BLOGGING ADVICE--UNSOLICITED OF COURSE
The other day when I was visiting my new to me Tweet Deck, I saw that a few famous bloggers were lamenting the haters, the people (other bloggers) that seemingly did not like that they were getting paid for what they do (and what they do well). Blogging is an interesting industry and it may be the only one that another blogger (person in their field) would feel the 'why not me?' syndrome. If you are one of those I feel you, I do. I read a very heartfelt blog post the other day from a blogger that had been blogging since 2007 and she was wondering why she wasn't making money blogging when she was spending hours upon hours editing her photographs. In that same breath of venting she also mentioned that she did not like to do DIY, did not care for photography, food, fashion, etc. If she was going to write commentary on life she had no unique voice, she was neither charming, funny nor anything specific, she did not have a niche. Here's my secret dear blogger (or aspiring blogger), it is the 'information super highway', if you want to make it as a blogger you need to give the world something they can't find elsewhere. No, it is not impossible. The blogging climate has changed considerably since I started, I am the first one to admit that it is incredibly difficult to get your blog noticed these days, it is a hugely saturated market, BUT what do you have to offer that is different than what is out there? Here's another tip, you don't need to blog--gasp! No, really, if you can't find time to blog on a regular basis, if you find yourself dreading blogging don't do it, find another medium that you can't stay away from be it Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Dribble, Flickr, etc. When you love something it will be effortless and not feel like a chore.
Those 'famous' bloggers are also successful because of time, the way the internet works is that it notices that a blog/site has a plethora of information on 'x' subject, it has a lot of comments making it even more relevant, the internet 'spiders' will crawl for what is the most relevant information. If these famous bloggers have been blogging for years they are unfortunately going to come up more often than a blog that just started writing about the same subject. So write about something that hasn't been written about, write about something obscure/different that you love that is not easily found now on the interwebs. There are a handful of blogs that are superb with truly original content and it breaks my heart that they aren't at the top of the heap too, but it's a 5% club folks, don't take it personally, keep plugging away but only if it makes your heart sing. I personally am the reluctant blogger, I don't blog to be a blogger, which I have always said sounds awful like a 'bad jogger'. I blog because I am addicted, blogging has saved me from dark places and lifted me to lighter ones, it is my exercise and discipline. It connects me to the wide world around me which makes me feel richer. I am not saying if a company wanted to sponsor posts here I would tell them to kick rocks barefoot, not at all, I am just saying that I have not built this space for that, I built it for you and you are what makes me feel like a success. When I started my first blog my husband gave me the most forlorn statistic of how many views the average blog gets (and that was 6 years ago), it was something very bleak. I don't even read my stats, it's not quantity but quality that I am after. BUT if you are determined to make your fortune from blogging, than don't give up, just be original and invest in your blog like you would any new business, brand it to the nines, find a name that is clever, easy to remember and unforgettable, post on a regular basis and don't give up, because you will know you are doing your dream if it doesn't feel like work, if it is effortless and the only thing holding you back is more time to do it. If you have specific questions, don't be afraid to ask them, I am here for you.
Lovely post! Though I cannot even contemplate being a professional blogger . . . it gives me a nervous tick.
I agree that it is a lot of work, more than it may seem and that is why those bloggers are getting nicely compensated:)
wonderfully written post! "I blog because I am addicted, blogging has saved me from dark places and lifted me to lighter ones, it is my exercise and discipline." - love this... good for you lady, keep on keepin on!!
Thank you Debbie, to be quoted back to yourself is incredibly flattering;)
You're wise, lady.
Is it strange that I don't even know why I blog? Not for money, clearly. I think I just like putting something out there. Also, no one in my real world life is willing to look at pictures of food and chairs on a regular basis.
Amen! Well written Miss B.
Rachel I am glad you blog, I like to see pics of your food:) As long as YOU enjoy it than it is a success! Thank you Jill!
thank you for this. i've been blogging for 5 years and haven't made a dime. it is a lot of work, but i couldn't imagine not doing it. it's a part of who i am at this point.
i think it's also worth mentioning that most of those successful blogs who have ads and sponsored posts still aren't making hundreds of thousands of dollars.
it just can't be all about the money. if it is, you're not going to last very long.
Hi Miss B. An excellent post. Having spent years in graphic design/advertising, I knew when I began my blog in '09 that it wasn't for commercial gain. It was for me and I get a great deal of pleasure from it and the people I meet along the way. My blog is what kept me sane through my 5 year divorce and now happily forces me to look for the positive feelings in life. I mean, who wants to read about unhappy things? There's enough of that around. So thank you for putting this advice out there, it's so easy to forget the statistics and take it personally.
Amanda thank you and if it makes you happy than keep on keepin' on:) I think where people are in uproar with the 'famous' bloggers is that they are making a huge amount of money, but I do think they have the audience they can command it and they worked their tail off for it. They saw the opportunity and grabbed it before the rest of the world did BUT that being said some people can come out of seemingly 'nowhere' and cause quite a raucous and get attention, so I think that the bloggin world is still open for another superstar or two (or more). Christine that's a great attitude and I am sure there is a whole lot less pressure that way!
Well said. I never even thought about making money at blogging. I just want to share what gives me pleasure and interests me. I get the best "kick" out of comments. I also enjoy seeing what posts are popular and gets lots of hits. Some times they are things I thought of at the spur of the moment. Blogging has challenged me to try all sorts of new things to share. I get tired of bloggers that just post what they saw on Pinterest or on other blogs. They never try the recipes they share or actually do the DIY's they post. Not very original.
Deborah, that's funny you write that when I started blogging that's all EVERY blog did! Now blogs have upped the ante so it's a creative death match, hah!