How to become a blogger in Seattle?

I’ve been asked this question a ton lately and I thought I better address it somewhere so I can at least send this link out as a response. And this is usually the first of two questions I get asked because right after I get asked “How do you become a blogger?” I get asked “Do you make any money?” and then I know I need to talk about both of these questions in depth.  So if both of these questions are why you’re here in the first place and you are looking to start a blog or learn about blogging for beginners, than this is the post for you.

Do you make any money?

Can you imagine if we asked people in other jobs this question without getting to know them first?  Do you make money doing what you do all day?  Do you work for free? (These questions makes me think that maybe we do need to talk a little more openly about investing and money in our society-it would be so helpful to know how to keep more in our pockets, right?) But there is definitely a more subtle way to tell if bloggers make money without asking them directly just like you can find out this kind of information for any other job-you can google “do bloggers make money” or “how to make money blogging” and on any specific blog you can look for banner ads, affiliate links and even posts labeled “sponsored” and then you will know that the blog you are reading is taking in at least a teeny bit of income of some kind.  It is also really important that you do read a few blog posts from a blogger before you ask them any kind of blogging questions.  Blogging relies so much on a sharing community and if you do not read blogs and want to blog, this is the first place to start.

Can I make an income from a blog?

This is such a loaded question because only you know how much income you need or want for your current lifestyle or your lifestyle goals.  I have friends in the blogging world who definitely make an income from blogging to support their families and they are amazing business women.  We read about phenomenal bloggers like the Bloggess, Oh Joy and Smitten Kitchen who also seem to be doing quite well through this medium and it is fun to dream that we could one day walk in their footsteps.  Every blogger is different and may be at a different point in their blogging journey or plan.  My blog is more of a hobby blog in that my primary work is still as a stay at home mom and I have to be careful about the campaigns I work with because I have a limited amount of time.  I want to do a good job on the posts that I write and have fun at the events I attend.  I love that sponsored posts and affiliate links allow me to have a flexible part-time job with creative freedom that satisfies my soul.  I’ve learned I really love photography and storytelling and I’m thankful that I’m able to gradually and deliberately take on more work as my kids need me less and less and I love that I’m growing a sense of identity through something I’ve created.  I have been blogging for a while now and I never would have imagined some of the adventures that this journey has taken me on and I am thankful I have been able to partner with brands that I admire to learn more about their stories. I’m so curious about why we buy the things we buy and go to the places we go and I love that I can help small local businesses and women-owned businesses also get more visibility in places where traditional media has been a barrier in the past. Every year, I write down the goals of what income I would like to make with my blog, who I’d like to partner with and what I’d like to accomplish with my blog that year.   Every blogger is different on how they run their blog to make income and I’ve found that by setting goals I have something measurable to accomplish that year.

Okay, I still want to become a blogger.  How do I start?

When I started blogging I didn’t totally realize that ANYONE could read what I wrote on the internet.  It was more of way of connecting with a group of fellow twin mommas about our babies and share daily life with faraway family and friends and this was such a long time ago.  Over the years blogging has definitely evolved into an industry and people read blogs, watch youtubes, create insta-stories and follow social media influencers more than I ever could have imagined back then.  So before you start, instead of just thinking “how do I start?” I would suggest you think of why you are thinking of starting instead.  Maybe you want to tell your story.  Maybe you want to make money or be insta-famous.  Maybe you want a way to connect with people in a community you have some expertise in.  You don’t have to share this information with anyone else, but by deciding why YOU want to do it before you begin, it will be easier to stay true to these goals.  Once you have that, you can easily google “how to start a blog” and there are a million resources out there now that can help you decide how to start.

Blogging in Seattle?

We have an incredible blogging network in Seattle and it is so valuable to have such a support network in this industry.  You can find this connection through the Seattle Bloggers Unite Facebook Group.  Seattle Bloggers Unite was originally started by Lyndsey Wells who you can find at Boy Moms Unite and the group is moderated and run by Kristie Hill who is incredible at helping new bloggers with starting a blog and figuring out Pinterest and Marissa Pederson who takes amazing pictures on instagram and has an awesome and successful blog called Postcards to Seattle.   Seattle bloggers collaborate, cheer each others’ victories and help each other learn new things and I can only hope the community over competition vibe is as strong in other places as it is here.  There is no need for blogging to be solo work and if you need help in your journey in learning how to become a blogger in Seattle, reach out to Seattle bloggers and we are here to help.

The coolest part about blogging whether it is a creative outlet or job-we are all here to support one another.  Blogs rely on readers and readers make a community and I’m so thankful for this creative uplifting community.  Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to assist you or direct you to someone who might be able to help you start!

(PS. if you are starting out as a blogger or if you’re a veteran with tips, I’d love to hear from you below on what inspires you!  And if there are bloggers who inspire you or someone who has helped you I’m sure we’d all love to hear about them too in the comments below!)

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)