The last 15 months have been amazing, frustrating, exciting, and educational. To say I didn’t know much when I launched is an understatement. I thought I knew a lot. I read other lists similar to this, I researched, I took classes, and studied other bloggers.
None of it prepared me for the amount of work it takes to run a successful blog.
Blogging is a job —a real job — that I work hard and long at, and it’s one I’m very underpaid for. No, I’m not like some bloggers that will tell you “I made $5,000 a month in my first three months of blogging” because I didn’t.
I’ve had lots of people reach out to me for guidance about whether or not to launch their own blog or begin looking for blogging jobs. So I decided to compile a list for those thinking about diving into the blogging world. This is not meant to deter anyone from doing what I did. In fact, I love it and wholeheartedly encourage it, but I could have saved myself some time, money, and lots of energy had I read something like this ahead of time.
1. Becoming a blogger is like any other business. You will need to invest money in it. If you think you can put together an attractive site, launch, and watch the people come in droves, you are mistaken. Popular blogs are created through copious amounts of time and money.
2. Instagram growth and finding ways to get followers on Instagram is not as easy as it used to be. Many will say organic growth is dead. It isn’t, but it is time consuming and can sometimes seem to be a lot of effort for little return. Instagram should not be your main focus anyway. It’s one tool to drive traffic to your blog, which is the most important.
3. There’s a lot to learn. More than I could have ever imagined.
4. I’m creating content all the time. No really — I grossly underestimated how much time this takes. Brainstorming, writing, editing, shooting pictures, editing pictures, pre-planning outfits for trips, deciding on the right pictures for your post and vice versa. You always have to be thinking about posting something somewhere. Some people in your life might get annoyed because you’re “always on your phone.” This will be your new reality. You’re always working.
5. Research how to create a blog as much as you can if you hire someone to design and develop your site. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that price does not always equal a particular level of expertise or professionalism. Ask what kind of theme they’re using as my original theme was not appropriate for a blogger that wanted to grow. Ask questions like, “Does the theme allow for small, easy updates without having to change other parts of the site?”
Blogging has brought a new meaning and purpose to my life by allowing me to share my message to the world. It still requires hard work and dedication, like any other job. If you’re willing (and able) to do that because you believe in your dream to be a blogger, it’ll be worth it. But knowing these 5 tips, you will be more prepared.
