3 Mistakes That New Bloggers Make
Why you should be aware of them
In my experience as a blogging coach, there are three fallacies that bloggers fall into.
Obsession with niche
A lot of bloggers ask me how to find a niche; I turn around and ask them another question: What can you write about with your own unique flavour?
In my own experience, I started writing about parenting, then dabbled in fiction and creative non-fiction and finally turned to blogging strategy and mindfulness.
How did I find my ‘niche’? It took trial and error and 10 years.
I honestly didn’t plan it that way. It just happened.
But people don’t want to wait 10 years.
How quickly they can make money
Another question they ask me is, ‘How quickly can I expect to make money blogging?’
I honestly have no concrete answer for this question.
Because when I started blogging in 2007, making money from blogging was the farthest thing from my mind. Even when I started blogging for a slightly bigger audience in 2013, I was just delighted that my words were reaching more people; money never entered the picture.
And I know, that as a blogging coach, I should be telling you that, “If you follow every single thing that I say, you’d see the money start rolling in at the 18-month mark.”
But the truth is, I can’t do that. I briefly did that but realised how hollow it sounded. Why?
Because every single blogger I know, who makes money blogging, either full-time or as a side hustle, started as a blogger who was truly dedicated to their craft.
Their intention was to share what they knew with the world; the rest just happened.
Buying a course and not seeing results
Another fallacy that bloggers fall into: If they buy a course, they must obviously see results within a given time frame. If they don’t, it’s the course that is at fault, right?
Did you know that for every 100 people who buy a course, only 3% actually see results? And of that 3%, only about 1% actually see consistent results, meaning they are the ones who stuck with the hard work beyond the short-lived time frame.
So, what are my answers to these fallacies?
A) You don’t have to wait 10 years to figure out a niche. You just have to start writing, keep working on the craft and fine-tune it as you go along. It may take a while, but it will come to you naturally.
B) Technically, you can make money via ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, your products and brand collaborations. Whether you actually make money, though, is dependent on a lot of other factors, almost all of which will depend on the existence of a loyal audience. That, again, takes time.
C) A course is only as good as the student. Think about everything you’ve studied in your life- both in school and after that. When you’ve shown up with the right intention, the student mindset, you know that any piece of content is worth its weight in gold. Because, you are ready to show up and do the hard work necessary to see results.
Welcome to my space, where I give you the honest facts about blogging, hard work and making money from this vocation. For more tips like these, sign up for my free weekly newsletter.
