The daunting struggles of being a blogger and how to overcome them.

Hi there! If you clicked on this blog post it can be either that you are a blogger in your starting phase wanting to know something more or one going through a tough time in your blogging journey or perhaps just curious to know the struggles behind the oh so glam blogging world.

Well! Even if you have landed here for any other reason, stick on with me. For my blogging enthusiasts, you may find some answers or atleast an outlet for your frustrations and perhaps a little bit of motivation.

When I’m mentioning BLOGGING here, let me specify that in all due respect I do not mean to speak about the social media posts. If you have a website, an entire blog where you pour in your heart and brain to write up lengthy readable blog posts, that’s the one I’m here for. So let’s get into it

Starting a blog requires courage (and of course the expertise of all the added technical stuff), but holding on to your blog and continuing requires even more courage and lots more than that as well. You have to deal with a lot if you want to stay footed in the game and very often there are so many frustrating struggles we face.

1. Writers block

A full fledged blog post requires a lot of energy from your brain cells to fire, wrapped with ample amount of creativity and the ability to keep the readers hooked on to your post and very often that’s not easy. As much as we may think “I’m passionate about my work and my line of writing”, we may often feel like an empty vessel. A writers block can be the worst enemy of any content writer. I have had and still often have, my share amount of these moments too. It’s like a inner struggle where you want to put up something but nothing really pops up in your brain or what comes out feels unsatisfying.
▪︎Look.. We all need that time even though it may feel we are losing it. Take a break from trashing yourself so hard. Shut yourself down from the blog stress and than restart again. It will definitely lead to lesser frustrations and perhaps will help you think through clearly once again.

2. Social media

Social media is definitely a booster for any blog, no doubt. But it can also be the biggest distraction. In what context? Let me explain. As it often happens, we bloggers tend to shift our focus on getting those extra followers or to get the ‘influencers tag’ instead of putting up quality content or any content at all. Our attention can shift from our blog to social media given the lucrative and easy gratification it offers.

▪︎ Dont let your blog rot while you get busy promoting your socials. Remember your blog is the first thing your started your social media for. Let it take the centre stage and everything else around just as a boost or support to help it grow. Anybody can post on Instagram or the other socials, not everybody can run a blog. So stay focused!

3. No Takers!

Another frustratingly real struggle here.
You maybe posting good quality content back to back but to no positive response or acknowledgment. You may eventually feel “no one is reading my posts” or “this field is saturated”, “No ones listening to me.”
But hey! You’re not alone in this! Almost every blogger has to go through this in their career.
▪︎ First off do not start with the idea that you will get instant recognition or acknowledgement. Give that idea up. It will only make you feel unhappy in the long run. Every top blogger up there have taken years if not decades to be where they are now. It doesn’t come easy no? The efforts, the hardword, the time ..you need to give it your all and most importantly patience.
In the meantime dont frizzle out. Keep yourself updated, learn new stuff and tactics. It will pay off and help you reach your goals.

4.When is the money going to come?

You may start a blog and think it will yield you some quick bucks. Well who doesnt want that. But trust me it’s not the way it seems to be like. If you need brands to pay you for your work, you need to be good and well established, only then those few bucks will come in. So if your starting with the intention of only making money and that too quickly, understand that your starting on the wrong foot.
▪︎Making money should be the last of your agendas in starting your blog. Build a blog only if you are passionate about your niche and will be able to work on it endlessly and tirelessly even when monetary gains seem far fetched.

5. I’m not good enough. There are so many better bloggers out there.

Self doubt is very easy to crop in when you have so many people doing fantastic jobs around. The blogging community is rapidly growing like wildfire. So it’s easy to feel lost and compare yourself and your blog to others. And this one is a sure shot downfall attacking your confidence and creativity.
▪︎Its good to have 1 or 2 people as your inspiration who you really admire, read their blogs and learn from them. But stop scrolling around the ñ number of bloggers you come across, because you will automatically compare yourself to them and that will affect your self worth and plant self doubts.
▪︎Instead ace your game by taking some courses online or read stuff to make your blog better and bring it on top. work to ace your own game day by day, post after posts.

Thats it for now. This may seem like a rant and probably it is! But it is also something each one of us bloggers go through at some point or the other. So let’s face it and deal with it. Like every job out there this is our occupational hazard.

If you’re going through any of those above said things and plan of quitting. Hold on. Think about the long journey you have already travelled through. Stick on, your efforts will eventually pay off and you’ll be there up someday.

You will pull through. We all will, in our own pace and abilities.

Hope this helps.

Love
Joyla Fernandes
Ignitinghorizons.