I’m pretty sure I haven’t mentioned that Six Figures Under was not my first blog. I don’t talk much about my first attempt at blogging. Why? Because it was a failure. A complete flop! I pretty much did everything wrong.
As embarrassing as it is to look back at failures, those mistakes can teach valuable lessons. William Whewell said, “Every failure is a step to success.” That’s how I would describe my experience with blogging. What I learned from my failed blog has helped me succeed with my current blog.
Before I get into the reasons why my first blog failed and what it taught me, let me give you a little background.
My First (Failed) Blog
In the fall of 2008, we moved across the country for my husband to start law school. For the first time in our married life we were without an income and were about to sign up for our first debt (which added up to six figures of student loan debt in four short years). I stayed home with our baby and found ways to be as frugal as possible. I was fairly new to using coupons, but I picked up on it quickly and was able to really stretch our budget. Like anyone who gets a great deal, I was eager to tell everyone about it.
I quickly grew a great circle of friends, mostly other stay-at-home moms whose husbands were in law school. Between those friends and other friends at church, it seemed like I was always telling people about (or being asked about) all the awesome deals I was getting. Everyone wanted to be “in the know” about the awesome deals I got on everything from cereal to diapers to free photo prints.
Initially I just started a simple email list (just a group of contacts within my regular email) where I would let friends know when I found a good deal. I figured writing a blog wouldn’t be much more work and then I could share the deals even with people I didn’t know. So I hopped on blogger.com and started up a blog.
While I knew that I could earn an income from blogging (I had been reading MoneySavingMom.com for about a year at that point), I had very little understanding of the different ways you could monetize a blog. When I transferred from an email list to a blog, I signed up for Google Adsense ads and included a coupon printing widget. Together, they probably earned me ten bucks, but I never saw it, because the payout threshold was ten times that.
Within 5 months, I stopped posting on my blog. Having a toddler and being pregnant, it was all I could do to get to the store and get the deals, let alone write about it. After about 60 posts, I abandoned the blog.
My Current Blog
Fast forward four and a half years. I gave blogging another try. And guess what!? It works! I’m two and a half years in, still enjoying myself, and making a healthy part-time income which will hopefully grow to a full-time income this year.
So what was different this time? How is it that now, with four kids instead of one, I can run a successful growing blog when my other blog was a flop? I think it boils down to two major differences: passion and education.
Passion
While I was excited about posting deals and couponing know-how, I wasn’t really passionate about it. In fact, it got old quickly. Frugality and finance, on the other hand, is something I will not get tired of. I’m very passionate about getting our finances in order, and I love helping others make financial progress as well.
I had five reasons for starting a blog. To put it simply I wanted to:
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- Document our debt repayment progress
- Keep ourselves motivated and accountable
- Share money-saving and budgeting tips, ideas, and tutorials
- Motivate others in similar situations
- Eventually make money.
Because my passion went far beyond making money, I was able to stay the course and “work for free” even when I wasn’t making money.
Education
Right when I started SixFiguresUnder.com, I read How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup. Having guidance from someone who had built a really successful blog (and not just a blog about blogging) helped me to get off on the right foot.
A year later I enrolled in Elite Blog Academy. It was the largest single amount I’ve spent on my blog to date, but it has paid for itself over and over again. While there are loads of blog posts and tutorials about blogging available online, there is serious value in having a step-by-step course that helps you focus in a methodical way.
Elite Blog Academy only opens for registration once or twice a year. I recommend signing up for the waiting list here so that you’ll know when it opens. In the meantime, you’ll get some really helpful emails and resources (seriously valuable tips and info in her emails).
Don’t Make My Mistakes
Here are some tips to avoid the mistakes that I made with my first blog.
Believe that you can be successful!
While I knew it was possible to earn money blogging, I don’t think I really believed that I could earn money blogging. I always felt like I was already so behind when I compared myself with established bloggers. I thought the market was saturated at the time (which is laughable now, as the blogging world has exploded since then).
There is only one you! While there may be thousands of other blogs out there, none of them have your perspective and your voice. There is always a market for great content.
Blog about something you are passionate about.
You need to choose a blog topic that you can write about forever! Don’t choose a limited scope or something that you’re only mildly interested in. You will likely be writing about the topic for six months to a year or longer before you’re making much money. Plus, your enthusiasm (or lack thereof) will come through in your writing. If money is your only motivation, you will likely give up before you make any.
Get a self-hosted site.
On my first attempt, I got a free blog on with blogger.com and made a rudimentary header and sidebar. It really was basic. I didn’t realize that to really make money you need to be self-hosted. I was way too cheap to spend money on something when there was a free option available.
Thankfully the second time around I learned how to set up a self-hosted site. It didn’t cost as much as I thought it would! I made a tutorial to show you exactly how I set up this site, so you can set your own site set up.
Commit to at least six months.
An important factor in blogging success is time. While there are a few overnight success stories, they are by far the exception, not the rule. You have to be willing to stick around for the long haul. Make yourself stick to it for at least six months. Giving up before that doesn’t allow enough time to grow enough to see any return.
Start tracking your expenses and income now.
Even if you aren’t making money yet, you should still be tracking your expenses. Otherwise, how will you know when you turn a profit? I use Blog Finance Spreadsheets to keep track of all my income and expense details. Not only does it keep everything organized and categorized for tax time, you can track your growth and see helpful graphs and tables.
Make education and training a priority.
While I knew that I could earn money blogging, I had no concrete idea how to do it. I had no idea how to grow traffic, leverage social media, or effectively earn an income. What’s worse is I didn’t know what I didn’t know, so I didn’t spend any time or effort trying to learn or research anything. In my defense, blogging wasn’t really a career path then. It still isn’t a “normal” job, but the internet is loaded with blog posts, ebooks, tutorials, and courses about how to blog for profit.
The best investment I made in my current blog was signing up for Elite Blog Academy. I bought the course after I had been blogging for just under a year. It’s kind of pricey for a frugal gal like me, but if you are committed to making money blogging, the investment is well-worth it! Enrollment only opens once or twice a year. If you want to be notified when Elite Blog Academy opens, you can sign up here.
Start growing an email list now
When readers like what they’re learning and gaining from your site, they will happily opt in to hear more from you. Once they leave your site they may be lost forever, but if you have their email, you can contact them whenever you want. Tell them about your recent posts. Let them know when you’re launching a product. While you might now have the money to spend on Convertkit (that’s what I use) right out of the gate, you can start out with something like Constant Contact that has a free trial period then moves into reasonable rates.
Though my first blog was definitely a failure, both in staying power and earning power, I like to look at it as a stepping stone to success. I’m glad that I made the mistakes that I did back then, so that I could avoid making them the next time around.
Henry Ford said, “Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”
How About You?
- Have you had blog or business failures that turned into successes after you learned from your mistakes?
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Thanks for sharing this post, I have learned a lot as a new blogger.
Thank you!! I needed to read this. I started a blog a few months ago and I have been feeling pretty discouraged. This was a great find!
I just found your blog today and I’m so glad I did! I especially loved your freezer ho9rror story post….
I am trying to start a blog too, and I have also found that you really need to have some kind of goal, youre right! My goal is “At least do it until you make your money back!” (I spent a little bit on optional things to get it started.)
You’ve got a new reader!
Great post,
Thanks for adding that boy about believing in ourselves. I am a fifteen year old blogger and I just started blogging this june! I am all anxious about what people would think of my blog and my writing. I try very hard to not get worried but sometimes I just can’t help it at all!
Thanks again for the post!
https://thechronicalist.com
Wow this us super helpful. I’ve been trying so hard to get followers and subscribers in my blog lifeaccordingtojuj.com. I have done so much research. I do have a question. What does cover kit do in terms of growing my email list?
Hi Julianna! Convertkit is the service that delivers your emails. You can set up automatations so emails get sent out when people subscribe. The also let you make forms and landing pages where subscribers sign up.
This was all the motivation I needed to keep going.
Hello Stephanie,
This is very interesting post and I truly like it. For some people it can be a great motivation.
Thanks for this post.
Thank you for saying that it could easily be 6-12 months before your blog really picks up. It’s so easy to be discouraged by other posts about how to get 1m hits by month two. Your post is very encouraging!
Thanks for this list Sarah. I few of them resonate with me. Personally I failed at my first few projects because I didn’t focus on finding a hungry audience to serve. I just launched general websites and ‘hoped’ they would work.
Learned my lesson the hard way.
Failure means you are learning.
Good example
Such a inspirational girl for society
I wonder how you manage time between Online blog and real life.
Don’t mind you did not mention your first child name ,can i know that child name .After pregnancy time “How would you even think about to Restart Blog.
Such a brave – even i don’t have that much confidence to take this type risk in my life.
Congrats on the success of your second blog! It’s so true that to be a successful blogger you need to be passionate because it takes so much work and risk taking decision
You are really a darling dear. I just concluded abandoning my blog Last month. But I decided to give it another final push last week and voooom it’s all happening! I now have visitors and a good page rank. Thanks also for this sealed push. I also try eba now.
http://www.kbhwriting.com
Love this! I have looked into some courses, but yes they are definitely an investment. Unfortunately with my son in and out of the hospital it is an investment we can’t make right now. Hopefully some day soon! Until then I have been revamping my blog and meeting with a business mentor to help me with everything, that plus a ton of free resources!
Thanks for sharing this! I am hoping that since I am doing the revamp and rebrand that I am getting back on course and doing it the right way this time around!
Bridget
Serving ALL Moms|The Breastfeeding Mommy
http://www.TheBreastfeedingmommy.com
This post is Awesome thanks for sharing
Thanks for sharing this! A lot of great advice here and encouragement, especially for newbies like me. Good for you for giving it another try. I agree that passion is so important and it comes through to your readers.
thanks for sharing this amazing posting.
I’m starting to think and research about starting a blog. Aside from the monthly fee for the blog, what expenses are there? Do you have an article about running a blog?
I have a free blogger account too, but everyone says to use WordPress- and I can’t STAND wordpress, so I just stayed on my free blog. I have a website I pay monthly on, but haven’t figured out how to link the two except via widgets. (the website needs work too!)
Do you still use Blogger? Or does your host site have a blog widget you use? (mine is Homestead)
Hearing other bloggers speak on their failures is so important! Thank you for sharing this! You are definitely right in saying to give it at least 6 months. With all the tutorials out there, it can make it seem like blogging can happen overnight when it definitely takes lots and lots of time.
I’ve been working on my own blog for the last year, and I recently decided to start a side blog project for fun and boy, did I forget how much work goes into try to get a blog off the ground! Not that the work ever goes away, but those first 6 months can really feel frustrating!
Thanks for the post!
Hi, I’ve had blogging on my mind for a few years now & I think I’m finally ready. How about now that blogging is so popular? Do you think it’s still not too saturated? I try to keep reminding myself that I still have my circle of people that I should be able to count on if nothing else. I don’t have enough knowledge/experience to do a specific blog topic yet but more of a lifestyle blog for now. Eventually I want to move towards a budgeting/ debt blog as we’re working on that. I love love love to budget.
Anyway, I’m still just anxious about how saturated the community is.
Thank you for sharing!
You’re in a blessed position now to inspire others and be that honorable example of success. Remember to help others on your journey and give freely of your heart without expectation. I’m so happy you posted this because all successful bloggers and internet marketers started from the bottom and humble beginnings online. Keep doing what you’re doing. 🙂
Oh my gosh you just described my life right now! I am so encouraged with this post right now. I totally started out trying to write about how we got out of student debt! But now I’m noticing I’m running out of things to write about! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for sharing your story!!!!! This always makes new bloggers feel alot better about themselves lol!!!
Hi Stephanie, great post. Love your vulnerability. This was a huge encouragement to me. Never never never give up!! Cheering you on.
Great pointers, and passion is definitely a big one. I scrapped a couple of blogs before I settled with my current one, and that’s what they lacked. I was literally just doing them because I heard you could make money by writing about them. Finally, I care enough to want to post all the time!
Found this post and your blog from Pinterest. As a graduate student with six figures of debt, I thought I was alone. Thank you for sharing your story and your journey!
Thanks for sharing your story. I am a Certified Public Accountant in Puerto Rico starting my blog and this has been really helpful. Keep up the good work.
I am just getting started with my blog and feel very late to game. Your comments about passion for the subject matter and bringing a unique voice to the blog are very encouraging. I struggle daily with using website technology, figuring out social media strategies and getting comfortable with idea of putting myself “out there”. I’m counting on passion to be the main driver supported by an occasional motivation jolt from successful bloggers like you. Thank for sharing your story.
I totally understand. I just started my blog less a couple of weeks ago and I am completely overwhelmed! I am not tech-savvy and I don’t have a social media presence yet. But I do have a topic I am passionate about and the desire to keep learning and keep blogging even if I am not able to turn any profit form it.
Good luck and know that you are NOT alone.
Hi! I love the information you have provided. I find the hardest part for myself is the tech side of blogging. Example; I have bluehost but I am unable to figure how to install or use anything. Any guidance? What kind of email? What installs and programs do I NEED versus which are optional. Any suggestions?
I may not be any help at all but I think Bluehost is just where you website domain’lives’ on the internet. It doesn’t actually DO anything. To create and build your website you’ll need to use a ‘content management system’ like WordPress. If your on Bluehost, I think you can use WordPress for free. (Bluehose and WordPress are good buddies.) As far as email, I just created a gmail with the same name as my website.
There are a TON of tutorials on Youtube to help get your website going with WordPress. I know because I am watching them all the time! I’m still a complete noob. My own website active but really still under construction. But I hope this helps a little.
Thanks for the pep talk. It gets so frustrating as I try to get my blog up and running. Advice from veteran bloggers is always appreciated.
I’ve been thinking about blogging, to bring in some extra income for my family so that I can go back to school. I have a full time job, a part time job and 2 kids (one 6 months and the other is 5, if you don’t count my husband) :D. So my time can be a bit stretched every now and then. How often should a person post to be sucessful?
It’s awesome to pay a visit this website and reading the views of all colleagues regarding this piece of
writing, while I am also keen of getting familiarity.
Thank you so much for this post! I found it on MMJ Link Party and so glad I did! As a super new blogger I know so little and need so much. Glad things are working out for you too!
Great tips to know before starting a blog. I think picking the right niche and having passion is definitely a key factor to a successful blog.
Very good article. I definitely love this website. Stick with it!
Great blog post on not giving up. I agree in order to get anywhere with blogging you have to be passionate about blogging and what you write about I feel that people quit because there lack of enthusiasm. My advice for new bloggers is to learn how to do a manual backup of your website. I basically had to start over thanks to my hosting companies backups the manual way is the best way.
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for this post. Truthfully, I’m not even sure I would have started another blog after a 1st failed attempt. Thank you for putting yourself out there again to help other budding entrepreneurs to succeed. I am doing a lot of research on blogging, and trying to learn the ropes before I jump in with both feet. The type of blog I want to write is more inspirational, how to help people to study the Word more, drawing closer to the Lord, so I’m not even sure how I could make money from this type of venue. But nevertheless, I think by following you I will learn a lot of helpful hints to grow my soon to be blog.
Blessings to you,
Sharon
Hi, Stephanie!
I am blown away by your transparency and honesty. Most bloggers make it sound like a piece of cake! I just started my 4th blog- first 2 were wordpress.com, 3rd was a self hosted flop last year, but I’m sticking with this one! EBA sounds amazing! I’m subscribed to Ruth’s emails, but can’t squeak it into our budget just yet, unfortunately. With 7 kids, and only one income, we are barely making it. Thank you for the honesty, and the tips! Keep up the amazing work!
Hi Stephanie, thanks for your honest post. There are a few blogging courses around at the moment. Would you say it would be helpful to do them all, for a new blogger like myself? I am considering Elite blog academy – do you think this one covers all I’d need?
Hi Alessandra! I know this is a late reply (we’re in the middle of a big move!), but hopefully it’s still relevant. I found Elite blog Academy to be very much all inclusive, provided that you know the basics of setting up a self-hosted blog on WordPress. I would definitely recommend EBA to a motivated new blogger! The course also includes an exclusive Facebook group which is a FABULOUS way to network with other bloggers and to get your questions answered. Some of my closest blogging friends are those that I connected with in the EBA facebook group when I first started out. I hope that helps! 😉
I’ve had blogs before my current one, and I eventually stopped publishing posts because I wasn’t getting any views. This time, I’m really committed. I’ve been reading blog post after blog post about how to increase views and how to make better quality posts. I’m also writing about something I enjoy (saving money in college and other things college related)! This post is super motivating.
http://www.collegiatecents.com
Hello Stephanie,
I am a brand new blogger starting out. These tips were inspirational, to say the least. I am having trouble keeping hope that my blog will get anywhere. I am doing it about something I love and I am trying to get in contact with Sponsored posts and every day I am learning something new.
Is there any way I could contact you for more help?
Thanks,
Jenna VanHoof
Thanks for this post. It’s inspiring to go and do. I am new at blogging and I feel the same as you mentioned: “I always felt like I was already so behind when I compared myself with established bloggers.”
Good luck to you and I hope to have luck too 🙂
Thanks for this article! I’m in the planning development stages of starting a blog, and it’s so overwhelming! I’m trying to get all of my ducks in a row to have a strong start, and sometimes I think “Is all this really going to pay off?” This was very encouraging!
Congrats on the success of your second blog! It’s so true that to be a successful blogger you need to be passionate because it takes so much work. I agree it’s important to invest in education for your blog because there’s so much to learn and so much you can’t know on your own. -> http://www.themindfulrise.com
Hello Stephanie.
My name iz Ana, and I want to start to blog. It is really scary for me to begin anything. I came across this post of yours, and I really liked it. I hope I will have a successfull blog one day, so I was wondering if you would read my first blog post which I will hopefully post in a few days (to break the ice).
Thank you very much for your story and tips.
Ana
Thanks for the advice I just started my own blog last week and am super excited. If you have time check in out and let me know what you think https://www.redmomma.com
Hi Stephanie!
I’m so excited about this new blogging adventure. I just got out of the horrible cut throat corporate world. One day earlier this year, I was so frustrated at work and completely hated my environment. In addition to this, I was up to my eye balls in debt to get the college education to get this job that I absolutely hated! lol. I was doing some research on Pinterest in the middle of all of this ( aimlessly looking for some sort of solution to my problem). Now I am a personal finance blogger ( I absolutely LOVE the blogging world, it’s such a loving/encouraging environment) and career coach (so hopefully I can help someone else in that miserable situation).
All in all, I’m so glad that you have posted this! I’m sorry that it’s due to your failure though. Believe me when I tell you, I know how exactly how painful failure is. But in a weird way, failure I’ve come to find is such a freeing experience! It gives you the chance to really evaluate why you failed, if you really care to try it again and why and how you can do it better the next time if that’s what you really want.
Hi!
Thanks for sharing your story and the amazing quote from William Whewell!
I never had a blog, but I have to say that I have had more then my share of failures. The most of them caused by health issues but not all of them.
I am actually working toward the goal of starting my blog. I have at least 3 steps before reaching it, but I’m working on it!
I have a few questions, that I really hope you won’t find inappropriate. So here is the context. Almost every blogger who publish their monthly income seams to work full time on their blogs and make huge amounts of money.
What do you define, and it can really be a ballpark number, as a part time income?
And how many hours a week do you approximately work to achieve such income?
I ask because my goal is not to earn 10 000$ a month. If it does happen I won’t turn it down, but it’s not my goal. And I really don’t have the energy to work 40-60 hrs a week that kind of goal.
Sorry for the awfully long comment and thanks again for your post!
My first blog failed as well! I’m currently in the middle of building up my new website, and posted “8 ways I’m Failing at Blogging” (check it out at http://www.atinybitcrunchy.com/blog). I enjoyed reading this and feel less alone on my path!
Hi, Stephanie,
Thank you so much for the post!
Being a mom and having hopes to get somewhere in life aside from just taking care of your family, it’s really inspiring and informational to read this post!!!
Wishing you the best of luck with this blog!!!!!!
I failed at my first blog too, I paid for my domain name, Blogartsymom, not realising that self hosting is the way to go.i think I was 4-5 months on it, sharing hacks and short stories, I’m thinking about a redo, I definitely won’t go with simple site again.(host)
I may leave it all up or eventually erase, so I’m not paying $50.US every 3months
Hey I’m a writer and a blogger and I gave up on my first blog a few years ago. When i look back I always think about where it could be but thats water under the bridge. I’d like to guest post for you one day if u are open to that. Check my blog at suertz.com
Hi there!
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience with us
i will definitely try my best not to do any mistakes like you
Regards
Moore
I just started my blog and I’m praying it goes well! Thanks for the advice.
Greetings from Indonesia , sorry I was not good at using language inggris.terima you for the article , could make me more spirit to take care of my blog
This is a really good article to read. I have read so many posts talking about how to grow your blog and things to not do but there are rare articles that are so personalized. I am glad you are not scared of sharing your failure story because it is very inspirational. Thank you for being so open and letting us know things we need to avoid.
Thanks Sharon! I’m glad it was helpful. Best of luck to you!
This has helped me in more ways then one. I’m a stay mom and new to it all. I’d like to look into blogging because I’m the type of person who likes to share. How ever part of me holds back because I am dyslexic. so my punctuation and spelling tend to be a challenge at times. But…… I know that if I do my homework, I’m sure I can figure it out. Honestly I am looking for a good spell check punctuation program that can help me. if anyone knows of any, I would be so grateful.
I have read tons of blogs on how to start a blog or what not to do when you blog. this is the first one in a long time that explains the out edge of the shell of blogging. Though making money blogging caught my attention. I love to write, i love to help others, i love to ask questions and answer them as well. When i write it tends to set me free. But Like I said, i tend to hold back do to my dyslexia. My oldest is about to be 15 and struggles with it as well. I want her to see no matter what hard work pays off. Yeah it may take me longer then others to get going, but i get there. Any ways thank you for you for your time.
Thanks for your comment Tiffany. You can totally be a blogger– don’t let dyslexia hold you back. Do you have someone in your family who can proofread for you? I almost always have my husband read over my posts before I publish them to catch typos or things that are unclear. I agree that it will set a great example for your daughter as well. You can do this Tiffany!! 🙂
Love these tips, thank you for sharing, I will definitely keep them in mind 🙂
Yes! I’ve technically been blogging off and on for 15 years (if you count Xanga!) but never with a purpose and passion until now. I am only a week in so it’s still young, but it’s like when I found my husband… when you know, you know. I’m SO excited about my business and staying the course.
Thanks for sharing this story about your first blog and your advice about success! I couldn’t agree MORE. I’m not as far into the ‘success’ as you the second time around. But I’ve been tinkering around with different blog ideas (and started writing several along the way) for about five years. Everything is different with my blog now because I am treating it like and job and not shying away from investing time and money in training/education that will help me succeed. 🙂
I’ve been blogging for nine years. I didn’t start out blogging to make money, but to connect with other women going through infertility. I made a lot of friends who remain friends and did some infertility-related writing work for Our Bodies, Ourselves, and I am very happy with that. I had another Blogspot blog writing about frugality off and on for several years after that, but never made much money or knew how to make a more cohesive blog or market myself. I took the EBA course 6 months ago and it has been incredibly helpful. I was lucky enough that I do have some part-time income as a nurse to cover those start-up costs. My husband and I saw the cost as a business expense.
Thanks for sharing the lessons you learned from your failure. I am coming to realize that failure is an honest friend who will tell you what is really working and what isn’t. I think something like Elite Blog Academy would be great, but it is expensive, and I was curious – were you making any money before signing up? Enough to warrant investing in your blog to bring it to the next level?
That said, I also think that $499 is not that bad compared to what it cost for your husband to go to law school :). I try to remind myself of that when I need to invest in something for myself that could grow an income earning opportunity.
Hi Jenni! Yes, I was making enough money with my blog to cover the cost of the course. Comparing the cost of a blogging course to law school tuition makes it seem like pocket change! 🙂 That’s a good way to think of it. In that case I’m getting a WAY better return on my investment when it comes to income. 🙂
This is good to know. It helps me to set goals for my own blog/business in that I should probably try to earn enough money to cover the cost of a course like that before jumping in.
I am working on developing an Etsy/sewing business, but I’m still in the stage of figuring out what I really want to make, building my skills up, etc. Sometimes it can feel really time consuming, but that’s when I think about ALL the hours and reading and low pay as an intern my husband had to put up for three years in law school, and he paid for that privilege :).
I think the most important factor in buying a course is that you are committed to sticking to blogging. If you’re committed then you’ve got nothing to lose. Elite Blog Academy has a 100% moneyback guarantee, so if you do the work and your blog doesn’t have measurable growth in traffic and income, then you can get your money back.
Thanks so much for sharing. After wanting to start a blog for years I finally just pulled the trigger. I have been seeing a lot of posts on the Elite blog academy. Would you recommend it for a brand new blogger? My thoughts are that I should off off until the next one and see where my blog is at then.
Hi Kelly! Congrats on starting a blog! You really could go either way with Elite Blog Academy (from the fet-fo or wait until you’ve really got your feet wet). If you are committed to sticking to blogging and you can cover the investment financially, then it is a fabulous way to get started heading in the right direction! The course is self-paced, so you can take time to build up your content (which is necessary before you move on past the first couple units) if you need to. If you aren’t sure you’ll stick with blogging or you can’t fund it now, then I would wait. While I’m certain your blog will grow more quickly with the EBA training, it is definitely a significant investment. Hope that helps! 🙂
I’m so glad you wrote about this Stephanie! Running a coupon blog is no joke. It takes a lot of work and dedication. I too had a coupon blog before the one I have now. I have to say though that mine was the opposite. I was actually successful and had more followers in a few months than I have now with this blog after a few years. I was even on my local news station and my deals were being sited by other coupon blogs. The problem for me was it was just too much work. I would spend all day on the computer and miss out on a lot with my family to help others get their deals. It came to the point where I would either grow my blog more and start monitoring it or quit it all together, I chose the later.
Even though this blog isn’t as successful as my other, I’m still happy. I get to spend more time with my family, I enjoy it more and I’ve finally started making money off of it.
Yes Jessica! A deal blog is lots of work. Good for you for giving it up when it was getting in the way of what matters most. It’s definitely not worth sacrificing family and relationships for money or fame. That’s awesome that you’re starting to make money on your current blog! 🙂
This is a great post! I have considered starting a blog I’m just not sure it’s for me. I enjoy looking at blogs but I am not very into social media. I have some extra time on my hands but I will have to give it a lot more thought.
When I was toying with the idea, I just started brainstorming and wrote a list of all the things I wanted to write about. Then I just couldn’t get the idea out of my mind.
I am terrible at social media for personal use. Seriously– if I post on Facebook then it’s either our Christmas card or I’m announcing a new baby! 🙂 All of my blog social media accounts are different (just for my blog) and some of them are automated or scheduled.
Oh ok, I didn’t know if I could get past the fact that I don’t really using social media and have a blog.
I didn’t know that you had a blog before this one! What a great story. I actually find it encouraging to hear about successful bloggers and the failures that they have had. (I hope that doesn’t sound bad!) It helps me to feel that I am not alone in all of the mistakes that I am making, and that I might also grow. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Sarah. 🙂 You are doing great!
Great information! Thank u!!!
I’m getting scared cause I went with Wix for my blog, but continue to hear that best route is self hosting! Ahhh!