Blogging is hard. Yes, I wanted to start this article with that fact, and I will keep reminding you of it. Why? Well, because blogging can actually change your life… if you do it well.
Most bloggers start their careers enthusiastically, full of ideas and plans. Ah, no wonder that a vast majority of them give up fast.
Luckily for you, you are reading this article! Keep reading to find out how to overcome the 10 most common blogging frustrations.
#1 Lesson: Keep Calm and Buy (Another) Domain Name
You brainstorm so much to make a list of domain names suitable for your blog, and when you finally decide to buy one… you realize that all of them have already been taken. To make it even worse, you will find that many of these “taken” domains are not even associated with a website. Do people just go out and buy domain names?! Is this some trend you should follow? Should you compete with your friends to see who can get more domain names? Certainly not.
People buy domains for many reasons, and this is something you really don’t need to worry about. Just pick another name for your blog. I am sure that there is another combination of words that isn’t in use. Alternatively, you can always change the spelling. Yes, many famous blogs are misspelled, and that’s just one more way their authors show their creativity.
#2 Lesson: Start From (Design) Scratch
If you use WordPress, you already know that it is very hard to choose a theme that is both original and suits your taste. Not to mention that once again, you will come across many websites using the same theme. Even though blog design is very important, there is certainly no need to get frustrated by it.
Start with a theme that you like, but customize it as much as possible. Check out the Freebies sections on big blogs and websites- they often give out free original icons, photos, logos, and much more. Choose those that fit your style, change some colors and you are ready to go!
The second, even easier method is to choose a website builder with a wide selection of templates and features that will make your website design easy and fun (Ucraft is a personal recommendation)! Again, try to customize every template, and keep in mind: you won’t be 100% original, but try to do your best!
Whenever you have an idea about how to change the look of your blog, write it down. Since it is very common to change the entire blog design from time to time, you will have more than enough opportunities to implement your ideas.
#3 Lesson: Test!!!
Testing is essential if you want to succeed. It doesn’t matter how amazing you think your idea is, it might be completely tedious for your readers. Luckily, there are so many ways to test how well things are working when you have a blog.
The first thing you need to test is the abovementioned design. Use Optimizely to test the colors you’ve chosen, the call-to-action buttons, the images… literally everything. That way, you will really take your design to perfection and eliminate your frustrating feeling of wondering “is this good enough?”
#4 Lesson: Create Content That You Would Like To Read
Content is king. So, create content for kings, or rather, for yourself. After all, you are the king of your (blogging) empire. This might sound simple, but many bloggers create content that is purely commercial and end up with just a couple of views.
Even though you post to attract others, when creating your content, you should do it as if you were creating it for yourself. Why? Because you are satisfied only with the best, so your content will be supreme! Don’t be frustrated, because you will never get motivated that way. Don’t worry about whether your writing will cover a topic that hasn’t already been covered before. Don’t stress over whether your post will be interesting to a wider audience. Just write. As I’ve already mentioned: write something you would like to read.
#5 Lesson: Go That Extra Mile
Whether you are creating podcasts, photos or written content, do it better than your competitors! Sounds easy, right? Then, why do most bloggers get frustrated by it?
The key to being better than others doesn’t exist, so don’t stress about it. One thing you can certainly do is try! Go that extra mile and create an in-depth podcast or a longer blog post. Do the work most people don’t want to do, and who knows, maybe you’ll end up being the best. That is certainly the right way to do it.
#6 Lesson: Spread the Word About Your Blog
How best to spread the word about your blog so you can really start building your relevant audience is a very common worry among bloggers. With so many social media platforms, influencers and blogger colleagues, you don’t have to worry (so much).
Start off with guest posting. That way, you will reach other people’s audiences and build contacts as well. Get in touch with people in your niche, ask for advice, watch what they do, and join forces. It might sound difficult, but with a couple of polite emails, you will be drinking coffee with your (new) blogger friends in no time.
Ah yes: don’t forget to add that “Write for us” section on your blog.
#7 Lesson: Make Social Media Work for You
You won’t believe how many bloggers don’t use social media (enough) because they find it frustrating. It is really not a good idea to be one of them. By using social media in a smart way, you will make it work for you!
Start by creating profiles on all the well-established social media platforms. If you have the budget, you won’t regret boosting your posts. Join all groups relevant to your niche, be active in them and share your content. When you get enough likes and shares, you will see a boost of traffic to your blog!
Don’t forget to install social sharing buttons to make it easy for your audience to share your posts.
#8 Lesson: Don’t Get Hacked
Even if you have just launched your blog, if you want to avoid getting hacked (and frustrated), you must think twice about security.
When it comes to WordPress websites, don’t miss the following three steps:
- Set a strong password and username. If it is too complicated to remember, write it down.
- Get a security plugin. There are so many free ones that go well with WordPress, so it is up to you to choose one.
- Don’t forget to update your installations so that you always have the latest version!
#9 Lesson: Write a Headline That Attracts Readers
Catchy headlines sell newspapers. The same goes for blog posts. Easy to say, but hard to achieve.
A lot of great content gets overlooked due to the lack of a good headline, and you don’t want yours to end up like this.
Honestly, headlines that almost always “work” are quite generic:
- “How-tos” and “tips”
- “X ways to…”
- “The definite/complete/simple guide to…”
- “The top 10…”
#10 Lesson: Be Yourself
In general, if you want to be successful, you need to work hard. Hard work is accompanied by stress and frustrations.
The best advice I can give you is to be yourself. Choose a domain name to your taste. Create content that you like. Buy a theme that matches your style. Be yourself!
Hopefully these 10 lessons will encourage you to keep moving forward with your blog and become the next big influencer. Believe in yourself, stay persistent and always try to improve yourself and your blog. If you have just started blogging, or you are planning to, this is already a huge step towards success. Keep that in mind, and whatever happens – don’t be frustrated.
Featured photo credit: pixabay.com via pixabay.com
