Making a living online has become a reality for many people over the last several years, but remains a bit of a mystery to most. And just like with every new trend that captures the imagination of the business world, there are bound to be some prevalent falsehoods and misconceptions about this new frontier of entrepreneurialism.
If you are interested in making money online through blogging or e-commerce and you are not sure whether it is something that is right for you, often there are myths circling that might be responsible for keeping you on the sidelines. Here are five common myths about making money in the blogosphere, debunked once and for all.
You have missed the boat
A common misconception is that all of the money that can be made online has already been made. Oftentimes, people believe that there are no more good ideas out there for making money online and that they have simply missed the boat. This is an especially prevalent mode of thinking in the world of blogging. However, it could not be any farther from the truth. There could already be thousands of blogs focusing on a niche that you want to focus on, but if you take the time to make your blog exceptional and promote it accordingly, you will be able to build a readership and make money from it.
It’s riskier than having a regular job
This is a very dated mode of thinking. With the way the economy is these days, no job is a sure thing. Job security is a thing of the past and businesses are crumbling in all fields. Naturally, being a self-employed online entrepreneur is far from a safe bet as well, but at least whether or not you succeed or fail hinges on you and your efforts, not on things that you cannot control within the corporate world.
All you need to do is create content
A lot of people wrongfully assume that as long as your content is good and plentiful, readers will magically appear and become regular visitors. Even if you have the greatest blog content of all time assembled, you need to promote it properly in order to make some waves. Of course things like search engine optimization and online promotion are a must if you want to see your readership increase and turn your blog into a webpage that is attractive to advertisers.
There is no use entering crowded niches
No matter how overcrowded a certain blogging niche is, there is always room for newcomers with good ideas. The key to success is to find a niche within a niche. For example, if you want to create a blog about personal finance, you need to find a more specific niche within it that might not be as populated. You can focus your blog on students or married people, or you can make your blog posts very simple and easy to understand or more expert and in-depth. Your best bet is to find a niche that you yourself fit into and excel in, instead of trying to mimic a blog that is already popular.
You should avoid relations with your competition
Another common fallacy is that you need to avoid your competition like the plague and hope that they do not even notice you. The truth is that forming relationships with the leading bloggers with your niche is an absolute must. Guest posting for excellent blogs gives you the status of an expert in your field and getting on the blogrolls of popular blogs within your niche can only help you garner more quality visits.
With these seminal misconceptions about professional blogging out of the way, there should be no roadblocks stopping you from trying to become a successful blogger if you are dedicated to it and willing to invest a good amount of time and effort into your goals.