We are currently in a global recession, one which I can personally attest is hitting the United States hard but one thing that will still experience growth in 2009 is the internet. The internet is a constantly shifting medium, with more people entering the market and constantly shifting technologies and techniques a good marketer will always be in high demand.
I am not saying you should go quit your day job, but what I am saying is, wouldn’t it be nice to have a safety net so that you could do this full time if you wanted to? I have treated marketing in this fashion since I started, while also viewing it is a hobby that happens to make me a good deal of money. If I get out of college and there is no jobs market, then I will have absolutely no problem expanding my business into a full time enterprise, and with it I expect to make a very fair yearly income which will most likely surpass my initial job offers after getting my MBA.
In an economy that is leaking jobs, you should always have another pipe to go down. There are always perfectly good contingency plans for a situation, you just need to spend the time to find one that suits your needs. Yesterday I announced my newest project, but I have no intention of mentioning my project planned for after that which I feel will make me $xx,xxx and will expand naturally in a good economy, and expand at least twice as fast in a down-turned economy. A new economic condition leads to new opportunities, for instance the repossession industry is booming right now.
My advice to you is to treat your blog, your website, your mass spamming, whatever tactic you use (don’t spam, it doesn’t work and it is illegal); treat it like a job. You should itemize your budget, you should determine how to spend your time and what opening there are in various markets. Once you figure all this out, realize that you should eventually create a flagship website as well. One major website which is a large income earner and can be pointed to as a sign of stability and success. I am in the process of creating a site which I hope will earn me 5 figures a year within 2 years and 6 figures within 4, thinking big is the way out of a mental depression and the same applies to an economy.
Moral of the story, look for opportunities because you never know when they will come. Diversify your websites like you would a portfolio, and if you ask me, within the next 2 weeks is the prime time to invest in the stock market as well.
“Be fearful when others are being greedy, and be greedy when others are being fearful” –Warren Buffet
Great site, I really like your input. I am trying to start an internet ad company on the side and I like your ideas.