10 things I learned in 2 months of blogging
Today marks this blog’s 2 month anniversary and man, has it been a learning experience to say the least. It’s been a whirlwind of lessons to myself and I thought it was the perfect time to share 10 of the biggest lessons I’ve learned so far. Trust me, there are several more than 10. But these are the 10 that stand out to me at this stage in my blogging experience. So if you are thinking of starting a blog, here’s a few things I think you should know going into it. And if you already have a blog, maybe you can relate to these lessons.
- Blogging is HARD work!
There’s no getting around this one. I knew going in to this that there would be a few things I needed to educate myself about just to start blogging. But I had no idea how much work it was to begin a simple little blog. The amount of behind the scenes stuff is incredible. For every few lines of text, for every photo or video, there is a bunch of processing involved. Things most people are unaware of.
I like to compare blogging to landscaping. Not just cutting grass, but proper landscaping that takes an empty or ugly patch and transforms it into something new and wonderful. In both, the majority of the work that goes into them are things that (hopefully) no one will ever see. Anyone can throw a bunch of bricks down and call it a patio. But a good landscaper is going to dig deep and prepare several layers of foundation work, sand, gravel and anything else necessary to make certain the patio you see is beautiful, and stays beautiful. But all that work lies underneath, unnoticed and underestimated. Except to the landscaper. Yeah, that’s blogging.
- Blogging requires you to learn another language.
As with all industries, hobbies and activities blogging has it’s own jargon. Terms like “SEO, Bounce Rate, Header, PHP, Meta Tag, Track Back…” The list goes on and on. Many of the terms are simple enough. But some are down right cryptic. It is important to learn and understand these terms. Especially if they involve something that costs you money. Like, if you advertise your blog you definitely need to know the difference between “PPC” and “PPI” etc. Also related to this, like it or not, eventually you WILL have to learn at least a little HTML, CSS, and PHP. That is unless you have deep pockets and don’t mind paying someone to blog for you. But what’s the fun in that?
- Many things will come in the way of your blogging.
As with many bloggers, I am a parent and a spouse. I have children involved in a ridiculous amount of activities, a wife with a varying work schedule(she substitutes), and my own day-to-day schedule is all over the place. It’s important to be flexible in when, where and how you blog. A real life example of this is my 7 month old daughter has been sick all week, my two older daughters have both been preparing for dance recitals as well as starting softball, I eventually got my baby’s cold, last minute birthday invites and even power outages have all been part of the past week and affected/ inspired this specific post. The point is, even though you must devote time where it’s needed first, i.e. family, don’t let these things stop you from blogging. They can even inspire the posts you write.
- Your blog doesn’t stop at your blog.
This is loosely related to the last point. There are going to be times when you are inspired or otherwise preoccupied with the blog while not actually blogging. It’s cool. Make a mental note of it, or better, an actual note, and when you can act on it, run with it. but more so than that, I’m talking about how the blog will get in your bones and even become a topic of the people near to you, like your family. My daughter will ask about the blog. My wife. They will have opinions. Some good some bad. All valid. Understand blogging isn’t a suit you can put on and just take off. At least not for me.
- Blogging will clean your closet.
Understand that once you decide to start a blog you are opening your views, opinions and often your life to the mass public. Often you will be exposing other people’s lives to the public as well. Sometimes intentionally, but often not. I honestly feel that while the world is filled with mostly good people, almost everyone has aspects to their life they do not wish to be public. It’s hard to have a credible Family Morals blog if you are posting scandalous photos on social media. Remember that college party, or that trip to the nude beach? Yeah, maybe not so much.
When I started this blog, I took the time to review my social media posts and decide if I was okay with these being associated with tedolivas.com. You ARE branding yourself. This is true regardless of whether your blog is earning you money or just an outlet for your expression. I took the time to think how tedolivas.com would affect my family’s privacy. I just think it’s something often missed that needs to be considered before starting a blog. Once it’s on the internet it’s there for the whole world to see. It’s important to be transparent.
- Google is your friend.
For almost anything in life you ever need to know, there is someone who is giving the info away for free. I have spent HOURS looking things up related to tasks associated with this blog. I have found so much invaluable information and solved so many issues by searching for the answers on the internet. Get involved in forums and discussion groups. The answer to your question might not show up in a search, but someone who has the answer is probably out there. Take the time to seek them out.
In addition to finding answers to immediate issues, you’ll definitely want to learn about and utilize the abundance of free tools Google offers. I know that sounds like an ad, but it’s not. Google Analytics, Calender, Maps, Webmaster Tools, Trends, Gmail, etc. These will be important tools for you and it is worth learning about them and how to use them.
- Bloggers are your best friends.
If Google is a good friend, then other bloggers will be your BEST friend. They have most likely had to deal with all the same issues you will go through and know the answers you need. Probably after struggling a lot themselves to find it. In my experience, other bloggers are very open to offer help. There is a huge sense of camaraderie between fellow bloggers. And often there will come a time when you wonder if it’s worth your time to continue or if you are doing a terrible job. I know I have been there. And then you get an email from another, more successful, blogger giving you the pep-talk you need to get you up on your feet again. Develop and nurture genuine relationships with these peers. They can be your best asset in your blogging life. And may even become a true friend.
- Your blog WILL effect people.
For better or worse, your blog will probably be read by people you never imagined would ever see it. Two months ago I hoped some of my friends on Facebook, and maybe some family members, would read it. I originally decided to start it with the intent of having a digital place to keep in touch with people without the negatives of social media. Pfft! That’s changed. I remember my surprise when I found out some random person from Australia had read it. All of it. Suddenly I realized the significance of this.
As of yesterday, my blog has had very modest traffic, just a couple hundred visitors per month as apposed to the thousands per day of many large blogs. Nevertheless it has been read in over 25 countries by hundreds of people. Knowing this, I think it’s important to be true and honest to yourself and your readers. Words are powerful. And as was once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Be conscious of what you post and it’s impact.
- Blogging is fun.
With all the things I’ve learned these last 2 months I haven’t lost sight of one thing. Blogging can be a lot of fun. It has kept me home with my family when I may have been out seeking some other diversion. I enjoy being able to write about things as they come to me. I like having my soapbox in the digital world. I like showing photos of my family. I like sharing nifty tricks and deals I find. I like interacting with the people who take the time to email me. And I probably never would have learned a couple of these things if I hadn’t began this journey. It can be great fun for anyone else who decides to blog. I believe this.
- You can, and should blog!
This list is just a few of the things I’ve learned in these short weeks. Some of them may seam like they are meant to warn you against blogging. That is furthest from the truth. They are there to give you a heads-up of what to expect if you want to blog or to give you insight into what bloggers go through to produce the blogs you like to visit. Anyone who wants to start a blog, can. There are many paths to starting a blog depending on ability, resources, time and other factors. So don’t ever feel like you can’t do it. You can.
The time we live in is increasingly digital. The shear numbers of people on this planet is mind boggling. And everyone is important and everyone matters. Your thoughts matter. Your fears matter. Your opinions matter. If you hope to have a voice that may be heard, I believe, it is ever-increasingly important to have a digital presence in this world. And that’s why I think you should blog.
So two months into blogging, this is my take-away. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I know it was a long one. I hope that you found it informative or maybe funny or perhaps, boring. Whatever it’s effect on you was, I’d love to hear about it in my contact me page. You can find me on various social media. The links are included after each post.
As an after-note, I am currently working on setting up an email campaign to allow you to get my blog posts in your inbox as they are published. I am learning what I can about this process first, before implementing anything, because I don’t want to inadvertently become spamy. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, let me know via my contact me page. If there isn’t enough interest in this, I will not go forward with it. Thanks in advance.