I have made no bones about the fact that I love blogging. It started out as a hobby that I started up one day because I was working on websites at the time and thought it would be fun to start my own. It was something I did totally on a whim and had no idea it would turn into a full-time job. I wanted to write this post today because a lot of people have been asking me what I do lately. It has always been easier just to say I am a SAHM, but that’s not the whole truth. The truth is, I work my tail off. I have been working 40-60 hours a week for the last year now. There is a lot to the world of blogging. With millions of blogs out there, there is a lot of work you have to do to stand out. Some bloggers get lucky and have a post go viral that can carry them for a while, but for most of us, that is not the case.
Here is what a typical day looks like for me:
-Write blog posts
-Take photos
-Edit photos
-Contact brands I want to work with
-Apply for sponsored posts (this requires coming up with ideas for recipes, crafts, tutorials, etc. up front and telling the brand what specifically you will write about ahead of time.)
-Schedule social media
-Take and edit photos for Instagram
-Marketing and socializing with other bloggers (commenting on blogs, sharing their content, etc.)
-Share my blog posts on all social platforms
-Take blog courses or read blog posts and tutorials to stay educated (things are always changing on the internet).
-Check my email 3 times a day (I normally wake up to over 100 emails and get about that many more throughout the day.)
-Brianstorm blog topics
-Research
-Make a recipe or do a craft, etc for posts
-And of course, I play with the kids, feed them, change their diapers, etc. throughout the day.
So, you see? It is a lot of work and extremely time-consuming. I am not just sitting over here catching up on soaps (are those still a thing?). More nights than not, I am up until midnight working. Just ask my slightly annoyed husband. haha
The truth about blogging is, it is a ton of work and there is not a lot of money in it. You can make a full-time income, sure. However, it takes a lot of work and time. I have been doing it full time for nearly a year now and am just now comfortable with saying it is a full-time income. In December, I nearly doubled my income since last April and it has increased sightly since then. Income still varies for me a little bit. I’m not a “big blog” by any means. Not even close, so just know you can make money, too. You just have to be willing to put in the work and time.
The perks of being a blogger and why I love it:
It is a lot of work and very time consuming, but you can work from anywhere and can even stay home with your kids while earning an income! To me, it has been the biggest blessing because I have struggled with a lot of self-doubt whether or not I was doing the right thing staying home with my kids, and blogging has been not only been a creative outlet for me, it has also taught me so much and helped me earn an income. It is very rewarding because I have made great friends and worked with amazing people and brands. I am with my kids 24/7 and I’m making a good living off of something I literally built from the ground up. I feel like I have learned so much about HTML, SEO, photography, writing, marketing, etc. which is awesome! These are wonderful skills that anyone would be proud to have. I love to learn and that has been one of my favorite things about this journey. The community is awesome and they never cease to amaze me how supportive they are. There is room for everyone in blog land and I firmly believe that anyone can make a living doing what they love and are passionate about if they just put in the time and effort.
If you’ve ever thought about becoming a blogger, don’t think twice. Just do it. Start writing today and keep on writing and learning and getting involved. I haven’t regretted it one single day. In fact, it was the best decision I have ever made as far as a job or career is concerned.