Things I have learnt about becoming a Blogger
When I started blogging little did I know how much time it will consume and how much it will cost. I started a lot of blogs which I later left because I was not ready to put in the work of creating content. My mindset was wrong I was looking for a quick fix and failed. Things I have learnt about becoming a Blogger or Digital Influencer, it’s things I wish I knew before starting.
Budget
You have to be prepared to spend money from your pocket. Data is not cheap and you cannot afford to be offline for too long because readers tend to lose interest. If you appear to be a one hit wonder.
Consistency
You need to be on top of your game, posting regularly to increase your google visibility. I know easy for people like me who work full time and still have to create content, but make an effort to post at least once a week.
Social Media
This is overwhelming because there are a lot of platforms out there, so don’t stress yourself by joining all of the at the same time. It’s not easy to grow a following so at least sign up for 2 or three being Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and grow your numbers.
You don’t need to have a blog.
Not everyone is good at writing (I try) and just the other day I was going through Webfluential and I realised that not every influencer there has a blog.
This is something I wish I knew when I started because it’s something I really would have considered. You can be a Digital Influencer by having a huge following on your social media accounts and even just one is still effective.
Don’t Compare Yourself to other Digital Influencers.
Rookie mistake I made was comparing myself to other bloggers. Got depressed about their huge followings were and obsessed with how many comments they got in their blog post.
Pace yourself because they have been doing it longer than you and probably felt the way you are feeling when they started. Focus on growing your brand.
Finally, I have also learnt that when the time is right, your work and effort will be recognize and all your hard work will pay off. These are the Things I have learnt about becoming a Blogger/Digital Influencer.
What great lesson have you learnt about being a blogger/digital influencer?
DON’T RUSH. BREATH. FOCUS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY ENJOY IT.
Moipone
A South African bloggers that enjoys sharing her experiences whether about a product or good/bad customer service. I started Ferocious Haven at the end of 2014 , now Life and Mo. I write about beauty products, product reviews , parenting journey and challenges and life and achieving personal finance.
29 Comments
Melissa Javan
Your post hits the nail on the head. I learned a lot, that you have to force yourself to learn things like hootsuite, coding, and photography. Blogging makes me come out of my comfort zone.
Moipone Tsoka- Islam
Hi Melissa
I have given up learning coding, it is just not for me. Very true Blogging is a daily learning experience. 🙂
Thank you for visiting
Alison (MadHouseMum)
I’d not heard the term: digital influencer, before. So I’m guessing that I haven’t learnt a great deal yet and I’ve still got an awful lot to learn! Alison x #MarvMondays
Moipone Tsoka- Islam
Hi Alison
We learn new things everyday and sometimes it feels like rocket science, but we will get there eventually. Technology is forever evolving we just have to keep up.
Thank you for visiting 🙂
justsayingmum
Ah this is really interesting. You’re right about not everyone having a blog – growing a social media platform doesn’t need a blog to go with it. Funnily enough I’ve had some fantastic opportunities arise recently and they have been through my instagram account and are not blogging related. You’re right not to get despondent about others posts and comments – work for yourself and your blog – comparison just affects your positivity! #MarvMondays
Moipone Tsoka- Islam
Hi Helen
That is amazing that you got some amazing opps via your Instagram. absolutely comparison drains your energy I have learned the hard way.
Thank you for reading 🙂
Fiona Coombe Mill
Such wise words, easier to say than to do though. I’ve been blogging for 5 years and have hit some real high points, yet still I feel overwhelmed by stats and social media when getting to grips with new things. I hope you can play by your rules here, it sounds like a recipe for sucessful stressfree blogging. #MarvMondays
Moipone Tsoka- Islam
Hi Fiona
It is a stress free blogging recipe and you are right its not easy. but with control its possible. I am also still learning not to obsess about it.
Thank you for visiting
Sara Essop
You have some great points here. I especially like the one about not comparing yourself to other digital influencers. I think we all tend to do that. You’re also spot on about not needing a blog to be an influencer and focusing on certain social media platforms not all -because that’s way too overwhelming.
Moipone Tsoka- Islam
Hi Sara
Thank you for reading it is really crucial to pace ourselves and choose what works for us as individuals in order to succeed in this digital influencer world. 🙂
Fran Back With a Bump
Love this. There’s so much to being a blogger and ive learnt lots but also not got too embroiled in SEO and all that gubbins!! Thanks for joining us for #marvmondays
Sam - StressyMama
Love this. I’ve only been blogging since September and I’m loving it but it can be confusing at times. My next steps are going self hosted and trying to figure out Pinterest.
#MarvMondays
Life as Mum
You learn so many things since becoming a blogger, don’t you. I have been blogging for over 3 years and I’m still learning new things.
#MarvMondays
Angela Watling
Great post and you’re quite right. There is a lot to learn and nothing comes for free. I think these days we’ve forgotten that since things just take time and can’t be earned overnight! #MarvMondays
Odette
Good points. I like the saying comparison is the boy. That’s important to remember in blogging.
Claire Henderson
This posts is amazing! All of your points are so relevant and make so much sense. I tend to compare myself to other bloggers quite a lot, which I always try to put it all in to perspective since I have only been blogger for a year and it takes time to grow 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Liza
Social Media is super time consuming. I wish I knew the importance of really putting yourself in the blog, regardless of how controversial or different it might be. 2 years later and I just rebranded. I wish I did it sooner, but everything happens when it should.
Moipone Tsoka- Islam
Hi Liza
I am glad you finally found your ground. Yes sometimes different is good.
Thank you for sharing 🙂
Nikki
This is a great list. There are so many more things that a blogger needs to do, things that I never knew about before starting my blog. Especially about the social media. I didn’t realize how active I would need to be on each platform. And now that I’ve done it a while I try to utilize ways to tie in my interaction from one platform to the other so just posting on Instagram and sharing it with Facebook. I also didn’t realize how valuable finding other bloggers and forming a tribe was. It is definitely one thing I wish I would have done far earlier in my blog and career. Good luck to you and your blog!
Moipone Tsoka- Islam
Hi Nikki
Yes I wish I knew about social media too, the consistent posting can be tiring thanks for the scheduling apps they really save time. I post on one share on the rest its much easier like that.
Support is essential in the blogging world .
Thank you for sharing 🙂
yvonne
Absolutely spot on! #MarvMondays
Moipone Tsoka- Islam
Hi Yvonne
Thank you 🙂
Joanne Dewberry
Great post. I really struggle to be consistent and have a schedule of when I post. I just kinda post! #weekendblogshare
Moipone Tsoka- Islam
Hi Joanne my posts are spontaneous too I don’t plan.
Thank you for sharing 🙂
Lisa
I’ve been blogging since April, but didn’t start seriously since July. I work on the theory that you learn something new every day and that is so true where blogging is concerned. Some really good points in your post especially about not comparing your blog to those of others. Thanks for sharing #weekendblogshare x
Moipone Tsoka- Islam
Hi Lisa
Yes we learn something new everyday and of course comparing is horrible and the root of failure.
Thanks for sharing #weekendblogshare
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com
I have learned so much since I started blogging nearly 7 years ago, including some you’ve listed. I can’t deal with any more social media, so I’m staying with just Twitter and Pinterest.
Moipone Tsoka- Islam
Hi Jean
Good for you focuing on on two social media accounts.
Thanks for reading
Helena
It sure is true that it can be very time consuming. #weekendblogshare