You’ve had it with your blog.
Goose eggs this month.
Goose eggs last month too.
No earnings. No prospects.
You’re so disgusted that you’re even thinking of quitting blogging for good.
Wait!
Take a deep breath. Are you with me? OK. Here goes: your struggles to make money blogging are likely rooted in some limiting beliefs you picked up from other bloggers.
These memes, or mind viruses, are lies. Completely untrue. But if any of these 5 ideas is kicking around in your mind you will have a tough time trying to make money through your blog.
Once you identify and release these untruths, making money through your blog will become much easier.
1: You Cannot Make Money Blogging by Being Authentic
I just read a comment that clung to this point; you can be authentic, or you can make real money through your blog but you cannot do both.
This is untrue. Because being authentic is one of the key factors in building a thriving blogging business.
Some bloggers have wicked money programming, believing that you cannot be yourself and make money doing so. These folks feel you need to be slimy, pushy or sleezy to make substantial money through your blog, which is a total lie.
Being authentic, real, honest and genuine helped me become a pro blogging, island hopping, full time world traveler. If I tried to be anything other than me *then* I would run into financial struggles.
2: The Money Is in the List
The money is not in the list.
The money is in the hands of the people you help through your list emails.
Don’t buy into this old, worn out internet marketing adage. A list is an inanimate object. Inanimate objects do not follow your blog, or hire you or buy your products.
Human beings who sign up for your list follow your blog, hire you and buy your products.
The money is in the authentic, compassionate relationships you build with people on your email list. Help them. Ask them questions. Provide answers through your blog posts, products and services.
Be of service to prosper. Just don’t attach to any inanimate objects, okay?
3: You Need a Huge Readership to Become a Full Time Blogger
You need a small collection of loyal, buying readers who resonate with your message to build a full time income through your blog.
Yaro Starak regularly stresses that you don’t need a huge readership or list to build a thriving business. He advises that you focus on getting clear about your ideal reader versus trying to chase numbers.
Practical Tips
- write for one ideal reader
- solve this reader’s problems through every blog post
- never stray from your niche
- Align your blog top down to appeal to this one ideal reader
I always found it easier to build a loyal, thriving community of eager, buying readers versus obsessing over driving major traffic to my blog but forgetting who I intended to help in the process.
Numbers do not buy your products and services. People do. Cater to people. Help humans. Be of service. Take care of your core following and they will help you become a professional, full time income earning blogger.
4: Following Up with Readers Will Burn through Your List
Not true.
Not following up with your readers will make it hellishly hard to earn money through your blog.
I released a new eBook recently. On Friday I announced the new eBook to my list. On Sunday I emailed a quick reminder to buy the eBook. Follow up email.
I sold twice as many eBooks on the follow up day as I did the day of the release.
Many well-meaning bloggers spread the untrue meme that following up with quick, short emails to buy your stuff or to hire you will result in a flood of unsubscribes.
Here’s the deal on that:
- all unsubscribes were non/poor matches, anyway
- all unsubscribes simply have issues with spending or earning money; their unsubscribe has nothing to do with you
- following up once or twice during a 1-2 week period increases your sales dramatically
Most folks buy something after 1, 2 or 10 exposures.
Don’t fear following up with people who may need a little nudge or reminder to buy what you have to offer.
Fear *not* following up and struggling to earn money through your blog.
5: It Is Hard to Make Money Blogging
It is not hard to make money blogging.
Most humans cling to terribly, fearful, money-repelling limiting beliefs about money. Navigating through these beliefs feels highly uncomfortable sometimes. This highly uncomfortable feeling is often equated with “being hard to make money” but it is not true.
It is not difficult to make money blogging if you dive into your blogging fears daily. If you knife through your fear of failure, your fear of rejection and your fear of losing money you will create prolifically and connect with blogging leaders. Creating and connecting diligently helps you make money blogging without working yourself to the bone.
Check out this helpful post from Jerry Low to see that with some research and work you can make money blogging:
How to Make Money Blogging: Niche Ideas, Case Studies and Traffic Strategies
The Wrap Up
Unearthing these money limiting beliefs may feel unpleasant but a few minute’s worth of being uncomfortable is well worth earning a full time income through blogging.
Your Turn
What tips can you add to this list?