The idea of making money as a blogger can seem appealing to lots of people. At the current time, there are thousands of writers who earn a decent living from writing and publishing their articles online. In most instances, their cash comes from advertising, and so it’s vital that website owners who release blog posts drive a lot of traffic to their domains. With that in mind, this article will highlight some of the risks you might overlook when launching a blogging career. Hopefully, the information will ensure you follow the right path.
Low income at the start
There is no getting away from the fact that it could take a while to build your readership and drive traffic to your blog while your business starts to grow. That means blogging is not a career you should begin outright. Instead, you should do it alongside your current employment solution if you want to ensure the bills get paid at the end of the month. During that time, you’ll want to start promoting your blog using:
- Social media websites like Facebook and Twitter
- Banner advertising tools like Google Adwords
- Mailing lists you can purchase online
Copyright claims
Most bloggers will want to use images and video to make their work more appealing to different types of website visitors. However, if you’re not going to create those pictures and films yourself; there is a small chance you might encounter copyright claims. When that happens, you need to assess the validity of the complaint and then remove the photo if it’s appropriate to do so. Still, there are lots of creative commons websites where you can get the images you need for free without concern. In most situations, you just have to provide credit to the photographer.
Potential tax issues
You have to remember that working as a blogger, for the most part, will mean you are self-employed. So, you’ll have to get in the habit of recording all your income and outgoings for the authorities each year. Failure to do that will mean you find yourself in a lot of trouble. The government might also notice discrepancies in your reporting. If that happens, you’ll need to get in touch with an IRS dispute specialist as soon as possible. Also, be sure to take a look at your accounts every couple of months so you can predict the size of your tax bill. The last thing you need is to go bankrupt after only twelve months because you’ve spent your earnings and can’t afford to pay your tax.
Now you know about some of the potential pitfalls of blogging; you should manage to launch your career without making too many mistakes. Of course, there are lots of other things that could go wrong. For that reason, be sure to use common sense and keep your eyes peeled at all times. You could also take the time to network with other professional bloggers because the expertise those people hold could come in handy in the future if you come up against any stumbling blocks.