Your blog is not a business

If you've been around blogging, or digital marketing, for even half the time I have, you're bound to have heard someone mutter these words.

Your blog is not a business.

And if you're still muddling through like me, you muttered "yes, I'm serious about it!" just like I did, and kept following the same path you were on, without really getting anywhere.

But if we're being honest here, neither of us is getting anywhere fast. We're floundering and flapping about, and feel like we're drowning in ideas and to dos, and, and, and.

Years ago, back in 2010 to be precise, Steve and I bought a truck. He had been offered a job opportunity, but needed his own truck to make it work, so we took the plunge and started our own business.

The truck was an asset of the business.

When we'd been married less than a year, we bought our first house together.

The house is an asset of our marriage.

You can see where this is going, right?!

Your blog is an asset of your business.

But let's dive just a little bit deeper than that. Have you ever wondered what a business actually is?

Google defines business as

1) A person's regular occupation, profession or trade.

2) A commercial activity.

We're interested in the second definition - a commercial activity. Selling things.

So what are you selling? 

Using the previous truck example, the asset of the business is used to generate the income.

Makes sense, right?

But what about the blogging asset? What can you sell with that one?

That's easy! Blogging actually comes with two assets.

You can sell your location [advertising, sponsored posts] or your skills [freelance, product]

But why do the experts keep saying "your blog is not a business" if we've got something to sell?

Because we're not using it!

We're not out there, chasing advertisers (or applying for AdWords or whatever your jam is), and we're not chasing freelancing gigs or creating products, either. [This is as much a reminder for me as it is you, because I don't do any of these things either.]

Mind blown!

So what steps can you take to move from blog to business?

Change your thinking! 

I know, it sounds simple [believe me, I understand how hard it is, I am full of self-doubt, remember] but understanding that you do have something to sell, and that people do want to buy it, is the first step in clarifying what your business is, and how to achieve your goals.

Work out your products. 

Are you happy having sidebar adverts, or do you hate they way they look? Can you stay organised and on deadline, or do you drop the ball [like me]? Is your product affiliate links, or an ebook? What do you want to sell?

Create a plan.

If you're going to sell affiliate links, how are you going to find them? How will you market them to your readers? You need a plan for the content you'll use those links in, and how you'll market them. If an ebook is more your style, what will it be on? You need a plan to write it, market it, sell it. If writing for others is more your style, you need a plan for finding clients, and staying on track with the work. And don't forget to include how you'll stay organised with home, too.

Start selling.

Don't overthink it, don't make it harder than it already is, just start selling whatever the product is that you noted in the steps above.

Now, this is in no way to say that blogging for business is easy, but with a mindset tweak, looking at your blog as an asset of your business can make it easier to put in the hard work of making money.