It's been a while since we had one of these. It's not meant to burn anyone, or step on any ideas, but , if you have been blogging for any length of time, you have seen blogger's make mistakes that you know are going to crash and burn. I like to steer the noobs clear, since it's all new to them. I'll start it off.... You shouldn't start a blog and expect to make money if... .....You have no money, don't intend to have any money, and will not spend any money on anything that may help your blog succeed. Those days are over.
I absolutely agree.. if you're not willing to spend any money trying to get some decent traffic and a domain name, don't expect to make more than 40 cents a day from google adsense advertisements..
You shouldn't start a blog and expect to make money if... ... you are not willing to work hard on it. You can succeed without put money into your blog (apart from the nominal fee of buying a domain name). But don't fool yourself. To generate any kind of serious income, you need hard work, plus a great and unique angle.
You are right with that...we should treat blogging as a baby...needs a lot of care and attention but will eventually result into profit later on...
Just like any business any money you make should go right back in your business until its "raining" money!!!
To your original post, I disagree because if the blogger is writing something very unique and amazing, he/she may still be able to make money from nothing by using a service like blogger. Of course, he/she could make a lot more if money was invested, but it is possible (although in this competitive market it is rare nowadays.) As for my edition: You shouldn't start a blog and expect to make money if... You expect to make thousands instantly. This never happens and you need to be dedicated and work hard to get a good blog or site going.
True. It is possible, but you had better truly be an expert, have something completely original, or have a talent for entertaining. I just don't see how any blogger that doesn't fall into that category gets by without spending money on something..a domain, hosting, a theme design, ebook, software, membership to something...and makes enough money to pay for anything more than hosting and maybe a dinner every now and then. If you have all those talents, are an expert marketer, talented writer, proficient in SEO, and bum marketing then you may have a shot and getting by, but the reality is, most new bloggers are not all of those, and learn as they go along hoping to get lucky and have everyone miraculously fall in love with them.
I think this is one of the best threads I ever saw here. This is a good eye-opener for beginners. Although I have many ideas on my mind, I think this is the best I can share. One shouldn't start a blog and expect to make money if...he thinks that blogging about something that he really loves the most can make him money easier. Blogging is not just about posting great and useful contents. In fact, it is more on understanding the different marketing strategies before trying them. It is also impossible that he can make money alone. He will definitely need the help of others, and may even consider getting a mentor. I am not a mentor, though. However, I think that if a blogger really want to make money, he should consider it as a business....seriously.
Very True words. Most who want to be successful (financially) don't treat it like a business, they treat it like a popularity contest. I know some very popular, broke people. Blogging for dollars is not about how much people like you, it's about if you can solve their problem, spark their interest, or provide a service...just like any other business. You have to be the talent, the designer, the marketer, and the tech support. When I first started, I wanted to have a blog that everyone thought was cool..and after a while everyone said, "That's a cool blog", but they didn't buy anything. I see bloggers all the time get into a niche, or promote a product that has proven not to make money (like music downloads) or is highly saturated (like yet another webmaster blog), and they filter tons of resources thinking they are going to change the world...without bringing anything different , or special to the table...and they fail just like all the others before them. Most people aren't honest with themselves and they start out failing from the beginning. another one is: You shouldn't start a blog and expect to make money if you think it's a part time job. It only becomes a part time job after months of hard work, promotion and education.