If you have ever discussed blogging with a person who is unfamiliar with the concept, you probably know that some people have very distorted misconceptions of what it actually entails. Before I started blogging, I did not possess a clear idea of what blogging was either. It is strange to think how different my perspective was eight or nine months ago.
My understanding of the blogosphere has definitely changed, which I think has really helped me improve my blog. I thought I would share some common blogging misconceptions today not only to help newbies but to see if other bloggers have encountered similar misconceptions.
1. Blogging is easyÂ
This misconception is the one that I hear the most frequently, especially from people who have little to no understanding of the blogging community. Although it may seem like a simple thing, blogging is a lot more than just writing a post and publishing it. Photography can be time consuming and social media constantly need to be updated. Plus, you have to account for designing your blog and learning about SEO. Blogging takes hard work. And if you’re not a full-time blogger, it’s like having a second job.
2. Every blogger gets paidÂ
Setting up a blog doesn’t automatically make a person a paid blogger. It is a common misconception that all bloggers get paid or receive free samples from companies, however, it is actually quite the opposite. Most bloggers do not receive any sort of compensation for their blog. It is not something that immediately happens.
3. Blogging is all about writingÂ
While writing is one of the primary aspects of blogging, it certainly is not the only aspect. Photography and social media are just as important to a blog’s success as the actual blog posts. A lot of my readers find my content through tweets or posts on Instagram or Pinterest. Neglecting these aspects will make it harder for your content to reach other people. Writing is important, but so are these other elements.
4. Beauty bloggers are unintelligent and superficialÂ
In a couple of my earliest blog posts, I discussed my frustration with the preconceived notion that people interested in fashion and makeup are unintelligent. In contrast to this stereotype, these bloggers are quite savvy. Creating content and maintaining a social media presence requires hard work and intellect. Just like any blogger, beauty bloggers build their followings on their intelligence. Discrediting their worth because their topic of interest is both inaccurate and hurtful.
5. Success is instantaneousÂ
Every once and a while, I have someone ask me for blogging advice. My biggest tip would be not to expect immediate success. While there are some people who develop a following overnight, most of us grow over an extended period of time. Cultivating readers is something that takes a lot of hard work. Most of the bloggers you see with large followings have been blogging for years.
What do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions about blogging? Â
Sincerely,
Paige
P.S. I followed through on one of my goals for March by getting a new backdrop!
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Thank you so much for writing this!!! So many people think that bloggers have money and just sit around all day. When in reality it is REALLY HARD WORK. But it is soooooo amazing, which makes up for it 💕
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You’re welcome! And I know right!
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The most frustrating thing I get is “Why bother?” I get really tired of people thinking blogging is a waste of time. I *like* researching, experimenting, photographing, and writing about makeup.
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Exactly!!! like “oh if you’re not getting paid to write so much & put effort into it then why do it?” like hello maybe cause its fun to do?!?
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Agreed! I hate when people act like it’s a waste of time. Blogging is productive and fun!
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I agree and confess that I had some of those thoughts before I actually started blogging. It is a lot of work keeping up with school and trying to update my blog and social media. There is so much to learn and it changes constantly. The number one thing I’ve found is that it’s all about good, authentic content. Great post!
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I totally agree, sometimes its so hard to juggle everything! I just recently found out about this app which lets you schedule your tweets – its hootsuite if I remember correctly! I haven’t gotten round to checking it out yet, but maybe it helps? 😊 xx
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I also thought some of these things! I think it just takes time to learn and develop an understanding!
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True! Everyone tell me these exact things that blogging is easy, that you must get paid a lot. It gets really frustrating sometimes.
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I know right! So irritating!
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Love this post, you’re right in everything you said! X
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Thank you!
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Amazing post & so true… I did have some of these misconceptions at the start & I had NO idea how hard it actually it, maybe its not even that blogging is hard cause once I start typing I just type & type, its more that its time-consuming & finding that time is hard.
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I had a a lot of them as well! I think it just takes time and experience to understand that it is a lot of work!
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Totally agree on all your points! There’s definitely a misconception about blogging out there.
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Great post with a great message! So many people have misconstrued ideas of what blogging is all about. I nominated you for the mystery blogger award, check it out! https://dontgiveajam.com/2017/03/08/mystery-blogger-award/
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Excellent post. Really helpful.
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I think for me it bothers me that a lot of the general public think that blogging is just a person in their room writing about what dressing they had on their salad or how tragically in love they are with someone or something like that. I mean I know there are blogs out there like that, but the majority of blogs now are really sophisticated and some blogs are much better than magazines in my opinion!
Julia // The Sunday Mode
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I agree! Blogging is a lot of hard work and many people fail to see that.
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This is a good reminder that my blogging should be for ME and not for recognition or validation. I should do this because I’m genuinely passionate about my topics. Thanks for the tips! x
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Thanks for writing this. It isn’t a misconception but one of the biggest issues I’ve faced is when my ft job met my blog – I’m a teacher by day and I got a lot of grief from kids at school 😦 I also got a few followers
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I really enjoyed this post. I went into blogging with most of those misconceptions. In my opinion, the biggest misconception people have about blogging is that it takes no real skill. It actually takes multiple skills, just a few of which are writing, using images and marketing the blog.
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So true that blogging takes time and hard work. Many people think what we do is easy!
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Blogging is something you should only start if you really like it… any thing done for money earning doesn’t last for long…
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Very informative and thanks for the information.
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I’m new to blogging and this was such a helpful read! Definitely finding SEO and sharing my blog to be the hardest bit. Thanks for sharing!
https://elliefelicity.wordpress.com/
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HI,
Just wanted to say i think this is a fab post! I am new to blogging but feel like i am eventually finding my feet (although have ALOT to learn).
I have mentioned to friends that i have started a blog and most just cant see why i would want to, and have told me that they hope i don’t think i am going to make money out of it!! But for me its a great way to get my thoughts and feelings down about my infertility journey, in all honestly its rather addictive!!
Much love.
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This is so true. I find that it’s really a mind game to break ahead, at least a little, in the blogging world. I have a few followers but it’s still hard getting to that point. 🙂
Jessica | itsamomslife.blog
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I totally agree with you, I hear that all the time. People just don’t get how much work goes into one post. Great post 🙂
Laura | LauraRebeccaJonas.com
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I’m relatively new to blogging, but I can completely agree to your list of misconceptions as indeed I’m experiencing the same that whenever I tell someone I’m blogging, they almost always say that it’s easy while I then have to convince them it’s not…
https://littlefashionadventures.wordpress.com/
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As someone starting new to the blogging world, I find these misconceptions useful. Might as well use them whenever someone tells me that blogging is easy or other stuff. Thanks for the tips now I know what to improve on whenever someone starts a conversation about blogs with me!
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Indeed it’s not one day success neither just can depends on writing, but on the other hand there is a misconception that it’s requred major in English to write or start a blog.
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