How To Blog Full Time

Blogging Tips

Ever wondered what it’s really like to be a full-time blogger? Since turning my blog into a full-time career, I’ve received countless questions about how I make money blogging, what my daily schedule looks like, how I work with brands and whether blogging can actually be a sustainable career. I’ve also been asked about my long-term goals, the challenges of being self-employed and what inspired me to take the leap from blogging as a hobby to running my own business. Today, I’m answering some of the most frequently asked questions about full-time blogging, blogging income and building a successful blog. Whether you’re thinking about starting a blog, growing your side hustle or wondering how to become a full-time blogger, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at my blogging journey and what I’ve learned along the way!

How Did You Get Started With Blogging?

My cousin Ashley had been blogging for a year or so before I started. We have always been super close (best friend status) and she knew I would love it as well. After nagging me to start my own blog for like, a year (to be #bblogger buds, obviously) I finally caved. After a few blog entries – I was hooked!

What is the Hardest Part About Getting Started?

Funny enough, the hardest part for me was finding a suitable name for my blog. For months I would jot down word combinations, research synonyms for every word I liked and then check out the finished products online and 95% of the time the name was already taken. It drove me crazy! I finally decided to use my Facebook alias name “Mash Elle” as I figured no one else would use it!

Blogger or WordPress?

WordPress. Period. For the first 1.5 years I used Blogger. I had used the platform for a blogging project in undergrad (let’s hope there is no evidence of this blog #embarassing) so I knew the basics. Plus, Blogger is free – so I figured why not. Turns out I was missing the fun all along. WordPress is a perfectionist’s dream. You can customize basically EVERYTHING on your blog. If you’re a total nerd like me (I went to Barnes and Noble and bought “WordPress For Dummies”) you’ll want to know the ins and outs of WordPress. I am still learning new customization tricks every day! Yes, there is a monthly fee to host your own website on WordPress – however in my opinion WordPress appears more professional and organized, which sponsors tend to gravitate to.

Wait, You Actually Get Paid To Blog?

Yes! Although a lot of bloggers prefer to blog as their hobby, you can (and should!) monetize your blog. A lot of people are shocked when they find out I am paid to blog. Just like any other job, blogging takes an enormous amount of time, creativity, and effort. To create quality content, you will most likely be spending hours on each blog post when adding up all the time it takes to photograph the product(s), editing the photos, writing up a post and editing the post. But the payoff is work it – you can make a pretty penny blogging!

Can I Monetize My Blog? Where Do I Start?

Absolutely, every blog has the potential to make income. To start, it is important to first build your reader audience through organic, genuine content. Introduce yourself to your readers – let them know your quirks and what makes you YOU. Create a presence on ALL social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google +). Companies want to work with bloggers who have a wide range of influence through a number of platforms. In all honestly, it takes a good 6-8 months to build up an audience PR companies are willing to work with. Once you reach a good following start applying to every single influencer program/ affiliate program/ PR company can you find. You can access a list of companies through good ol’ Google – or write an email to one of your favorite bloggers asking for direction. Be confident – if you’re not than fake it until you believe it yourself. You can do this! You can make money through a wide selection of routes including advertisement placements, sponsored posts, affiliate programs etc. I suggest to dip your feet into all three! Enjoy yourself and remember: never work for free! 

How Many Hours Do You Blog A Week?

Every week varies, however I would say around 25-30 hours. This 25-30 hours isn’t purely writing blog entries – of course! This includes emailing sponsors back and fourth, hiring a photographer (in some instances), photoshoots, editing the photos (I edit all my photos), writing up blog entires, editing these entries, organizing giveaways and managing all my social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest etc.). Keeping up with each social media account alone is half of my job! Let’s just say I am on my iPhone more than I’d like to admit – working that is!

Do You Ever Get Writers Block?

I haven’t yet! I have an ongoing list of topics for discussion, collaborations ideas and product reviews.  There is so much more I want to write about – if only I had the time!

Do You Ever Get Nasty Comments From Readers?

Luckily, I have yet to come across anything nasty. I started blogging knowing I would need to have thick skin and not care what other people have to say about me. Plus, if I even get that famous that people start spamming me with hate — that means I’ve truly made it — right?! Trolls gonna hate, I’m just gonna shake shake shake shake shake!

What Do You Hope To Accomplish In Years To Come With Your Blog?

My ultimate goal would to be a full-time blogger and build my empire. It sounds drastic, but I want to get there… bad. I want to expand my writing skills, collaborate with a ton of brands and work with some of my favourite bloggers! One day I would also love to open an Etsy shop and sell a bunch of cute sparkly things. Sparkles. Everything. Covered in sparkled. Sparkly bows, sparkly keychains, sparkly mugs, sparkly coat hangers – you name it! I reach total bliss when getting lost in Etsy shops… so much creativity! I love it!

I hope y’all enjoyed this Q+A – if you have any additional questions please leave them in the comments below or email me at mashelle.blog@gmail.com!

More Blogging Tips & Resources for Beginners

Thinking about starting a blog or turning your passion into a full-time career? Whether you’re looking for tips on how to make money blogging, grow your audience, improve your photography or stay productive while working from home, I’ve got you covered! Over the years, I’ve shared plenty of blogging tips, lessons learned and behind-the-scenes advice to help aspiring bloggers and female entrepreneurs build their own businesses. Here are a few of my favorite blogging resources to help you get started!

Whether blogging is your creative outlet, side hustle or dream full-time job, remember that success doesn’t happen overnight. Keep creating content you love, experiment with different strategies and don’t be afraid to learn as you go. Every successful blogger started somewhere!

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