Short answer: Maybe. It actually all depends on you.

Why do you blog?

Are you blogging for you or are you blogging for the money? Maybe both for you and the money?


If you're blogging for you and about something you love or something you want to share with others then no I don't believe that you wasted your time. You're sharing something you're passionate about and enjoying doing so. What you're sharing could possibly help someone and change their life--even if it's just one person. You made a difference, and answered someone's questions or provided advice to someone's issues. You did something and are continuously doing something!




If you gain some viewership and want to monetize the site, no problem. Sometimes people choose to do what they love full time--in this case for you it might be blogging.

If you are simply blogging for money only: how quick do you need this cash?

If you want $500 by this week friday, you might be wasting your time. Earning money with a blog can be stressful if you're blogging about something you have no interest in, and know nothing about. This can be an extreme time waster as most people who just jump into making a blog just for the money don't know that most popular monetized blogs have months of hard work under their belt and did not make money overnight.


The chance of going viral is slim.


If you just got into blogging and are expecting quick money then yes you are wasting your time. Stop now and run for the hills before reality crashes down on you!


If on the other hand you are blogging for money and are knowledgeable on the topic you blog about I would suggest to keep on going as it may take a few months before seeing a steady viewership. Make sure your site isn't clouded with pop up ads that are loaded with scam sites and viruses because that first sign will make your viewers run away screaming "never again!"

What do you blog about?

1. Yourself?
2. Your interest?
3. Bull? You copy and paste?



If you're number 3 please know that you will be hit with dmca take downs and may have all your site's content pulled down. It's always best to have original content. The "Copy and paste other blogs method" is a complete waste of time as all of the content you copied on the Internet will be detected by Google and therefore google will punish your blog.



If you are blogging about yourself just for you (not monetizing) or to put yourself out there then knock yourself out! Keep going you're on fire.




If you are trying to monetize your daily life, and are an adventurous person I would reccomended starting a vlog or youtube channel along with your blog. This way you can attract a bigger audience since most people would love to tag along with you on your adventures. People love visuals. Personal blogs are more difficult to monetize so I would reccomend going a different route (like tutorials) if you expect to make some type of money from your blog.




My tip, if you are blogging (and plan to monetize it along the way) and feel anxious about wasting your time is to blog about something you love or something you wish someone told you awhile ago. Anything that may have been helpful to you that you believe could help others. That way what you blog about has a purpose and won't seem as much of a time waster.

How do you promote yourself?

This is the number one factor in being found (other than having good original blog posts).


If you are scared of social media maybe having a business card or poster could help you out.


Working offline might be your thing.


If you are not scared of social media please make use of Google +, pinterest, facebook, twitter, tumblr, and stumbleupon.



Researching the different ways to promote yourself and finding what works for you is a great way to market your blog and let others find you.


My biggest tip is to be where your audience is. If your blog is about writing go where the writers are. If you write young adult fiction on your blog bring some samples over to places like wattpad or figment--you know the place where your audience is (in this case young adults and those sites are swarmed with them). By bringing your content over to your audience that then helps your audience come over to your blog. Yes one giant step for mankind--wait no, your blog.



Remember your blog is basically a marketing tool itself. It hosts what you write so don't be shy, and make sure to add social media buttons under your blog posts so that your readers can share it with others too! By gaining a wider audience your confidence will most likely increase and the thought of blogging being a serious time waster will swiftly go away.