Are you a creative soul? Frankly, I believe everyone is! And, today we’re going to chat about how to make money for retirement by unbridling that creative energy. You won’t want to skip this post if you have any concerns about enough income after retiring,
And isn’t that all of us?
I often wish I found my favorite platform for making money online before the retirement party was over. Mind you, I’m not saying it’s ever too late to try something new. I regularly interact with dozens of retirees, some in their 80s and beyond, who would scoff at that nonsense.
But as planning goes, the best strategies are arguably those that are put in place well before your retirement date. That’s because many plans require time for implementation, growth, and maturity. That’s certainly true of my heartfelt recommendation for generating income in the online space.
Now is the time to start thinking outside that 9 to 5 box. Be proactive about defining your retirement years
I invite you to take those first transformational steps with me and discover the myriad benefits of niche blogging.
What is a Niche Blog?
A niche blog is a type of website that’s frequently updated with new content called posts. Your content can cover any topic, but the best practice is to keep it narrowly focused. Develop an ideal customer persona (an avatar). Make it someone you can envision chatting and connecting with over a shared cup of coffee,
Naturally, you want to encourage readers to visit your blog and soak up everything you have to share. Readers appreciate depth and a series of related articles. So, keep visitors on your site longer and inspire them to come back with lots of relevant information that’s directed squarely at their particular needs.
If viewers find what they need, chances are they will share it or recommend your site to others. And before you know it, your traffic will soar!
Niche Blogging Ideas Are Everywhere
I’m not overstating things at all when I say that your list of potential blog topics is limited only by the bounds of your imagination. To be sure, your list will be different from my own because it derives from the sum total of your experiences and interests.
But here’s a great starting point for anyone contemplating a digital lifestyle. I urge you to grab a notepad and pencil. Take a few moments to jot down the first things that pop into your head in each of the following categories:
- Skills you’ve learned and perfected in the workplace that you can teach others. Maybe you’re a wizard with spreadsheets and have tons of tips, tricks, and hacks to share.
- Hobbies you find riveting like quilting, woodworking, gardening, jewelry making or knitting just to scratch the surface.
- Leisure pursuits that chew up many of your non-working hours. These could even be things you have a classic love/hate relationship with like fitness.
- Activities you’re told you have a flair for like home decorating,
- Consider any adopted lifestyle choices like a decision to become Vegan.
- Don’t forget the stuff you dream of trying when the daily work grind ends and you have more time. Perhaps you always wanted to learn to play the guitar but could never squeeze it into your busy life. Chronicling your progress is an option.
Where do your passions lie?
If you have an overarching passion that you just can’t get enough of or stop talking about, that’s likely to be your favored niche. But don’t be too quick to discount anything that crops up on your list. Remember that your prospective Internet audience is global and there are bound to be many others who share your enthusiasms.
As a simple case in point, my son’s thing is Japanese Anime. I admit I don’t get the fascination. His interest goes way
beyond a library of videos. He also builds and displays models and has an impressive collection of T-shirts.
I don’t get it! 🙂 But that’s perfectly fine. Bloggers don’t write for everyone. They target a niche audience that shares their interest. And, there’s no denying that the Anime tribe is enormous.
Who knew?
Blogging Is a Creative Endeavor
Transforming a hobby or passionate interest into an online business takes effort and a measure of entrepreneurial spirit. But, it’s oh so rewarding on many levels. The fact is that blogging in all its myriad forms is a creative outlet.
You will:
- Expand your horizons and knowledge base
- Further develop your writing skills by crafting engaging articles
- Explore imagery because your viewers are visual creatures
- Consider the merits of adding video
- Embrace a new approach to generating income
- Take decisive action to enhance your later years
How to Grow a Blog Following
Share your hard-earned wisdom, experience, and passions by constructing a resource-packed website one blog post at a time. Provide the helpful tips your target market is already searching for.
Your Readers Don’t Know How to Perform a Task, But You Do
Hence, you can prepare those much sought after “how-to” articles and tutorials that Internet users crave and appreciate. Leading people step-by-step to their desired end result is almost magical.
You Struggled With a Problem But Found a Solution
Your readers face frustrating challenges of all kinds. But you have answers. You can relate to the issues they’re suffering because you were once there also. When folks have an “aha” moment on your site, that creates a powerful connection.
You Did Your Research and Can Help Others Cut to the Chase
Many visitors to your site are brand new to the topic at hand. Their curiosity is driving them, but they don’t have a lot of time to spend conducting their own in-depth research. Your comprehensive article is precisely what they were hoping to find. And, in all likelihood, you just added a new follower.
In summary, growing a following involves putting customer needs first. First and foremost, your site must be viewed as a source of valuable information. Obviously, one doesn’t become a trusted authority figure overnight. But consistency and persistence will win that battle over time.
You now have regular traffic which is the perfect scenario. Why? Because a site that’s attracting a lot of eyes will make money. And now you understand why getting started as early as possible is ideal. Your customer-centric website has to evolve into a revenue-generating asset.
How Do You Get Paid for Blogging
Once reader trust is earned and you have traffic, there are a bunch of different ways to monetize your blog. Any of the following, or some combination of these methods, will work.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is my personal choice for monetizing my blog. The simplicity of this business model, along with the benefits to all participants in the process is a thing of beauty. I prefer not to get involved in the hassles associated with selling products of my own.
I promote products that I’m very comfortable recommending because I use them myself. In return, I earn a commission. Studies show that roughly 80% of online sales involve an affiliate. So, it’s fair to say that this is a widely accepted practice. Affiliate programs are free and easy to join.
Recommended Reading: How to Make Money From Affiliate Programs: For Beginners
Ad Revenue
Once you have great content on your site and you draw regular traffic, you might want to consider placing ads on your site using Google Adsense. Companies pay Google to advertise their goods and services on websites across the Internet. As a website owner, you can sign up for free and display ads on your web pages.
You earn revenue when readers click on the ads (or in some cases view the ads). Revenue varies but is generally a few cents per click. One downside is that ads can be intrusive. But many webmasters find displaying advertisements to be a nice source of passive income.
Sell Your Own Products
Setting up an eCommerce site is relatively easy if you want an outlet to market products of your own rather than merely promoting items for other vendors. If you also have a brick and mortar business, selling online can be an excellent avenue for extending your customer reach.
Write an Ebook
Do you have aspirations of becoming an author? Writing a self-published ebook is not uncommon today. Many bloggers decide to expand upon the topic of their niche and create a more substantial guide that may incorporate information from a series of posts and provide more depth.
If your Ebook targets the same audience, your blog may be the perfect marketing tool.
An established blog can be an excellent source of recurring monthly income. The amount you eventually earn is entirely dependent upon the effort you are willing to invest to achieve success. Blogging is a marathon rather than a sprint and requires persistence and patience.
You can work at your own pace because this is your business and you’re the boss. The ideal scenario is one where you’re planning ahead and have a year or two to nurture your labor of love. It takes time to establish trust with both readers and the all-important search engines who will send organic traffic your way.
How to Start a Blog from Scratch
If you’re a complete novice, starting a blog from scratch is much easier than you may think. There are a few essentials that you will need, including a domain name, web hosting, and a blogging platform.
A domain name is a unique address on the Web where readers can find you. You want something brandable. Your web hosting determines where your content files will reside. Finally, a blogging platform is the software that lets you build and design the look of your site and manage the content you add. I can’t say enough about the merits of WordPress.
Secure these three basics, and the foundation of your website can be live on the Internet in minutes. I found this positively thrilling, and I know you’ll have a similar reaction.
One of the most appealing features of an online vs. offline business venture is the minimal cost. Naturally, a business that requires services and resources will involve operating costs. I operate my site through an all-inclusive, cost-effective platform. My annual premium membership runs me roughly $1/day.
There are blogging advocates who will tell you that you can do this entirely on your own. But that’s not me. I’m a tireless advocate for getting coaching on all the blogging facets that make a difference. Additionally, I urge participation in a community of like-minded individuals who can answer the inevitable questions you will have, offer solutions, and cheer you on.
But wait! There’s no need to spend a dime at this point in your journey of exploration. No description of how to start a blog from scratch can possibly take the place of hands-on experience. If you’ve stuck with me thus far, you may be a blogger at heart.
Therefore, why not take the next logical step?
A risk-free starter membership at my online platform will fill in so many holes and clarify a multitude of questions I may have failed to address. Build a free website, take some training, and engage with the community. Only through interaction can you know for sure that this approach to supplementing pension income is the right path for you.
Final Thoughts
Rather than worrying about the potential cash flow issues that retirement might bring, why not embrace a new strategy? Prepare for your future by learning how to make money for retirement in new and creative ways!
Creativity isn’t a talent that you’re born with. Nor is it a gene that you’re missing. Instead, creativity is a mindset that allows us to think outside the proverbial box. It’s a mental characteristic and learned skill that leads to innovative actions and positive results.
Nurturing and unleashing your creative resources today can have a dramatic impact on those retiree years ahead. To steal a quote from the legendary Dr. Seuss, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”
Over to You
What’s your niche? How much time can you devote today to securing a better future? Please jump into the comments below because we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Blogging is such a creative experience that if well maximized can help to overcome all challenges waiting after retirement. Getting it started as early as possible would really help to establish one as an authority over the years. Blogging is just not a day’s work and requires dedication and commitment to building but over time it blooms to becoming great. It is really a great venture for anyone to get in. I have a blog that I work part-time and I hope that one day, after retirement, I will be able to continue with the business while also earning supplemental income. Thanks
Hi Ro,
You have captured the situation well. Blogging is a business and a long-term venture. Your years of steadily building an online presence on a part-time basis will serve you well in the end. Stick with it and your blog will bloom as it matures.
Good luck and thanks for sharing your perspective!
Hello Linda,I think my mum will like to read this because she just retired and she’s not a person who loves being away from doing something. Her niche right now might be plants and gardening. I can say for sure that she is a professor in the field. Not like she schooled about it but she really loves it and she knows a whole lot about gardening. Thank you for this good and comprehensive information on how to make money blogging for retirees.
Hi John,
I don’t think your Mum is alone in liking to stay busy which raises another good point for blogging. As much as we lament the time spent at our 9 to 5 jobs, there is a sense of security and purpose also that comes from the structure a job provides. Blogging can replace that structure while still providing flexibility for pursuing other interests. In many ways, a home business is the best of both worlds.
Mum’s love of gardening way be the perfect segway into the next phase of her life. It’s a passion she shares with a massive target audience. She can share her extensive knowledge with people who need and crave the tips. She may really enjoy reading How to Start a Gardening Blog for Fun and Profit There are some exceptional affiliate programs in the gardening niche she may also want to check out.
Please send her my way if she has further questions I can help answer. Thanks for dropping by!
Retirement is one part of our lives we all pay so much attention to as no one wants to be living on some small pension money that can’t pay all the bills. Looking at going into the online world of making money, blogging is one very wide aspect that can bring in some cool cash for you. Looking at the many chances that come with it, especially the affiliate marketing system, its something that is very lucrative. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Dane,
An affiliate marketing niche blog can indeed be a highly lucrative endeavor. But keep in mind that it is a business that will take extensive effort to build properly. The sooner you get started, the better if your goal is regular monthly income in your retirement years.
Thankfully, I know you’ll enjoy the process of building a business of your own. Working online and being your own boss is amazing! Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts!
I feel like I’ve got a lot of ideas and passions to explore which gets me confused on which one to settle on. I love to help people with things I know how to do well especially by illustrating. Although, I’ve read several blogs which shares similar points in what you explained here but I feel stuck.
I’ve listened to people share their success stories on how they’ve excelled in online business with the loves so I’m convinced that I can also do the same before my retirement. Actually, I want to retire at a younger age rather than letting the system retire me. Hope I finally come up with a niche to put my creativity into action. Thanks for sharing this
Hello,
Having multiple interests and passions is a good thing. In time, there is nothing to prevent you from starting more than one niche blog. That said, you will want to pick one target market to focus all your energies on initially. Once you’re making money with your first site, you can consider diversification.
It’s great that you love to help people and feel you have the knowledge to share. Helping people solve problems and meet their goals is the heart of affiliate marketing. With persistence, there’s no reason why you can’t retire young and replace your full-time earnings with income from your online business.
Good luck with your goals and thanks for sharing!
Thanks for this wonderful piece of information you have given here in this post. I only recently retired from my job and I have been meaning to go into affiliate marketing. Although I really do not have much knowledge about it. From what I have seen here, I’ll try blogging. However, I don’t really know how I can get a profitable niche which could bring in some money. Also is there any specific program you’ll suggest that can help me learn more about affiliate marketing?
Hi Chloe,
I’ve been a premium member of Wealthy Affiliate for more than three years now and can’t say enough about this world-class training platform. They have a thriving community of retirees, and you can read more about the benefits to retirees of joining WA here.
I urge you to go through the exercise I included in this post for finding a niche that inspires you. Additionally, WA offers multiple training videos and tutorials that will help hone your focus. You really can’t go wrong with a risk-free Starter Membership. I think everyone struggles initially with finding a niche. But all it takes is some directed brainstorming to identify your passions.
Good luck and thanks for commenting!
Hi Linda
I really like your fresh and honest approach to the beauties of starting an online blog for those who are retired or thinking of retiring. Although I’m not near retiring just yet, there are some really useful tips in finding your own niche.
Personally, my niche is alternative health using herbs and plants to heal which I have a huge passion for and I guess this was the way forward for me. Having a passion for something and wanting to help others along the way is simply what works for me.
Your style of writing is informative and positive and can put the absolute beginner at ease in venturing out into niche blogging. I’ll be bookmarking your site for future reference.
All the best
Teresa
Hi Teresa,
I so appreciate your sharing your niche with us. Alternative health guidance focused on herbs sounds fascinating. And, you’ve captured the essence of affiliate marketing. It’s all about connecting and helping real people who are seeking answers to questions and solutions to problems.
Thanks for your very kind words and for taking the time to comment! Good luck with your exciting online venture!
Hi Linda. Thanks for providing so much information. I’m looking for ways to supplement my income when I retire in a few years. You really got me thinking about what I could write about. I appreciate the links to the books also. I was reviewing what my income would be when I retire and it’s not living. lol. It’s existing. I really appreciate you going through the process of how to get started online. Thank you.
Hi Paula,
Many people find themselves in a similar situation to your own. They are facing some grim realities as they project what their income will be after retirement. My goal is to get folks thinking about options like Internet Marketing and how they might supplement income with this technique. The concepts behind building a website and content marketing are not difficult. But you do need the motivation to get started and the persistence to stay at it for the long haul.
I hope you will embrace this concept now that you have a better understanding of how it might benefit you in the future. Starting now while you still have a regular income can make all the difference. You can have a traffic-generating asset by the time you retire. And a blog that attracts the interest of viewers can be monetized in many ways.
Reading about the process can be very helpful. But don’t miss out on the opportunity for some hands-on experience at Wealthy Affiliate also. Their free starter membership is an eye-opener. Or, at least it was for me.
I hope you’ll join me on the best platform available for affiliate marketing newbies. So much knowledge is there for the taking. Good luck as you pursue this path and thanks for taking the time to comment!
Hi Linda,
Thank you for your research on this topic. Gone are the days of working for a company for 20 years and receiving the gold watch and full retirement benefits for your golden years. I’ve been to many fast-food drive thru’s and been serviced by grandmas and grandpas. Sadly, they didn’t work there because they wanted to, they had to. Hopefully, your article will show that blogging and digital marketing aren’t just a young person game. If we do it right, more money can be made online in a far shorter time period than made over a 20-year job!
Digital marketing is absolutely not just a young person’s game. Seniors are flocking to this approach to supplementing retirement income. And, with good reason. They have so many more years of experience to share! And, when you’ve worked all your life, the concept that success may take a year or two does not seem unreasonable at all.
Working at an online business from home beats many alternatives! Thanks for contributing your insights!
Hi Linda, I enjoyed reading your article on How To Make Money For Retirement Unleash Your Creativity. There’s a lot of helpful and interesting information.
Since I’ve turned 51, I have been thinking about retirement and starting my online business. There is so much to learn. I know it will take time and months to progress. I think I will buy your book Affiliate Marketing: The Beginner’s Step by Step Guide To Making Money Online With Affiliate Marketing.
Thank you for sharing!
Margaret
Hi Margaret,
It’s great to hear that you’re planning ahead and thinking of ways to make retirement easier and more rewarding. I can’t disagree that there’s a lot to learn but do remember that an online business develops over time. It’s a marathon and not a sprint so you can work at your own pace.
Good luck and I appreciate hearing from you!
Yes, we all need the ability to make money when we won’t be able to go for the regular job and I absolutely agree that the earlier one started planning and working towards that, the better.
This post is super useful and inspiring to read the information here provided. Especially the tips for coming up with a niche blog idea. Thank you.
That initial decision for your niche direction is something that challenges many people. It’s really just a question of taking inventory of what you find engaging. With a little brainstorming, most people can come up with several excellent ideas and then narrow things down from there. I hope the tips work well for you.
Good luck and thanks for chiming in to share your thoughts!