Every blogger goes through the ups and downs of blogging – whether it’s ghost followers, low engagement periods, or even writer’s block…everyone goes through them. However, there are a few moments and experiences in the blogging world in which we can all relate to.
I’ve been discussing this topic with my fellow blogging ladies and together, we have come up 11 with moments that we all bloggers go through on a regular basis.
No, we are not making millions for our work.
This is probably the most frustrating question we get or people assume. Do we make money on some posts? Yes, some bloggers do take on sponsored opportunities and we do get compensated in free product or otherwise. However, no blogger I know is making millions and it is wrong to assume that every single blogger does.
“There must be some type of rumor out there that it’s a get rich quick scheme.” – Mariam, The Petite Bijou
Nope, blogging is anything but a get rick quick scheme. There is nothing quick or rich about it. In fact, we often invest time, money and effort for zero compensation – especially when you just start out. Making money can be easy if you know how. Websites like Money Sack are often really helpful to give you some ideas to get you started on your financial journey.
Blogging takes dedication.
This is not a business for the weak. The women I have met in this world of bloggers are hard working, dedicated, empowered and extremely creative! Creating new content that people want to read is hard, but try doing it with life continuing all around you. That is even tougher. A lot of bloggers have families, young children, they are in school and often have a full time job (because we don’t make millions…).
“I think there’s the constant reminder that this is not going to happen overnight, and that it’s a daily habit priority and practice” – Krista, The Hundred Blog
Getting encouraging and uplifting feedback.
After setting up your blog and social media, you start to gain a following. Once you reach that level, you get a lot of emails. Yes, most of those emails are bogus proposals from random, non-existent companies.
“It means a lot that they took the time to seek me out and send me a message…that makes any doubts I had about a blog post – worth it!” – Laura, Monograms and Moscatos
But every so often you get an uplifting and encouraging message from a follower who wants to compliment you on your style, your work, or whatever they may have to say! That is probably the best feeling in the world because it reaffirms what you are blogging for – to reach the people you want to reach with what you have to show!
Perfection, perfection, perfection.
There is no “quick writing” of a post in this business. Every thing needs to be thought out carefully and perfectly coordinated. Whether it is your flat lays to go along with the post, or the perfect words to explain that outfit combo…you can never stop reading your post over.
“We all feel this natural want to connect with our audience, so when something isn’t hitting or performing I almost feel guilty that I’m not doing a good enough job” – Ilana Katz, The Downtown Katz Walk
You don’t want any spelling mistakes, grammatical errors…not to mention you want to make it easy to read! Blogging is all about attention grabbing and if you are too boring or too wordy, you will lose your readers.
Coming up with new content can be tricky.
This aligns with what I have been saying this whole post, but let me emphasize even further. Many bloggers blog every single day. Which means they are producing seven new and captivating pieces each week. That is ridiculously hard to do.
“I definitely think that you have to be organized about your process” – Laura, Monograms and Moscatos
On top of that, many bloggers shoot their own photos to accompany each post. That could mean they collage retail pieces or they could actually take photos of outfits, flat lays, or whatever else they need to boost their post up!
You can always learn a lot more.
It’s important to note that this techno-world is constantly changing. New bloggers pop up on the scene all the time and a new technique is always introduced to enhance your writing, or edit your photos better. Have you heard about Instagram? If you haven’t…then you probably haven’t been tuned into your feed in about a month. Petitions, encouragement to turn the notifications on…it took over (you can read about it here). Well that is a perfect example about how social media changes on a regular basis! It’s important to keep up and sometimes…it can be difficult.
No, we are not into ourselves.
This can be really tricky. Your blog usually revolves around…well…you. You are your brand. You need to innately sell yourself (that sounds a lot worse than it actually is). You need to make yourself and your blog appealing to brands if you do want to make any money or network with brands. This can be super difficult for people who are not bloggers to understand. The automatic assumption is that we are full of ourselves or selfish.
“People think you are shallow for being so involved in social media, and the blogging world!” – Kait, Make Mine Maroon
This may be true for some bloggers, but I can personally speak to the bloggers that I know…most are not. We are trying to do what we love and make connections and this requires posting selfies, pictures of our coffee, and cute shoe pics multiple times a day.
Getting that awesome collaboration you’ve been waiting for.
Once you focus your determination on sponsor ships and collaborations, the door opens. It’s like a world you didn’t know existed and you finally feel confident about all the effort and hard work you put into your blog every single day. Sending out emails and not hearing back is rough. However, when you see a reply from a brand who wants to work with you is SO exciting!
The Bloggers that think it’s a race.
We all know that one blogger out there. She isn’t very friendly, she is racing against you, and she can be a bully. Yes, bullying is totally present in the world of blogging. It’s a real put down when another girl is stepping on you just to get ahead. It’s happened to me and a number of wonderful ladies I know. The important thing to know is that it is not a race. What is the benchmark of success in the blogging world? I measure success by how I feel about my content. Yes, every one wants to make money (who would give up the chance to make money?). But I want to make it clear that there is more to blogging than monetizing. For many bloggers, it’s their happy place and their hobby and they do it to exert their creative style and ideas!
Our Instagram Hubands are amazing (and Instagram siblings, children, parents, etc.)
Who has seen the video? If you haven’t…stop reading and go watch it here. This is such an accurate reflection of the help bloggers get (of course, we are a little nicer to our loved ones than the women in this video). You can only use the self-timer so much to get that awesome depth shot that every lady on IG strives to achieve. We aren’t afraid to say it. We need help. And major credit goes out to all of the brothers, sisters, spouses, mothers, fathers, friends and children who often help us out. What would we do without them?
The most amazing community you will ever be apart of.
Last but not least, is the community that comes with blogging. When you find that niche network of girls that blog about what you blog about…it’s magical. There is no other way to put it. I can’t express how great it is to find bloggers who go through exactly what you go through every day. They are your friends, your sisters, your fans, your motivation, your everything. Support is key in this world.
You need bloggers to get ahead and you need to work together to keep going! Blogging is not an “every woman for themselves” kind of world. You need to engage, you need to network, and you need to help each other out because in the end, it’s supposed to be fun. And what is more fun than having a group of gals who know exactly what you are going through?
