Are you looking for a side hustle to boost your income? Blogging is an option people often consider. But is it really possible to actually make money from blogging?
The idea of making money online through creating a blog is definitely enticing. Imagine working from home, on your laptop all day, publishing articles online, and waiting for the AdSense dough to roll in. Sounds so cozy! Writing can't be that difficult, right? So, it must be easy to make a living through blogging, right?
Well, as a professional blogger who has been writing blog articles nonstop for the last 5 years, I hate to burst your bubbles!
What is it like to become a professional blogger?
I started blogging professionally in 2019. However, it was not until 2021 that I finally made a breakthrough. I earn enough to make a living out of it now. So, yes, it is possible to make money from blogging. But, it is a grueling process, and often, the reward is not worth the effort! So, I don't recommend it; unless...?
The first blog that I started was this one; SofanMax. It started as a personal blog, but then I discovered that I could monetize Blogspot. With this blog, I managed to get AdSense approval and started to earn a tiny bit amount of money. I literally only earned something like $0,001 in my first month!
Then, I started several other websites, still using the Blogger.com platform but with customized domains. There is the news blog, NusantaraPol, and an Indonesian language blog OMU.my.id that helps boost AdSense income. But still, it wasn't as lucrative as you might think.
You write and create content every day but that will not guarantee that your viewership will go up. It can be really frustrating. I believe most people who attempt to make a living through blogging will stop at this stage.
But it was worth it in the end for me. I used my personal blogs to boost my portfolio when I was looking for part-time jobs. I also managed to work with a company to promote their product in return for affiliate income. But still, the income from blogging was so irregular. So, I think most people won't enjoy going through this phase either.
Ultimately, thanks to my blogs, I managed to get a full-time job! My boss, Mr. Budi, who runs Awesome Stuff 365 and several other big-time websites, took a shine on me when he noticed my intimate experience in content writing and SEO! I have the skills but with limited resources, I can only do so much. I'm glad that he took me in so I could optimally use what I've learned to work.
So, yes, I don't really recommend that you become a professional blogger, unless you have the vision to branch out. I still do earn from my blogs, occasionally, but I don't think managing a personal blog can give you reliable income, especially if you have low resources.
I manage to stick with what I do because I love what I am doing. I imagine that most people may not have the will to overcome the uncertainties.
It may sound like a contradiction since I do make money from blogging, but that's just how difficult it is. Bottom line, if you are thinking of starting a blog for the sole purpose of making money in 2024, then please take a step back and reconsider your plan.
The reasons why making money through blogging in 2024 is hard!
I shall not sugarcoat it: trying to make a living from blogging in 2024 is almost futile! Here are the reasons why!
#1 The rise of AI-generated content
Ever since ChatGPT came out on November 30, 2022, the internet has not been the same anymore. Leave it up to the AI to create content en masse quickly for free. Imagine a single blogger competing with that! The fact that robots can write better than you certainly is intimidating and soul-crushing. As a professional blogger whose income comes from my ability to write, AI does scare me.
Of course, blogging is not about churning out mass-produced articles. It's all about sharing personal experiences, providing an intimate perspective and unique insights that can resonate with other people. AI is not meant to replace people's writing because it is incapable of original thought (yet, who knows?). It exists to assist people write and convey their ideas.
Nevertheless, AI is getting better than ever; scary good at imitating personal touch. People pass off tweaked AI-generated articles as their own writing. AI is not meant for that but unfortunately, that's how it is being used. Perhaps you are also thinking that you can cut corners by relying on AI-generated content for your blog? Well, forget about making a living through blogging then.
#2 The Internet is getting more saturated
The Internet is forever expanding, yet search engines can only display so much information. A single screen can only show a handful of texts. Information becomes more saturated, and people become more picky about how to consume their content. To create a blog that can generate money, you must account for those factors.
There are literally billions of websites out there so why should people visit your blog? Unless you have something unique and worthwhile to offer, then your blog will eventually become a graveyard. No visitors mean no revenue!
Nowadays, bigger publishers will always have the advantage because they can afford to do deeper research and use a more comprehensive SEO strategy. A single blogger in 2024 will have to rely on a specific niche that nobody covers. Yet, the more niche your blog is about, the narrower your scoop will be. Only a handful of visitors with specific questions will visit.
#3 People hate reading!
I am not saying that reading has become irrelevant, not at all. People still read the news all the time. But nowadays, people will prefer video format, especially shorts in TikTok or Instagram.
Articles can offer more comprehensive information but unfortunately, people's attention spans are getting shorter. Ask your friends when was the last time they read a book?
Web articles still and will always have a place on the internet, for sure. However, as a small-time blogger, you can't expect people to consume your content in written format when videos are more interesting.
#4 Adblock is getting more common
You can have thousands of visitors every day yet earn nothing if everyone uses Adblock! It is a plugin that can be installed easily on your browser to prevent websites from displaying ads. Without ads, you won't earn!
There are several countermeasures against ad blockers, but some of them are ineffective due to their intrusive nature. Some people actually force visitors to disable their adblockers. This is counterproductive because visitors will just leave and never come back.
The best solution is a non-intrusive anti-adblocker that gives people the option to choose how the ads get served. We ask for visitor's consent to display ads. If they don't consent, they can still use our website. We don't get the ad income but at least we still receive user engagements. Nevertheless, adblockers will still reduce our income.
AdSense even comes up with its own non-intrusive anti-adblocker that you can easily enable on your blog. We shall talk about it in the next article!
#5 Trustworthiness issues
Ask yourself this: where do I usually get my information from?
When it comes to news, it is probably BBC, The Times of India, Reuters, CNN, or Fox. For hardware reviews, we'll go to MKBHD, Android Polic, or tomshardware.com to see what they have to say about the latest gadgets. You'd prefer to go to gatesnotes.com to read what Bill Gates has to say about current world affairs.
These organizations and people are the authoritative sources. They are expert on what they do so people trust them. Now, what kind of expertise do you have? Can you produce the same amount of quality that can compete with these experts? Does your blog provide information that can people trust?
I'd like to consider myself an expert when it comes to blogging with the Blogger.com platform. I know how to create an efficient website using said platform and how to monetize it. Can you give the same amount of dedication to a specific topic, to become an expert on a certain topic, so people can trust your blog?
#6 Writing isn't as easy as people think
It turns out that writing is not for everyone. By that, I mean writing something that other people want to read. It is easy just to gather information and compile it into an article. Writing 1000 words per day is also not that hard. But what's the point of churning out lifeless articles, devoid of passion? People want information with context!
You need to go far and beyond to guide your reader with your personal experience. For example, we know that Mount Fuji is 3,776 meters. But people would love more additional contexts, like how tall it is compared to the peak of the Himalayas or why it is sacred to the Japanese. If you have climbed it yourself, even better! That way, you can tell information that Wikipedia doesn't cover.
It actually takes tons of practice to create an engaging article. In fact, it takes me several days to complete a long-form article that covers all the bases. Sometimes we have to write something that we know nothing about, so we have to gather more information.
#7 Keeping up with Google's Algorithm is exhausting
This is perhaps the main reason why it's almost impossible to create a profitable blog in 2024. To stay afloat, we have to be on top of the search results! No matter how good your articles are, people won't bother to click on your website if it's hidden, or ranked too far down. Being good at writing content is only half the battle.
So how do you keep your blog on top of the search results? That's the million-dollar question! If you can do it, then, yes, it is very possible to make a lucrative website. However, to do that is no simple task, especially if you are only on your own.
You'll need to dedicate some of your time to learning Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which is not a trifling matter. Professionals spend thousands of dollars on this subject. If you are serious about making a living through blogging in 2024, you will have to learn about SEO, no two ways about it.
There is also the new Search Generative Experience, something that every blogger has to deal with in the future as Google Search is gradually transforming. There are also countless other technical aspects that you need to know.
The Truth
I don't mean to discourage you if you decide to pursue professional blogging. However, please remember that blogging is not a get-rich-quick scheme, but a long-term commitment that requires hard work, patience, and persistence. In 2024, with the rise of AI-generated content, there will be a massive mountain that you need to overcome to make it in this industry.
I advise aspiring bloggers to have realistic expectations, find their niche, and build their audience! (SofanMax - 2024)