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Thinking of starting a blog? Are you over 40? As a blogger over forty – gosh I’m actually over 50, I hesitate to use the dreaded middle-aged word here – I am keenly away that I don’t fit into the traditional blogging mold.
Even in my VIP Mastermind Group, I am old enough to be some of my coparticipants mothers. It’s a weird feeling being surrounded by all these young whipper snappers.
Don’t get me wrong, these women are incredible.
I stand in awe and amazement of women like Ruth Soukup of Living Well Spending Less, Rosemarie Groner of The Busy Budgeter, Gina Horkey of Horkey’s Handbook and Kim Anderson of Thrifty Little Mom just to name a few. These women are killing it in the blogging world.
Geez, I sound like a teenager now. But it’s true.
Where does that leave the rest of us? Is it possible to be a successful blogger over the age of 40, especially if you’re just starting out?
Table of Contents
STARTING A BLOG OVER 40
At first glance into the blogging world, one might think this is a young person’s game. But if you’re over 40 and thinking of getting into blogging know that if you dig around enough, you’ll find there are plenty of us ‘mid life bloggers’ out there.
We may not be as big a group as some of the younger mom or fashion bloggers out there, but are numbers are not as small as one would think.
Of course, there are differences between them and us. For one, the older we are, the more complex our lives are with responsibilities and obligations. You may be working, have a family, looking after aging parents, possibly already have grandchildren and assist with their care, volunteer for charities and more.
Maybe you’re working full time and wonder how on earth will you find the time to blog?
That’s not to minimize the responsibilities of many of the younger bloggers, but with age typically comes a wider degree of responsibility. For many of us, as I mentioned above, it includes caring for elderly parents.
The second most notable difference between the two distinct generational bloggers has to do with confidence.
In a sea of what appears at first glance to be a higher percentage of bloggers in their 20’s and 30’s, many mature bloggers wonder who on earth is going to listen to them? What on earth could they possibly offer that anyone would want to read?
You’d be wrong in your assumption if you think you’ve got nothing valuable to share.
The third difference is our ability to be intimidated by not only the social blogging scene, which by the way is where you get all the inside scoop on how to make blogging work for you, but also by the technology and related requirements to make a blog successful.
Often we know more than we think when given the opportunity to shine.
I know I don’t have all the answers for anyone contemplating starting a blog over 40 or even 50 but what I will say is that finding the time, inspiration and energy to blog is entirely worth the effort that’s required.
WHY BLOG OVER 40
Blogging provides a creative outlet for the person who has a deep knowledge and passion they want to share with the rest of the world.
I’m proud of what I blog about, and it’s fun in the process. Not bad for an occupation that provides me a full-time income and more.
So after several years of blogging, I’ve got some advice to share with anyone over 40 who are contemplating starting the blogging journey.
ACCEPT WHAT IS
If you’re anything like me, you have a complex and multi-layered life full of all the twists and turns of anyone our age. Don’t see this as a hindrance to your blogging career but rather as something to be proud of.
Don’t have the time to blog full time due to your ever increasing exciting life? That’s ok. Do the best you can where you are at the moment. When you can write, write.
Use techniques such as time blocking to help you be morei productive.
The point here is just to start. Start on your blogging journey so that when things calm down, and you find yourself with more time on your hands, you can devote the necessary time to make your blog a success.
LEARN WHAT YOU CAN
Learn from other bloggers who know more than you do.
I wasn’t shy about signing up for Elite Blog Academy and learning from a woman more than 15 years younger than I. Why? Because I knew she had the knowledge I didn’t to help my blog be successful.
When Ruth offered me a spot in EBA VIP the Mastermind Program, I jumped at the chance.
The reality is most of the bigger bloggers out there are women (and a few men) in the lifestyle arena who are significantly younger than you or I. Get over it. They have lots to share, and they do so pretty willingly.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO INVEST IN YOUR BUSINESS
One of the ways I’ve been able to grow is by reinvesting back into my business each month.
What I did and continued to do is to reinvest a percentage of my income back into my business each month. For someone just starting out and if you don’t NEED the money, try and reinvest 100% of what you earn back into your blog until you reach around $1,000 per month.
From there you’ll find a percentage that works for you.
Here’s some of what I invested in:
- Elite Blog Academy – Comprehensive Blog Training (Only opens once a year so get on the waiting list here)
- Hosting – For $3.95/month
- Picmonkey Royale Membership – $33
- Site Redesign and logo – $400 (I use Laura from PixelMe Designs for all my blog design related work. I can’t recommend her enough).
- Tailwind – $9.99 per month. Pinterest approved.
- Productivity Guide For Bloggers – (Not available right now. Join the waitlist here.)– $37
- Big Stock Photo Subscription – Depends on the plan
- EBA VIP (not available now, best bet is to get on the EBA waiting list)
SHARE YOUR WISDOM
I’ve got lots of readers in their 20’s, and 30’s who read my blog BECAUSE I have been there and done that and they know they’re getting solid advice from someone who’s experienced what they are currently going through.
They’re smart – they know they can learn something from me.
You have a wealth of knowledge that our younger counterparts don’t have and won’t have until they reach our age.
Use this wisdom to your advantage. Capitalize on it in every way shape imaginable.
LEARN YOUR WAY
There are bound to be things you don’t know, whether that’s about how to use Instagram, how to optimize your images for Pinterest, how to increase your talking about number on Facebook or the ins and outs of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Every single blogger goes through this whatever their age.
But blogging should be fun so make sure you learn in a way that suits you.
Take a workshop, online course, hire someone to mentor you or join a mastermind or accountability group. It doesn’t matter what you decide just make sure you’re learning what you need to learn to move your blog forward.
There is a fairly steep learning curve in the early days of blogging – writing your posts are only the tip of the iceberg.
GO TO BLOGGING EVENTS
There are virtual blogging events, and in-person events held all over the world.
Some are general blogging events and others like FinCon are niche specific blogging conferences.
Don’t be afraid to attend these events. Although it may feel awkward to walk into a group of bloggers who probably know each other, blogging is a very open and sharing community and people are friendly and supportive.
You won’t be the only baby boomer in the crowd, I promise.
In fact, why not consider attending the Activate Conference this year? If you’re ready to learn how to do product launches, you won’t want to miss this event. And, if you attend make sure you come over and say ‘hi’ to me.
DO IT YOUR WAY
Your life and all the responsibilities that come with it comes first.
One of the perks of being over 40 is we’ve earned the right to do things OUR WAY.
Blogging over 40 (or any age for that matter) should be fun. So blog with that in mind.
Don’t stress about reaching some random gurus high expectation that you must PIN 100 pins a day or post 3-4 times a week and post on Facebook at specific times with specific content.
Are they correct? Yes, they are.
But when life comes charging at you, remember where your priorities fall and always take care of what matters most first.
DECIDE WHAT KIND OF BLOG AND BUSINESS YOU WANT
Many of us are fortunate enough that blogging is a second career. We’ve made our money and are more financially secure than many of the younger bloggers out there.
If you don’t want to have a million dollar business, guess what? You don’t have to have one.
You get to decide what kind of blog and business you want to have.
I gave up long ago on the idea of having to work that hard to earn that sort of income. I’m perfectly satisfied with my six figure business.
Of course, if you want to make a million go ahead, that’s your prerogative, and that’s what so great about this business. It can be whatever you want it to be.
DON’T TRY TO MASTER EVERYTHING AT ONCE
As I said previously, there’s a lot to learn.
Social media, email campaigns, product launches, freebies, affiliate marketing just to name a few.
If you attempt to master all of these at once, you’ll probably end up abandoning a career choice that offers more flexibility and income potential than almost anything else out there.
Be realistic about your goals and take things step by step.
Elite Blog Academy provided me with a step by step framework that helped me become a successful blogger. Without it, I might have still been rummaging around trying to figure all this out.
CONCLUSION
Blogging is one of the most fun, flexible and lucrative money making careers one can choose, and it’s particularly friendly to people over 40.
If you’re considering blogging, know that it’s been one of the best decisions I ever made.
I have only one regret….
that I didn’t do it sooner.
Blog on friends!
Want to connect with other women bloggers over 40? Join our Private Facebook Group HERE~
Did you enjoy this article? Here are some other blogging favorites:
A Blog Post Checklist for The New Blogger
Can You Make A Living Blogging?
Mindset Secrets of Successful Bloggers
