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One of the most frequently asked questions when people find out I’m a full time blogger is “how did you get into that?”. For many it seems like a really alien concept, earning a living from sitting at home and writing about yourself and your life on the internet. But once you’re in this world – it’s really not that weird.
Why Did I Start Blogging?
7 years ago I had a “real” job. The kind of job that I had dreamt of at university, and I couldn’t believe it when I landed a place on the graduate scheme. It wasn’t meant to be though, and after 3 stressful years (including a diabetes diagnosis) I was made redundant along with 300 other people. Just days before my wedding day.
Having the ability to step away from my job made me realise how unhappy I had been there, and that it wasn’t the career choice for me. I went on to fall pregnant with Zee and I knew I couldn’t return to the kind of position I had before, but I also wasn’t content to do nothing. As much as I enjoyed being a mum I needed to do something for me and I wanted to be able to contribute to our family outgoings.
Starting A WordPress Blog
Getting started was really easy. I have a WordPress site which I found simple to set up, along with my own URL. And then, I just started writing. Whatever I wanted at first, things that I thought others may find interesting about being a mum with type 1 diabetes. Once I was established in my niche I knew I could start to monetise my site – but it took a while to work out how.
I had spent a while follow successful influencers like Julie Story and Megan Antoinette and I followed closely to see how they managed to make their hobby’s into a success.
What Do You Need To Do Before Monetising Your Website?
As nice as it would be to just sit around all day and wait for jobs to roll in, it just doesn’t work like that. In order to work with brands and write sponsored posts you need to have a respectable looking site. I found that an element of fake it till you make it helped too. Having existing reviews of products you already own is a great way of showcasing what you can do.
In order to make your site look well thought through and aesthetically pleasing it helps to use a select colour palette. I have chosen particularly shades of blue which can be found in my header, links and even in my e-mail signature. It gives you continuity and reenforces your brands identity.
Why Choose Blogging As A Career?
Initially I thought my blog would simply be a hobby that would bring me in a small amount of money to spend. Quite clearly that changed, as I’m still here writing it now!
The beauty in working as a blogger, or a freelancer, is the ability to pick and choose what you do. If a project doesn’t work for you or doesn’t sit right somehow then you can decline it, simple as that. No one can tell you what you have to do. The choice is always yours!
A real bonus for me is that I can pick and choose the hours that I work. Balancing a job with children can be incredibly hard, but being able to grab an hour here or there or simply work in an evening is what makes it a viable working option for me.