Making money online is a great option, and sometimes, one blog isn’t enough. But can you run two blogs and make both of them successful?
A lot goes into running a blog, and it’s not easy. Read on to learn if you should run two blogs and how to do so.
But first, this post contains affiliate links. Check out my full disclosure policy to learn more.
Why Run Two Blogs
You can run two blogs as long as you’re willing to put in the time and work. Here are a few good reasons to try and manage more than one blog at a time.
Target Different Niches
One of the best reasons to start a second blog is to write about different niches. Odds are, you have more than one passion or interest that you want to write about.
If you stick with one blog, you can write about everything you like. However, having a niche can help you decide what topics to cover on your blog.
You can also attract readers who are interested in the same thing and want to read everything you publish. But if you write about everything under the sun, most people won’t be interested in all of the blog posts.
Interlink the Blogs
Depending on the different niches you choose, you may be able to link between the two blogs. For example, maybe you start a blog about pets and another about personal finance.
You could link to your finance blog when talking about the cost of owning a pet. This won’t apply to every post or every combination of niches, though.
If it does apply to a couple of blogs you own, you can start to build backlinks to each blog. You can also get more traffic to your different blogs if people click on those links.
Increase Your Income Potential
I don’t know about you, but I started my second (and third) blog to make money online. The more blogs you have, the more content you can publish and more topics or niches you can cover.
As you publish dozens or hundreds of blog posts, each one can help you earn more money. If you only have one blog, you can grow it more quickly, so starting with one isn’t a bad idea.
But once you get that first blog going, adding a second is a great way to possibly earn more money. I can’t guarantee your second blog will help you make money, so do your market research before choosing a niche to increase the odds of profitability.
Diversify Your Income
Even with the best strategy, it can take a few months or even more than a year for you to make money. Once you do though, that second blog can become an extra income stream.
If your first blog ever sees a drop in traffic or affiliate commissions, your second blog can pick up the slack. That can be great if one of your blog niches is more seasonal, such as a college blog.
You may see a spike in traffic around the summer and fall, for example. But you could start a blog that gets traffic all year long so that you can continue to make money.
Why Not Run Two Blogs
Just because you can run two blogs doesn’t mean it’s the best idea. Before you buy a second domain and upgrade your website hosting plan, consider some of the drawbacks.
More Work
Obviously, every new blog you start will require more work to create content and promote the blog. If you have one blog, you can focus all of your time on building it.
After you add a second blog, you have to divide your time equally between them. That can slow the growth of each of your blogs since you’ll have less time to write and market each individual website.
I love blogging and the associated tasks, but I don’t have all day to do them. If you’re like me and don’t have a team of writers, you need to consider whether it’s worth spending more time growing a second blog.
Higher Costs
Another big downside of running two or more blogs is the fact that each one increases your expenses. You can start a blog for free, and that includes subsequent blogs.
However, if you want to monetize your new blog, you should pay so that you get more features and control over your content. But each domain costs around $10 or $20 per year.
Sure, that doesn’t sound like much, but adding a second site to your account may require an upgrade. For me, the cost grew by over $100 a year, but it could differ even more than that based on the website host you use.
Greater Risk
If you want your blog to make you money, you need to treat it like any other business. And that means you need to be able to deal with the risk that comes with starting a business.
Of course, you risk losing the money you spend on domains and hosting. You also risk the time you spend writing all of the content or the money you spend to hire another person to write that content.
Even with all of the market research, you may start a blog that doesn’t turn a profit. Or if it does, it may not turn a profit as soon as you expect it to.
How to Run Two Blogs
If you have the time and/or money, running two blogs can be a great decision. Here are the steps you need to take when starting a blogging business with multiple websites.
Start One Blog First
The biggest tip I can give you is to only start one blog at a time. Then, you can dedicate a bit more time than usual to writing, publishing, and marketing.
You’ll be able to establish yourself in that niche and build an audience on the blog and social media. Plus, you won’t have to split your focus, so you may start to make some money using that blog.
After your first blog starts to gain traction, you can think about what you want your next blog to be. And having some success with your first blog can make it easier to start and grow your next website.
Choose Niches You Enjoy
When selecting a niche for your new blog, you need to make sure it’s profitable. However, don’t sacrifice passion for the sake of making money.
Being knowledgeable about your niche can make it easier to brainstorm topics and write articles. You’ll also have an easier time sticking with your blog before it starts to make a profit.
Find a balance between profit and passion when choosing a niche for each blog you start. Yes, this will limit the topics you cover, but you won’t have to spend as much time on research.
Develop a Blogging Schedule
Another great thing you can do is to develop a blogging schedule that you can stick to. You can set aside a couple of hours a day, such as before or after work.
Or maybe you dedicate your weekends to working on your blogs. Do what works for you, but make sure you have time to write at least one new post per blog per week.
If you have any extra time one day, spend it working on your blog. Then, you can schedule content for when you may be too busy to stick to your regular routine.
Plan Content Ahead of Time
Speaking of scheduling content, you may want to plan your blog posts ahead of when you need to publish them. That way, you can have something to post on schedule.
I’d recommend doing your keyword research all at once. Make a list of all of the blog posts from those keywords, and then you can make time to outline and write all of them.
How Many Blogs Can a Person Have?
You can have as many blogs as you want and that you can manage. If you have a lot of blogs, you might want to hire writers to help you create content, even if the blogs are in niches you know about.
Having lots of blogs will require a larger website hosting plan so that you can handle all of the traffic. So if you want to keep business expenses low, you should limit the number of blogs you start.
How Many Blogs Should I Post in a Day?
I’ve posted on one of my blogs anywhere from once a week to twice in one day. The most important thing to consider is how consistently you can publish new articles.
Publishing twice a day is only so helpful for so long. You could burn out from having to write that much, especially if you already have another blog.
How Often Do You Need to Blog to Make Money?
There’s no optimal publishing frequency to make money. Some blogs can make money by posting only once or twice a month, but those are usually more established blogs.
If your blog is newer, you may need to publish a few times per week. That way, you can start to rank in search results and get more traffic that you can convert into customers.
Final Thoughts
You can run two blogs, but there are pros and cons to both sides. Think about how much time and effort goes into starting and running a blog.
Then, you can decide if it’s worth adding a second website to your portfolio. And if you want to monetize those blogs with affiliate links, enroll in Affiliate Marketing Superstars to learn the strategies you need to use.