Wednesday 2 November 2011

Can you make money from blogging?


I was chatting to my brother the other day and telling him that I would love to make money from my blog. I would love to just be able to run my blog and earn enough to keep me going. As we were talking my son asked why I didn't put adverts on the pages and I said that really there was no point as I didn't get millions of visitors and, to be honest, I think they look horrid.

I do realise that earning money from my blog is just a pipe dream. And to be honest its not the reason I write. I am sure there must be people who do earn money from blogging - maybe from sponsored posts, reviews and so on, but for me that's just not the direction in which I want to go. Don't get me wrong - each to their own and there are blogs with ads that I like, but on the whole I don't.

I am quite happy pootling along with my thoughts and dreams, my worries and frustrations, intermingled with the odd tip on how to do something.Blogging is a kind of therapy for me! I have nothing to sell - just the hope people like reading my posts or looking at my photos. The blogs I enjoy visiting the most are the ones that are quite like mine. Nothing puts me off more than a blog with ads and sponsored bits and bobs. Sometimes its a challenge to find what the person is actually writing about.

So ... is it possible to make lots of money from blogging? I would say probably not and certainly not without sacrificing the things that I actually love about blogging. I have had a few offers from companies offering me money for writing reviews or for having links to their sites ... but, call me old fashioned ... that's just not me. If you have come here in the hope of finding out how to make bundles ... well, I apologise for not giving you the answer you wanted.

Obviously, having said all this, if some big wig came along and offered me thousands of pounds I reckon my morals would fall at the first fence and I would run all the way to the bank! But that's not going to happen is it? At the end of the day, as the footballer said, the only reason I started writing was for my own selfish reasons and the reason I continue remains the same. I love writing, I love my visitors and I like doing it my way.

4 comments:

Heidi said...

I've also been wondering the same thing. I suspect no-one really makes enough from blogging but it could be part of a 'patchwork quilt' kind of approach to a career?

I've also been approached about using certain products in some of my posts (I've not done this yet) and I'm unsure how I feel ethically about it. I know loads of people do. I suppose as long as you're clear with people?

I also hate ads. Ah well, maybe someone will offer me a book deal some day; although unless I become the new Jamie Oliver, that's no certainty of success!

Anonymous said...

Hi mum its your son at school!!!!

Nicki said...

I have been flip-flopping back and forth. I put Google Ads on the blog and Amazon ads...then took them down. Someone emailed me asking if they could advertise on my blog and I told them I am not a professional blogger..."yet." I still struggle with whether I should or shouldn't. Truth be told...I wouldn't know where the heck to begin and I feel wrong asking others who do it for help.

Louise said...

I show no interest whatsoever in advertising on my blogs, although I would like someone to pay me a £1 for every tweet I make! x