I am a work-in-progress, and so is this blog. In the three years that I've taken blogging seriously, I picked up some significant lessons along the way. I think it's impossible to progress with anything if you hadn't learned something in the process. In honor of SCATTERBRAIN's third birthday, I thought a post on some lessons I've learned along the way is in order.
Blogging is fun, but is also tedious work
Gone are the days when blogging meant simply putting your thoughts into words. Simply proofreading your draft post is already work in itself. It's also been apparent that learning the ropes of search engine optimization (SEO) will help with your online presence.
Lauren and Jake Hooker best explain about SEO on their blog, so be sure to check it out later.It's somewhat obligatory nowadays to have at least a Pinterest-worthy and Twitter-friendly cover photo to go with your post. I'm not going to lie—working on cover photos takes more time than actually writing the corresponding text content. It becomes even more time-consuming when you're working on a travel photo diary from a recent trip because selection of photos to go in your blog always comes before the bloody editing part!
And please don't get me started with promoting your blog via different social media platforms. I never imagined how social media reach can contribute to engaged following of your blog.
Your only competition is yourself
We've all heard this over and over again: comparison is the thief of joy. I hate to admit it, but it's true. When one starts to compare himself with others, that's when frustration sets in. The more you feel frustrated, all the more you're being counterproductive. When you focus on why you started blogging in the first place, that's when you'll appreciate your purpose and your worth. Use that as motivation; you'll save yourself from unnecessary stress.
Blogging takes time to yield results
Every blogger I know has a blogging goal s/he wants to achieve, but the most common of which is to build a solid readership. For some, it only takes six months for their blog to be a hit, some takes even longer than that. Opinions on tracking your blog stats vary from one blogger to another, but some claims that frequency of posting affects this. In my case, I think writing two to three times a week works best for me. For now.
I don't have a solid editorial calendar or blogging schedule yet, but working on some regular series (Feed Your Mind and From Across the Web) here keeps me going. It's also worth noting that not all my published posts were a hit; some of them didn't even gain that much visits or engagement, but that's okay. You win some, and lose some.
Although I've been blogging regularly since August of last year, I can't say that I've taken this as a full-time job. Needless to say, blogging requires hard work, dedication, and continuous commitment regardless if you're taking it as a hobby or a source of income. It's not enough that you're passionate about your craft, it is important that you do something to share whatever talent you may have for the world to see. If you're a blogger like myself, commend yourself for doing what you love best and for striving
What other lessons have you learned from blogging that you would like to share?