For many people there hobby is no longer something they love doing – something that keeps them active outside of work. Their hobby is actually growing into another stream of income. 

Take Tammy for instance. She is a stay at home mom with three kids, 10, 7 and 5. Now that the kids are in school, she’s looking beyond classroom volunteering, and is looking for a way to make a little extra money on the side without having to return to the workforce. She loves scrapbooking, and considers it her one release. She has created many albums for her family and friends, and knows where to find the best resources at great prices.

Or John. John is an avid bodybuilder and fitness buff. He’s worked out in the gym for almost 20 years, and has a variety of routines that help keep him fit and avoid the general boredom that comes from doing the same thing month after month. He also has a variety of nutritional tips that helped him lose weight, build muscle, and keep in top shape. He’s not an expert or a guru. He has no formal training or education. He’s just passionate about what he does.

Both are perfect for hobby blogging. They have a passion. They have a little extra time. And they could easily start up a blog.

Narrow Your Niche

Start With The Content
Because you’re passionate about what you do, chances are you have a ton of things to write about. Writing not your style? Why not try podcasting? Video is easy to record, and easy to insert into any blog.

Start out Small
Don’t start out hoping for a full time career. Concentrate on gaining $100 a month. That will lead to more excitement, more opportunities, and more growth. But you have to start at the beginning, and be prepared to work from there.

Look For The Income
As a new blogger, you won’t know all the ways to make an income stream from what you do. That’s okay. You can start small with affiliate opportunities, add an ebook, and maybe start offering your own products and services. Get the content up first, and worry about the growth potential second.

Find Mentors
Don’t go it alone. Find people that are doing what you want to do. Find bloggers in your field. Find blogs that help motivate you to keep going. While experience isn’t required, it is important that you find people to help you see what is possible.

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I’ve been in direct marketing in the past. I use several products/services that are sold through direct marketing. Yes its possible to make money in these companies. But if you want to compete and grow using today’s technology, you definitely need more than the simple web extension they provide.

If you’ve ever been involved in direct marketing, or purchased products from a friend with a direct marketing company, you’ll recognize the URLs:

• ABCompany.com/ats108573

When they give you your own personal website, or as I call it a web extension, you use the company’s domain name followed by a series of letters and/or numbers. Sometimes you can list out your name:

• ABCompany.com/JaneDoe

But in either case, if you promote your website to an acquaintance and they don’t remember your extension, name, or number extension, they head right to the main website, bypassing you for the commission.

Many of the companies do have policies on how you can promote the business online. But most will allow you to freely communicate with clients, potential clients, and potential business opportunity seekers in any way you choose.

And increasingly, that’s through a blog.

If you are in network marketing, or about to sign up with a company, start the process out right by considering these 5 tips. 

1. Always choose your own domain name. It’s much more effective saying

My website is at [unique domain name .com] rather than ABCompany.com/ats108573

2. Build up your own blog. By setting up your own blog, you can talk to both your customers and your downline about a variety of things.

3. Begin getting search engine placement in your niche. If you can have people from all over the world in your downline, why aren’t you reaching out to people around the world? Getting into the search engines is your first goal, and its much easier with your own blog.

4. Communicate. The thing I love about blogs is you write once, available forever. Even if I wrote a post two years ago, as long as it still has relevance, I can still share the information with others.

5. Build up your own expertise. Have you ever noticed the leaders in direct marketing are the most vocal? They learned early how to play the game. A blog helps you build your voice, and allows you to continue to grow it forever.