Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission

I said it a thousand times, let’s repeat it once again for this topic: Investing in Blogging for 2020. Blogging is no more fun or a hobby, it’s pure business. If you are not ready to take it as full-time, then also Blogging is a sure shot way to create a passive income source besides your full-time job.

investing in blogging business
Different Types of investment in the blogging business

By observing the success of many Top Indian Bloggers, these days people are asking many questions like:

  • How much does it cost to build a blog?
  • How much do bloggers earn from blogging?
  • Is it advisable to start blogging in 2020?
  • Is investing in blogging a good idea?

All these questions are stating one clear thing that, people are looking for a guarantee or confirmation, whether blogging will work for them or not.

Well, here I would like to say it clearly that, Blogging is like any other business. If you do it properly by educating yourself well and applying different tactics, then it will definitely work for you.

But, again Blogging is not a get quick rich scheme which will work for everyone! You need the mentality to become a blogger over the period of time by doing proper investment, learning necessary skills and networking with people. In this article, I will talk about the importance of investment in building a successful blog.

Also Read 9 Ways To Generate Income From A blog in 2020

Why You Should Invest In Your Blogging Career?

Back in 2007-2008, when I started looking for “How to make money online”, my intention was to find out some extra income sources besides my full-time job. But gradually things have changed and in the last 2-3 years, it’s a completely different world.

Over the years, I have realized that there are multiple benefits to blogging. Let me share a few insights fro my understanding.

Extra Income Source (Good To Have Feeling & Security)

I have seen people leaving their full-time day job and started working as a blogger. That means blogging has a bright career option if you know how to pursue it. You can read this amazing interview of Sumit Bansal, who did this and now living a life in his own terms.

So, you may not need to quit your job, but you can easily spend some time (1-2- hours daily or in the weekends) and start investing in blogging for the future. If you give some solid efforts, then creating a passive income source wouldn’t be that difficult.

Utilize Your Free Time (Don’t Waste Time)

So, even if you are doing great in your job or any business, if you have any interest in the blogging field, then you must utilize your free time by starting a blog in 2020. When I mention about free time, we all know that how much free time we are getting every day and how exactly we are spending them.

I can see that many of my friends are spending hours watching TV, Netflix, YouTube, etc. I am not saying it’s bad, they are just doing this to pass-time. I think blogging is a great way to utilize your free time for a genuine purpose of creating alternate career options besides whatever you are doing right now.

Job Market is Changing (Learn As Much As You Can)

With the change in technology, nowadays every 3-4 years, things are getting outdated. As a software professional, I know how difficult it is to adapt to every change happening in your job life in every 3-4 years. I believe the same things are happening in every sector. And it creates a huge problem with the future of our jobs or Job security.

But, I found Blogging & Digital marketing is a great way to do something on my own in my free time. In fact, I am quite lucky as my better half Manidipa is doing that for full-time and that support is always encouraging for a better future of our blogging journey.

Becoming Serious About Future Is Not Boring At All

We are heading towards a life where we will struggle to create a financial flow in our older ages. I know you might be thinking that I am talking like your DAD. But the reality is that I am a DAD of a 9-year-old kid and I can see what kind of future is waiting for me at least.

I know that I am not going to get a pension-like my parents are getting. That means I have to earn money till I die. And for that either I have to be employable till you die or I can create a passive income source. In that scenario, I found Blogging is something that I can do, I love to do which will also make sure to take care of my income and may open many doors in the Digital Marketing industry in the coming days.

I think it’s enough gyaan or lecture 🙂 But the bottom line is, Blogging has a very good future and it is like any other career option if you can see that from that point of view. If you think you will try blogging for a few months to explore, then Blogging is not for you my dear friend.

Let me re-iterate another saying of mine: We can spend 4 years to become an Engineer, 5 years to become a Doctor. But can’t wait 2-3 years to become a good blogger. That’s where actually more than 90% blogger fails in building a career in blogging. Think about it 100 times and prepare yourself properly before entering into blogging in 2020.

What Investments To Do in Blogging (It’s not always about Money!)

When the term investment comes into the picture, people always think about money. It’s very obvious. But here I am not only talking about money but some other important things that you have to do even before investing money for your blogging career in 2020. Let’s talk clearly.

1.Invest Enough Time to Read Other Blogs

Yes, this is the first thing you have to invest in blogging. If you think that you will simply follow someone and copy or imitate those strategies then you will never be able to create a successful blog.

If you have very little time and you are looking for easy copy-paste kind of a job, then I think you have to look for some data entry jobs or other similar part-time jobs. But if you have some time besides everyday regular work, then find some time to create a reading habit at least.

Also Read 30+ Bloggers Shared Their Best Time Management Tips

In my early days in blogging, I used to spend 90% of my free time reading other blogs. What exactly people are doing in blogging, how they are earning money, what kind of life-style or struggle they are going through as a blogger. E.g. Ryan Biddulph is one of the inspirational bloggers whom I have followed from the beginning and gradually learned to get into that blogging mindset.

So, find out time to start reading as much as you can. This way only you will be able to know whether you are getting any interest in blogging or not. The more interest you will get, your brain will start working in a better way and I am sure you will be able to get into blogging with full power.

2.Learn Necessary Blogging Skills

The more you read, you will come to know that a blogger is like a one-man army. He/she is capable of everything they need to create & manage a website. So, find out those skills like SEO, Web Designing, WordPress management, Content Writing, Social Media Promotion, etc. and start learning them slowly.

Must Read 40+ Best SEO Blogs To Follow in 2020 To Lean SEO For FREE

The best way to do that is by reading many case studies. Yes, plenty of bloggers have shared some real-time case studies from their experiments which are the best sources of information. E.g. if you want to learn SEO, then check these SEO case studies from many SEO experts. If you want to create & grow a Facebook group, then check out the Facebook Group Case Study I have shared on this blog.

Of course, you can invest your hard-earned money and buy some blogging courses to learn everything. But personally, I never spent money on such courses and always preferred to learn by reading other people’s success stories & experiments only. You can go as per your preferences.

3.Invest For Setting Up Your Website

Finally, we are into the section where you are going to create your blog or website. Here many people ask whether they can make money without investing in web hosting or a premium theme.

Frankly speaking, if you have created the blogging mindset by agreeing on the previous points, then you can actually create a blog without paying anything with the Google Blogger platform. But at least buy a domain name. I have shared the same thing in one of my videos, check that here.

But, if you ask my suggestion, then I will again say that wait till you are not able to feel or observe your future in blogging. But as soon as you are ready with your plan then you have to invest in the right tools to create a professional website.

We (I & Manidipa) did my first investment in blogging back in 2012. That time we moved our websites from Blogger to WordPress. But, last year when I decided to take BloggingJOY.com seriously, I spend a lot of money behind that blog and I am not at all regretting that investment.

In fact due to that investment only, in the last 1 year, my blog has achieved many milestones. I got many appreciations from top bloggers, featured in many blogs, able to build a Facebook Community with 6K+ members, our affiliate earning has grown, etc. So, let me share where exactly I have invested and you can also follow the same if you have a solid blogging plan for 2020.

Web Hosting: Like everyone, I used to host my website on cheap hosting plans. But I realized that I am actually doing no good as there was less security, less SPEED, and no good support. Then I decided to go for a premium web hosting company to make a fast loading website.

I read many positive reviews of SiteGround hosting and immediately went for that. I bought the SiteGround GrowBig plan for 3 years during the 2018 SiteGround Black Friday Sale. You can check the payment receipt. Right now also they are offering a 75% discount till 2nd December 2019. Check the deal now.

siteground 75 off coupon
Got Good Discount on SiteGround Hosting

It was a good journey so far. But this year 2019, I have upgraded from GrowBig to GoGeek as my website is growing. So, I spent another $200 behind this amazing hosting. The bottom line here is, if you know that your website is hosted on a quality hosting company like SiteGround, you can focus 100% of your time on creating amazing content, networking with others and growing your blog & revenue. And that’s the best return after investing in a quality web hosting.

Right now some amazing deals are going on different web hosting plans. Just check this article about the best Web Hosting Deals on Black Friday.

Premium WordPress Theme: I spent years experimenting with different themes. But time has changed now, it is the age of user experience. So, even if you have good content, but your website is not looking good or readability is compromised you will lose the trust. So, without a 2nd thought, go for a premium WordPress theme. I bought a couple of Premium Themes and using them on all my websites. As the Black Friday Sale is going on, you can get some good discounts on themes as well. Check out the list of my preferred premium themes.

Tools & Plugins: To run a professionally looking blog that loads fast, has an amazing user interface you have to invest after a lot of quality tools & plugins. Last year I bought a couple of plugins and this year during Black Friday Sale, I have renewed them. A few of the awesome tools that you can buy right now is WP Rocket, Thrive Leads, Thrive Architect, Linkwhisper, WPCouponsAndDeals, AAWP Plugin for Amazon, etc. This list is huge, you can check out this website for more such products with amazing deals.

There are a few products where I have invested last year and got tremendous results so far. Many such amazing tools are there that will make your blogging life easier and if you find that will help, you must invest. Here are a few proofs of my investment for my blogging business during this year’s Black Friday Sale.

If you are working on Amazon affiliate websites, then you must use this amazing plugin named AAWP or Amazon Affiliate WordPress Plugin. With this plugin you can easily create tables, item boxes and many things without any efforts. I will write a separate review about this plugin by sharing everything I have experienced so far. Right now they are offering a 40% discount coupon, click here to grab this.

Best Amazon Affiliate Plugin For WordPress
Best Amazon Affiliate Plugin For WordPress

GeneratePress is the best WordPress theme for bloggers and there is no doubt about the popularity of this theme. I have renewed this theme license by paying a very nominal price. You can get a 25% discount now, as they are running Black Friday Sale. Click here to grab this deal.

Best Fast Loading WordPress Theme For Bloggers
Best Fast Loading WordPress Theme For Bloggers

This is another amazing investment I did last year. I tried many coupon plugins for WordPress in last few years. But I found this one simply amazing. This year, I have used this plugin for my Black Friday website. They are also running a promotion and you can get a 40% discount right now. Click Here to grab this deal.

Best Coupon Plugin For WordPress
Best Coupon Plugin For WordPress

4.Invest time in making friends (Networking)

So, you might be thinking that after spending $1000 we will be able to create a successful blog. But the reality is completely different. I was blogging silently for more than 9 years and I never get connected with anyone. In fact, I never helped someone as well.

And that was my biggest mistake in blogging. You can’t grow alone. It is exactly the same way you can’t fight any battle alone or live a happy life alone. You have to build a relationship & make good friends.

Many people think that networking in blogging means asking for some favor like link building, social share etc. No, these things are there but there has to be real relationship and selfless friendship. Then only you will be able to create a solid atmosphere to continue blogging with 100% motivation.

Last year, on 9th December 2018 when I started my facebook Group I hardly have any good friends in blogging. But now after 1 year, I can proudly say that I am able to make some amazing friends. In fact, that is my online family who is constantly helping me, motivating me and encouraging me in every possible way they can. Let me share a few of my amazing blogging buddies, without whom I would not be in a position to write this article sitting on the current scenario.

This list is huge & I am sorry not to include everyone’s name here. I just mentioned a few of my close ones who are always supporting me to do better day after day. I am thankful to GOD to have such an amazing group of friends.

So, starting that Facebook Group has been my investment so far in the blogging journey. So, make sure to connect with people, help others, make friends without any self. You will discover many good things about yourself gradually, find the motivation to do more. I think this is the best return one can expect from any investment.

Don’t Miss 15+ Best Facebook Groups For Bloggers To Join in 2020

Conclusion: Is Investing In Blogging A Good Idea?

If you are worried about the future of blogging, then let me tell you that even if there is huge competition the demand for content is growing like crazy and so of good bloggers. Don’t just create a blog for experimenting, try to be a better blogger with time and share your actual knowledge & experience, which will help people to overcome their problems. That’s how blogging actually works all the time.

If you can plan your blogging career like this, then you must invest in the blogging business. But remember, you have to invest enough time first, followed by money. Don’t just spend huge money on creating a super-fast website with amazing interface or design. If you don’t know what to write or share, it’s a waste of your money.

In the end, people want to read something, looking for some solutions to their problems online. So, help people by answering their questions and problems through your blog. Gradually you will be able to find your blog growing, audience growing and you will find the true purpose/motive for investing in your blog.

Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback about this article by writing a comment below. And also share this article on social media, if you find this worth sharing. Thanks for reading 🙂

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65 Comments

  1. With blogging finance topic you’ve shared good ideas about how to blog.

  2. Hey Santanu,

    I enjoyed reading this post a lot.

    This is a reality that blogging isn’t a quick money-making business. But it’s a nice business.
    Like any other business, it requires some investments. But unlike other business, it doesn’t require a lot of money to invest. All it takes a lot of time to invest. Because there are a lot of learning curves.
    Currently, I’m running two blogs. I started one in 2011 and another one (SharpBlogger) in 2017.
    Although, I didn’t try to make money blogging much, yet I earn a steady side income from my first blog.
    Let me tell you, I’m still holding a day job.
    I’m currently not focusing much to earn money with my second blog. I’m trying to build my community first. After that, I’ll focus to monetize that blog.
    I’m telling my story to back your points described in this post.
    That means, it is very much possible to build a blogging business as a side business while holding your day.
    However, thanks for sharing your nice thoughts.

    1. Thanks brother for sharing your experience here. Yes, it is actually possible to pursue a blogging career besides your full-time job and make a decent side income.

  3. A great article as usual. Very nicely presented. Investing in blogging is very crucial. Thanks for being there .

  4. Hi Santanu,
    it is right the world is changing and with it the job market. Also, we do not know what the future will bring for the old age time. I think you are right, instead of wasting time watching TV or similar things, why not to learn new skills and look for possibilities for the future?
    Blogging is one of them and digital marketing has a lot of opportunities.
    I started to learn about it because I saw it coming. It is for sure not boring to learn about for the future. One of the best things is that blogging helps to connect people and the world.
    You did explain your point of view very well and I agree with you.
    May it help some people to create a better future
    Thank you
    Erika

  5. Thanks brother for this valuable content. I was also in doubt that investment in blogging is good idea but after reading this post. I made my decision thanks again.

    1. Really feeling happy to help you brother. I thought to share what I felt over the years and realized that people don’t understand the importance of investment in blogging. Thanks for reading and sharing your feedback.

  6. Great content and thoughts 🙂 Thanks for sharing with us…
    Somebody ask from me that “Can we earn money from blogging within a week!”…How it is possible!
    You have shared great thoughts that we can spend 4-5 years on engineering or to become a doctor…
    But people can’t try to spend their 1 year on blogging…
    That’s the biggest fault… 🙁
    BTW great post …

    1. You are absolutely right. People have to patient and spend time to learn & implement things in blogging to get success. Thanks for reading & sharing your feedback.

  7. Thank you sir for this valuable and interesting article. Being a blogger I always love to read all blogging related articles and this one is worth to share…. 🙂

    Keep writing sir for all of us 🙂

  8. Aditya prakash says:

    Thanks brother for this awesome helpful content. Sabhi beginner ek baar sochate h investment se phle se aapne achhe se btaya. Thanks for sharing this post with us #trueblogging

  9. Hi Santanu,

    Blogging IS a business. When you compare it to an offline business, the investment is amazing because the overhead is so low. I know because I ran both off line and on line businesses. When off line, one has to rent a space, stock the shelves, and/or set up a service, advertise to get people in and so much more. That costs a lot of money.

    However, having a blog costs pennies compared to that. One has to invest in a good hosting company, a few plugins, a good website and there you go.
    The difference is people don’t commonly view blogging as a business. If they do, then they don’t mind spending money and more than that, they won’t mind spending all the time it takes to run a business.

    Time is important and it is not a get rich quick scheme. It takes patience and persistence in order to get your blog to grow. Your blog is your home base whereby you can sell your products and/or services. It is a great place for the Know Like and Trust factor we need to receive because people buy people! Once we have that trust established it is easy to sell what we set out to do.

    So for a low investment, your blog is a great way to make a living.

    -Donna

  10. Loved it bro! It’s like you wrote what I wanted to read. Blogging is very underrated.

    People think “how can writing a few words make money?” or “he must be copying from others, we can also do that”.

    But nobody will step up to actually start a blog instead of judging others.

    I see teenagers these days, ruining their lives in playing PUBG all day. While they can invest the same time in building a blog and start making money.

    Thanks for sharing such an insightful gem.

    1. You said it 100%, true brother. One must realize the importance of time and invest time in learning as much as they can. Thanks for reading & sharing your feedback.

  11. Excellent job Santanu. Thanks for the shout out buddy 🙂 I love the mention of TIME investment. We need know how much money to invest in blogging, to do it right, but few folks take the time to…..think through the time we need to invest in blogging as a newbie. Or even as a veteran. 8 or more hours daily here, for years. Fun times mostly but it definitely challenges me.

    Ryan

    1. You are a true inspiration for me for a long time. Blogging can make life fun and active that is what I learnt from your over the years. Thanks a lot for reading & sharing your feedback.

  12. Thanks for sharing these amazing tips and investment ideas in blogging.

    I also many mistakes you mentioned above. The one big mistake I made is I ignored networking.

    Nothing is free. Everything costs you either money or hard word or time.

    From this post I learned that 3 things are most important buy premium hosting, tools or themes, invest a lot of time reading others blogs, and last one is networking.

    Thanks again! ❤️

    1. Thanks for reading & sharing your feedback. Investing in the right tools is the key and one must invest as per the need.

  13. Awesome article Santanu.

    I follow you from the very beginning of your blogging career and the way you’re growing up and managing things right (with due respect to everyone) is amazing.

    Really enjoyed the article.

    Keep writing.

  14. Archana Prabhune says:

    Thanks a lot Shantanu bhai for a fantastic blog and providing all useful links in one place.

  15. Hey Santanu,

    Great article!

    I really like that you mentioned investing in skills, reading, and networking and not just investing money.

    Yes, money is an important factor for growth in blogging. But improving skills and connecting with other people is equally important and I’m glad that you touched on that in this article.

    I constantly find myself trying to learn new skills as it helps me grow and implement those new skills in my business.

    Hope 2020 brings more and more success to your blog. 🙂

  16. Outstanding article I should say.

    I am 100% sure that your article will definitely help a newbie in having a right mindset before he/she enters blogging, and what expectations one can keep from blogging.

    Very well described brother.

    And thank you for the mention. I am lucky to get connected with you.

    1. Thanks a lot brother for reading and sharing your feedback. You have some amazing knowledge on Facebook marketing and you always helped us whenever needed.

  17. You narrated the scenario very well.

    Your writing skills are commendable.

    I would like to say this, job security in Digital Marketing, especially SEO, is NOT good as well. This opinion is based on my personal experience.

    Need to be continually learning and adapting new techniques.

    One should be very clear and confident to start blogging in 2020.

    Regards!

    1. Thanks for reading and commenting. You are right, job market is very much vulnerable these days with the changes in technology and also very high competition. One must be very confident with his/her skills in 2020 to get success.

  18. LOVE all these insights about investing in blogging! I think the investment changes our mindset and helps us to take things more seriously. I mean who doesn’t want to yield the results after investing time and money…

    If I could go back and change things in my blogging, it would be to invest a bit of money on a premium theme and time to networking. I learned the importance of them very recently but it would have been better to implement that from the beginning.

    Time and money we invest wisely, it can us help in an extraordinary way in the long run. Great encouraging article for beginners, Santanu, Keep writing such. I appreciate!

  19. Hey

    This is really a great post.

    I also believe it’s not about money always.

    I started my blog in October with the motive to utilize my time efficiently.

    I invested around $60 for Domain and Hosting, and within this short span, I can undoubtedly say that I have made best decision of my life.

    Learning something new every day, applying, and sharing to help others is the best thing.

    Thanks

    1. Thanks for reading and sharing your feedback. The best part of blogging is that you have to learn everyday and evolve with the new changes.

  20. Hey Santanu,

    I agree with every word of it. Maybe you don’t know, but I too started blogging with my job, and after working for years as a part-timer, I finally left my job and plunged into full-time blogging, and marketing. And, it has been more than 4 years when I resigned, and it is all going well, and I am living a comfortable life because of what I started back in 2010.

    The journey was never easy as I spent sleepless nights to make my dreams come true. One of the best suggestions I would share is, maintain consistency in whatever you do because that is the way to success.

    You may be surprised to know that I was not aware of what I was doing is called Blogging, and I also had no idea about earnings. I just started because the idea of sharing online intrigued me.

    1. Thanks for sharing your experience brother. You are one of the true inspirations for me and I am aware of your struggle & blogging. Consistency is the key to get success in any field. And there is no exception to this.

  21. Very insightful Article brother, you talked about a lot of things including mindset one needs to have towards blogging, making friends & networking to investments needed in blogging.

    I really enjoyed reading this article and the best point that I liked about this article is: Networking and Growing together and having a blogging mindset to grow.

    I would also like to add something: I am also a beginner in Blogging, I wasted 1 year to do lots of research and studying about blogging, and I implemented very less

    and the most important lesson I learned from my experience is, we just need to get started in order to get started if we always go for learning and never implement, we are going nowhere.

    For me now blogging is just like Whatever I learn I write on my blog whenever I get FREE time, like a personal diary…

    And I hope that someday someone will find my Internet diary (blog) useful based on my experiences that I wrote on my blog matching with other people.

    1. Thanks for reading brother and sharing your honest feedback. You are right, implementation is the key to get success, otherwise whatever knowledge you gain there will be no result.

  22. Hey Santanu,
    First of all, thank you for sharing such a few article, it will be defiantly helpful for the newbie bloggers.
    I personally liked the 4th way of investment, we bloggers should focus on building a network with the bloggers out there to grow together.

    Thanks

  23. Santanu,

    Thanks for the awesome guide.

    One thing is for sure, this single article will guide many aspirants to start/ improve their blogger career.

    Networking is something, I have overlooked and will definitely try to help and learn more about blogging.

    Thanks,
    Bijay

    1. I am happy that you find this article useful. Networking is really necessary to get connected with like-minded people.

  24. yes. we have to invest money and time into blogging. blogging is not only hobby. it is a real time business. there is no business growth without investing money and time.

    hey santanu, you explained very well.

    coming to the blogging the first and important investments are domain name, hosting, wordpress theme, marketing tools.

    thank you santanu for this amazing article.

    1. Thanks a lot, Venkat for sharing your feedback. Yes, investment is the key to grow your business and blogging is a business in 2020.

  25. Hi Santanu,
    What an amazing share!
    I really missed it.
    I saw a tweet about this post by Anil and am here today. 🙂
    Yes investing time energy along with our finance is the key to success in blogging.
    I liked the question you put forward regarding waiting. Very interestingly you put that forward!
    We are ready to wait for years to come out with our so called degrees or courses, but one cannot wait to see the result in blog even for one or two years!
    You very well presented the serious part of blogging with this post.
    I liked the way you presented it.
    Keep it up.
    Keep sharing.
    Best

    Phil

  26. Vishal Rana says:

    Hi SANTANU DEBNATH,

    You are right, “Blogging is no more fun or a hobby, it’s pure business. ”

    This content is really awesome.

    Thanks for sharing such amazing content with us.

    Cheers,
    Keep writing content like this.

  27. Santanu,

    Very motivational post for me as because I am learning from your and others bloggers and trying to reach the goal .

    Your post Is giving 👬 boosting and elaborate us and aware blogging future

    Thank you so much

  28. Dr. Lissa (Positive News Lover) says:

    Hello Santanu !!

    I am very impressed with your website. Your website article is very informative and helpful and unique. Really great feeling now !! I am about to bookmark your site and maintain checking achievable information. Thank you for sharing your valuable information.

    Thanks again for the amazing information !!

  29. Giulia Cerocchi says:

    Dear Santanu, thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise,!! with us. I have very recently released a blog to promote exciting destination weddings and honeymoon in Italy with lot of tips and tricks on how to do such experience in the cheapest, but best way possible. The problem is that due to the current situation linked to Coronavirus spread across the world travels are largely reducing worldwide, lots of Italian tourist businesses are sadly affected from this problem. Personally I am happy that I am not yet actively and financially involved with this blog. Would you suggest to wait until the spread reduces before investing my resources in additional tools/resources? thank you in advance, Giulia

  30. Such a great post. I read from the beginning to the end!
    Arfa, you hit me when you say that most people don’t promote their blog posts. All they do is write and publish blog posts, but they don’t really promote their content.
    And looking at myself, you’re right. I only share my blog posts on social media, and that’s all.
    I need to come up with new strategies. I need to promote and repurpose my content and promote them. Cheers 🙂

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