Make Money From Your Hobbies
Everyone has a hobby of some sort. Photography, sports, cross stitch. The possibilities are endless.
If you don’t think you do, you just haven’t realized what it is yet. That’s Ok. Spend some time and figure it out. Your interests have everything to do with your passion. Ask yourself what you are passionate about. What motivates you in ways other activities don’t? Blogging on that topic can be used as a way to earn a little money on the side. At the very least, you will be able to expand your horizons and learn new things about something you love to do anyways.
Make a Blog
Thanks to WordPress, making a blog is super easy. It takes almost no effort to put all of the pieces together.
Go to Wordpress.org and choose a hosting service (or use the free ones available from WordPress). A full year of hosting with automatic Wordpress installation can cost under $100 for a full year. You do not need anything fancy. When you are just starting out you are not going to use a lot of bandwidth so the basic hosting option is going to be the best.
From experience, the automatic Wordpress installation is very easy. You do not need a computer science degree to make it work. And if you are still squeamish about going it alone, then Wordpress offers free blog hosting for those who register with the site. It is a very good alternative if you are simply looking to test the waters.
Pick a memorable name. Bounce it off of a few friends to see if it is catchy and memorable enough. It should also be easy to type without unnecessary risk of misspelling.
Don’t try to get going too fast with more posts per week than you can produce on a regular basis. You need to be comfortable with the quantity of writing. It is not easy, but it will get better over time. Think of blogging as an endurance race and not a sprint. The race is won by a slow but steady pace.
Share what you know
Whatever your particular niche, share what you have to offer. Ask yourself some simple questions and use your answers as the basis for posts on your topic.
- What do you do and how do you do it?
- Why have you chosen this hobby over others?
- What drives you to participate?
- Is there anything unique about the way you do things?
Share your unique views. Blog about it and blog proudly. Blogging is a way to make available to the world your uniques views and talents.
Learn something new
Blogging should expand your knowledge. Use it as an excuse to learn something new. Make a trip to the library or book store and read a new book on the subject.
You should also participate in whatever online community exists for your hobby. Not only will it provide a way to advertise for your blog but it will allow you to be exposed to many other points of view. Sometimes reading an article will alter your own way of looking at things and open up new ways to enjoy your hobby. So stay open and receptive. There is a wealth of information available out there so make the most of it.
Practice, practice, practice
Writing is hard. It is not something that everyone can do well naturally. But everyone can improve. As weeks turn to months, you will begin to feel more comfortable with a keyboard in front of you. You will get better over time. Just avoid burning yourself out. Which makes it even more important to start slowly and keep a measured pace throughout.
Have fun first, make money second
Most successful bloggers do not amass a loyal readership right out of the gates. Very few successful blogs begin their journey with the intent of making money. Of course that makes this posts title a big disingenuous but the advice is simple. Don’t expect to make money hand over fist when you first start or at all. Use it as a tool to further your own knowledge of something you love. If you don’t enjoy doing it then it is not worth it no matter what the pay off. If you happen to cover your costs or maybe a little bit more, all the better.