If you want to laugh so hard that the dimples on your face start to hurt, watch Aziz Ansari’s stand up special Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening. My brothers and I still joke about this special, 9 months after watching it.Getting your own special is something a comedian works years for. I’m guessing that Aziz had his share of hecklers and moments of doubt early in his career. However, if a joke was bad, he got rid of it. If a joke was great, he kept it in his routine. After enough trial and error, he got a point where he knew how to make people laugh for an hour straight. None of the jokes in that special were new. They had been tested and tweaked on smaller audiences, until perfected.
This concept, is similar to the #1 benefit of starting a blog. As a blogger, each post is a chance to express an idea to others and receive feedback on that idea. I’ve written 200 posts on Gen Y Wealth. Some were well received, others are not. As I produce new content here, I continue to express and refine my thoughts and actions.
Eventually, I want to write a book on financial planning. When I do decide to write my own book, it will only be composed of my best content. I will have years of feedback from my target market, on what exactly they want to read.
You don’t have to be planning to write a book to enjoy the benefits of blogging. The concept of sharing and refining your best ideas can be used other ways.
For example, one of the best things you can do for your career is to start a blog on your chosen profession. You will notice, that as you start your blog, a lot of what you write will be others ideas, in your own words. Eventually, if you continue to express your ideas and receive feedback, you will develop your own way of thinking. A way of thinking that you can call your own.
After 14 months of writing, it’s only now that I have begun to narrow down my fundamental beliefs of financial planning. Before, it was just a rehash of books I read or people I talked to. Now, I’m developing my own philosophy. One that has worked for me and that can help others.
I hope you stay with me for the journey. (:
Side Benefits
Sharing and refining your ideas, isn’t the only benefit to blogging. Here are a few others that have come to me in my first 14 months of blogging.
Networking
The friends I have formed through blogging amazes me. There are people from all over the U.S. and world, who I have begun to build a relationship with.
It’s a pretty great feeling to know that if I’m dealing with a problem, I don’t have to look for the answer in Google. I can go directly to an expert, send a simple email, and get an answer back.
Seen as an Expert
I don’t consider myself an expert in financial planning. I have only studied it for around three years.
Just because I don’t see myself as an expert, doesn’t mean others don’t. I receive emails all the time asking me financial planning questions. To me, this means that people trust me and see me as an expert.
Learn New Skills
On occasion, I will reread the archives of Gen Y Wealth. A year ago, I sucked at writing. I had a lot of errors, run on sentences, etc… Now, I just semi-suck. Which is good because I’m getting better.
In one more year, maybe I will become an average writer. In two years, if I commit to writing everyday, I can become an above average writer. In ten years, if I continue to write everyday, I can be a great writer at the age of 35.
Writing isn’t the only skill you learn from becoming a blogger. I also know how to set up and design a website. When my boss found this out, he gave me the responsibility of being the webmaster of the company’s website. (By the way, if you have never set up a website before, you will be amazed at how easy it is and how much the skill is envied by others.)
Low Cost Hobby
You can start a blog for free. I haven’t used either of these before, but two free hosts for blogging are:
There are a lot of great blogs, that have their site hosted using one of the above. If you plan on blogging long-term, I recommend getting your own domain name and host. The total cost of a domain name and host for your first year of blogging is around $50 to $75. With just a couple of good posts, you can make that money back easily.
Small Income Stream
There are plenty of ways you can turn blogging into a small income stream. The two most common are advertising or becoming an affiliate of a product or service you believe in.
Personally, I don’t have any paid advertising on the site. The $20 or so bucks I would get a month from Google AdWords isn’t worth the effort of blocking bad ads and losing visitors.
I do promote products such as Empire Builder Kit, ING Direct and Learn More, Study Less. A few people have bought from me, which has helped paid for the expenses of having a blog.
Why You Should Blog – Resources
Below are some of my favorite resources I have used.
- Empire Builder Kit
- Smart Passive Income
- Viper Chill
- ProBlogger
Good luck!
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Photo by: Shashi Bellamkonda
{ 4 comments }
Blogging is definitely a great hobby that can turn into a career. It’s becoming more common since more people have something to say.
RJ – I’ve been following your blog for the past year or so. You’re doing great work! You are consistent with your posting schedule and I always look forward to your posts. After 200 posts you’ve built a wealth of knowledge on your site. You’ve reminded me of some reasons to focus on building my own blog. Improving writing skills is a big one for me!
My blog started off as a hobby, but the is some good money to be made in blogging. While not huge money, it does help to fill in the lost income and allow my wife to stay home with out 1 year old!
Great summation RJ! But we think you forgot one essential benefit: Blogging is fun! ☺ It’s great to be able to share your story in a personal way and know that you’re connecting with readers. Even though they may not leave comments, they come to your blog to get new ideas or information.
We look forward to the book!
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