I blogged for the first time about a decade ago and I started Young Adult Money four and a half years ago.
Having written close to 1,000 blog posts and been involved in the blogosphere for my entire adult life, I wouldn’t be surprised if people rolled their eyes when I say “blogging is the ultimate side hustle.
That’s why I’m not simply going to say blogging is the ultimate side hustle, but give you a reason – and a ton of support – as to why that’s true.
First: A Big Disclaimer about Making Money Blogging
First I want to get something out of the way. The one reason why blogging is the ultimate side hustle is not because it’s “easy” to make money blogging, though a lot of bloggers want you to think that.
Many bloggers publish income reports. Not surprisingly, most of the bloggers who talk about making $10k or $20k or even $50k a month blogging do not go into much detail about the income source.
The reason why they don’t go into detail is because a large percentage of their revenue is convincing other people to start blogs. They get a huge commission from web hosts like BlueHost, and the most they can convince to start blogs the make.
Now I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with that, but I don’t think making money off of referring others to start blogs is sustainable and I don’t want to deceive readers into thinking that they will also make huge amounts each month.
Do I make money from BlueHost? Yes. In fact you’ll see a big call-to-action at the bottom of this post and I would obviously appreciate it if you used my affiliate link, but you don’t have to.
Even if you never make a dollar through affiliate sales to BlueHost I still think blogging is the ultimate side hustle, but for a different reason than making money on your blog.
The One Reason Why Blogging is the Ultimate Side Hustle
The reason I think blogging is the ultimate side hustle is this:
Demand for content
While it may seem like our world is saturated with content, it’s actually becoming more important than ever for brands and companies to have owned content. An example of owned content is a blog on a companies website, or an e-book you can download in exchange for signing up for an email list.
Demand for content will only increase over time. I repeat: Demand for content will only increase over time!
Traditionally media companies have produced content and, to a much lesser degree, companies and brands have produced content. The “traditional” way to advertise and market a product was through running advertisements on TV, radio, and in print publications.
While the traditional model is still staunchly in place, that model is quickly changing as traditional advertising is losing it’s appeal due to decreased effectiveness.
Companies are now being forced to prove their value elsewhere or risk not breaking through all the noise that consumers have been increasingly attuned to blocking out.
The three primary ways they can do this is through content marketing, social media marketing, and influencer marketing. And most companies are way behind in all three areas.
The Changing Landscape of Content Marketing
In my book Hustle Away Debt I talk about the unexpected upside of side hustles. When I started a blog I didn’t intend to become a content marketing strategist, but over the past few years I have gained a wealth of knowledge around content creation and distribution, and it’s positioned me to (potentially) start a completely new career path.
If you don’t believe me set up a search for “content marketing manager” or “social media manager” on Indeed. You might be shocked at the extent many companies are either bolstering their budgets for content and social media marketing.
The reality is that companies are behind. This typically happens because they are a big company where things simply move forward at a snail’s pace, or are too small to spend time on content marketing.
Additionally I think it’s important to point out that there are a lot of people who have worked in corporate marketing their entire lives who have simply not had exposure and experience in content marketing.
They haven’t managed an editorial calendar.
They don’t know how to use Twitter.
Some have never even created a piece of content like a blog post.
And let’s not even throw the term “influencer marketing” out there.
These are skills that aren’t taught in college and typically are not normal things that corporate marketers have spent time on. This presents a huge opportunity for people who start blogs.
The Skills You Learn When You Blog
Anyone who has started a blog knows there is much more than writing that goes into blogging. Here is just some of the skills that come to mind:
- Writing – Had to get the obvious one out of the way. When you blog you learn to write, and you learn to write well. Practice makes perfect and you get a lot of practice when you are a blogger.
- Coding – Most bloggers don’t outsource the actual coding of their website, so they are forced to learn at least a little bit of html and css. You can go deep down this rabbit hole and develop a very thorough of html and css, if you want.
- Managing an Editorial Calendar – Even if you are the only writer on your blog, you are going to want to get organized and plan ahead. An editorial calendar (here’s an example of one) is essential, in my opinion, for a well-run blog. It becomes even more essential if you have contributors.
- Social Media Management – Well-run Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts have become essential for the sucess of a blog. You can also add Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube to the list.Every company, and I mean every company needs someone who has social media management skills.
- Email Marketing – My biggest mistake was not building my email newsletter from the get-go. The better a company is at email marketing the more likely they are to succeed.
- Content Strategy – There’s content creation and then there’s content strategy. Think about Young Adult Money. There’s literally millions of things we could write about on this blog. Picking the right topics and driving traffic to that content through the right channels is essential to our success. Blogging forces you to learn this skill or see your blog slowly fizzle out (or never catch on).
- Hiring and Managing Contractors – Congratulations! If you are hiring contractors you’ve either decided to invest money into your blog or you have revenue that you are re-investing into the site. I’ve been lucky enough to have multiple contributors to Young Adult Money for years now, including completely outsourcing graphics.
- Negotiating and Sales – Being able to negotiate with advertisers and other people you work with is a key part of blogging. I constantly need to “sell” my site to advertisers, explaining why we are a good website to partner with. Other bloggers can relate!
This isn’t even an all-encompassing list. Depending on your skills and interests, you may gain/build photography, videography, video editing, graphic design, research, or any other variety of skills.
The bottom line is this: if you start a blog, you are going to learn in-demand skills and have experience, examples, and a portfolio of your work to prove you have those skills.
Bloggers Have the Skills Companies are Desperate For
I recently heard the phrase “every company should be a media company” and I couldn’t agree more. If you don’t have content that is drawing in new prospects and keeping current customers engaged, you are not going to survive long-term.
Corporate marketers may point to the fact that B2B (Business to Business) marketing is above content marketing.
But that fails to recognize the fact that humans make purchasing decisions. They are going to reference Google to find their options. If you have content they are going to consume it. If you don’t have content you are putting yourself in an underdog position from the get-go.
The skills that companies need to become a media company, such as content creation, content curation, social media management and optimization, and other related skills are all skills that bloggers learn and develop.
Companies want (need) people who have those skills. Whether it’s an in-house employee or an outside consultant/contractor, they are going to pay someone to do the work. If you have a blog you are almost instantly qualified for consulting and/or 9-5 work
Start a Blog, Change your Life?
I remember reading various articles over the years that say blogging is dead. It’s useless, it’s way past it’s prime, you can’t make any money doing it, etc.
Did any of these commentators take into consideration the upside of developing highly in-demand skills that literally every company would eventually need? I doubt it.
Notice that I didn’t mention any of the other upside potential that comes with blogging. I didn’t even mention the opportunity to make money on your blog!
There of course is much more upside that comes with blogging beyond taking advantage for the ever-increasing demand for content marketing skills and expertise, but I think that demand alone justifies starting a blog.
Do you want to be exposed to the huge upside that comes with the ever-increasing demand for content creation, management, and strategy?
Read my post on how to start a blog or head directly to BlueHost to get started today! You will get the lowest price possible and a free domain name when you use my link.
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Completely agreed DC. We speak with companies on a regular basis that are behind when it comes to all three facets and few, in many cases, are ready to pick up and make changes. It’s the ones that just simply don’t see the need that are most frustrating to me. That being said, you can build so many different skills through starting and growing a blog – it’s been one of the best professional things I’ve ever done.
I think it’s unfortunate that some don’t see the need, but it doesn’t make me frustrated because over time they will see how essential it is to have a content strategy and presence. I definitely think gaining content marketing skills through blogging is a GREAT way to learn things “on the job” while also not quitting your current job. I think the demand will outweigh the supply, regardless of whether it’s full-time jobs or contract work.
Great points, DC. I agree that the skills involved in building a blog are very marketable today. Blogging is not an easy way to make money, but is is a good way to learn really useful skills.
Interesting point about affiliate links for blog hosting not being a sustainable way to make money.
Yes I the skills are very in-demand right now and I think we will see more and more content marketing jobs open up. I know many of the major corporations in the Twin Cities are ramping up their budget for this area of the marketing department.
I think the affiliate links for blog hosting is unsustainable in the sense that there are only so many people that can be referred to blogging. It’s not like a credit card where there is always new people signing up and always new demand. I could go on and on about this but my point is that it’s not going to be a huge money maker forever.
Thanks for being so encouraging about blogging. When I was a teen in the early 2000’s & blogging went mainstream a lot of people said that blogging was over-saturated and why should anyone bother, etc.
Over time I’ve realized there is room for me too. Also a lot of people are quitters. We live in an instant gratification society so when blogging doesn’t work out within 6 months or less, a lot of people just quit blogging.
If you just don’t quit and continue to learn you can go places with your blog.
You get out of it what you put into it! And I think a lot of people have tunnel vision when they think of blogging. They think the only way to monetize blogging is to make money off of banner ads. Honestly you could break even on your blog and still make a full-time living off of all the opportunities that come from it. Most people don’t recognize that.
Completely agree, DC! Though I only started my blog 7 short months ago, the learning and skill building that has taken place during that time has been huge. It’s a constant learning process, which is great, in my opinion. Though it’s a ton or work, starting a blog really can open up countless opportunities.
That’s really a great testimony, Amanda. Even after just a handful of months I also had learned so much. I think if you stick with it long-term there is so much potential and it really ends up coming down to deciding which opportunities to take advantage of – because there will be many!
I’m so with you, blogging is anything but dead. It’s the ultimate platform that enables you to do just about anything you want, if you position yourself well and create quality content. I make a lot of money as a full time blogger/entrepreneur, but it’s all about using my blog as leverage for different kinds of opportunities, events, speaking, partnerships, etc. The opportunities are limitless!
Yes! And it’s important to remember how it all started. I remember when you were a brand new blogger and you’ve really gone “all in” on taking advantage of the many opportunities that blogging opens you up to.
I’ve definitely learned so much in my blogging journey these past eight months. I can’t believe in only four months, it’ll be a year since I started my blog. Time flies when you’re having fun!
I can’t believe you started ONLY eight months ago! You’ve accomplished so much and I agree there is so much you can learn in even a short period of time.
You’re definitely right on the skills portion. I work as an analyst, and I mostly use my blog to practice using new data sources, making graphs/interactive tools, engagement tracking, and programming. I also find that it’s a nice outlet when I’m stuck in political gridlock at work to be able to just make whatever I want the way I want.
Very cool! There are virtually an unlimited number of applications with a blog, and I love how you have found your outlet in creating data sets and tools.
The skills you talk about are exactly what I’m hoping to getting involved in blogging. I know it takes a lot of work to make money on a blog and most blogs won’t make it. But even if it doesn’t, taking the time to write several posts a week is a surefire way to improve your writing skills. That’s pretty valuable in itself, no matter what type of work you are doing.
There is a lot of upside for “break even” blogs, and I don’t think people recognize that (bloggers and non-bloggers alike). I think it’s important to think about what your strengths are and what you are interested in, and then see how blogging can help you monetize those skills. At the very least you develop some in-demand skills that will make you more marketable at your 9-5.
Nice post DC glad this wasn’t the usual “make money blogging” post. I really haven’t thought of it this way but I just compared my first ever post to my latest one and the change is amazing. I’ve definitely become a better writer and coder over time so that alone is worth starting the blog.
Blogging has always been a hobby for me but this post is giving me motivation to develop my blog more so I can increase the skills you’ve mentioned.
Awesome!
Hey Syed thanks for your feedback because this was exactly what I was hoping to get across! I personally strongly dislike income posts but I know why people do them – to get people excited to start blogs and sell bluehost commissions. But I want people to think beyond that because if you are going into blogging with stars in your eyes thinking your website is going to make $10k a month you are almost certainly going to be disappointed. I think it’s better to have an open view and think about all the potential upside and how you can leverage your blog to play to your strengths – the money will follow!
I love this article. It’s full of nothing but facts. Blogging has created so many opportunities. It’s amazing how my life has changed for the better in three short years. I just searched “social media manager” on Indeed and was shocked at how much someone could make. During my Thanksgiving break, I will probably do a lot more searching.
Thanks Jason! And yes it’s pretty eye opening seeing what sort of social media and content management jobs are out there. The thing is it truly is a TON of work to do social media and/or content marketing right (as I’m sure you are aware) but more and more $ will go towards it and away from advertising.
Great post. Very informative and wasn’t the usual, you can’t make money from blogging, here’s how to start a blog and sign up for my affiliate Blue Host link type post. Nothing wrong with that but as you said…there’s so much more to blogging than that. I’ve seen many bloggers leverage their blogs to other opportunities. Great topic…hope to read more about it in the future.
Thanks Andrew! I have been thinking about this post for a while and it’s important for people – especially people who are considering starting a blog – to realize it’s not all about your website’s affiliate and advertising revenue. There is a lot of upside above and beyond that as well.
I always appreciate your genuineness David. I have been reading YAM for the past 6 months and your passion for helping cut through the BS really shines through. I personally get the most benefit using blogging as a way to decompress from a fast paced career and ridiculous travel schedule. I often find myself on my iPad in some random airport plugging away on some post I am excited about. Blogging is truly a lifestyle and takes you over! But nothing but good things come from it. Thanks for sharing the wisdom.
Wow thanks so much for the kind words! My career isn’t quite as busy as yours, but it is nice to have “something else” to look forward to, to work towards, etc. You have a really great blog going and honestly feels like the counterpart to “Young Adult Money” – we are definitely looking towards the same demographic!