Blogging – Is this a good career fit for a military spouse?

By Marguerite Cleveland

    The world of blogging sounds so incredible, travel the world for free, and make tons of money from the comfort of your home. Is this the right fit for a military spouse? It can be, but the first thing you need to understand is it is hard work and not right for everyone. Here are a few questions to ask yourself.

• Can I write and edit my own material? Can I quickly write content? A Blog involves a huge amount of content that when you are first starting out you will have to solely produce. Think at least three posts a week.
• Can I take and edit good quality photos? Do I have a camera or cellphone with a good camera? Do I have a good eye? Photos draw people to a blog and you must be able to produce good, quality photos so you don’t have the expense of purchasing.
• Can I see myself as a brand? What is my brand? How do I present myself to the public?

So if you think you have what it takes here are your next steps.

• Learn WordPress – This is content management software and you will need to select a hosting service. I like Bluehost because they are recommended by WordPress. The reason you need to use WordPress is you can move your content to other hosting services fairly easily if you become unhappy with your hosting platform. The majority of bloggers use WordPress. It does have a learning curve but once you become proficient it is very user friendly. There are lots of free online information to help you learn. You can also purchase a theme which comes with video tutorials.
• Your Brand – While getting your blog up and running you also need to think about how you are going to get people to visit you new blog. Who are your people or audience? What service do you provide or need do you fill? Pick at least one social media platform and start building followers. Decide on your look. What are your colors? You want this consistent across all your platforms so your audience immediately recognizes your brand.

     This just barely scratches the surface of what you need to learn and do to build a successful blog. One of the pros for a military spouse is that it is a portable career. Once you sustain a certain level of success you can monetize your blog and bring in a good monthly income. The biggest con is that it can take at least a year and even longer to build your audience to where you can monetize. It is consistent posting of an optimal 3 posts a week to build your audience. This is work that you are initially not getting paid for. The bottom line is you really have to love your subject matter and want to share it with the world.

     If after reading this you think you want to start a blog. Take it slow and take the time to learn what you need to do. Don’t just throw up your site on the internet; carefully build a website and blog that you can be proud of. It is worth the time to do it right.

     What kind of blogs do you follow? What would your blog be about?

Marguerite Cleveland is a freelance writer who specializes in human interest and travel stories. She is a military brat, a veteran and now a military spouse.  Her military experience is vast as the daughter of a Navy man who served as an enlisted sailor and then Naval Officer. She served as an enlisted soldier in the reserves and on active duty, then as an Army Officer. She currently serves as a military spouse. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Visit her website www.PeggyWhereShouldIGo.com