sure you fully understood the daily lessons and are willing to put in the work.
Read this detailed review of One Funnel Away Challenge.
How Much Does The One Funnel Away Challenge Cost?
To join the One Funnel Away Challenge, you need to pay a one-time fee of $100. If you want the physical challenge kit, you’ll be charged an extra $19.95 or $29.95 depending on where you live.
2. Food Blogger Pro
What you will learn:
- Building a food blog from scratch
- Getting traffic
- WordPress plugins and tools for food bloggers
- Food photography and video editing
- How to make a food blog eBook
- Social media marketing
- Website development
- How to make a media kit
As the name suggests, Food Blogger Pro is highly recommended for aspiring food bloggers.
It’s created by Lindsay and Bjork Ostrom – the founders of Pinch of Yum.
Food Blogger Pro is packed with lessons that can help anyone build their dream food blog from the ground up. There are also lessons that can help every blogger regardless of niche, like WordPress development and social media marketing.
Get detailed info about Food Blogger Pro here.
How Much Does Food Blogger Pro Cost?
A Food Blogger Pro membership costs $35 a month. You can cut the cost down to $29.17 per month if you go with the yearly plan.
3. Six–Figure Blogger
What you will learn:
- Building a website
- Online branding basics
- Generating blog topic ideas
- Creating engaging content
- Monetization strategies
Six-Figure Blogger by entrepreneurs Lauren & Alex is an all-in-one course that teaches the process of growing a profitable blog.
It includes over eight hours of video lectures, six hours of interviews, and thousands of words of content. If that’s not impressive enough, know that the course will be regularly updated with new interviews, case studies, and more.
How Much Does Built to Blog Cost?
Six-Figure Blogger has a one-time payment plan of $297.
4. Affiliate Secrets 2.0
What you will learn:
- Affiliate product research
- Audience research
- Traffic generation
- Marketing and sales automation
Affiliate Secrets 2.0 is an in-depth course on how to generate passive income with affiliate marketing.
It is the brainchild of affiliate marketing expert Spencer Mecham, who generated seven figures after just a year in business.
The online course consists of eight modules, which cover all aspects of running an affiliate marketing business. This includes traffic generation strategies, automation templates, affiliate product research, long-term business planning, and so on.
How Much Does Affiliate Secrets 2.0 Cost?
Affiliate Secrets 2.0 costs $897 for a lifetime access. This will include several bonuses, like access to the Traffic Guru Secrets course, pre-built funnels, and a literal hammock.
5. The League of Email Marketing Heroes
What you will learn:
- Proven email marketing campaigns (not your typical workflows)
- Lead generation and nurturing
- List segmentation
- Building your authority
- Crafting your own unique framework
- How to send daily emails effectively
Finally, The League (of Email Marketing Heroes) is a comprehensive program made by the unlikely pair of Rob and Kennedy.
I discovered Email Marketing Heroes before launching Master Blogging’s revamped newsletter. And if there’s one thing I can tell you, it’s that I couldn’t stop watching their course videos.
Both Rob and Kennedy are masters of communication. They have a way of making you want more, which is then applied in their proprietary campaign templates.
You will learn about campaigns like the “Getting to Know You” campaign, SVVC promotions, Black Widow campaign, and many more.
How Much Does The League of Email Marketing Heroes Cost?
The League of Email Marketing Heroes costs a monthly fee of $59.
Maintaining Your Full-time Blogging Schedule
There is never a dull moment in full-time blogging.
If you’re not writing blog content, you’re either doing research or promoting your content somewhere.
Otherwise, you will be trampled by competitors who have more dedication and drive than you.
The good news is, I firmly believe that meaningful rest is a form of productivity. The same applies to the time you spend with family, which is everybody’s best source of motivation.
You just need to strike the perfect balance between these two and blogging.
That said, you need to update your weekly schedule to have enough time for everything.
Here’s a snapshot of what my weekly blogging schedule looks like now:
Of course, you’re free to use my weekly schedule as is. But if you want something tailored to your personal life, here are a few tips:
- Create a schedule for everything – It doesn’t matter if you’re thinking about lunch, exercise, or social media. If it takes more than five minutes, include it in your schedule to identify and control your biggest time-wasters.
- Set a target word count – On writing days, be sure to have a target word count in mind. Word count is a clear indication of progress as far as blog content writing is concerned.
- Rest for up to 30 minutes after 90 to 120 minutes of work – To me, getting a quick 30-minute break after 90-120 solid minutes of work is a golden rule. It pretty much negates the effects of stress and fatigue, especially from writing blog articles long-term.
- Keep one weekend free for potential catch-up activities – I have a personal rule to allot at least one day for family and relationships. However, I still squeeze in a few hours of work, especially for catching up on missed goals during weekdays.
- Prioritize the hardest tasks first – Whatever you do, don’t put off the most difficult tasks until the end of each day. The hardest tasks require the most energy, which is why they should be prioritized first while your mind’s still fresh.
- Be sure to eat – Some bloggers (like me) can feel a little dizzy when skipping meals before doing mentally-demanding activities. You can maintain peak productivity by always eating properly and on time.
- Don’t check your emails first thing in the morning – A lot of bloggers start their day by checking their emails. While it sounds reasonable, some messages may linger in the back of your mind and distract you for a day.
I created a full-length productivity and time management guide for bloggers, which talks about some of the tips above. Click here to read the full content.
Treating Your Blog as a Business: How to Grow Your Blog
Ready to go the extra mile with your full-time blogging career?
If so, it’s time to start thinking like an entrepreneur.
Once your blog starts to make money, you should know where and how to reinvest your earnings.
Here – let me give you a quick checklist:
- Get a professional logo – A professionally-designed logo makes your blog more brandable and recognizable. Logo design services online can go for as little as $5, which is nothing compared to a logo’s importance.
- Create business social media accounts – Building business accounts on networks like Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram unlocks useful features, like analytics, CTAs, and eCommerce tools. Take advantage of these features to increase your reach and get more sales.
- Consider hiring freelancers – You can hire freelance editors, developers, and even content writers to come work for your blog. This will give you more time for other important aspects of blogging, like SEO, influencer marketing, and content promotions.
- Invest in automation tools – Just like money and energy, time is an indispensable resource for bloggers. Purchasing automation tools will allow you to save time on repetitive tasks, like scheduling on social media and sending welcome emails.
- Build your blogging network – To put your brand on the map, you need to build connections with other popular bloggers in relevant niches. This opens up more growth opportunities, like guest posting, interviews, and collaborative projects.
To wrap up this post, here are must-read posts that will help you grow your blogging business:
- 30 Ways to Grow Your Blog Quickly Like a Boss
- How to Find and Hire Talented Blog Writers
- 21 Ways to Connect with Other Talented Bloggers
Conclusion
Going full-time as a blogger can be the most important decision in your life.
For many bloggers like myself, it’s the single life-altering moment that defined who we are.
I can’t imagine what my life will be now if I didn’t make that jump all those years ago.
Now, it’s your turn.
Let this post be your gateway to the full-time blogging life. And with the strategies above, it’s only a matter of time before you see some real results.
If you have questions, suggestions, or opinions regarding what you just read, leave a comment below.
Good luck!
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