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Blogging as a Career

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Amit-labnolLet’s meet Amit Agarwal who is a famous blogger based in India. He is also called “the founder of the Indian blogging revolution”; and authors the hugely popular and award winning Digital Inspiration blog where he writes about computer software, consumer gadgets, mobile phones and web applications that help us become productive. Digital Inspiration website is an award-winning technology site with 5,000+ articles, how-to guides and video tutorials on all things related to personal technology, software and useful web apps.
Amit also writes a weekly column on personal technology for Indian newspaper The Hindustan Times.

Hello Amit, tell us something about yourself and how you got interested in taking up blogging as a career?

It happened by chance.

I was working for software company in Hyderabad and was not exactly bored with my 9-to-5 job but wanted to do something on my own. One of my colleagues had a blog and that’s how I got exposed to this blogging thing for the first time. Initially, I thought of using my blog to get freelancing projects but that changed very soon and now I make a living directly from the blog.

What according to you is a successful blog? Are the success benchmarks set on the number of visits or the amount of money a blog makes or something different?

It depends. For some people, success may be defined by how many dollars they make at the end of the day but I think its more to do with influence and not just traffic or money.

If what you write can create buzz (i.e. there are conversations happening around your blog), I think you are successful. If people in your industry value what you write, you are successful.

This of course doesn’t apply to “private” bloggers who write mostly for their friends and family members.

What are some of the advantages and drawbacks in this profession?

You are your own boss. You not only get to do what you love but you also get paid for it. But I think what matters most is that you have a platform to share your voice and opinions.

The downside is that there are risks involved which are not in your control. What if search engines decide to put your site out of their index? What if you there are no online advertisers in your industry?

What have you found most challenging so far?

When you start a new blog, it’s almost like putting a billboard in the middle of a desert. Nobody knows about you – some people will only accidentally stumble upon your site and if they like it, they’ll probably help in spreading the word. Like all new bloggers, that was my biggest challenge – finding readers.

What does your typical work day or week look like?

It’s more like a 9-to-8 job now. I rarely cover “breaking news” so never really face that “time pressure.” I have about 500 feeds in my newsreader so it takes about 2 hours daily to clear the queue. Site management (like comment moderation, design tweaks), social media interactions (mostly twitter and facebook), emails, etc. take another two hours. The remaining time goes in writing stuff.

Weekends are mostly reserved for family.

How do you see blogging as a career evolving in the next 5 years?

I think more and more youngsters (especially college students) will start jumping into the blogging bandwagon. They may not take blogging as a “full-time” career but it will at least help them pay most of their utility bills.

Some tips or advice for those looking forward to taking up blogging as a career?

Always have a fall back plan. Get some good education, gain work experience and then maybe think of taking up blogging as a career.

Even if you have good ideas and write really well (blogging is all about writing), establishing yourself in the over-populated blog world can take months so don’t feel disheartened during the early stages. Just keep on writing and they’ll come.

Your website and contact information?

Twitter – http://twitter.com/labnol

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/digital.inspiration

YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/labnol

Resources that help you Launch a Blogging Career

Problogger has very useful tips for those wanting to launch a career in blogging and for the advanced bloggers. You can also subscribe to the problogger forums and learn from the members/mentors and others who are in the same boat as you. Some recommended blogging resources are also a must see here.

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Alternatives to Full-time Employment

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Working peopleThe alternatives to a permanent full time job include part-time work, contract jobs, job share and all, but there are other options too which you could explore and see what suits your needs and interests the best.
New work arrangements of the 21st century are perhaps the call of the times. Millions are unemployed in the US and around the world as the world rides the recession wave, job losses are by the thousands every month and not so many are coming back. It is time to explore the career options which can be an alternative to a full-time or the regular 9 to 5 office job which had been the norm for the past century.

Some of the ‘non full-time jobs’ options that you could consider are:

Employment as apprentices or trainees

If you have been in a layoff and for some reason do not intend to go back to the industry you have worked with, and can sustain financially for some time at least; then considering a career change could be one fabulous (forced) opportunity for you now. And since it is difficult to (successfully) change careers without having the right skill set, seeking employment or voluntary work as apprentice or trainee could be an option now. Seek training in the area of specialization where the jobs would be in future. The US department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has some good information on its website http://www.doleta.gov/OA/ . (For the readers not in the US, check out your government website for related information, there are also many career centers in various cities which can provide in information on vocational training institutes etc.).

Freelance

Freelance – Use your skills and talents and work on your own from where you want. Many website provide the tools and advertising you need to be visible to those who might need your skills, but you must first know how to market yourself and if at all it would be worth spending the time freelancing either in the short-term or long-run. You must build a reputation and credibility before you see yourself ‘thriving’ as a freelancer. There are better resources out there to research on freelancing if you are attracted to the idea, some of these are:

Small business opportunities

Start your own business – it is not the time to sit and think that nothing would work out if you started your business now in a bad economy. The world is always on the move and people need solutions to their problems. So if you present an answer to someone’s need be it as a product or a service, you might fare better as an entrepreneur than in any permanent job. Often we do what we have been doing or what are skills or education were, only when a major change happens for example a layoff and finding another job in the same field is extremely difficult it is time to reinvent your career and being your own boss (if you have the aptitude of course) could be one of the most lucrative careers and opportunity of a lifetime.

On your own – But Selling for others

The work from home options are very much in demand especially by stay at home moms who want an extra income or single mothers who need additional income. And of course, this area is not restricted to the “mom” group. If you have a knack in marketing and confident on your computer skills (or are keen to learn both); then working from home selling others products can be a very attractive opportunity in terms of value of your time and learning the first steps towards entrepreneurship – since marketing and sales are key to this type of business.
Some examples are:

  • Avon (cosmetics)
  • Selling information products – as eBooks, or educational products
  • Phone/computer Customer Service (for example, live-chat responders to service based or product selling websites)

Beware — Although these above options and websites may make it look like a very simple and easy set up to make great money but be aware that internet marketing may be challenging a business. And not to mention the various internet scams that are working overtime to lure and steal your identity.

WAHM.COM offers work-at-home job listings and they do try to screen jobs to present some legitimate ones; but your judgment must be based on careful analysis and research.
Relevant reading: Nice Work If You Can Get It: Web Sites for At-Home Jobs

eBay as a Part-time earning resource

Many online resources will guide you towards selling on eBay and also good books such as eBay for Dummies is a good investment for research, planning and implementation.

Blogging as a Career

A few years before no one would have even thought that blogging could be a full-time career but as the internet evolves and the recent news in business magazines Entrepreneur and BusinessWeek often citing success stories from not one or two but quite a few bloggers on how they are making decent money blogging full time, blogging could soon be on the list of full-time careers.
The first step towards your decision to be a full-time professional blogger must be to research thoroughly on how previous successes have been achieved and what are the real life scenarios – do not get enamored by the one page websites of all those bloggers around who want to sell their software or services and get you making a 5 figure income in a month through blogs – easily; making good money from a blog or a few of them is not as easy as it sounds or those who might want to sell it to you.
There are some great blogger tips websites; Darren Rowse on ProBlogger perhaps tops it all. One of his posts: Do you call yourself a blogger, is worth a read and also see the interesting comments that follow this post.

Here are some other websites where you can get some quality advice:

All set to hunt on a job board for professional bloggers? Check this out:
http://jobs.problogger.net/

Franchise options

It might be a good time to get into franchise business; there are reports of quite a few of the systems are cutting down on the fees to attract more franchisees in the economic downturn. Research well and assess your financial situation well before getting into the franchise market. Although most of those selling you on franchise options will try their best to convince that it is easy to get loans and start the business right away; it is always wiser to research on your own and calculate running costs and your capability to commitment to a business in the long-run.


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Blogging as a Career

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A few years before no one would have even thought that blogging could be a full-time career but as the Internet evolves and the recent news in business magazines Entrepreneur and Inc. often citing success stories from not one or two but quite a few bloggers on how they are making decent money blogging full time, blogging could soon be on the list of full-time careers.
Would you want to take on a career as a blogger? Ask yourself first what motivates you to do so and why?
If money is the only reason then think again. The first step towards your decision to be a full-time professional blogger must be to research thoroughly on how previous successes have been achieved and what are the real life scenarios – not getting all enamored by the one page websites of all those bloggers around who want to sell their software or services and get you making a 5 figure income in a month through blogs – easily.

There are some great blogger tips websites; Darren Rowse on ProBlogger perhaps tops it all. He recently had a post on his website titled: Do you call yourself a blogger, worth a look to get tips from this seasoned blogger and also for some interesting comments.

Of course when you are taking upon blogging as a career you better think about making good money from it as well, don’t give up your day job before a good research within (explore your true passion towards blogging as a career) and outside (research how others have paved the way and what they say about blogging as a full-time career). It pays to listen to all those trailblazers who can offer you the best advice. Research well and take on good advice before jumping in thinking that it is an easy way to a passive income. Of course exceptions are always there but there is a never easy way to success. Experience and knowledge and good marketing skills reign above all others. Read this post to get closer to realities as Darren describes how it is not a one day job to build a blog and start digging money the next day onwards.

Here are some other websites where you can get some quality advice:

Update: Some good advice on Problogger.net by Mark Avey: Pros and Cons of Niche Blogging

Looking for a job board for professional bloggers? Check these out:

Also these blogs might be of help: Top 25 Blogs About Blogging

Freelance Blogging

Through freelance blogging you can earn some extra income charging for per posts. The publishers might pay you from around $10,$15 to $100 per post. It all depends where you post, the quality of your posts and also how well you negotiate the price of your articles.
Skellie has some great tips on freelance blogging at: Freelance Blogging for Side Income: My Top 10 Tips. And some more tips on freelancing in general: A Comprehensive Guide to Starting Your Freelance Career.

Downsides of Full-time Blogging

  • If you are a people’s person and love one-on-one interaction with coworkers and working in a team, then think again. Blogging can be pretty lonesome, a career where you are all by yourself most of the time and where words take a back seat and your fingers do the talking. Although you get enough opportunity to network and interact with the bloggers on the vast blogosphere but it depends on you on how further you can take on such networking.
  • You might be under the impression that blogging can bring in instant passive income, the sooner you get rid of this idea the better it is for us. Blogging as any other small or large business needs continuous nurturing and a lot of time to grow. Don’t expect instant success. Time and quality of your work will tell the difference.
  • You might miss out on the regular benefits that a full-time employee enjoys – healthcare benefits, bonus, profit-sharing, perks and coworker camaraderie.

Benefits to the Full-time Blogger

  • If you enjoy working on your own without supervision and find it hard to work under a boss – oppressive or cooperative – professional blogging could be for you. Also coupled with the desire and drive to work on your own, you must also be good (if not proficient) at expressing your thoughts and ideas in writing or through some art form depending on how you want to present your blog to the world.
  • No commute and more time with family.
  • If you become an expert on the theme that you have chosen for your blog – you might get good job offers where you can earn well and also continue your blogging.
  • When you love doing what you do, work becomes a discovery, a learning experience which you enjoy every day and yearn to be back on the computer every morning. If you are passionate about blogging for what you feel most driven – what better job could be there for you!

Characteristics of a Fanatic Blogger

  • You are obsessed with your stats and your ad earning report. You sneak out of the bed in the middle of the night to monitor your blog’s traffic or just to check out the AdSense earning – and feel a slight guilt when the AdSense report shows that you had logged in just 2 hours before!
  • Your child narrates with delight the day at school and your mind is constantly filtering to find “stuff” in what he/she is narrating to mold to a new blog post.
  • You are about to leave for the hospital for the delivery of your baby and you ask your husband if he has packed in the laptop, so that you can check your blog stats in the middle of the night in case the labor is long.
  • You are at the hospital for the delivery of your baby and while waiting your husband sneaks out for a quick trip to the cafeteria only to return an hour later – he confesses he was just doing a quick check on his blog stats.
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