Should you dump a blog that makes no money?

If you have a blog that makes money, that’ great!

But… maybe your blog makes no money.

Then you know how frustrating that can be.

But should you dump your blog simply because it makes no money?

Just quit and start all over again with something new?

Well, of course, that’s up to you to decide.

But there are a few things you should consider before making that decision.

So let’s talk about it for a moment.

Should you dump your blog if it makes no money?

Does your blog make money?

The first thing you need to think about is whether or not your blog actually is unprofitable.

Now, this can be easy or difficult depending on the type of blog you have.

So how do you know whether or not your blog is making any money?

Professional service blogs

This is particularly difficult to know if you have a professional services or company blog.

Those blogs are usually designed to keep in touch with a client anord customer base.

So people may be attracted to your business or professional practice, say, for instance, a legal, dental, medical or tax preparation service. 

But you don’t know if it’s because of your blog or something else you’re doing.

Maybe it’s just word of mouth.

Or it might be because of a print ad, Facebook ad or other paid advertising that you’re engaging in.

Then, on the other hand, people may be buying your products and services more because of the trust they have in you because of your blog.

You can try to figure it out by getting feedback… “join my list,” “answer my survey” etc.

But those things are not perfect indicators.

The thing about the profitability of a professional services or business blog, though, is this.

Regardless as to how much direct profitability you can attribute to them, they can still be extremely valuable to you.

These blogs are all about building trust and authority.

And if you stop publishing content on them, it will have a negative impact the impression your business or profession makes on prospective clients or customers.

On the other hand, if you keep your blog up and running, and currently active, it can only have a positive impact.

So really, you shouldn’t be so concerned as to whether or not these types of blogs make money, but whether or not you are willing to dedicate the resources to maintaining them.

Other types of blogs

All other types of blogs are much easier to assess.

That’s because you are probably selling something on them.

It could be a service you have, affiliate products or anything else.

So it’s a pretty simple matter to just look at the links you have created on your blog posts.

When they are “money links” or links to products and services people can buy, just look to see how much you earned in sales and commission each month.

If you’re earning more than you spend to maintain the blog, then your blog is profitable.

But if not, then you are putting time and effort into blog that currently makes no money.

Your blog is an investment

Now, just becuase your blog makes no money, it doesn’t follow that you’d be wise to dump it.

After all, your blog is more than just a website.

The truth is, blogging is an investment.

You’ve put time, energy and money into it.

Should you just walk away from that investment, or think of ways of restructuring it in a way that it can become a good performing asset?

What you need to do is think about the cost of dumping your blog versus the benefits of continuing it.

The cost of dumping a blog that makes no money

Did you think that dumping your blog is an easy escape from a failed investment?

No way.

There is a cost involved in dumping an unprofitable blog.

And an opportunity lost… an opportunity to fix things and make them work the way you had hoped for when you first started blogging.

Lost time and resources

You’ve already spent a lot of time creating your blog.

And you probably have developed some connections with other bloggers.

You may even have some existing customers and clients.

And don’t forget your email list and social media friends.

You may think your blog makes no money because it’s not attracting sufficient sales and commissions.

But if you simply dump it because it’s underperforming, then you will have lost the time, resources and connections you’ve already built up.

Reboot vs Start-over cost

I mentioned the cost of your “lost opportunity.”

Well, that means you do have an opportunity to turn a blog that currently makes no money, into a profitable one.

There are ways to reboot your blogging business to give it new life, and turn it into a profitable asset.

But if you choose to simply dump it because it’s not producing what you had hoped for, then you’ll be losing out on that opportunity.

Instead, you’ll be incurring “start-over” costs if you decide to start up a new blog.

Starting a new blog won’t come without expense.

And chances are pretty good that those “start-over” costs will be far more than than those required to simply reboot what you’ve already got.

Start-up costs for a new venture

Of course, I understand that some bloggers just decide to stop blogging altogether.

They choose to simply strike out on an entirely new venture.

Now, I can’t say what that new venture might be.

But I can tell you this.

It won’t be simple, and it won’t come without cost.

So slow down with dumping your blog just because it makes no money.

Take a little time to carefully analyze the start-up costs of whatever new venture you might be thinking of.

Benefits of continuing a blog that makes no money

While you’re analyzing all your options, don’t overlook the very real possibility that your best one may well be to continue your blog, even if it is making no money at this time. 

You see, profit does not tell the whole story of the value of your blog.

There are of benefits to it that you might not have thought much about.

So let’s think about them now.

Personal branding

Your blog helps you establish a reputation for yourself.

It can showcase your abilities to be an expert, authority or leader in your field, or in your niche.

Your blog is about you.

It tells your story.

No matter what subject matter your blog is “about,” it always underscores your personal brand.

It always shows who you are, and what your abilities are.

This is the kind of personal branding that money just can’t buy.

But blogging gives it to you, just because of the effort and energy you put into it.

Develop a digital skillset

You might think that you’re running an unprofitable blog just because you’re not making much money from your sales links.

But you are earning something that’s often overlooked.

You’re earning a skillset.

All the things you need to learn in order to continue blogging are a huge asset, in and of themselves.

You can use your blogging skills for your next blog or online venture.

Or, you can market them in the form of services, coaching, consulting and public speaking to name just a few.

You may think you just have blog that makes no money.

But to others, you become their expert and authority the moment they see that you are a blogger.

Get freelance gigs or employment

The skillset that you have acquired from blogging can be an enormous benefit to you if you explore freelance and employment opportunities.

People are always in need of your blogging skills.

As you continue to develop your unprofitable blog, you acquire even more skills.

And those skills get sharpened from regular use.

In other words, from regularly posting to your blog and promoting it.

If you’re looking for any freelance gigs or employment, this skillset can be the basis of a highly attractive portfolio or resume.

Networking

Even if your blog makes no money, it gives you a great opportunity to network with other people.

Some of these people are other bloggers.

But some of them may prove to be business partners in one way or another.

Many joint ventures develop from networking with bloggers.

Networking is also one of the things that makes blogging fun and rewarding.

Restructuring and rebooting a blog that makes no money

Rather than dumping your blog, you could also consider restructuring and rebooting it.

Part of that process involves your honest consideration of this.

Just how much profit do you need to justify continuing your blog?

It may be that your requirement to make money with your blog may not be such a dire concern.

If you only need to start making enough money to cover your expenses, for instance, it’s possible that just a few tweaks could get you to that level.

Or, your need for profit may be far greater.

Only you can decide that.

But it’s important for you to come to terms with it in order to know whether a reboot may be wiser than dumping your blog.

And remember, that decision may be your last chance to recover your “lost opportunity” cost.

Should you dump a blog that makes no money?

It’s possible that you’ll decide it’s best for you to dump your blog.

That could be the case especially if you don’t have the time, energy or passion to continue it.

On the other hand, you may choose to keep your blog running so that you can acquire and maintain all the blogging benefits I outlined above.

Either way, the decision is yours.

It’s my hope that this article will help you make that decision wisely, given your particular situation and expectations.

So let me hear from you now.

Leave me a comment below.

Tell me if you have ever considered dumping your blog.

What do you think would cause you to start thinking about that?

And what keeps you going, even if your blog currently makes no money?

–Donna

PS: Don’t forget to share this article on your favorite social sites. Much thanks 🙂

• Bio
• Blogging Magic

Donna Merrill

Donna is a well known blogger and creator of "Blogging Magic" - an intensive guide to blogging. "Blogging Magic" is for beginners who are trying to figure out how to bring their blogs to life with tons of visits, comments and social media interaction. It's even for advanced bloggers looking to reach new levels of authority and engagement with their audience.