When I started my first blog in early 2009, I had only the vaguest ideas of what a blog was.
I had not clue what I should write about or how to attract visitors.
All I knew that somehow, someway, it was going to make me a LOT of money.
Needless to say, that blog did not earn me a penny. Nor did the next two blogs I started after that 
.
Since then I’ve learned a lot about how to blog successfully and I’ve also learned about how a blog can make money. One thing is for sure – it is not simple or self-evident.
Many people still feel confused or curious about the commercial value of blogging. This became clear last week, when I ran an anonymous reader survey.
In the survey, I asked readers what posts they would like to read in the future and the most popular option was a blog post of this name: “How Much Money Do I Make From Blogging: Naomi Tells All.”
I think it’s a great topic. This is a blog about business, after all, and I like to be open and real in my writing. It’s the best way to help others negotiate the murky waters of running a business and earning a parnasa.
So here’s the Scoop:
How Much I’m Making
Here are some stats about this blog, to help you calculate my Return on Investment:
- Age of Blog = 2.5 years
- Number of published posts = 60+
- Number of hours invested = 234 hours and 43 minutes (rough estimate )
- Capital invested = $90
- Total Direct Revenue = $50
Yes! That’s right this blog has directly earned me a grand total of $50. That was last year when an anonymous benefactor clicked on the odesk affiliate link on my “Products I Love” Page. Whoever you are – toda raba!
In other words, writing, maintaining and promoting this blog pays me approximately 23 cents per hour.
Maybe I could also add the $300 that I earned in when 3 readers took up my offer for free setup of their WordPress sites when they bought Hostgator hosting through my affiliate link (thanks Daniel, Yael and Yocheved!) But I’m not sure that counts because I spent time setting up their sites (and also hassling Hostgator to pay me my commissions). So in reality, I got paid for my time and skills, not my blog. (BTW The offer still stands – get details here)
That’s Right, I don’t Make Money from Blogging
At least, not in the sense that The New York Times makes money from publishing a news site. I don’t sell advertising space. I rarely include affiliate links. I do not have Adsense on this site. I do not use any of the methods that blogs usually use to “make money.”
That’s because this blog is not a business. It’s a communication channel. It allows me to communicate with you and thousands of other people around the world. Some of my readers become my clients – hiring me for business and marketing consulting and implementation. When I work for them I make money.
Would they have hired me without my blog? Usually not.
Since a blog is a channel of mass communication, I can help many people, even without them hiring me. I give general help through this blog, and people who want individualized help, contact me for a free initial consultation.
In the near future, I will launch a product offering practical business and marketing guidance to people who want to boost their bottom line, but are not ready to hire me one-on-one. This product was the most requested service from the eight options I offered in my reader survey.
Would anyone sign up for my product were it not for my blog?
Yes. My Mum probably would.
Some people would argue that I have made a lot of money from my blog – if you count all the clients I’ve attracted through the blog and especially when I launch my new product. But that’s not quite the whole picture. It’s kind of like saying that Gap.com’s business model is to have a website that sells clothes. Gap is, first and foremost, its brand and its products. The website is just a channel to communicate with people through.
I run this blog as a communication channel, rather than a business. That’s what I’ve chosen for now, but it’s not the only option. Some people do run their blogs as lucrative businesses.
Are you curious how they do it?
Next week I’ll present an exclusive interview with one of the Jewish world’s most successful independent bloggers, Mara Strom from Kosher on a Budget. She’ll be giving us the inside scoop on how she as built up her blog to be a thriving business and source of parnasa.
If you don’t want to miss Mara’s interview and other great articles about business and marketing, sign up now for free email updates from My Parnasa: The Jewish Business Blog.
Naomi – thank you for sharing!! This is one of the most valuable posts (for me in particular) and I’m grateful.
In the coming months I hope to launch a personal blog. I don’t want it to be a commercial, and was feeling very daring and radical in planning no ads and other commercial features on it.
This blog I launch is going to give me a lot of valuable experience so that when I do launch a commercial site I’ll have a much better idea of what I’m doing, and of course, it will give me a web presence.
Can you let me know (privately if you wish, but publicly if it would benefit the reading public) what the pluses and minuses would be of having you set up my WordPress site vs. doing it myself. I was planning on using Hostgator in any case, due to your recommendation as well as those of others.
I also bought my domain name based on your advice, so if I become a wild success, I will have to credit you… hmmm, probably that should read “link back to you” – all of the time!
In any case, you’ve helped me a lot by being A TRUSTWORTHY SOURCE OF INFORMATION. This is much more valuable to me than lots of information or your writing about things you don’t really know about. So thank you and keep it up.
ps. Obviously, your mum has great taste in products!
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Naomi Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 4:39 pm
Hi Judy,
thanks for the feedback.
If you are planning to use hostgator, there is no reason why not to ask me to set up your blog. If you have never set up a blog before it will take you 1-2 hours to figure it out. Why bother when I’m offering to set it up for free?
If you plan to take advantage of that offer, let me know in advance, so that I can make sure that Hostgator knows it was me that referred you.
Thanks
Naomi
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Hi Naomi,
While not all websites should be commercialized imho, I think your readers would not mind your trying to make a few pennies through adsense or affiliate links.
I can’t tell you what the fine line between a good amount and too much, but none is for sure not enough.
I think (as I think I have written in the past) that your style and content is valuable enough for me to subscribe and usually read in detail, and if you make a call to action, I will be more motivated to follow through if you benefit, not less.
good luck!
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Naomi, you are one brave cookie. Thanks for your candor to share your truth with us all. I’m a ghost-blogger for information marketers, and it seems to me that your blog is really the perfect platform for you to sell infomation products, such an an e-book or coaching or even establishing a membership site. It’s YOU that we want, and we want to learn what you know (which is a lot) so I believe that some people on your list would pay to subscribe or pay for a downloadable product, etc. I have to read a LOT of blogs to do my ghost-blogging, so I can tell you that is the way it’s going at the present time. Making money via AdSense is one way, but the most sustainable and substantial income is coming from marketing yourself and your products. I know you know all this already, Naomi, but I’m sharing it here for others to benefit, too. Thank you again for your courage to post today!
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Naomi Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 4:40 pm
Wow.. thanks Mia! I’m touched
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great post! blogging, like linkedin or any other method of networking or communication is not a money maker per se, it’s a connection maker; connections lead to new business opportunities. The key to meeting new clients and vendors and others worthwhile connecting with is to make sure that you remain “relevant” in your particular industry or line of work. You can be the best at any particular skill or service, but unless people remember that you are alive…you are dead (Figuratively , of course).
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Wonderful post, as always, Naomi. I want to point out that if you calculate your profit/loss as cost $90, revenue $50 you are operating at a loss of $40! But I do think that you need to count all of the business you have generated from the wonderful content and knowldege that you share via this blog. After all, that is the goal of a blog like this. Even though you have a nice size, loyal following, I think you would only make pennies adding adsense or even affiliate links here, which is why you chose not to do so. Advertising only makes money when you have 10s of thousands of readers. In small niche market segments like this one, that’s just not going to happen. The goal then, is marketing and sales – which you’ve accomplished wonderfully. Setting goals is so important in understanding how to achieve success. How do you know you’ve gotten there if you don’t know where you are going!
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Naomi Reply:
March 5th, 2013 at 10:15 am
Wow. You’re right! I am running at a loss
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