This website has already discussed most of the side-hustles I worked to earn extra money during my student debt repayment saga. As teased out in several prior articles, I earned roughly $120,000 over about three years from five different part-time gigs. I did not begin blogging about student loans until after I completely paid off my student debt, since I wanted to have a complete understanding of the student loan experience before I published articles on this topic. However, I have been able to generate a respectable income from publishing content online, and blogging to help pay off student loans is a viable option for numerous student debt borrowers.
Many people have reached out to me since I founded Student Debt Diaries to see how they can begin blogging to help pay off student loans. I am far from an expert on blogging, and there are many online resources that provide helpful information about setting up a blog. However, I wanted to convey a few of my own experiences with blogging for anyone who might want to publish content online to help pay off their student debt.
It is first worth mentioning that blogging is not easy. I have been blogging for a little over a year now, and although I consistently earn several hundred dollars a month, I have not made a serious windfall blogging like some other writers. One reason why I have not earned more money blogging is because I have not monetized Student Debt Diaries as much as other bloggers monetize their own websites. My primary goal with monetization is simply to cover the operating costs of the Student Debt Diaries, and I do not want to commercialize the website too much, since this could affect the user experience and hurt our mission of being a student loan resource.
In any case, there are a few considerations you should keep in mind to make the most money possible from blogging. The most important thing you can do to set yourself up for success as a blogger is to select a topic that you are passionate about. After over a year of blogging, and after publishing around 110 articles, I can honestly say that I still love writing about student loans. However, I know many people who quit blogging after only a few months, either because they were burned out or ran out of ideas. If you are committed to blogging to help pay off student loans, be sure that you pick a topic that you will be able to stick with for years to come.
The next big step is to actually set up a blog. There are tons of articles all over the internet about creating blogs, and I don’t want to rehash this material here. I would definitely suggest, however, that everyone setting up a blog consider Bluehost for their hosting needs. Bluehost is amazing, especially if you do not have technical skills. I crashed Student Debt Diaries three times so far, and I noticed my security certificate expired at 2AM several months ago. On each occasion, Bluehost professionals assisted me with technical issues, and I really appreciate their 24/7 support hotline. You should also consider using WordPress to build the blog, since this platform is easy-to-use and helps create dynamic websites.
After setting up a blog, you need to write a ton of content. I publish on Student Debt Diaries once a week, and I wish I could post more content! Also, it is important not to be demoralized if you do not have too many readers right away. Shortly after starting Student Debt Diaries, I was lucky if I got ten views a day, but now the average is many times this. As you publish more content, search engines will pick up your articles at a better rate, and you will receive more visitors.
In addition, I strongly suggest that everyone blogging to help pay off student loans publish on more well-known websites in addition to their own blogs. I publish a weekly column for Above the Law, a popular legal news website. It can be difficult sometimes to publish two articles a week, but it is definitely worth it. I earn a modest amount of money from publishing on Above the Law, and this cash allows me to make improvements to Student Debt Diaries. In addition, publishing on another blog gives Student Debt Diaries publicity and drives a ton of traffic to my website. Furthermore, having other websites link to your blog helps with search engine optimization, and the backlinks I have generated from other blogs has helped me drive additional traffic to Student Debt Diaries.
It is also important to have thick skin when blogging to help pay off student loans. I get trolled by people online at least once a month, and negative comments can take a toll. There are a ton of people who are insecure about themselves and will not want you to succeed. It might be difficult for you to place yourself on the chopping block by publicizing your opinions.
However, it is important to stay positive, and not let the haters get you down. Indeed, I almost always respond to my trolls in constructive ways, and sometimes, I reach a positive resolution with people who write negative comments about my articles. It is worth mentioning that I receive far more positive comments than negative ones, and it is gratifying to read emails thanking me for publishing information about student debt.
Once you have a robust blog with tons of content, you can go ahead and start monetizing your website. Again, there are a number of articles about this subject on the internet, and bloggers typically have a variety of different income streams. It is worth mentioning that Student Debt Diaries uses Google Adsense and affiliate links in order to generate income, and everyone hoping to make money blogging should also research these income streams. I have even included affiliate links in this article! Advertising and promoting goods and services can help you earn money from your blog.
All told, blogging to help pay off student loans is a viable option for many student debt borrowers. I generate a steady income from blogging, and Student Debt Diaries has only been around for a little over a year. However, it is important to publish as much content as possible, and not quit blogging after only a few months. In addition, don’t let the haters get you down and stay positive throughout the blogging process. If you stick with it long enough, blogging can be a great way to make extra money to help pay off student loans.
This was great. Thank you.
Doing something on the side with the actual job can make paying off the loans so much easier. Blogging is no doubt a good idea in paying off the loan.