Starting a Paid Blog: The Truth

Almost anyone would say if they had the opportunity to work from home they would take it. With the internet being more popular than ever, blogging for extra income has become more popular than ever. But is it really a practical or even possible idea?

First, I would like to mention that blogging to make additional income is entirely possible. There are a number of available hosts that allow you a free domain name through their site. So everything you do in regards to setting up your blog is 100% free. Depending on the site there may be an additional cost for add on features, so take a look around before you start to blog. Currently the most popular blogging platforms are Blogger and Wordpress. If you want a blog on your personal domain name, you can always purchase a domain and hosting account - but that is completely your decision.

But just because you can blog for additional income doesn't mean that it will actually generate income. A generalized and/or personal blog will probably never generate income. Instead when you create a blog you will have to choose a theme or niche so other people with similar interests looking for information will find what you are posting.

Once you find a niche you want to blog about, you have to find a way to generate income. Are you going to sell items, have an affiliate program, advertise, etc. to make money? And how are you going to promote these items to sell.

After you have determined the first two factors, you have to promote and continue to post to your blog. This is where most income generating blogs loose steam. Creating an income generating blog takes a lot of time. You will spend hours of unpaid work just to make that first few dollars or even cents. Blogs of this type need to be updated at least once a week and be active in social networks. Most blogs will not generate income (or generate very little) within the first year of their publication.

In summary, here are the top 10 things to expect when starting an income generating blog:

1. You will not get rich (quick or otherwise)

2. It takes a lot of research - to figure out how your site is going to generate income

3. You need to blog about something specific, and something people are looking for

4. You will put in a lot of time, and not be paid

5. A lot can go wrong - from site templates, to hosting, and advertisements

6. Your blog will not generate income for at least a year

7. Your income generating blog may never generate any income - blog for fun, and if the income flows that is secondary

8. Expect to make at least one update to your blog a week

9. You will have to be active on social networking sites

10. You have a lot of competition trying to generate income the same way you are

If you are willing to put in the time and effort to blog to make additional income it is worth the shot. After all if you are using free hosting and domains you have nothing to loose and everything to gain. Keep your expectations reasonable, and blog because you love to!