Like any industry, blogging has its highs and lows. The reward far exceeds the grunt work (or else I would have quit a long time ago), but that doesn’t mean everything is rainbows and butterflies all the time.
In fact, blogging is rarely as seamless as it looks, which is why I’ve rounded up 4 dirty little secrets about blogging that no one likes to talk about.
#1 Your job is never done.
If you’re a blogger, you’re essentially in marketing/branding. And as you probably know by now, the market is always changing. New apps and social media platforms are emerging and changing left and right, it’s almost impossible to keep up. You can never be too big for your britches because once you reach a place where you think you can sit back and relax, you have to get in the trenches and start from the bottom by researching new ways to reach your audience.
Downtime doesn’t exist because there is always something you could be doing, from returning e-mails, commenting on Instagram, to editing photos, your work is never done.
#2 You compete with yourself (and everyone else) every day.
The only competition bloggers should have is with themselves because we’re only as good as our last blog post. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case and more often than not, we get caught up in the comparison game.
We sit and analyze and stare in awe of other bloggers usually lightyears ahead of us. What most bloggers fail to see is the hustle it took pro bloggers to get where they are now. We’re seeing the end result. You can’t compare apples to oranges, so don’t!
We’re all competing for the same thing, we all want to make it, and we will all get there with a little TLC. So instead of beating yourself up, have some compassion.
#3 You become a natural blogaholic.
As a blogger, your mind is naturally in “blog mode” at all times. You’ll feel guilty if you go on vacation, out to dinner, or shopping and not document your every move!
But you need to learn to get over having that “on” button all the time. Understand what you’re trying to build so nobody feels like you’re neglecting them or being absolutely ridiculous as you stand on a chair in the middle of a restaurant trying to get that perfect shot. Being a blogaholic isn’t a healthy state of mind; however, if you’re really dedicated to making it as a blogger, you’ll need to make sacrifices. You won’t be able to go dancing every Friday night and you might have to miss brunch, but you’ll survive. It’ll all be worth it in the end.
#4 It’s never as glamorous as it seems.
If you’re a street style blogger, your photoshoots usually consist of you dodging cars and trying to avoid random gawkers from getting the right shot (it always amazes me the amount of people that stare when you’re taking pictures, like they’ve never seen a camera before).
Not to mention, how you have to stick your butt out for that outfit selfie, how messy your kitchen becomes just to get that food photo, or how you have to rearrange your whole room to get the lighting right for your #flatlay.
The majority of bloggers aren’t jet setting across the globe, being gifted luxury handbags, or getting paid to live. They’re paying for their own airfare, buying their own clothes, and have full-time jobs.
But you gotta do what you gotta do to get to where you wanna go. And sometimes the only way to get to the glamour is through the mud.
What’s your biggest blogging challenge? Share in the comments below.
xx Brittany
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Don’t forget to check out our latest courses: Chloe Morello: Building Your Audience on YouTube | Zanita Studio: Content Strategy for Bloggers | Ben Orkin: Food Styling & Photography Basics
You Should Also Read:
The Secret to Success in Any Industry
The 3 Real Truths About Blogging
The Secret to Achieving Work Life Balance
