When it comes to professional blogging, it’s hard to make sweeping generalizations, especially when it’s about the average earnings of a blogger. Some people make money blogging fairly easily, ringing up a thousand dollars in revenue in their third month alone. Some bloggers, however, don’t have as much luck, even if they felt that they did their best with their sites.
If you’ve hit a dead end as far as your blog’s earnings are concerned, there’s bound to be a combination of factors behind that. Below is a list of some fairly common reasons why a blog isn’t earning as much money as it should:
1. You’re asking for money too soon in the game:
Blogs take a long time before they can get recognition and be established as a credible source of information for a particular niche. Because of this, it’s probably going to take a while before you see any rewards from your efforts. Competition is stiff in the blogosphere, and much of the first months (or the first year!) of your blog will be spent in establishing why you’re different from the rest. Until you’ve actually made a name for yourself (and your blog), revenue will be hard to come by.
For some people, it takes only three months before the cash starts rolling in. For others, however, it can take longer than a year before any rewards seem apparent. Be patient, work hard at your blog, and your efforts will pay off sooner or later – exactly when that will happen is still a mystery.
2. Ads have taken over your blog:
You put up your blog in the hopes of getting some extra cash, and one of the first things you do is plaster your blog with Google Adsense in the hopes that your blog will be a revenue market. Smart idea? Absolutely not. When you’re first starting out, the last thing you want to do is drive away readers, which is exactly what you’ll end up doing if you cover your blog with ads at the get go. Keep advertising to the barest minimum if your blog is still new, and work on building your reputation through the quality of your blog posts.
3. You’re not updating as often as you should:
Some bloggers work under the assumption that 3 or 4 blog posts in a week is a good posting rate if they want to monetize their blogs. Unfortunately, bloggers have to work much harder than that, especially if they’re just starting out. By delivering fresh content at a regular pace, you’re giving off the message that you can be relied on to provide new and valuable information every time. Regular updates also prod Google and other major search engines to index your blog frequently, which can positively affect your search engine rankings in the long-term.
4. Money is your primary concern:
This is one of the most fundamental mistakes that bloggers commit: blogging only for the sake of money and nothing else. While it’s okay to want to make money blogging – who doesn’t? – what’s more important is for you to actually be passionate about what you’re writing and to be devoted to your blog and its progress. Bloggers who are in it only for the money tend to flood their sites with marketing gimmickry that don’t yield long term benefits. More dedicated and substantial blogs, however, are the winners in the long run.
If any of these common traps are exactly the sort you’ve fallen into, it’s not too late! Just make a few key adjustments and changes to your blogging strategy, cultivate some patience and tenacity with your blog, and the rewards will come to you in due time.
