Starting a Blog?? Don’t Fall for the BullS***!

If you are reading this, then I can tell you that you are a pretty cool person.  You like to learn what you can do to avoid making the same mistakes others have made in the past. You may think that this article was designed to deter you from crafting an amazing blog that would reach millions of people daily, and…make you thousands of dollars monthly. But, I have to break it to you…you were wrong. If you continue to read on, you will learn why I think you should create your award-winning blog and the bullshit reasons behind why most won’t.

Disclaimer: Our blog is family friendly, but this article features language that you may or may not use around your children. Although, most people I know occasionally let the magic words slip. If you choose not to read this post due to the occasional expressive language…I understand. However, if you have thought about starting a blog, but are currently sitting on the fence of what-ifs. Then, cruise on through and learn how you can overcome some of the obstacles new bloggers face.

New Blogger 1: I want to blog about traveling, but there are a million other blogs about traveling. I probably should not blog if I want to blog about traveling.

Ok…..bullshit. Yes, the market may be saturated with blogs about your particular niche, but that is not a valid reason for you not to start your blog. Heck, it did not stop Zaxby’s from opening up a restaurant across from my favorite Chick Fi La (I got love for Zaxby’s too). And, it shouldn’t stop you either. Figure out if you are interested in blogging for fun or blogging for fun with monetization. And, then go from there. If you do decide to blog for money, my best tip of advice is that you treat your blog as a business from the start. The way that you organize and promote your content is very important to the success of your blog.  So, the moral of this story…start the next best blog and don’t worry about the competition. Create a site the gets the competition worried about you.

New Blogger 2: Can I really make money blogging? I tried one ad program and never broke a dollar in my first year, so I think people are exaggerating about what they make. Maybe, I shouldn’t waste my time.

Ok….that really sucks. However, I will call it as it is and tell you that this southern girl never broke a dollar with her ad program too, but she has made money with her blog and you can too. Ad programs are not the only way to make money. I actually considered reducing the number of ads featured on my site just because it alters the look of my blog. And the value offered IMO is not fair.

However, there are other ways to make money with your blog. Brands may reach out to you if you can produce content about their particular product, but you got to be visible (we are featuring a post soon about visibility…don’t miss it, be sure to subscribe). Or, you could reach out to the brand(s) you are interested in working with. There are also paid opportunities for guest posting and sponsored posts. You can also create classes or sell products. Point being that there is a plethora of ways to monetize your blog.

New Blogger 3: Blogs take a lot of work and time. I work full-time and have a family. If I didn’t have so many responsibilities, I would totally blog.

No disrespect….but, bullshit. Children are hard… having a husband maybe a little harder…or wife. When you couple all of that with your full-time job and other responsibilities, I get why it may seem overwhelming. However, as I said earlier…if you want to monetize your blog, you have to operate and manage it  like a business. Schedule dates with yourself or team to brainstorm and create productivity goals for the blog. This can be done in as little as once a week or biweekly. If having enough content is an issue, solicit guest bloggers the opportunity to promote content on your site. I mean that’s a win win. You get content and the guest blogger increases their visibility. Using applications will also help you automate some of your tasks including social media management.

New Blogger 4: I like that you blog…I mean that’s really a cool hustle, but I don’t think people would like to hear what I have to say.

Really???? Because, you literally just got off the phone with your best friend or your mama and y’all talked for like 2 hours about a situation that lasted 10 minutes. Just kidding. But, its true. We are social beings enjoying and sometimes not enjoying our social interactions with others.  Which means, you have plenty to share. Maybe it was an experience or a journey that has impacted your way of living. Or, maybe you are the best at DIYs and can share affordable and stylish tips to others. Whatever, it is…you got it. And if you are willing to share…. there’s a population willing to hear what you have to say.

New Blogger 5: I want to blog, but I don’t have a lot of money to make it look professional or take the classes that will help me take my blog to the next level.

This is actually a valid concern. Blogs that are self-hosted (and if you are not self-hosted, then you really should be) can be expensive to create and maintain. And, I admit….those classes may create a small dent in your budget. But, with everything you can take your time and just tackle one goal at a time. Also, you can join online social groups and forums and learn more information about free and reduced-cost courses to help you with your blog. Also, these are great places to ask any questions you may have. I like to think of the courses that I take as an investment. An investment that will give me the greatest return. When you change your mindset, accept what you can do, and acknowledge what you can’t, the only thing left is to push forward until you have reached the point you wish to be at.

New Blogger 6: I really don’t have the computer expertise to create my blog and make it look really cool.

This is not a good reason to not start a blog that you have contemplated starting for some time now. There are programs that are user friendly. You just pick a template design and modify the text and colors. The control panel of your host will feature some of the website creation sites that they are most compatible with. If you need a good place to start, we started with Bluehost (host) and connected it with WordPress (website creation site). I like it because it’s easy and affordable. I just picked my design and now the only thing I do is copy and paste my posts into my blog. Please email us if you have any questions about this process. Also, with Bluehost you can get an entire year of hosting for just under $4/month when you use our referral link. Hopefully, this could help you if you are New Blogger 5.

The Time is Now… Start Your Blog Today!

I’ve met the last six bloggers, names will not be disclosed. However, I share this information because if you aspire to blog, then you may have some of the same concerns. And, that is okay. I too had my concerns. Actually, I was every new blogger introduced in this article.  I just want you to know that if you want to start a blog…then start your blog. If you want to make money doing it…you betta make that money. You have the power to make it what you want it to be. If I could summarize in a few steps what your next steps should be, I would say that you need to:

1. Figure out what topics you plan to write about.
2. Decide whether blogging will be a hobby or a side hustle.
3. Get a hosting service so that you will have a self-hosted blog.
4. Choose a name for your blog and buy a domain.**
5. Start creating your website and adding things to your blog.

**With some hosting packages, the domain will often times be free for the first year.

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