BEGINNER BLOGGER SERIES :The truth about blogging

I’m happy that the beginner blogging series is doing so well but as I was thinking about it earlier today some thoughts came to my mind.
Some things to remember as a beginner blogger.

Why do I think I’m in a good position to tell you these things?
1) I’ve been on the blogging journey for 7 years.( 3 of which was spent on Blogspot)

2) I’m not trying to sell you anything.

So, let’s get into it!

Will your blog become successful?
The tips that I’ve been giving you on the beginner blogger series is to grow your blog over time. Perhaps faster than the normal beginner blogger, because you have these tips and they don’t.

But I do not want you to get the idea that because you follow these tips you will be an over night success. No app or blogging services that I suggest will grow your blog so fast that it turns into a big success over night.

When I tell you about these apps and blogging services I suggest it because it works over a time period

But I also know that the people who created these apps and blogging services are a business. They want to make money, rightly so. Thus, they will amp up their product.

Example: Everyone knows McDonald’s. If you look at the advertisement in their windows or on tv, you will see the burgers are bigger and better. While when you buy the burger, it resembles the advertisement somewhat (has the ingredients that you saw on the advertisement.) However, the burger buns are smaller and the celery perhaps less.

That is called advertising. Portraying the product in the best way possible.

This is what every company do.

Even the ‘help blogging companies’

If there was a magical company or pill that would have worked well, then everybody would be great successful bloggers. Think about it.

The apps and companies might say in their description that it gives you the most search for word on WordPress and when you use it three times in your post it will pop up on the first page of google. That is true, but it will take a while for your post to get up there.

Is your blog even worthy of being on the first page of Google?

Is it ready for thousands of people to flock to? How is your content?

Because if your blog is not ready, then all those people that came to your blog will never return. This the apps and companies will never tell you this. But if you post one good post that people liked and you have not been working on anything else, people might lose interest.

People search millions of websites every day and the ones that stand out are the ones that have something useful/beautiful on their blogs. Give people a reason to come to your blog.

The companies and apps work over a period of time. Not over a night.

What audience are you looking for?
Also, something to look into is, ‘What type of audience are you looking for?

You can get many people coming to your blog, once of, and even follow you, but they will be ‘dead followers.’ Meaning followers that never interact, never visit your blog etc. Those are not the audience you are looking for when you are building your blog.

Even though they will show as a high number of followers on your follower count, your audience will never engage. You will feel like no one is reading your blog and interested companies who would like to sponsor you, will not because you will not be of benefit to them.

Let’s speak about sponsored content.

That is when you get paid by a company to post about an item or idea on your blog. It has become a frowned upon idea in today’s world because bloggers and vloggers will say a product is good when in fact it really isn’t.

But as a blogger, there are some great points to writing a sponsored post. If you get a sponsored post that means that you have been working hard on your blog and interacting with your followers. It means you have established a relationship with your audience while maintaining great content. THAT IS HARD WORK.

And therefore like any other job you deserve to be paid for it. Writing is a paid occupation. Scratch that. Interactive writing is what companies and business paid for (in the blogging community)

You can write the greatest posts, but if the people who follow you are not interested, then no company will sponsor you.

Feeling discouraged? Don’t be. Everyone starts somewhere. Or better yet, everyone starts off with no people commenting or liking their posts.

But they also move beyond that. How do you move beyond that?

If you get one comment on your blog, reply to it. Not just a ‘thank you’ but a proper comment. Think of it like this:

If you were asked to speak at an event and only two people showed up, will you speak to the two people or will you keep looking at the door waiting for more people to show up while ignoring the two people who came?

You will probably speak to the two people. Firstly because they are sitting right in front of you and secondly because they came to hear you speak.

They will go off and tweet, facebook and speak to people about the wonderful talk they listened to.

It’s the same with blogging. When you get only one comment reply to it. Check out the blog of the person who commented. Take interest.

Someone on their blog might read your comment and then click on your name to check out your blog just because you left an insightful comment. I followed many people like that. And met the most wonderful followers.

Blogging has become a paid career, thanks to social media and influencers. Blogging made much possible for me. And so it will do for you. But be realistic with yourself when you download the apps I have suggested or the companies. It helps, but there’s a reason not everyone who downloads it becomes successful bloggers.

Escape the propaganda and think for yourself.
I will keep sharing what works for me as I believe that it works over a period of time. And as you read and follow my tips keep in mind that no one has become an over night success by using any app that helps your blog gain more traffic overnight.

Persistence is key. Also, use your brain and think for one moment. Ask the question ‘What are my expectations of this app?’ Am I expecting it to work in one week and if it doesn’t will I go out and buy another one?’

How many apps will it take me to realize that nothing works in a short amount of time?

This happens often. One app doesn’t work so the next app that’s better advertised you go ahead and download or buy. Just to discover the same thing.

Really get real with yourself about the expectations and remember the Mc Donalds burger I mentioned earlier. 🙂

Life still exists outside of your blog.

When you begin to blog seriously with a goal in mind, blogging will take a huge part of your thinking. It will be with you daily in your mind: when you go out to friends. when you see your family etc.

And for that reason be aware that it will get harder to live life. You might be tempted to take out your phone and record a video or take a picture for your blog and forget to live. Looking back at only parts of your life in an edited filtered way.

Remind yourself to set time aside for your blog and time aside for your ‘normal life’. Just like you do with your job.

Yes, paying attention to blogging is hard work and almost a full-time job, but a day of relaxing won’t make your followers uninterested. Your blog will still be there when you return back to it. better yet, you might even have some inspiration.

So enjoy life and grow with your blog.

I hope this helps! 🙂 Are there any particular beginner blogger tips you want to know about? I’m preparing for this week’s post on the ‘beginner blogger series’ What are you struggling with your blog right now? Comment are welcome!

Happy living,
Chantal xx

 

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