Yesterday we shared 5 Things Every Blogger Struggles With.
Today we will continue our discussion of the “dark side” of blogging ;) with 5 more things every blogger struggles with.
As I mentioned in the first post, I’ve said in the past that blogging is the ultimate side hustle. I still think this is true, but there are pros to cons to everything.
I think the first topic I discuss – sponsored posts – is a big issue bloggers inevitably face. Potential bloggers, and even current ones, might not be familiar with it, but they will be if they stick around the blogosphere long enough.
1) Deciding whether or not to take sponsored posts
Every blogger will be faced with the decision of whether or not to accept sponsored posts. Some of you reading this are very familiar with this issue, others – likely a large majority of people – have no idea what I’m talking about.
I explained sponsored posts in depth in my post the dirty little secret of how people make money blogging, so I will keep this explanation high level. Essentially companies are willing to pay bloggers to link to them so they can rank higher in Google searches.
Needless to say, there are a lot of companies that are willing to pay a significant amount of money to have links directed back at their sites. If it works, they could save a lot of money that they otherwise would have had to pay in advertising.
Google doesn’t like this, obviously, as they’d rather have people pay them to have their rankings in the advertising section of the search results. Google has been known to penalize websites that take paid posts and do not make the links “no follow.”
Again, read more about it in my post the dirty little secret of how people make money blogging.
2) How much advertising is too much?
I don’t beat around the bush: I started my blog to make money. I don’t think that’s a bad thing to say, either. If you provide something of value that others demand you should get paid for it.
There are a number of ways to make money blogging and almost all involve advertising. Whether it’s banner ads, affiliate links, or paid reviews, every blogger has to decide how much advertising is too much. Every day new companies are starting affiliate programs; there will always be an endless number of products to push.
While advertising is necessary to make money blogging, you don’t want to annoy readers. Finding that sweet spot of “just enough” advertisements is something that every blogger struggles with.
For more about how to make money blogging, check out my post 5 ways to make money blogging.
3) If (and what) to outsource
The only thing I’ve outsourced on my blog so far is writing. I have one current weekly writer and a couple of additional writers who have contributed in the past. While this does come with an administrative burden, financial expense, and (sometimes) time-consuming back-and-forth emails, it does free up some of my time to work on some other areas of the blog.
Anne, the owner of the blog Money Propeller, wrote a great post about how she hired a virtual assistant. In the post she also talks about the tasks and responsibilities that she gives the VA. If you can find a VA that you trust I think it can be a great option for busy bloggers. Heck, I would LOVE to have a full-time VA, especially because you can get one for only a handful of dollars per hour.
Outsourcing has it’s negatives, though. There is no guarantee that the value the writer/VA/etc. puts into the blog will actually have a significant return. You may even lose money if you don’t work out the right contracts or are not strategic about what work you actually end up outsourcing.
4) Obsessing over traffic, revenue, and other data
Everyone who has started a new blog knows what it’s like to obsess over traffic. Unfortunately traffic figures can be more depressing than inspiring when you are first starting out. Ironically I check my traffic figures maybe once a month now despite checking them daily the first few months my blog was live.
Probably even more ironic is the fact that I’m a huge data geek. I deal with a large amount of data in my day job and really enjoy digging into it. If you are just blogging as a side hustle, though, you should generally not get too hung up on the stats. There are better ways to use your time, such as brainstorming and planning new content.
With that being said I do think there is value in understanding your blog’s data. Every blogger has to decide for themselves how much time they are willing to put towards analyzing data.
5) Deciding when to quit
Young Adult Money was not my first blog. I started a number of blogs in the past, none of which are active today. I talked about three of them in 5 of My Small Business and Website Failures. To state the obvious, it’s hard to stick with a blog.
Deciding when to quit a blog is a tough decision. Most bloggers burn out within the first six months of starting their blog. Some don’t even last a month. Despite the extremely low barrier of entry for blogging, people have a really hard time starting a blog and keeping it going.
It takes a lot of time and effort to get a blog off the ground, and even longer to start making any sort of money. I didn’t make a dime the first seven months I ran Young Adult Money, yet I was writing 5+ posts a week and commenting on countless blogs every day. It’s hard work!
I don’t think quitting blogging is a bad idea. The side income is nice, but side hustles can be draining. Blogging may be a great side hustle, but I definitely think there are better businesses that can be started that have a lot more potential. With that being said, there is some money to be made in blogging and sometimes sticking it out pays off.
That’s it for part two of “things every blogger struggles with.” Don’t miss part one -> 5 Things Every Blogger Struggles With, which was published yesterday.
Bloggers – any insights to share with us about things you’ve struggled with? Non-bloggers: have you tried to start a blog and run into these?
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Again, awesome stuff. The advertising point really hit home to me, but more as a reader of blogs. It is one of my pet peeves when I’m reading a post and there are ads in the middle of the content. I don’t mind ads, but not in the middle of what I’m reading.
Great info here, thank you! I definitely agree with don’t be afraid to quit–Mr. FW and I have started other blogs before (on vastly different topics) and just not felt the passion or fire to continue writing them. I see nothing wrong with fail early and fail often if you know something isn’t working! Thanks again for sharing all these ideas.
Again, I totally agree! Blogging is something that’s never done. The business is never fully built, and there’s always improvements to be made. I’ve been starting to outsource and it’s really helped my outlook ;_)
Nice to know there are things that ‘every’ blogger struggles with – often I feel like I’m the only one stupidly checking my traffic every hour, and wasting precious time that could be better spent adding value. I guess I keep looking for that little boost of acknowledgement that it’s all getting somewhere and I should keep at it…
I’m not quite at the point of needing to deal with the first 3 issues you mention – hopefully one day if I’m lucky :)
And I don’t think I can quit just yet, especially when I just put up a post around an hour ago about ‘hanging in there’…
Oooh, I’ve never seen your “Dirty Little Secrets” post – thanks for the link to. Man, seeing your blogging success is very inspiring! You can tell that the struggles you list are for a big blog – congrats on your success and hopefully you’ll be able to get over these hurdles if any are in your way!
I have definitely struggled over advertising and ultimately decided that I wanted my blog to be a personal space and not a full on sponsored space, so I have little to no ads. The only ones I have I have on there because I truly like the products; however, I know that they are placed wrong and generate no income, but that’s because I didn’t want them to be front and center and distract from my space. Oh well, #bloggerproblems. :-)
I have experimented with outsourcing advertising, but thus far the day to day tasks have been the best decision by far. Now if only my to-do list didn’t grow faster than we both get through it!
I used to be so obsessive with checking stats but I’ve cooled way down. Outsourcing is another area where I really want to hire people do do some things, but it’s not even close to being in my budget right now. As far as sponsored posts, I take em but I don’t have so many I don’t think that it’s turning people away. At least I hope not! :)
I have trouble outsourcing as well. I had a staff writer at one point, but that is all I have ever paid anyone to do. I’m a control freak!
I struggle with posting consistently…I really need to work on that. I kind of obsess over traffic and stats, but not posting consistently is probably one of the main reasons I can’t get much traction. I wouldn’t even know what I need to outsource, plus it doesn’t make sense at this point since I’m not making much of anything. I have outsource some technical stuff since I just don’t have the time to figure it out.
I struggle with affiliate posts and how often to do them. I don’t write about things I don’t believe in and use myself, but it still feels like I’m a used car salesman. Sometimes I have a great idea, but hold off because of that. I’m not sure what the right amount and frequency is.
I’ve never bothered to obsess over traffic, which is probably a bad thing since it’s a good metric to be aware of! I never had huge dreams for my blog to be super popular, so I’m just grateful it has done as well as it has. I think knowing when to quit, or even take a break, is important. A lot of people get into blogging thinking it will be easy, and that’s not the case! It’s important to go at your own pace and not compare.
bustedbudget I don’t blame you for getting annoyed about having ads in the middle of posts. I don’t do it, but I have often wondered how effective they are.
Mrs. Frugalwoods Haha fail early and fail often is a great motto. I think one thing that is tough is if you have had some success but haven’t succeeded huge. It’s hard to make the tough choice to pursue another option if you are doing “okay” with your primary project.
I’ve really enjoyed this series, DC. I think it’s great that you’re highlighting the very real struggles bloggers face. I laugh every time I see those blog posts talking about how “easy” it is. Unless you are someone famous, you have to work hard to carve out your spot in the Internet. It’s can be lots of fun, but it takes a lot of time. I don’t regret blogging at all as it has opened many doors for me, but I had to work hard to make those opportunities happen too. I get requests for sponsored posts occasionally and I haven’t taken anyone up on their offer yet. Partly because I was a bit nervous about upsetting the almighty Google. And honestly, most weren’t a great fit to my blog. I have no problem whatsoever with bloggers earning income from their blogs but I agree wholeheartedly with you that you have to be mindful of how many and where you place your ads. Some blogs look more like ads, then blogs and it’s a huge turnoff. I had help from the get-go but it’s the only way I could do this. She is someone I have worked with previously and trust completely too, which makes a huge difference.
As someone who also had a previous blog and shut that down before my present one, running a blog is very time consuming and it takes a lot of effort. This time around I have a much clearer perspective and I’m much more organized. It is really important to not burnout when it comes to blogging, I am all for blogging breaks at times, or having some guest/staff posts to help free up more time for other things.
I use to post daily but it became a quality over quantity issue for me. I now only post or write when I feel the article is killer. I don’t stick to a set schedule anymore. I would tell any early blogger to post regularly but only when the content is worthy of your blog. After all you don’t want a “Filler” or sponsored post up when an influencer in your niche stops by…
Haha love that you mentioned about the stats ;).. I again agree you’re right there :)..
I’m considering getting a VA myself now but not sure that I can justify it when I have yet to earn a $$ from my blog..
I’d add another one about writing epic (I won’t put it like Corbett Barr) put’s it content.. Content as a blogger these days I feel really is king..
Even another one could be whether to join a community i.e. copy blogger or problogger..
Good post DC
RetiredBy40 I think it’s similar to any other business, except for that fact that most bloggers run their blogs part-time which means they have even more struggles with balance. Blogging can easily eat up all your free time, though, so it’s important to think about what stuff can be outsourced or dropped entirely.
Jason@Islands of Investing Haha that’s really ironic that you just put up a post about hanging in there. I think sticking it out is noble, but quitting also can be a great decision for many bloggers. Bloggers are typically pretty motivated people so there can be times where energy is better sourced elsewhere.
Where the Peaches Grow Well I’m glad I can be inspiring! I’m really humbled by that comment, so I appreciate it. I’m glad you enjoyed my dirty little secrets post – I think it’s an important issue for bloggers to discuss and think about.
blonde_finance There can be freedom in NOT focusing on advertising! I have been frustrated in the past when advertising didn’t pan out (which is a majority of the time). It’s similar to checking traffic on my blog – the less I check, the better off I am!
moneypropeller Besides posts, I haven’t really outsourced anything. I’m surprisingly okay with that! If it was easier to outsource or there was someone who I know who would do it for cheap, I probably would do more of it.
Beachbudget You definitely don’t have too many, at least in my opinion. I’d love to outsource but for some reason thinking about getting it all set up gives me a headache.
Holly at ClubThrifty I’m the same way, Holly. I have had writers but besides that, nothing. If anything I’m moving in the direction of being even more controlling of things!
Andrew LivingRichCheaply Technical stuff is great to outsource, but I haven’t done much outsourcing of anything. I think I check my stats MAYBE once every two months now, if not even less. I’ve been much happier since cutting back on how often I check them.
Eyesonthedollar I worry that I put too many affiliate-centered posts out there, but like you said it’s hard to find the right balance. I don’t want to sound like a salesman either.
JourneytoSaving I feel really bad for new bloggers who think it’s as easy as putting together a poorly-written post a couple times a week. You can certainly do that, but your blog will never get anywhere. I really struggle with knowing when to quit or take a break.
ShannonRyan That’s great that you had someone helping you from the get-go. I have to say that Peter from Bible Money Matters was extremely helpful to me from the beginning, which was nice since he’s been around the pf blogosphere for years and years. And yes, you don’t want to upset Google!
Kassandra @ More Than Just Money I’ve only really taken two breaks from my blog, both when I was on vacation. Others it’s just go go go. It would be a lot harder to be a current events blogger or someone who has to post during events or immediately after.
KyleJames1 Great tips, Kyle! I remember when you used to post every day because your site was a daily visit for me. Filler posts aren’t the best option but I honestly think sometimes it’s better than nothing, and especially better than hitting the trash button.
mycareercrusade Great additions to the list! And good point about writing epic posts. I do feel that pressure when brainstorming and writing posts, and it hasn’t gotten better over time!
DC @ Young Adult Money ShannonRyan I haven’t seen Peter around for awhile, at least his blog isn’t coming up on my bloglovin’, unless I just never get to it. Is he still blogging?
Great series DC. Trying to figure out the advertising is a bit daunting as well. I’m not too big on sponsored posts because I really don’t buy anything these days and feel it’s hypocritical. What are your views on social media. Some people are auto tweeting others posts and have asked me to do reciprocally. I’m not sure about this as it seems disingenuous, but I don’t want to be stupid about it either … work smarter, not harder. As it is right now, I manually tweet and or buffer posts I read that I like. I think I’m okay with continuing this way, but just wanted to hear your views.
Hiring a VA is nice, but as what you’ve said you should find someone who you can trust. I agree with you that quitting blogging is a bad idea, maybe some months your blog will quite slow but it’s not a reason to quit.
Well I think that I get a feel for it the more I write, plus looking @ my stats I see what viewers tend to enjoy or at least read more of :)..
I’m enjoying the process of learning more about the process though
debt debs I have never automated my tweets and never plan to. For a long time I was reciprocating people (manually) but it did take a lot of work and I did all of it in the morning. I honestly am starting to hate reading the twitter feeds of a lot of other bloggers and don’t do it often, mainly because it’s a bunch of automated tweets where they clearly are reciprocating. Not what I want my social media account to be like.
Clarisse @ Make Money Your Way If you can just maintain your blog (put in minimal work and keep it “going”) I think you are better off than simply quitting. You never know what sort of income you will make down the road or who will want to buy a blog that is established.
debt debs DC @ Young Adult Money ShannonRyan He is! I just went to his blog to make sure as I got concerned by your comment haha. He is doing a weekly podcast as well.
Love this! I actually didn’t realize that Google would penalize the site for taking a sponsored post without no-follow links. Good to know! Though I haven’t accepted nor do I plan to accept sponsored posts as of now.
DC @ Young Adult Money debt debs ok, this is the way I feel too, and I think I’ll stick with my gut. I do use buffer to schedule out tweets for posts I like but that is all.
Blogging is not easy, however it is very easy to give up. In the beginning, I struggled with finding my voice. I had to realized that my blog wasn’t my business. It serves as a tool to enhance
my bookkeeping and financial money management business.