5 Blogging Myths
Busted
Over the years I have had and seen some hilarious questions about my career. I often have to remind myself that this career is so new and is leading the way for so many others in the industry as it develops, and that's why there are so many unknowns and assumptions.
I've learned over time to take life and everything that comes with it, with a rather large pinch of salt, but in the interest of answering some questions I'm asked on an almost weekly basis, I figured I could bust 5 blogging myths here on the blog itself.
From earnings to effort to creating a blog in 2018, these are the 5 things I think anyone should know when considering blogging as part of their career path.
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BLOGGING IS EASY
The premise of blogging, if you enjoy writing and being creative, is relatively simple. Sharing your passion for a particular topic through your own platform and sharing it in a way that others will hopefully find interesting and can perhaps relate to. The basis of what was once my hobby is most definitely simple, but to get to a stage where that hobby becomes part of your brand image and transforms into an editorial platform, is no longer done with ease. Yes I still adore every aspect of it and yes it's grown along with my passion for everything I take part in, but it's a far bigger undertaking. The man hours that go into blog posts are numerous from the initial idea, to the hours shooting the imagery and then the time spent editing to get the images ready for publication. Then there's the time spent on the unique layout of each post, to writing the body of text and then the smaller finishing touches such as SEO, scheduling and categorising the post for the blog. Yes the idea may be simple but the reality involves a lot more work.
IT'S A QUICK EARNER
Your blog can definitely become a way to earn money through routes like affiliate links, collaborations and even through advertising, if you choose to go down that route, but don't think that this hobby can suddenly become your career, with the click of a button. It was years before this love of mine earned me any money and in hindsight I am so glad that I took the route that I did. I had no expectations of earnings and therefore developed my writing style and my brand purely through my passions - creating the foundation I still stand firmly on. I turned down the majority of initial brand collaborations/enquiries because not only did I want to protect my little corner of the web but the brands that came to me back then, didn't match my aesthetic. Fast forward almost 6 years and that basis of no financial expectations is still my motivation for brand collabs, across all my platforms and I'd advise anyone else to do the same. My blog is part of the Inthefrow brand and therefore allows me to earn money but you see very few collaborations and no banner advertisements here because only the relationships I truly believe in feature alongside my brand name.
OTHER SOCIAL PLATFORMS WIN OUT
A lot of people have left their blog behind in the huge waves created by other social platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat but I would go so far as to call myself an advocate for blogs amongst all the ways we engage with each other. I love to consume and create long form content. I love to write, to engage with other bloggers/readers, to share parts of my life I don't elsewhere on the internet and to be proud of the effort and love that went into creating these unique posts. It's true that we all may have far more followers on Twitter and more viewers on our bite sized content over on Insta stories but try not to forget that we own our blogs. Take Vine as the most recent example of creators losing their income stream at the drop of a hat - that can never happen with your .com. You created this blog, you grew it from the ground up and when/if other social media disappears from our phone screens, your blog will always be there for you to fall back on and continue your presence online.
IT'S A CHEAP CAREER
When I first started and created Inthefrow as a hobby to distract from my degree, this was definitely the case for me. I took the items already in my closet and in my makeup bag, shot photos of them for the blog using my phone or my tiny digital camera I primarily used at gigs, and wrote away to my hearts content. There was virtually no expense and even when brands first started to contact me regarding gifting or possibly working together, nothing really changed for me. Fast forward a few years and of course that's changed, but so has my aim and the quality of my content. Let me also say, you in no way need the best of everything to enjoy your blog, but if you can see your hobby starting to develop into a career (just like you would as you grow in any other industry) you will find not only do you have to invest your time and man hours, but perhaps you'll find yourself investing financially too. I have had multiple incarnations of my website individually designed over many months and it's constantly being updated, the cameras/lenses that we now shoot on (currently using the Canon 1DX) are incredible pieces of equipment and the trips we take, sometimes only with blog content in mind, are always at a cost too. Every investment I've made has been utterly worthwhile but it makes creating content a very pricey past time.
THE BLOGGING WORLD IS SATURATED
Perhaps the message/email/question I get the most is 'Can I still create a blog?'. There is a worry out there that the blogging world is saturated and that there's no room for anyone else to be a part of this amazing industry and the simple answer is this - there will always be room. There will always be room for more creatives to share their love, there will always be room for more passionate people to be a part of this new industry and there will always be room for anyone who is looking for an outlet for the subject they long to share with the world. You may not make it a career and you may not become a household name in a matter of months, but if you create your little space of this industry with only hard work and passion behind you, then the blogging world will never be saturated and there will always be room for more.
