Blogging is apparently a version of utopia for some, who’ve heard it’s a great way to earn a decent living. It most certainly can be, as my recent article on how much you can make blogging discusses. However, there are those out there who would have you believe that a blogger’s life is an easy one (it isn’t) and this for me is one of the problems with blogging… but there are many others too!
I’m going to look at some general blogging problems you’ll encounter at some point if you’re starting out. These are problems that some people might conveniently overlook when they’re trying to sell you their latest course! I’ll outline the particular problem and then offer a solution to each where possible.
There’s Way to Much Hype from People Trying to Sell You Something
The first of my problems with blogging list…
Someone is always trying to sell you the latest hot secret to make you rich.
I’ll tell you now… there is no secret apart from hard work and commitment. Of course there are techniques and strategies that help your blog to grow, but many of the things you need to know about blogging can be found out for free online. You just need to take the time and effort to learn.
Of course there are some exceptional bloggers offering very useful and actionable advice in the courses they’ve created… and that’s fine by me. They’ve learned their trade and earned the right to share what they know for a fee.
However, you don’t need to blow your cash from the outset as there are some truly great places to learn about blogging for free, without the hype. Here are a few of my favorites:
You can also find some nuggets at Sidegains too of course: Blogging Tips. #shamelessplug
Learn what you can online for free before you invest heavily in blogger courses.
Blogging is Competitive
This is a big problem I’m afraid!
Years ago, making money blogging was really quite straightforward. You built a blog, wrote a few posts, submitted your URLs to Google and you started to get traffic. Truly… it was as simple as that!
Those days are gone!
Nowadays, most niches are competitive and it takes to build up your presence and credibility to such an extent by that people and search engines start to take notice of you. This is a huge problem for fledgling blogging entrepreneurs, since it’s only time and consistent effort that enables this.
The solution for competition is to have a plan and commit to it over years… not months. You will not start a blog and make a financial killing with it in a few months. Okay maybe 1% of you will… but I can tell you right now that 99% of new blogs fail because competition demands you stick at it: most people simply cannot or will not.
The secret (if there is one) is to try to stay committed… especially in competitive niches.
Blogging is Not Easy
Is blogging hard work? You’d better believe it!
When you start a blog there is an awfully steep learning curve. I firmly believe that anyone can pick up the required skills, but there is a lot to get to grips with and it will take time.
Some things are tougher than others to get your head around, and that will mean you have to remain committed to learning them no matter how challenging they are.
Remaining committed to your blog for at least a year (its infancy stage) is a problem for most new bloggers. It’s super-tough to keep going when you’re not getting the volume of visitors you’re hoping for.
Set your expectations correctly from the outset and try to understand it’ll take a lot of trial and error to get into your groove. A growth mindset also helps!
There’s Always Stuff to Do That Doesn’t Directly Grow Your Blog
If you run a blog on your own, one of the biggest problems with blogging that constantly holds you back is the fact that you have to do a lot of stuff that doesn’t directly contribute to making your blog grow:
- Maintaining your blog.
- Tweaking images.
- Correcting mistakes.
- Fixing technical issues.
- Responding to unforeseen problems.
- Scheduling activities.
Running a blog is like running a business in the sense that there are times when you cannot just get on with the exciting stuff. Maintenance and admin responsibilities are always lurking in the background to prevent you from publishing your posts or promoting them!
Try to remember that though not directly growing your blog, the maintenance and administrative sides of running a blog are indirectly critical to growing it long-term.
It’s Boring
One of the possibly unspoken problems with blogging is it can be really boring. I mean truly painfully dull!
It’s great when you feel inspired to write about something that’s close to your heart. When that happens its a pretty energizing experience and if every blog post you ever wrote was equally inspiring, blogging would be a breeze!
Sadly it isn’t!
There are some topics you have to write about because they’re important for your readers or your niche. You have to cover others to perhaps target a desirable keyword that attracts a lot of searches every month. Whatever the reason, you will find yourself having to write something that doesn’t flow quite so easily.
Sometimes you’ll be downright bored by the grind of blogging:
- Writing posts and publishing them.
- Editing images.
- Promoting your blog posts in social media.
- Link building.
- Networking.
Honestly it can really wear you down and if you’re not careful lead you down the slippery slope towards quitting and burnout.
You Can Burn Yourself Out
Blogger burnout is a real thing. It might sound ridiculous but blogging burnout is a problem, even for hard-core “successful” bloggers who’ve worked at it for years.
If you start to feel bored by the daily grind of blogging but continue to push yourself hard without the results you want, blogger burnout can strike you down… it’s a major problem and another reason why blogs fail.
If you’re committed to blogging (which we’ve established you must be) it’s important to look after yourself properly:
- Eat well.
- Keep yourself hydrated.
- Take regular breaks.
- Exercise… even if it’s just a walk around the block.
- Set realistic expectations.
- Connect with like-minded people.
Things Change… A Lot!
One of the most frustrating problems with blogging is that things change… all the time! You put in a lot of effort learning how to do something and then everything changes at the drop of a search engine algorithm update! Or what worked in Pinterest yesterday is outlawed today.
Perhaps the only thing that remains constant is change itself!
The blogging game will always involve change and it’s up to each of us to adapt to these changes or lose ground. But this is as true for blogging as it is in most facets of our lives, certainly in terms of employment. Those able to adapt to change are more capable of making the best of any new opportunities it brings.
You Probably Won’t Make Much Money For a While
I’m sad to say it but this is a hard truth about blogging.
If you’re blogging to make money, you’ll have a problem if you’re not prepared to work hard and wait. It takes time.
Yes, some bloggers do make a good living through their blogs. Some even make fabulous sums… we’ve all read about them:
- Neil Patel
- Michelle Schroeder-Gardner
- Brian Clark
- Pat Flynn
- Darren Rowse
- Melyssa Griffin
- Etc., etc., etc.
Most of these bloggers have been running their blogs for years. The one thing they share with all bloggers is they probably didn’t make a dime when they started… it took them all time.
Now I’m not suggesting for a minute it’s possible to reach the dizzy heights of these uber-bloggers, but with time and commitment, earning a living income working from home full-time is entirely possible… that I know for a fact.
You’ll Be Tempted to Quit… Often!
Blogs fail every day and there are lots of reasons why… I’ve listed some of them in this post already. It’s not an easy path.
If you’re really driven towards blogging as a career you will experience periods where you will want to quit. Blogger burnout, boredom, competition, constant change… each of these factors can make you want to quit blogging, period.
It.s another thing that most bloggers will experience at one time or another. If this happens to you it’s important to try to remember why you started blogging and what you hoped to achieve from the very first day.
Summary
You can’t allow yourself to imagine that blogging is an easy gig. In my experience starting a blog offers myriad benefits but it doesn’t come without some trade-offs… like a lot of things in life.
The primary problems with blogging for me relate to:
- Disappointment through unrealistic expectations.
- Inability to adapt to change.
- Burnout.
- Boredom.
- Competition.
- Challenges of maintaining focus and commitment over the long-term.
If you can overcome these problems, you give yourself a fighting chance of staying the blogging course!
Thanks for reading.
Paul
What problems have you experienced with blogging? Leave a comment below to let me know.
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