15 Harsh Truths About Blogging
15 Harsh truths about blogging? FIFTEEN?! wow I’m quite the drama queen with that title you know?!
In a few days, it will be my one year blogging anniversary. How mad is that?! I have a post scheduled for the exact day (because, why not?) However, I had these musings scribbled on my notepad and thought they deserved a separate post of their own. It would probably help anyone thinking of starting a blog, bloggers who are still finding themselves and of course, the old school “OG” bloggers or just nosy people like me!
Disclaimer – To my blogger community, some of these are harsh truths and lessons which I learnt and are expressively, from my point of view. This is not to say that they are right or stagnant. As I grow in this industry, my views could change. However, this is my takeaway from this (almost) first year as a blogger.
1. It is ok to go at your pace.
The number one harsh truth about blogging is to go at your own pace! Do what works for you.
I am always sceptical about announcing my wins. I know that as much as I am excited about hitting 1k views, someone might be feeling a little down that they have been blogging longer and are nowhere near 1k views. However, it is really important to learn to run your own race. Others around you can be your inspiration; why not? I’m finally getting into Pinterest because a lady updated her growth from Pinterest on twitter. This pushed me to activate my account and get pinning! Honestly, it is hard and I have gotten nowhere yet but maybe by the end of year 2, I will have a better update for you.
2. Content is king.
Yes you can drive all the traffic to your blog from all the social media but what makes people stick around and even return? Your content. This one I will admit, I learnt from life and thankfully, I have never been one for mediocrity so my content was always going to be amazing anyway. I wanted to write like I was chatting with my friends. Not too formal, have my usual slangs and a general feel good, relaxed vibe. I seem to be nailing it as everyone says reading my blog feels like they are gisting with their best friend. Cue the awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
3. Don’t wait until your win is “Big” to celebrate.
What even is a big win? Celebrate your wins. I am that person who celebrates everything. I remember hitting 20k views in December (so just over 10 months into blogging) and I announced it on Instagram. It was funny to announce because just a few days before, a blogger on my twitter time line was celebrating 20k views for the week hahaha! AWKSS but refer to no 1. I will shout from the rooftops if I have to. Of course, this does not go down well with everyone but let us be honest, who TF cares? You can unlook when I’m celebrating but I’d be damned if your opinion is the reason why I hoard my little (or big) wins.
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4. The social media snobbery.
You really don’t have to follow everyone who is following you. Nobody owes anyone anything and it works both ways, that way you won’t be disappointed. I remember when I started out, I had so many London bloggers follow me within a few days and I excitedly followed all of them. They follow, like and comment on your pictures and you do the same but with time you find out they stop liking and commenting. You check and find out they are no longer following. Yup, the follow/unfollow game is still a thing in 2020 on Instagram LOL. Another harsh truth about blogging which I found disappointing.
So if you are following someone, it should be because you actually like their content; unless you are ok with the Instagram games. It is awesome to build a community but protecting your mental health and space in general should be priority especially if blogging is going to be long term.
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5. You don’t have to say yes to every opportunity.
I have not worked with any brands in the one year because frankly, those that approached me did not align with what I am building. I felt bad saying no sometimes but compromising my brand over a gifted item or ad is not my cup of tea. The last brand that approached me was for something to do with cooking and I asked the rep how that would work with my page and they did not respond. I don’t really like cooking and only cook so my family won’t starve lol. I don’t think I have ever showcased otherwise on my Instagram, twitter or blog so I’m not sure why I was asked to review the item tbh.
Any ad/gifted/press invites on my pages will be from brands that I genuinely like, align with my brand and would use regardless.
6. Consistency is Key.
Even when it looks like you are not getting as much support as you think you deserve, keep going. Your tribe will find you! Now, going into blogging I was sure travel would be the main content to showcase but I also LOVE every other part of my life – all the randomness. So to ensure that I was going to be consistent, I knew I had to do all of what I loved. In the last almost 12 months, I have written 57 blog posts and I have made sure that it is all quality content despite the consistency. It is not easy but again, consistency in blogging is very necessary for growth.
Content is King. Consistency is Key.
7. Not everyone will support you.
And this is ok.
You need to remember that blogging is your thing; not theirs. Not everyone likes to read, not everyone likes social media. So don’t take it out on your family who don’t seem that invested in your blog or try guilt tripping or subbing your friends on Twitter or Facebook (don’t mind me, that’s where I see the subs LMAO). Just do your thing and as in no 6, your tribe will find you.
Just do your thing and your tribe will find you
8. Expand your following.
Following only people within your blog niche is actually detrimental to your growth.
Say what now?
Yes! With the travel blogging community, I find that things can get samey if you are stuck following just travel bloggers for inspo. What else do you enjoy outside travelling? For me, I love the UK fashion blogging scene and follow a few faves. I follow luxury bloggers too because I am nosy and like to see what potential luxury purchases are classics or trends. I’m also a fan of a lot of lifestyle blogging accounts, home (interior designing) accounts, accounts that show a lot of London based things – just generally, a variety. This kind of helps to have well rounded information on content creation in general.
9. You have to find your niche.
I will admit that I struggle(d) with this one. It is a little difficult if you are in lifestyle blogging. I feel like if you are a travel blogger or fashion blogger, it is very specific. But when you mix travel and lifestyle, it becomes everything and anything so this is where you have to find your niche. What is it that people will say once your handle pops up?
For me, I tend to promote living your best married life, unknowingly LMAO – I actually saw a conversation about me on twitter and it was centred on this. It probably describes me best – I travel with my husband, I love love and write a lot of mushy musings. Then in the lifestyle space, I dabble in brunches, London living, (once in a while) luxury shopping and fashion as I am trying to get one deal or the other lol. So as you can see, I am EVERYWHERE.
Hopefully, I can narrow my niche down a bit more as I grow as a blogger but for now, let us leave it as “Inspiring you to live your best married life in travel or lifestyle”
10. People actually BUY FOLLOWERS and LIKES!
Quel horreur! Look, these companies will email you, DM you and offer you all these plans for buying likes and following (it is soooo cheap), but I did not think anyone actually responded to them.
I was shocked when I was trying to like a picture that had about 11 likes and next thing it increased to 511 likes in like 2 seconds. Fam, I was shook. Investigation Bugo kicked in LMAOOOOOO. Curiously, I checked the likes and noticed it was the most random group of people; all with locked accounts, zero followers and following liking the picture. Because I have read so many blogs before becoming a blogger myself, I already know this is one of the evidences of buying likes. I obvs did not say anything to the person; just noted it and felt quite disappointed.
It’s their choice to be dishonest and it does not affect my life so we move.
11. The race to monetise!
Every blogger gets to a point where they sell one thing or the other (they rightly should). They are essentially offering their knowledge or story for people to use as guides or whatever the case may be. We all know that blogging is not cheap if you are self-hosting and all those extras. So the fact that you are sharing knowledge to people is something that if you can, you should monetise.
However, I think we need to have a balance as bloggers. I have learnt that you have to build and be credible first before you can sell anything successfully. It is also not fair to people who trust your recommendation to sell something that is really not worth the exorbitant price you have declared or something you know is not useful.
I admire the audacity of people who sell mediocrity at high prices but would I buy into it as a consumer? Nope.
12. Not every picture should be uploaded to the gram.
The first time I heard this was a blogging workshop I watched on youtube and the second time was at one of the first blogger events I went to. This is one I think should be scrapped if I am honest. At the moment, I tend to upload what I want and I know that this sometimes, may not favour my Instagram page LOL. I use a planning app (UNUM) to map out what picture goes up next which is the best I can do but I tend to post whatever picture I love. I have some pictures I really like and want on my feed but because of the silly algorithm and people generally not liking pictures without your face in them, you know the picture will tank.
Personally, I try not to care but I’d be lying if I said I did not post pictures with this at the back of my mind.
13. Presets actually work well with Algorithm.
This is another one that honestly helps your Instagram growth but I just can’t get into.
Have you noticed the trend with things I refuse to get into are from Instagram? LMAO. As I mentioned earlier, I follow lots of niches in the blogger world and this is tried and tested. If you use the same presets and your pictures are “samey”, the algorithm favours your page and will push it to more people. This might change because we all know Instagram is constantly moving mad. However, it’s been that way for over a year now. Which is why the sale of presets and bloggers/instagrammers teaching you how to curate your insta feed is on the rise. If this is something you want, go for it.
For me, I just like a natural look for my page so it is another Instagram rule I have decided not to follow at the minute. Maybe year 2 might bring out a change in me.
14. Not every blog will make money.
Hayyyyyyyy! Maybe I should rephrase this. Not every blogger will monetise. For a lot of bloggers, blogging is and will always just be a hobby. I think most OG bloggers started this way – just for the fun of it and then obvs, blogging became the in thing and money entered. It is ok to just do it as a hobby without the pressures of perfection, it is ok. I started my blog as something for fun and I think that because I have a full time job, I’m not in a hurry to make money off it. If the right opportunity comes then jolly well but for now, it is fun for me and I’m focusing on growing it that way. Maybe it will blow (Nigerian slang for popularity) or maybe it won’t. Focus on the now.
15. You HAVE to learn Pinterest and understand SEO.
I think if you have a great twitter following and you are in one of those Facebook groups, then you can get away with ignoring the Pinterest and SEO spirits but let’s face it. Cracking the SEO code is magic. I have 3 posts that found their way to google front pages (more on this on my next blog post) and I still get a little traffic from them. Granted they are not the most popular things that people are looking for on the internet lol but it is something. I don’t really understand Pinterest yet (I promise, I am learning atm) but when I see the traffic people get from it to their blogs, SHOOOOOK!
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In Concluding..
Blogging is actually time consuming. You have to write, add links, add the right amount of pictures, schedule post and insert all the insertables. If you are mad about SEO, this even takes up more of your time trying to insert the right words and all that jazz. Then once post is published, you promote on socials – creating the perfect pins for the post to go on Pinterest, announcing on twitter and Facebook with the right picture that will direct people to the post and let’s not forget the perfect Instagram caption too. Oh, the newsletters too.
Thank goodness I actually just love my blog and enjoy the process. The best part for me is writing the post. Everything else is stressful LOL But nobody tells you this when you start off, you just learn as you go along! A lot of bloggers will grow and their niche will change, some will stop blogging and for some, it is potentially a long term thing. I am hoping it is long term for me because I do enjoy it and I think I have finally found a balance between blogging and my full time employment (how I manage this is a story for another day).
I might have been a tad dramatic with the title – Harsh Truths about Blogging since the word “harsh” is quite a relative term. What is harsh to me might not have been have been harsh to you. However, these were eye openers in a world that I was unfamiliar with when I started and I have thankfully learnt from them.
Anyway, stay tuned for my giveaway which will be in my next blog post on the day we turn ONE! Don’t forget to subscribe to be eligible for the giveaway.
Until then,
Bisous, ‘Bugo x
*Photos were taken at Harry’s Dolce Vita
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20 Comments
Fike
I love this! Recently started posting on my blog publicly and it’s just a hobby for now, but like you I don’t want to do anything mediocre. Trying to focus on the now & enjoy the process. Also trying to figure out SEO, not quite Pinterest yet because I don’t have a lot of picture content (yet) but loving every minute. Thanks for sharing
Bugo
hey Fike!!
yayyyy! I’m glad you found it somewhat useful.I always feel like the first few months to a year is for building as sometimes, SEO takes some time to kick in. So I definitely agree with your tactic. Just keep putting content out. Pinterest seems to work for a lot of people but I think at the moment, it’s dry for travel blogging. I still try to pin anyway and hoping the pinterest SEO still picks it up somehow.
Goodluck with blogging my lovely x
Tari
I honestly can’t wait to find my tribe. Taking the journey one day/ post at a time.
Very solid gems you dropped Bugo.
Bugo
They will come 🙂 x
Ochez
Stumbling on this blog today is a good stumbling for me. lol. I love, like love love your originality. ps: I gotta enjoy the process too. Thanks Bugo
http://www.ocheche.com.ng
Bugo
Hi Ochez! I’m so glad you stumbled upon my blog, makes me really happy 🙂
Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words x
Courtney Fulton
I absolutely love your writing style! Reading your blog is so refreshing. Definitely one of my faves!
Bugo
Oh thank you Court! I’m glad you have enjoyed reading my blog.
I have just had a look at your blog too, you’ve been on a very interesting journey, love it x
Kachi
I’m just here for these gorgeous photos! Okay for real blogging is such hard work and these are so true. It’s exciting to see people who still blog because they truly enjoy it. You’ve done amazing this one year. Here’s to many more successes! ❤️
Bugo
haha thanks babe! To think I was hungry and waiting for my food when my friend took the photos 🙂
Oh me too, I’m always excited when I discover a new blog haha! I mean, Instagram is cute and all but blogs will always have a solid place in my heart.
Cheers to you too and more successes xx
Desire Uba
Congratulations on close to one year of blogging 🎉
I couldn’t agree with you more, especially on the fact that some blogs will not monetise.
For some, it’s fun and will always be.
I can’t wait to learn Pinterest and SEO. They really seem to be game changers.
http://www.desireuba.com.ng
Bugo
Thank you Desire!
I think there is pressure when all the blogs around you are making money and you are just sat there like ???? hahahahaha
Yes o! Pinterest and SEO are magic. Imagine when both work on a few posts.. GOLD!
thank you for reading and i’ll be sure to check your blog out as well x
Tari
I just discovered your blog and I’ve been binge reading all week. Amazing. And you take such gorgeous pictures.
Congrats on one year of blogging.
My blog is less than two months old. I’m really excited about my blogging journey and I hope it’s an excitement that doesn’t fade.
I really need to get this Pinterest and SEO thing on lock. The one thing I didn’t realise before I started was that blogging is high maintenance and a tad expensive (at least for a start).
But we do it for the love of it…
Here’s to celebrating both the little and big wins.
Bugo
hey Tari! welcomeeeeeee!
I’m always excited when someone discovers my blog for the first time and I’m glad you’ve been binge reading haha.
Thankyou very much and yes, the SEO and Pinterest magic are the best things for a blog especially if you don’t have a huge twitter/instagram/facebook following. SEO also gives you a lot of organic searches and if people like what they see, they will stick and subscribe!
PS – I just had a mooch on your blog, it is so clean, love it!! x
Viv AF
Just do your thing and your tribe will find you! Best words.
Bugo
Thanks babe!
I live by these words in this very competitive blogging space x
Nneka Obi
Ko easy! I really appreciate all your efforts behind the scenes. Your blog is really nice, clean, uplifiting, fun and interesting. I actually really love that you added lifestyle. It gives us the best of both worlds. I always enjoy your posts. Keep up the good work! I love your progress and can’t wait to read and follow your blog journey!
Bugo
My darlingggg!
Ah you’re so kind. These words are some of the loveliest anyone has said about my blog and what makes me so happy is that I know they come from your genuine heart. Thank you SO much for continuously cheering me on this journey and checking up when you have not received my newsletter haha! Bless you xx
Thatcorporatechic
I love reading your write ups.
Each point is so true 😫
Thanks for sharing this, and happy one year anniversary.
Bugo
thank you so much girllll!
Thank you most especially for your support since we met, really grateful 🙂 xx