The Hard Truth About Starting A Blog: My Honest Journey 127 Days In.

Exactly 127 days ago today I hit “Publish” on my very 1st blog post. I was so excited and motivated, and quite honestly a little naïve. I thought that all I had to do was write good, interesting and helpful content, hit share and watch the traffic roll in. Well, I am here to tell you that it is not that simple. The amount of work that is involved before you ever hit that initially elusive “Publish” button is seemingly endless. The entire process is so much more complicated than many blog posts I have read lead you to believe. “Start a Blog in 10 Minutes”, yea, whatever 😂. I am also here to tell you that you will hit roadblocks, you will most likely need a ton of help, a ton of patience, a ton of perseverance and a very, very stubborn nature! ✅✅ and ✅! I am also here to tell you that it is worth it! It is rewarding and it is good for the mind and soul! I haven’t been sorry for one second that I started down this road and would like to share what I have learned along the way. And believe me, if I can get this figured out (for the most part 😉), anyone can.

If you are thinking of starting a blog or are just getting started, this post is for you. I am going to share what has really happened so far, no fluff, no hype…just the hard truth. I will share things I have learned along the way, mistakes I have made and also the joy and pride it has brought me because it is not all doom and gloom…it is a pretty great thing to do! You won’t be sorry, a little tired and overwhelmed maybe, but not sorry.

People start blogs for a variety of reasons. This is something I have wanted to do for a very long time. I even made a half hearted attempt several years ago but it never came to fruition. I have always loved to write, I remember writing short stories as a young teen and sure wish I could but my hands on those now. I lost my job almost a year ago and I realized that I now had the time, energy and life experiences to do it and, hopefully, do it well. Of course, the goal is monetization. But we will talk about that a bit later. Let’s Get started!

• 1. The First thing you need to do is get a domain name and URL. I suggest using Blue Host and WordPress. Signing up with Blue Host is the easy part. You just need to log in and follow the instructions . The hardest part of this will be to choose your domain name. If you are wanting a blog that has a specific niche, you may want a name that encompasses that niche. For me, I chose a lifestyle blog so I chose a domain name that encompassed my own name. WordPress is where you build your actual website. This is SO much more complicated than anyone wants you to believe it is. You need to understand this! You are going to need help unless you are a tech wizard. WordPress offers a support service , it was $165 monthly for the 2 months I had it and it WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY! I beat my head against the wall, cried a lot, drove my tech savvy son-in-law and my husband nuts and literally lost a tremendous amount sleep and suffered a ton of anxiety trying to get my blog up and running on my own. DON’T DO THAT TO YOURSELF. Get the help you need so you can move on to the fun stuff…actually writing your blog!
• 2. Blogging takes way more time than you think. Writing is just the beginning. Blogging also means, Keyword research, SEO optimization, creating graphics and managing your photos , your media library and promoting on social media. You will also need to learn to use Pinterest as it is the #1 place to promote your blog and get new followers. Each post takes hours to do well. If you are expecting to quickly write, post and go viral, you will be disappointed.
• 3. Nobody cares about your blog as much as you do. The internet is a crowded place and nobody knows who you are and they probably never will unless you work very hard to get your blog in front of them. I am fortunate to have a decent social media following so my blogs are being seen by friends and family whose support and encouragement means more than I can say. The hard truth is that your early posts will most likely be ignored by the internet in general. This is frustrating but normal. Keep blogging anyway!

• 4. Consistency can be hard but it is NON-NEGOTIABLE if you want to be successful. When I started, I made a commitment to myself that I would post twice a week. I have done that for the most part, however, sometimes life gets in the way. But remember, the bloggers who succeed are the ones who consistently show up and post often. I am working on perfecting a schedule working around other things in my calendar so I get my posting done twice a week….period! I am getting there. 127 days in, I am treating my blog like a job, not a hobby.

• 5. Monetization does not happen overnight. It just doesn’t, this is another misnomer you see in a lot of posts out there, “How I Made $2000 In My First Month As A Blogger” I don’t think so, just keeping it real folks. It is something, however, you should start doing with your very first post. The simplest way to monetize your blog is through affiliate marketing. You post links for items that are germane to the particular post you are writing, readers click on the link, purchase the item and you earn commissions. Sounds easy enough and I suppose it is, but this doesn’t happen overnight either. The first affiliate program I recommend you sign up for is Amazon. Log in to their affiliate website and fill out the application, most are approved .There are detailed instructions on the site to properly do the links so you will receive credit for your sales. There is a catch of course, you need to make 3 qualifying sales within the 1st 180 days or you will be removed from the program. That sounds easy, but I have not gotten there yet. Fingers crossed! I would suggest you Google other affiliate programs once you have Amazon nailed down. There are quite a few out there and the more the merrier I say.

• 6. Be very careful when you select images to use in your blog. I caused myself a few problems with this in the beginning so I want to give you a heads up. I like to use photos I have taken myself for the most part as they are always safe to use but I don’t always have what I need. I have turned to Google images in the past and searched for Free Images as I did know that you can’t use just anything due to copywrite laws, but I somehow managed to use a couple that appeared to be free and available for use that were not. I got my business Facebook page flagged and had to go back and remove the illegal images. Ugh…..but then it got worse. I did a series of posts on gift recommendations for the loved ones in your life. I did a ton of research working on my lists. I spent hours downloading images from Amazon to use in the post. As an Amazon Associate, I am suggesting purchases from Amazon so it never occurred to me that you could not use their product images….Guess what? You can’t! I spent almost a week taking care of that problem and removing all the images from the posts and writing descriptions of the products instead. The good news is that once you get your qualifying purchases you can use some images so I look forward to that! I would just advise that when in doubt about using an image…don’t.

• 7. You will question everything in the beginning. Is my writing good enough, are my topics interesting, engaging and helpful? Is there anybody out there interested in what I have to say? Will my blog ever start making money? Am I just wasting my time? I have asked myself all these questions more than once. Blogging can mess with your mind a little, you are putting yourself out there, really baring your soul with some of your posts with no guarantee than anyone will read it or care about what you have to say. It takes a lot of personal cheerleading and a lot of internal pep talks to keep publishing. Having a stubborn streak the size of mine doesn’t hurt either. Just do it!

Now for the good news!!! It is 100% worth it. Despite all the challenges, I have learned and grown so much. I have accomplished something that , at times, I wasn’t sure I was capable of.

1. I have improved my writing!
2. I have created something that is mine!
3. I have learned about SEO and digital marketing!
4. I have something worthwhile to spend my time on!
5. I have learned how to use WordPress and Canva like a semi-pro!
6. I have learned to use Pinterest & Instagram to promote my blog!
7. I am self confident in what I post!
8. I have learned how to effectively research and solve many of my own tech issues online!

If you are willing to play the long game, learn and adapt constantly, have faith in yourself and your abilities, blogging may just be for you. Blogging is not a shortcut to big money or instant fame. It’s slow and can be filled with self-doubt but is also immensely rewarding if you stick with it. I am 127 days in and just getting started. I encourage anyone who is on the fence to dive in! I just want you to understand what you are signing up for! The Truth!

Even with low traffic and no monetization yet, I am proud of myself and what I have created. That is reason enough for me to continue! I wish everyone a happy, but well informed, blogging journey! With Love, Mrs. Hovland 🧡