How Long is It Going to Take You to Strike It Rich in Blogging?
That is a good question right? All these successful bloggers you are trying to
imitate did not become full time successes overnight. It took some time. I read
a blog known as Coding Horror, fairly regularly. It is mostly a tech blog where
the author does a lot of research for each article.
One of the articles I read recently was actually
written back in October 2007. I don't remember how I found this
article but I am glad I did. The title of the article is
How to Achieve Ultimate Blog Success in One Easy Step I gotta
tell you, that title got my attention. Especially since it was written by Jeff
Atwood.
Here is a short quote from the article:
"When people ask me for advice on blogging, I always respond with yet another
form of the same advice: pick a schedule you can live with, and stick to it.
Until you do that, none of the other advice I could give you will matter. I
don't care if you suck at writing. I don't care if nobody reads your blog. I
don't care if you have nothing interesting to say. If you can demonstrate a
willingness to write, and a desire to keep continually improving your writing,
you will eventually be successful."
Wow, is that wisdom or what? Let me paraphrase. Start writing. You can write
anything. You start out bad, but if you keep writing you will get better. If
you do get better you have a great chance to be successful. Anything you do
often and enjoy you will improve at. So, the act of doing something daily will
help you to strike it rich in blogging.
Success Takes Time
It doesn't get any more straightforward than that. Great, you say. You enjoy
writing. You are getting better at it. How long before you become successful?
Two weeks or two months you ask? Ha Ha Ha. Jeff from Coding Horror say's,
"But success takes time -- a lot of time. I'd say a year at minimum."
Ouch, this is a comment from someone who is successful already. Can you keep
going for a year at this? What if it takes two years? That first month was
awful, you mean I have to keep doing this for two years? Yes. That is why there
are so few people at the top. Because success takes hard work. It takes
consistency. It takes persistence and self discipline. Just like any other job,
blogging success comes to those who do the work day in and day out.
Jeff Writes Six Articles a Week
How often does Jeff write his blog? He made a promise to himself that he would
write 6 articles a week. Now, if you have ever read any of his posts, you can
see that he isn't telling people what he had for breakfast or what restaurant
he went to last night. Jeff researches his articles. He gets comments and
opinions from others. He stays connected to the tech community. How successful
is his blog. He say's he gets 100,000 readers everyday.
He originally started his blog in 2004, so he has been at it for a while. But,
don't get discouraged if today you only have 5 readers. Building a strong
following takes time, effort, patience and the desire to perfect your skill and
to make every article a great article.
I don't know who the movers and shakers in this field are today. But, I know
they are where they are because of effort put forth 6 months, 1 year or even 3
years ago. Don't judge your current level of success based on the success of
others. Even if they show you their first check at $10,000 after one month's
work. Not all businesses achieve success that quickly.
Three Months Without Any Income
I think back to when I first started reading
Caroline Middlebrook's blog. She spent 3 months without a single
penny coming in as revenue. She didn't have a job as she had left her current
job to pursue blogging full time. She wasn't worried because she had utilized
money from other sources.
What is Caroline Doing to Strike it Rich in Blogging?
But, during those 3 months she was laying the foundation for what was to come.
By the fourth month she became comfortable and began to monetize her blog. I
won't lie and say the money came pouring in from that point. I doubt she makes
even half of what she made as a full time programmer. But, she has some nice
revenue numbers coming in for only being in business for 6 months.
But, let's go back. She spent 3 months with NO income coming into the business.
She was doing the things that are needed to lay the foundation. She was getting
involved in communities. She was commenting and reading and learning. She was
blogging regularly. I don't know if it was everyday but it was regularly. She
was making friends in the industry she wanted to be involved with.
Splash Some Cold Water on Your Face
Are you feeling sorry for yourself because you aren't a rock star after 6 weeks
of blogging? Have you only written 3 articles in those 6 weeks? Well, it is
time to get real. Splash some cold water on your face and look at the facts.
Success is possible but it does require effort. If you are working a full time
job, raising a family and involved with your local community in some fashion,
then it is very difficult. Not impossible. But, it may take you more than 6
months or 1 year or more. Be patient. Be strong. Do the ground work.
I encourage you to be patient. Be persistent. Be consistent in your writing. If
you aren't sure what to do, then read my checklist,
Blog Success Daily Routine Checklist. It will give you a little
direction and a game plan to work off of. It could start you on the road to striking
it rich in blogging. Good luck in all you do.
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