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When I started blogging about two years ago as the adult affiliate, I was curious and wanna see how it goes, just like I explore something new.
I don’t have to live by blogging. My full time job is very solid. Affiliating is my part time job, and mostly it’s for fun. Just like I play an online game. The more you play, the higher lever you get. The good thing is this affiliate game can reward me with money, not like other games that you only spend money on.
The first year my affiliate income only reached 1/10 of my annual income. The second year (last year) was much better. Affiliate income reached up to 1/4 of my annual income. The first two months of this year were also much better than those of last year. So everything looks promising.
But is it really worth doing it forever? I don’t know. Everyday I spend 2-3 hrs to make 2-3 posts and hope all of them convert well.
I can spend the blogging time on theater, movies, tv, gym and online games, though. Even if I quit blogging, I still can live by my full time job. I have good benefits and including two vacations a year. So what’s the point I still keep playing this game? I don’t know. Maybe people hate to give up the things that they already put lots of efforts in. But I know I will let it go, sooner or later.When I start blogging, I think I might eventually do it as a full time job. But now I don’t think so. The online porn industry is suffering. Performers make less money, Sponsors make less and affilates make less. There is a one my favorite studio that I’ve been following over 10 years. But from what I observe, they are on downhill too. The quality of new models becomes lower and lower. Sometimes I don’t even have motivation to promote their new scenes. Same things happened to other studios.
If I spend 2x time on blogging, can I make my affiliate income doubled? I hightly doubt it. This game becomes more like you deposit money in your savings account and collect the interest year after year. No risk, but the reward is so pathetic.
I think it’s always very sensible to have more than one way of making money. Adult industry is having difficulties that’s for sure, and for all kinds of reasons. If I had a normal income I would make sure to protect it and prioritize that first of all. However the way you are doing it, is good. Why not see it as a game and hobby, great if you can get extra income and if it fails it doesn’t matter because you still have your main job.
The thing with working in adult isn’t just about being in porn. A lot of us probably do it for other reasons, like being independent, working hours that suit us, no boss, working from home.. it’s got so many benefits. It would be very difficult to combine all those great things and find them in a normal job.
I agree with DOC, it’s always good to have a back-up plan. What if you suddenly lose your job? And it’s a very real possibility these days: people just don’t have job security these days. One company buys another, you’re done.
And most people don’t have the luxury of taking their time to find a new job; maybe you’re not in this position, but most people are just a couple of pay cheques away from being homeless.
Make it game: keep blogging, bank that money to save towards a house / condo, if you already own one you could buy a second and generate rental income (let your tenants pay the mortgage); save for a car; save money to open your own business.
If you enjoy it and you’re making money, continue doing it, just don’t work so hard and burn out.
Thanks for the reply guys.
I totally agree what you guys said. My situation is actually not bad. Even though I don’t work, my current savings and LOC still can support me 2 years without any problem.
My main concern is health. I work 8 hrs 5 days a week for my FT job, and 2-3 hrs a day for this affiliate job. I am worried about getting burnt out early. I don’t go to gym as often as before, and cancelled my jogging habit. I know it’s no good. But I have to save time for blogging. It takes time and effort to build up blog followers and traffic. But they could be gone so easy if you don’t update as often as before. It’s like sailing against the current, either you keep forging ahead or you keep falling behind.
It’s worth or not? I have no idea. Sometimes I wonder why I have to work so hard. It’s said some guys in this forum working more than 12 hrs a day. Maybe I am too spoiled.
Diversification is key in my opinion, as others have said.
I started out blogging, then I moved into toy sales, and then into content creation. I now operate all three businesses but focus on the most profitable, which is writing content for studios and bloggers. I still have my own blogs to invest more time and effort into when time spent on content writing for clients drops down a little, then I go back again as things pick up…
I’m planning to move into mainstream business in the coming year, writing content for online retailers outside of the adult world.
I started out working 12 hours a day, but then I was used to this anyway. These days I can get everything done in 6 or 7 hours, and can then spend some extra time keeping other aspects of business running in the background.
I think that there becomes a time where a business can reach a point where they can expand and become a bit more self-sutstaining.
Now that you are making a bit more money, maybe its time to buy back some of your own time and hire someeone to do at least some of your writing for you?
What other grunt work do you do that can be accomplished by someone else? Pic touchups, design tweaks, SEO work (ok maybe that one you should keep close to home), collages?
It might be time to sit down with your numbers, and revise your business plan (do you have one yet? where do you really want this to go?). A lot of people dont attach a value to their own time. You’ve put in the work and now you’re getting over the hump, so why not invest a bit more, and take a payoff in time for yourself while things grow, instead of only taking a monetary gain?
