Imagine you apply for a job and nobody invites you. That was the reason why I started bloggerabc - my blog about blogging. Out of unemployment. What you need to consider if you want to make a living from your blog.

In 2012, I moved to Switzerland for a job in online marketing. As luck would have it, my company had a corporate blog. That was like a gift for me. Because I've always loved reading blogs. And so I got to grips with all the topics: search engine optimization (SEO), writing for the web, content marketing, content curation and building reach. I established blogger relations in my company and networked with the scene. I loved my work very much. But at some point it was time for a change and I went back to Germany.

Well educated and with several years of experience abroad, it shouldn't be a problem to find a new job. Or so I thought. The reality was different. I only received rejections on my applications. When I asked why I wasn't invited to an interview, no one seemed to want to answer honestly. Except for two contact persons: "Ms. Sprung, you were in Switzerland. We won't be able to pay your salary expectations." Boom, that was it!

Success through coaching?

Interestingly, these were applications in which no salary expectations were requested in the cover letter. Instead of talking to me and giving me a budget, I was rejected straight away. Just because they thought they knew what I wanted to earn. It wasn't about my skills and abilities for the respective positions. That gave me a lot to think about. I decided to get help.

Tip: Do you also want to work as a freelancer? And avoid the typical mistakes of self-employment? Then read our article by Jan Tissler: Avoid freelancer mistakes.

A coach was supposed to turn my application documents inside out with me. During the course of the collaboration, he suggested that I start a blog. "Ms. Sprung, if you decide to start a blog, think about it carefully. The blog will not accompany you once during your application phase and then be turned off again. On the contrary! It will be your business card on the Internet."

I slept on the proposal for a few nights. We discussed the idea a few more times. But then my mind was made up: I was going to start blogging. I had a lot of knowledge and expertise from my previous work with a company blog. The challenge was to establish the blog as my own brand.

But how does this work, building a brand? First and foremost, by becoming an "expert" on a topic. This means that you work intensively on it and make your knowledge public. In my case, via the blog. Although I don't call myself an expert. Others decide whether I am an expert. But blogging is my passion. I'm passionate about it and that's why I write about it.

Rule number 1: Burn for your topic

Think about it: what topic are you so passionate about that you can immediately talk about it when someone wakes you up at 3 a.m.? For me, it's quite clear: blogging.

I wanted to create a blog that would help others to find all the relevant information on the subject. Without having to tediously search the whole web. I wanted people to think of blogging when they think of Daniela Sprung. And blogging about Daniela Sprung.

Rule number 2: Becoming a brand requires perseverance

My resulting blog bloggerabc has always been an important part of my applications ever since. The last sentence on my cover letters read: "And if you want to find out more about me, then take a look at my blog bloggerabc. Or visit me on social media."

This allowed interested employers to get a picture of me. At the same time, I was able to prove that I understand SEO, editorial writing, content management systems, community management and social media. From then on, I published an article every Wednesday. And I networked with the industry. The result: after 6 months, I no longer had to look for a job. I got my first permanent position at a start-up.

Earn money through the blog

My tasks there included setting up a blog strategy and a blog. At the same time, I continued to run bloggerabc. Little by little, the first freelance jobs came my way: first, writing blog articles for company blogs. And then the first inquiry from a company asking if I could help them optimize their blog.

Together with my coach, who became a friend and mentor at the time, I meticulously prepared this assignment. The client's feedback after the workshop was very positive. From then on, I had "tasted blood". It was exactly what I wanted to do. And without any ifs or buts. Further orders from other companies followed. At the same time, I blogged for companies and platforms. I continued to work on bloggerabc, my knowledge and my vision of where I wanted to take the blog.

Rule number 3: Find your "why"

Think about your "why" and what you want to achieve. Why do you want to implement the blog? Why this topic of all things? What is your goal? What are your target groups?

Once you have found your why, you will find it easier to stick with it. And to deal with setbacks. It drives you forward and helps you to realize your vision. Without your why, blogging will frustrate you at some point. Because it can take a long time to build up a regular readership. Especially now that blogs have mushroomed in the last three to four years. There are many competitors, especially in the lifestyle sector.

My personal "why" was that I wanted to help other people find all relevant blogging information in one place. I wanted readers to no longer have to differentiate between good and bad sources. They should be able to find everything they need for blogging at bloggerabc. It was important to me to make it as easy as possible for people to research the topic.

I now not only write specialist articles for magazines such as Raidboxes. I am also a lecturer for various training institutes in the areas of corporate blogging and social media. I give talks on these topics and organize two event formats of my own: Blog4Business and the Corporate Blog Barcamp. Further ideas are already in the pipeline.

I earn my money from this variety of activities. I have not yet used affiliate marketing, i.e. earning commission through referrals. I had previously ruled this out. But that will change in the future. Because I use a lot of products that I am happy to recommend out of absolute conviction.

But you must be clear about this: Affiliate marketing and partner programs are generally only worthwhile with a high number of visitors or readers. It is often only pennies that are earned through such recommendations on Amazon & Co. Of course, there are also affiliate programs that can generate large sums of money. But the products are also more expensive. In this case, it is important to have affluent target groups that generate sales.

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Passive income is a myth

Making a living from blogging is constant work. Even the digital nomads that you sometimes see so picturesquely in pictures with a laptop on the beach in a hammock have to work constantly. Some, for example, manage online marketing for others. Or they manage other people's social media channels. But of course they have to deliver results, otherwise the job is gone.

Others promote their own products and services, which they may sell to you in advertisements under the slogan "make money easily and quickly". These are the black sheep of the industry. The fact is, however, that they first have to create, advertise and launch these products and services and keep working on them in order to revise them. And to sell them again and again.

Tip: What does it mean to work remotely as a digital nomad? And what should you bring to the table? Read our interview with Michael Hörnlimann. He has been living this way of working for many years.

What I want to tell you is this: Nobody earns money without doing something for it. Passive income is a myth. Not a reality.

Making a living from blogging is work.

In my case, I work more than I did when I was an employee. After all, I have to take care of everything myself: Writing articles for my clients and myself, developing seminars, preparing and following up on consultations, bookkeeping, marketing, acquisitions, public relations, etc. I am an entrepreneur and always bear the risk of not being able to pay my rent, food and insurance.

The only thing I don't earn enough from is copywriting. That's because copywriting work is often not well paid. Platforms like content.de tempt companies to spend less on content. Because there are authors there who offer articles for 2 cents a word. Or who work for idealistic reasons. The same applies to presentations.

An example: I was asked if I would give a 30-minute presentation. When I asked about payment, I was told that there was no budget. After all, a colleague who had already agreed to give a presentation would also do so free of charge. The argument is then often put forward that you can demonstrate your expertise on the day of the presentation. In order to gain new customers and contacts.

In my opinion, anyone who invites speakers to put on an event has to pay for the location, catering, electricity and staff. But not the speakers? After all, that's why the visitors come. Here you should not only show your negotiating skills, but also be able to enforce your fee. Or otherwise to say a clear "no".

After all, the income does not all go 1:1 to my account. That's not a myth, it's a fairy tale. Around half of it goes to tax. So I have to earn enough to have enough net income for myself. I not only have to pay my fixed costs, but also secure my pension - and put enough aside for a rainy day. Because you don't always have permanent jobs or foreseeable fixed income for the next few months.

My highly esteemed colleague Jan Tißler from Upload magazine (highly recommended here too) has written an article on this topic entitled Avoiding typical freelancer mistakes. Among other things, he discusses how you should calculate your hourly rates. And what financial risks lurk as a freelancer.

Another point is relaxation. I also don't have 30 days of vacation that I can take to just drop everything. I haven't taken "time off" for at least 3 years. And I know that's not smart. Breaks and recovery time are incredibly important. My problem is that I have a whole new sense of responsibility for my company. And that I find it hard to let go. That's also part of being an entrepreneur: letting go, switching off, recharging your batteries. Something I have to work hard on myself.

Tip: Not everyone likes working from home or from a coworking space. We have summarized the pros and cons of remote working for you. With tips for everyday life in the home office.

Nothing works without positioning

I am very free in what and when I work. I can decide who I want to work with and which projects I want to take part in. I can implement my own ideas. Without having to get approval. This also means that I set my own prices. Independently of copywriting platforms or colleagues who sell themselves short. But I can only do that if it's clear what I stand for. You need to know what your expertise is. Why should people work with you and not with others?

That's why my tip is: establishing a positioning is the be-all and end-all. You will only be successful if it is clear what product or service you stand for. If it is clear why a customer should buy from you and not from a competitor, then it is less difficult to survive on the market. And that is ongoing work.

I think I've managed to do that with bloggerabc. And I am constantly working on expanding my expertise. By communicating my added value and letting other people share it. The journey has been long and hard, but also incredibly brilliant. The people I've met along the way alone make me forget the difficulties. I have learned an incredible amount. That wouldn't have happened to me otherwise. And I'm far from finished.

I hope I've been able to debunk all the stories about "easy money" in blogging. And still promote this job. You can find more tips on this in my blog strategy post. There you'll find tips on what you should pay attention to. And why I take a very critical view of the hype surrounding blogging. If you like, let's discuss it in the comments. I would be delighted!

Featured image: Ewan Robertson