Blogging Is Tough
Not a day goes by where you see a blogger getting views and likes in masses and earning a nice sum of money on the side.
And all they have to do, to generate that audience and money, is talk about things they experience in life.
You can’t even go through 3 pictures on your Instagram account, without seeing someone famous in the blogging community.
Some are even featured on billboards on high streets and the face for certain brand products.
Being the unique person that you are, you decide to create your own blog and start documenting your life and experiences, to make a living from it.
After all, it seems easy enough to write a blog post occasionally and snap a few pictures here and there, as the rest picks up on it’s own.
With all the things you’ve been through in life and all the funny stories you have to tell, you have an endless list to blog about.
Fast forward a few months and suddenly you realize, you still haven’t made a single penny and you start to doubt you know anything about how to start a blog that will make you money.
On average you get about 10-15 views per day (most of which are family members and friends), no one seems to be leaving comments and you’re drying out on material to blog about.
Your social media profiles have a few followers and everything seems to just stay the way it is although you put in so much effort on a daily basis.
Eventually, you decide that blogging is not for you and that all other successful bloggers know the secret or have something special you don’t, which is why you failed at it.
Plus it is a time-consuming activity and you’re busy with your real life anyway so it’s time to throw in the towel.
The Traps
Here’s a list of things most new bloggers forget, ignore or fall into, which usually is also the reason they never earn any income and give up eventually.
#1 Blogging isn’t easy!
If you want to become a serious blogger, you have to realize that the “secret” or “special thing” all the other successful bloggers have, is that they are actually hard workers.
Have a look at their blog or their social media…
There is constant new content on there and professional looking one as well. How often do you update your blog? How many times a month do you consider a lot of content?
Especially with social medias such as Instagram, you should be posting at least 1 image a day, with several hashtags, to grow your audience and maintain your existing one.
Anything below that simply won’t cut it out.
That doesn’t mean you have to be active within every area of the online world. You can be successful with just a YouTube channel or just your Instagram account.
But if you pick one area, make sure to stick with it and eventually branch out to others. So first rule of becoming a successful blogger, is to have the right mindset.
#2 Pick the right niche!
The second mistake most people make is not narrowing down their audience.
You have to pick the right niche and know your audience before typing your very first word.
Actually pick the right niche, even before you buy your domain!
You don’t want to invest in a great domain name, just to realize later on that it doesn’t fit your niche. It will only be misleading towards your audience if you do.
The other reason you want to have that right niche for you, is to keep it interesting for yourself.
Remember the times when you were assigned different types of homework and you would keep the worst for last? You don’t want that same feeling when it comes to your blog.
Creating new content should be fun and maybe a little tedious but exciting. You should want to research new things about your topic because you’re generally interested.
It will make your task so much easier and more personal when you type out your text, which also converts onto your text. You audience will notice your sincerity and honesty.
So remember to Pick the right niche!
#3 No need to spend a fortune!
The next point is a bit of a controversial one, but I find it important to at least mention it if you’re considering a blogging career in the future.
I’ve seen a lot of people come and go and spend way more money than I ever did in my 8 first months of blogging.
As soon as they find out about outsourcing, they hire people to do all their work and wonder why they get no traffic, penalties from search engines and no conversions.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve outsourced a fair amount myself, but if you want something done properly, you should understand how it works first.
You can’t join the game and expect someone else to do all the dirty work before you know the basics.
Once you understand these, you can consider outsourcing and hiring freelancers. For instance, if you hire someone to write your next blogpost, it should have a similar style to the previous articles you’ve written.
But if you start off with hiring people, you’ll have a different type of text with no identity to your blog.
Additionally you might not even know how to check it for copyrights or other factors that could get your site penalties.
The truth is, you can start off blogging, pretty much for free. The minimum investment should be a domain registration and a hosting plan.
Therefore, lesson number 3 is start spending once you see money coming in and you’ve understood the process!
#4 Know the basics!
As for the final point, I’ve briefly addressed it above but, it definitely needs its own sub category.
When it comes to basics, I can’t stress enough how important it is to get them right. You could be blogging for months and see barely any improvement.
None of your articles rank on Googles first page, people spend less than 30 seconds on your site and creating a single post takes ages for you to get out.
If you’re familiar with these issues, you might have to go back to the beginning.
Make sure you familiarize yourself with the basics of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Find out what keywords are what LSI keywords are and what long tail keywords are.
Most importantly find out how to use them properly. It may seem tedious at first and requires some effort but it will be so much worth it in the long run.
Therefore remember to know and master the basics!
But now that you know some of the typical mistakes people make and how easy it is to fall in these traps, let’s look at some of the solutions there are.
Regardless if you’re already blogging or about to start, don’t throw away the efforts you’ve made. Nothing is lost and you can still become a success.
Solutions:
As you know now, blogging requires a lot of work and it can be tough to keep up with all the tasks you set yourself.
But one thing you should start implementing in your daily routine, is a checklist. Write down all the things you have to do the night before, and prioritize accordingly.
(Small tip – Do the most tedious ones first! Once they’re out the way the rest flies by!)
Next, you want to stay organized (which usually goes hand in hand with creating checklists).
As for choosing the right niche and knowing your audience, we’ve learned that this is vital to continuously have new food for thought and ideas to blog about.
But even the best niche can give you a writers block at one point or another. There are several things you can do to avoid this:
- Set up a Google alert or more to get news stories directly to your email
- Go back to old content and pick out ideas and create an entire post about it
- Find blogs, forums and other online communities in your niche and get inspired
Often a question on forums make great posts people would love to read. Plus you know there’s a high chance other people are curious and ask themselves that same question.
Seeing other authority sites in your niche can inspire you and show you which way to go.
As for not spending a fortune, this still applied! However some people may find it easier to sign up to trusted courses to learn the basics and get support when needed.
But before you go and chase every online product promising to make millions online, make sure to read reviews about each product and do realize that all the information you need to be a successful blogger, can be found online for free!
It may require a bit more effort to find the right sources and dig through the information, but it’s out there!
Try connecting with bloggers, comment on their posts, learn from them and pick their brains. Go through older posts and see what they can teach you.
Eventually it will click and you’re just a step away from becoming an authority in your niche yourself.
And don’t forget that the shiny object syndrome is very real and many fall victim to it (I did so myself).
You have all the resources and skills it takes to know how to start a blog that will make you money.
Once you find your path, you should stick to it and not get distracted by the many other options, possibilities and ways of earning an online income.
Do these things and you are well ahead of many other bloggers that fail within the first few months. It’s often a matter of persistence.
Now continue blogging!
Nice Article,
Definitely always choose topics based on users interest and write a good quality content having complete information. Regular posting of contents on blog helps to maintain existing visitors and brings new visitors towards your blog.
Hello sir,
Myself shubham toshniwal, deaf student,currently studying in BSC CS 3rd years. I would like to ask only one big question.this is that “Can deaf student start blogging on an interesting subject?. My interesting subject would be on technology and design field.I am also diabetic.I am thinking about starting to blog in the next year.
Nice article.surely this will help me.
Hey,
Of course you can blog about interesting subjects. I don’t think being deaf or a diabetic should cause any issues. I once read about a blind blogger who makes a massive amount of money online. Whatever interest you have and put into a blog will work. Other people with similar interests will find your blog and enjoy it hopefully :)
Good luck!
Great post. I’m planning to start my own blog soon and am really confused with the set of ideas to start with. Thanks for sharing. I have just started my blog last month so all these tips are really helpful to me
You are absolutely right. I see, most of the blogger lost their willing to blogging, because they have no income by it. I think blog is first then money. If we make a good blogging, money come automatically.
Great post. I’m planning to start my own blog soon and am really confused with the set of ideas to start with. This has helped me sort out much of it. More importantly because I was able to relate it with my situation. Really appreciate your inputs.
Hey,
Sometimes the right time is now so I would just start with my blog :) you have to find yourself as you go along and write posts. It took me a while and I’m not sure I found myself yet either but a blog constantly evolves anyway :)
Really good article and new blogger should read this article before they start a blog..I am regular reader for this blog an d every time getting useful info.
It’s true that blogs such as these usually have great content for newbies such as ourselves. When I first started off I eventually made a list of 15 blogs I read daily and it helped me a lot!
Hey Esteban ,
Excellent post really good one , really have nice information for a new blogger. I also own a blog which is 8 month old and still i am struggling for views till date , what you said was very true and added knowledge to my account. Thanks for the information.
Glad to hear you’re not giving up just yet! Have you tried reading more on SEO or traffic in general? Maybe you can boost your views a bit more that way?
Yes sure I am not giving up yet . Maybe competition is very tough but I will do whatever it takes to achieve success in blogging since it is my passion.
Thanks sir for write reason of failure in blog
I am the such guy who failed in blogging but I have patience.
This article is helpful for me i hope so
If you’re still at it, you didn’t fail completely :)
There are two things in the online entrepreneurship that is even more valuable than anything else. Hard work and Patience and it is not like you do not have to invest anything at all. You are investing the best asset you have that is your time and efforts and money of course, but you need not put a substantial amount of money while you start. Atleast not until you get a steady cash flow. For the basic like logo, theme and all you have to and you should. For writers yes if you are not getting time but not like doing everything like redesigning and all you need not spend money on. That you can do later once you settle with your blog and build a brand. Cheers man, good stuff.
Prabhu,
I agree with you to a certain extent! But really the startup costs can be even less. I wrote a tutorial on my blog how to create your first logo for free in a few seconds and it actually looks quite professional. OF course paying for something usually turns out better, but nonetheless you can start a blog pretty much for free.
As you said, later on with more cashflow you can outsource more things and therefore save the most valuable asset we have, time!
Thanks for sharing your insights sir. I am a new blogger and i am sure these will help me profoundly.I will keep these in mind.
Anytime! Just stay at it and keep learning to reach your goals!
Its a great article.. got lots of motivation through this amazing article.. thanks for sharing..
You’re most welcome! Hope the motivation sparks some blogging fire in you :)
Patience is so important. I also started a blog and i know patience and quality will help me to get success. Iam your regular reader. Thanks for sharing reasons for failure in blogging world.
Hey,
Not sure if you’re a regular reader of mine of Harsh :) but regardless you are right when you say that patience and quality always turn out to be first in line!
Amazing post.
Thanks for sharing.
I am struggling in blogging last eight months. Now i struggle more for my blog. Thanks.
I had my fair share of struggles as well and I’m not much further into it than you. I’m crossing my 1 year anniversary this month I believe. But there’s no way back for me now :) I’m too far into it and I enjoy it too much as well!
I hope you stick to it as too!
Great article Esteban, I recently made $200 through my two month old blog. I have another 10month old blog from where i earn nothing but it taught me a lot. I think consistency and quality are indeed the key to success in blogging. I publish posts on a frequency which i can maintain with my day job and it is never more than 5 articles a month. Hoping things will work out on the longer run.
Wow $200 in 2 months that’s great effort! What’s your blog about if you don’t mind sharing it? Also I did learn a lot from my older blog as well and many failed side projects. However it’s a continuous learning process I guess!
Hi Harsh,
Great Article again for beginners. I have been blogging since 4 months and putting effort for good content. I have been getting nice views on blog on social media. This article will surely help in eradicating mistakes and finding of definite solutions.
Hey Lubuzine,
Happy you made a step into the blogging world 4 months ago. I hope you keep at it! Don’t forget to look at resourceful pages like these to help you move on when you feel stuck!
Wonderful article with awesome tips! Some of these seemed like I knew them all along but never noticed. Kudos for the post!
I tend to forget them myself sometimes! Have to trace back my steps and remember what I am aiming for!
It really inspires for a new Blogger and I really found it very useful now will follow each and everything!
That’s some nice words for me to read! glad you found it useful :)
Hi Esteban sir,
You wrote great article for newbies blogger like me. I am struggling in blogging last four months. After read this amazing article, I knew my mistakes. Thanks
Hey, mistakes come and go! The great thing about mistakes is that you learn from them and most likely wont repeat them :)!
4 months is nothing you’re still very fresh so don’t worry if you’re not where you expect to be yet :)
Thanks for posting this article…..as a new “blogger” i found this article very useful. This kind of post always motivate me to go for a long journey.
Hey,
Glad to see you started working towards a successful blog. Even happier to hear my post was useful to you :) keep up the good work and motivation and you’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Hi, Esteban these are really great tips which every blogger should know. Thanks for sharing. I have just started my blog last month so all these tips are really helpful to me.
Awesome! Love to help people out especially when it comes to a shared passion :) good luck in your adventure!
Once again thanks :)
Hey Sheetal, always happy to help a new blogger out :) feel free to get in touch with me personally if you ever need any additional help or have questions with things you struggle with!
Definitely :)
Blogging Requires lot of hard work and dedication.The main successful criteria of blogging is unique and quality content. Thanks Esteban Brother………..
Completely agree with you! Nobody likes a copy cat do they :)
Yes Shivam, you’re very right. Although all the “hard work” somehow becomes easier and a bit of a routine eventually. Before I used to struggle to get out 500 words. Now I easily write down an entire 2k post in 6 hours if I don’t distract myself too much!
Of course it always has to be unique and interesting. Thanks for your kind comment :)
ESTEBAN PAU Sir, Thanks for sharing the reasons of fail in blogging. I am a little blogger and blogging since 6 months and have followed almost every guide and now I am making atleast 50 dollars monthly from my blog. This type of posts can make a blogger successful. Thanks Again.
Hey Shibam, well done on your 50 bucks per month income already! It seems like you’re doing ok.
I remember the first time I made my first two digit income and I was over the moon. What you got to keep in mind is that people often give up way too early before the struggle even began.
Stay at it and keep blogging and I’m sure you’ll make ten times more than you do now in not time and eventually replace your salary with your blog earnings!
Good luck!
At least a dizen friends and relatives have asked me over the years to teach them how to do “this website thing”. Not one of them stuck with it.
I think you have to enjoy it with a passion to last for the long run.
Anne, I can’t believe you said this! I have so many friends that get tired of just listening to me explaining what I do. Everyone loves the idea of it but just the thought of the work tires them out… When in reality you can start a post and finish it a week from now or a year from now. All it takes is a bit at a time!
Glad to have my post features. I hope I can inspire people to stay in the right track and keep working towards a passive income stream on the side which might turn into a full time job or source of income :)