If you’re interested in blogging, you’ve probably read dozens of blogs about blogging. Chances are that most of the posts you’ve read about blogging tell you how simple it is. That makes me uneasy. It’s sort of true and it’s sort of a lie.
If you’re a writer, I encourage you to consider starting a blog. Before you do, I’d like to tell you what they don’t tell you. It may make you a little uneasy.
The Truth Is Blogging Isn’t Easy
Have you ever worked hard? Really hard? Guess what? If you want to create and operate a successful blog, you’d better be ready to work even harder.
Most blogs about blogging would have you think that blogging is as simple as signing up and getting started. Blogging is much more than that. Once you’ve signed up, you’ve only scratched the surface.
I’ve operated a variety of blogs over the past six years. Let me tell you what they don’t tell you: Blogging is an uneasy task.
Odds Worse Than Baseball
Here’s the hard truth. If you want to create a successful blog that generates a profit, your chances are less than 10%. Most blogs never make a dime. It’s similar to the economy. It’s the 1% that makes 99% of the profit. The 99% make little to nothing. If your goal is to make money, you’d better know what you’re up against from the start.
I’m a college instructor and a full-time single dad. I’m not poor, but I struggle to make ends meet at times. I thought blogging might lead to some extra income.
Here’s what I’ve learned: for me, the only way I can see blogging leading to any immediate substantial income is if I already had the money to quit my job and invest in blogging on a full-time basis. That’s a dilemma that could make one uneasy.
What they don’t tell you is this: you have to work hard in many different roles in order to successfully operate a blog.
You Have To Be Multitalented
If I were able to hire people to help with writing and editing and photography and audio and video and coding and SEO and social media and advertising and promotion and sales and networking and… You get the idea.
To truly get your blog noticed and get your products or services on the market takes more than luck. It takes some money and know-how. If you’re going solo, this equates to hard work. You have to be able to work in a variety of roles.
I’ve spent as many as 20-30 hours per week writing for my blogs. I’ve spent countless hours working on technical glitches. If that doesn’t make you uneasy, I don’t know what will?
I’ve also spent 5-10 hours a week on social media trying to promote my blogs. Then there’s the email and the newsletters and… Guess what? It equals a full-time job. That’s a pace I can’t keep up with, so I inevitably slow down. When I slow down, my blogs lose momentum. And the cycle continues. It’s up and down. It’s trial and error. It’s hard work. It’s uneasy. It’s what they don’t tell you.
Why Do I Keep Blogging?
Because I love to write. I love to share the lessons I’ve learned. I love to create. I love to help others.
As for the money, I’ve made a little from my blogs. I’ve done better than more than 80% of bloggers according to statistics. Still, it’s not much. Perhaps more will come. But for now, I’m going to keep blogging because I’m passionate about writing and helping others live more simply.
If you’re passionate about writing, I encourage you to start a blog. If you’re not ready to put a lot of hard work into it, I wouldn’t want you to waste your time, energy, and money. Because what they don’t tell you is that blogging isn’t easy. In fact, it’s uneasy.
If you’re still interested in blogging and you’d like a little help, I’m available to work with you to get your blog started. Check out my coaching packages.
