Let me start you off with this simple truth:
- You will never make money as a blogger if you continue to do the wrong things.
Albert Einstein’s great quip sums this up – “It is sheer insanity to do something over and over again and expect a different result.”
Many new bloggers are lost in thoughts of being able to travel the world and spend time in expensive hotels eating the best meals. While this is a possible feat to achieve, it sure takes a lot of guts and time in getting to this place of tremendous achievement.
Daniel Lyons (Fake Steve Jobs) confirmed that, “While blogs can do many awesome things, making lots of money isn’t one of them.”
He was right, if you ask me.
Your blog isn’t a money printing machine; rather, it’s a tool used for reaching the world with your valuable products/services… and possibly making money in the process.
Of course, it takes a lot of work. You must be willing to go through the process patiently, and if you do, success will surely come.
I love Whitney Young Jr.’s great quote, “It’s better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared for it.”
The latter part of the quote paints a typical blogging situation- someone who has a chance at becoming one of the most respected people in the annals of the world, but loses out by reasons of unpreparedness.
In this post, I will reveal to you the reasons why you will never make money blogging in 2017. Aside from that, I’ll also show you how you can reverse this and build a money-making blog right now.
Are we still together?
Let’s dive in!
Why You Will Never Make Money Blogging This Year (And How To Reverse It)
1. You don’t have a concrete business model.
Now, before I explain what a business model is and how to set up one for your business, let me quickly tell you why the lack of one is ruining your blogging business.
When you don’t have a system or a plan that encourages or pushes you to take the necessary actions in your business, you risk losing your enthusiasm and passion which will eventually result in the death of your blog.
So what is a business model?
The term “business model” can be defined in so many ways…
For the sake of this tutorial, I will describe a business model simply as a plan or design for the successful operation of a business, the intended customer base, the identified revenue sources, products, and sources of financing.
Similarly, Wikipedia defined it as: “an abstract representation of a business, be it conceptual, textual, and/or graphical, of all core interrelated architectural, co-operational, and financial arrangements designed and developed by an organization presently and in the future, as well as all core products and/or services the organization offers, or will offer, based on these arrangements that are needed to achieve its strategic goals and objectives.”
One of the mistakes often made by bloggers is in thinking that a business model is all about saying: “I want to make money.”
Honestly, if you put the “making money” thing as the primary reason for starting your business, you’re already doomed.
Money shouldn’t be your focus when starting out online as a blogger. The focus should be on creating systems; that includes creating significant and valuable content that takes a reader from where they are to where they ought to be.
Distilling it down, a good business model will let you:
- Identify who your target audience is.
- Identify revenue sources.
- Figure out how to serve your customers. (With text, videos, audios, infographics, etc.?)
- Identify products to create that will further educate your audience on what you currently teach them via your blog posts. (Example: You can create and sell an eBook.)
- Identify where will you get funds and how will you continue to invest in your business to stay relevant in the marketplace.
- Find the best promotional strategies to get your business out there.
These are just some of the things to consider when creating a plan/model for your business.
This is a very important step when starting out as a blogger.
You must give it maximum attention.
For further reading:
- 5 Simple Steps for An Effective Business Plan For Your Blog
- How To Write Killer Blog Business Plan in 9 Easy Steps
2. You are not concerned about value.
Like I mentioned, you will never make a single dime blogging if you concern yourself too much about making money.
Making money from blogging does not come overnight. I’ve been in the internet marketing and blogging niche longer than most of you, and I’ve never seen anyone that launched one day and started seeing money roll in the next day.
It doesn’t happen.
Forget all those adverts hovering over the web about how Jack made $$$$$$ within 48 hours of launching his business. If it actually worked that way, everyone would be doing it.
Here’s what you need to remember:
- If you want to make real money in the real world, you need to solve real problems.
If you’re serious about making money, learn to shift focus on wanting to be a quick and overnight success to providing a lot of value to your readers
Value is what sells you and your products, and it is what ultimately helps you to achieve your money-making goals.
According to Copyblogger, “If you don’t offer customers something they dearly want, whether it’s to gain some great pleasure or escape some great pain, you’re not going to make any money.”
3. You are not asking the right questions.
I constantly get readers of ShoutMeLoud asking me:
- How do I make money blogging?
- How can I get traffic to my blog?
- How can I build influence and get blog engagements?
While all these questions are great, there’s always something wrong with the phrasing.
Example:
Don’t ask: “How can I get traffic?”
Ask: “Is my blog capable of getting traffic?”
A lot of the time, people come into the online space to build blogs, publish some crappy content, and splash ads all over the place expecting to make lots of money.
Well, it doesn’t work like that!
You have got to push yourself really far by asking the right questions and doing the right things if you want to attract the right people in order to maybe make money blogging.
For instance, if your article headline is not engaging and compelling enough, it won’t attract visitors to stop over and read the article. The same thing applies to your content; if it sucks, no one will want to engage with your blog.
You have to give people a good reason to leave your competitor’s site and read yours.
How do you do that?
It’s mostly about creating informative and entertaining content that readers will find hard to ignore.
Don’t do what everyone else is doing. Write in your own unique voice, and soon, people will start noticing your unique and outstanding approach.
That’s when they will fall in love with you and make your blog their new dwelling place.
How To Make Your Blog A Success
If you take the time to really read through this post, you will definitely go from making nothing to making a substantial income as a blogger.
Many people are already doing it, and there’s no reason you can’t be doing it too.
You just need to make sure you’re doing the right things.
Don’t fall into the “make money online” trap. Nothing can replace hard work and dedication.
When people can see that you care about what you do, they’ll learn to respect and trust you as an authority in your niche.
When that happens, the money will start rolling in.
What are some common blogging mistakes you often see in the blogging world? Which one of these mistakes are you guilty of? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments below!
For further reading:
- 6 Brilliant Tips To Make You Blog like a Pro-Blogger
- 6 Tips for Becoming a Successful Blogger
- How Not to Write Meaningless Blog Posts For The Success of your Blog
- 5 Reasons Behind ShoutMeLoud Massive Success
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. I will try to escape my blog from these mistakes. thank you sir
this was the article i was waiting for thanks for this awesome post brother
Hi Harsh, thanks for this post. You are one of the inspiration for me to start my blog and yes I also dream of making money from it. This post will help me take the right path towards my goal.
that’s very nice article….i love the way you try to connect with your loyal viewers by writing simple and to the point article…awesome work harsh!
BTW friend, in this article, i read one point you said, i.e. :-“Is my blog capable of getting traffic?”
that’s the best words!
I spend many hours on Quora and there half of the questions people ask to me is “how they can make money from their newly started blog, Tips to increase traffic rapidly, and many more.
I like your words “instead of asking how can I increase traffic ask is my blog is capable for that much traffic”
Really like this article. It is some what different from your other articles.
Thank You sir and Keep writing .
Hello, Harsh Sir
very true and informative article.Thanks for inspiring new bloggers.I have created niche blog with inputs from shoutmeloud.Its been one year, and I am earning well.
Hi Harsh Sir
I agree with You blogging is not only to make money online you should provide good and valuable information to reader thanks for this info keep updating us about blogging
Great key point discovered for blogger. Thanks sir
I agree with Harsh, blogging takes lots of time and lots of work. It’s the reason many newbie bloggers give up blogging in a little time.
Yeah!! I agree with you.. It take time and patience to build rank of blog. This is really a motivating post. Thanks you for sharing it.
Initially instead of focusing on getting money it is true to develop followers to the blog by presenting them the good content they required.Hardwork and dedication definitely will win atlast,patience is also important in the process of sauccess.I believe in the main theme of this post.Good one.
Very True Harsh,
It takes lots of effort and hard work with smart work to succeed in the world of blogging.
Hi Harsh,
as usual you have mesmerized us with your superb ideas. Even I have also the same to say while launching a blog, money should not be our prime consideration. 6 months back I too launched a tech blog, https://iot funda.com/
I was having only 11 post when Google accepted my application for adsense..in 1st attempt
and I am happy that out of 21, 10 of my posts are ranking in the first page of google.
most of the time I follow your advices and suggestions and I am really very happy the way my blog is going.
thank once again for your suggestions
Blogging really takes patience and hard work.
Yes, I agree with you. If you can’t give something valuable to your readers then there is no reason to blog.
Hi Harsh,
Very good article for the people who are new to blogging like me.
thanks for sharing
I started three months ago till now i just earned one dollar only
I started on Jan 10 and haven’t earned anything. I applied for adesne but I am a minor so they reject my application.
Now I just work on giving value in my articles.
Hey Harsh
I think this article you written for me seriously
and the best part in this article is
“Don’t fall into the “make money online” trap. Nothing can replace hard work and dedication.”
Thank you for this helpful article
As always nice post. Blogging really takes patience and hard work.
Harsh,
This is so true. I need to focus in all entirety on the ‘value’ I can provide because you said it right ‘the value sells…’
Thanks Harsh. I am a new blogger from India and overwhelmed by the overnights success stories. Whereas I read a blogger blogging for 5 years without making a dime. And in the sixth year he made a million dollar blog. Persistence paid! Thank you for inspiring.
Hi Harsh Sir,
This is one of the best posts I have seen on your blog.
Obviously, in blogging, money should be not our first priority. The first priority for each and everyone should be creating evergreen content. Write for the people. Try to solve their problems in a different way. If anyone wants to be a good blogger build a good relationship among people.
I can remember one quote right now, (In Hindi) “Agar Sapna dekhna hain to banne ka sapna kaam dekho… Karne ka sapna jyada dekho”.
When I came to know about blogging and everyone can make money with it I was feeling like definitely I should give a shot. I was unaware of the various methods and ways to start a blog.
Now, I am trying to educate myself by doing a lot of research in this field and I really found it very interesting.
Many many thanks to Harsh and your team.
Regards,
Mintu
Thanks a lot for sharing this post sir..yes blogging is the not the one,where we can make money overnight..it should be a passion..not a buisness
Its quite true , i should be preparing a bussiness plan and consitent in my blog updates. Nothing happens out of all blues , it takes a lot of time and effort . Most pre-bloggers like me loose enthuiast in this niche and let the blog die . Thanks for opening up a differnt vision to me
God bless you dude !!!
You are right as always sir, we should focus on how much valuable is our content instead of making money. Its all about passion. One can never make money by just writing simple posts and waiting for it. It takes a lot of hardwork and dedication for making money. We should always be focused to provide much valuable content to our blog visitors. I’ve saved your this article too. Keep updating such wonderful posts
Amanpreet Singh (your biggest fan)
Really appreciate it people are thinking they get money overnight but right things make money it takes time and patience is more important in SEO world
Thanks harsh
regards
Chander
Hi Harsh,
Happy to be here again!
Thanks for the updated information.
Great tips shared in this post.
Yes, if we can meet the needs of our readers, I am sure half work is done in that regard of making money. I fully agree with you in this regard.
Yes, the unique style of telling the story with our readers too is a vital thing in getting more attention.
Thank you so much for telling these vital points thru this post.
Keep sharing.
Best Regards,
~ Philip Ariel
Hi Harsh,
Very good article specially for the people who are new to blogging like me.
Will definitely follow the things which you mentioned here. It reminds me the words from movie three idiots “Run behind excellence ,success will definitely come to you”.
Once again thanks a lot keep writing.
Cheers!
Thanks really useful info but i am unable to rank my site in google. even after a year, so i am quiting now.
Thanks! for the eye opener post, honestly these are the mistakes almost all new bloggers made ie putting the love of money first without trying to figure out how to get quality content to their blog, due to this bad practice, they end up dwelling in mediocrity.
Thank you so much for letting us know all those details which we all were doing wrong.
I am sure with the help of your article i shall be able to write better articles and can open doors of money.
Thank you once again
Superb And Nice Info Thank You So Much Sir