from blog to business: turning your hobbies into your career

From Blog to Business

Turning your hobbies into your career

Lizzie Fane, ThirdYearAbroad.com

My business…

Being your own boss

PROS•Independence – freedom to make big decisions•Entrepreneurial, challenging and creative•Learn a HUGE range of transferable skills very quickly•You can start while you’re at university!

CONS•Irregular hours•Little pay (if any!) at the start•Uncertain future

(You have time for breakfast!)

Start a company?! Me?THE TRADITIONAL WAY:•Spot a problem that affects a lot of people•Solve it creatively

ANOTHER WAY:•Take a step back and look at your degree choice•What are your hobbies and interests?•Start telling people about them!

STEP 1

Find something you’re passionate about.

e.g.

STEP 2

Start writing, reviewing, photographing and (even better) videoing.

You’re amassing content!

STEP 3

Think of a good (brand) name.

•Witty•Memorable•Alliterative•Spellable…•Unique•RELEVANT

Check if the domain name is free on 123-reg.com

STEP 4

Start a Blog.

The most popular ones are:•Blogger•Wordpress•Tumblr

So for Example…

Say your passion is food.

•Review restaurants/cafes/shops/fairs you visit•Photograph your latest creations•Write about seasonal/controversial/interesting issues•Include jokes, links to blogs/videos you like and cartoons•Note down special offers/discount cards/useful websites•Create a spreadsheet of your favourite food writers’ and bloggers’ web addresses and Twitter usernames (‘handles’)•Try to discover a theme – Vegetarian? Budget? Family?

James Ramsden (Wordpress Blog)

•James was already a ‘foodie’ at Exeter•He has a blog, a Facebook page and

4,500 Twitter followers•Through social media he was discovered

by The Times and is now a freelance food journalist

•He uses social media to promote The Secret Larder Supper Club which he runs with his sister in North London•30 people come to his house every Thursday & pay £30 for a themed 3-course meal•He has just published his first critically-acclaimed cookbook… and so it begins!

STEP 5

Self-promotion.

•Twitter: Tweet each new post to your followers, communicate with them about your shared area of interest.•Facebook: Especially for artists and photographers – showcase your new work, encourage interaction.•Flickr: Highly engaged community of photographers: great for building your reputation and showing off your portfolio.•YouTube: Create your own YouTube channel and make videos on your theme – you could become your brand; sell yourself through your blog.

STEP 6

Monetise.•Content is King!•Money follows the eyeballs!•Once you get a lot of hits, you can get money through advertising and affiliate links.

AFFILIATE LINKS?Companies give you commission if you sell their products for them!

How to monetise your blog?• Artists, Photographers, Illustrators: Show off!• Cooks, Bakers: Experiment with recipes and take photos• Craft hobbies (knitting, jewellery-making, etc): Teach!• Music, Travel, Sport fans: Reviews, tips and links: affiliate.

The other end of the scale?

And finally…Good luck! And send me a link when you’re up and running!

lizzie@thirdyearabroad.comTwitter: @thirdyearabroad