Here’s the ugly truth about blogging: sometimes, it just plain sucks!
That’s right, I said it.
Instead of glamorizing the blogging world – as if it’s all tropical travels and lavender lattes and easy money – let’s GET REAL and talk about the other stuff.
The ugly side of the blogging world that most bloggers don’t share.
But before we get into the cold-hard facts about being a full-time blogger, let me first say that I’m not sharing this information to discourage you from starting that blog or choosing this career path.
Not at all!
I’ve been on these bloggin’ streets for over a decade and I’m not going anywhere anytime soon! Blogging can be an amazing thing.
But, just like everything in life, there are pros and cons.
I’m only sharing these ugly blogging truths because I want you to come into this thing with open eyes and realistic expectations.
Too many bloggers tout their six-figure income reports and part-time work schedules as if that’s the norm. And I’m here to tell you: they are the exception, not the rule.
They either worked insanely hard for a super long time, got lucky by jumping into the right niche at the right time, or they have plenty of money to invest in outsourcing (nothing wrong with these things, of course, as long as they are transparent).
And now, a lot of them are sharing the pretty side of blogging because they’ve “made it.”
And that just don’t fly around here, boo!
I’m a full-time content marketer (aka: a blogger) and I L-O-V-E my job, but I’m not just here to share the pretty side of blogging. I’m here to share the whole truth: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
So, buckle up and head on over to the dark side of blogging with me for a few minutes. It’s something that you absolutely need to see and be prepared for if you’re going to make it in this business!
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UGLY TRUTH ABOUT BLOGGING – FACT # 1
Blogging is A LOT of work.
No matter how you slice it or dice it, it’s work.
No matter what anyone says or tries to portray about their own life, blogging (as a career) takes a lot of time, effort, and strategic action.
You won’t be able to just write a few articles and watch the Benjamin’s start rolling in. It doesn’t work like that.
You’ll actually be doing a lot of foundational work, creating, promoting, and maintaining a REAL online business. And running an online business is a lot of work!
Believe me, you CAN DO THIS.
But just try to be realistic about the process and accept that it takes time and work… just like anything worth fighting for.
You can take a look at my daily blogging schedule right here, to get an idea of what it’s like to work full time as a blogger (even with small kids at home).
FACT # 2: IT’S A LOT OF SCREEN TIME
You will be stuck to your phone or laptop quite a bit in the beginning (unless you can afford to hire help).
As your blogging business grows, you will learn how to utilize automation tools and outsource some tasks to others. But until then, you will probably be a one-person show.
Researching.
Writing.
Editing.
Optimizing.
Promoting.
Social media work and more… it will, most likely, be done BY YOU, on your laptop or phone during the first year or so…maybe more.
This is the “norm” that we were speaking about in the intro. Many of those successful six and seven-figure bloggers have lots of help, and that’s AWESOME for them!
But most of us don’t start there, let’s be real.
This was one of the hardest truths for me to accept personally, so even though it sounds so negative to talk about it this way, I think it’s worth talking about.
I’m not a huge fan of sitting in front of screens all day, I’d much rather be on the beach!
When I got started, I thought that I could write great content and the masses would flock to me and give me money for my amazing work… but that didn’t happen. Boooooooo.
Instead, I had to sit in front of this screen for looooong hours.
Creating content.
Learning SEO.
Optimizing content.
Making graphics.
Taking courses.
Marketing my products and services.
And essentially learning the ins and outs of blogging for business.
Definitely remember to take plenty of breaks and rest your eyes, but also keep in mind that screens will be a big part of your life for the foreseeable future.
After all, you’re running on online business now.
FACT # 3: PEOPLE MIGHT NOT BE SUPPORTIVE
Your family and friends might not be supportive of your blogging venture.
This is one of those struggles that most bloggers don’t talk about, but it’s time to talk about it!
When you start a blog, you are usually super motivated, excited, and eager to share your new blog baby with the world! And unfortunately, when some new bloggers share their blog with family and friends, they hear crickets.
This can be so discouraging! Believe me, I know.
Some of my friends and family unfollowed me on social media or completely stopped talking to me after I announced the launch of my blog.
Maybe they were afraid that I was going to try to sell them something? Maybe they were annoyed that I was sharing my new blog posts online every week?
I don’t know their reasoning, but I do know that I was focused on THE WRONG THING.
The bottom line is:
Most of the time, our family and friends are NOT our target market. They are not the people that we’re trying to inspire, entertain, or educate with our blogs. So we don’t need their approval or attention!
Yes, it would be nice if they encouraged and supported our hard work, but a lot of them just aren’t going to do that…and we have to accept that.
Focus your energy and efforts on the people that NEED to see or hear what you’re writing about.
Related Guide: How to Figure Out the Best Niche for Your Blogging Goals
FACT # 4: YOU MIGHT GAIN A FEW POUNDS
You might gain some weight.
It’s like that “freshmen fifteen” that you hear about in college.
When you start a new blog, you get addicted to the work, and you might end up sitting in front of your computer A LOT.
My biggest problem in the beginning was forgetting to eat, drinking way too much caffeine, and then chomping down on a big meal at the end of the day because I was starving.
So yeah, I gained a few during the first few years of blogging, and it took a lot of work to get healthy again.
Pssst: drink more water, and get yourself a standing desk if you can!
If you are just getting started on your blog and you’re reading this today, please remember to TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF on this blogging journey.
Drink water, keep healthy snacks close by, get up and stretch, don’t forget to exercise daily.
And be sure to bookmark this blog post or pin on Pinterest so you can come back to read these reminders regularly. They are sooo important!
You will feel AND function so much better if you make healthy choices when you’re working from home on your blog.
FACT # 5: YOU DON’T MAKE MONEY OVERNIGHT
You’re not going to make a lot of money at first.
By this point, you’re probably asking yourself why the heck you should ever consider starting a blog, right? The whole thing just sounds like a terribly miserable endeavor, doesn’t it?
But it’s totally NOT.
The truth is, blogging is an incredibly fun, flexible, and rewarding job! And there is a LOT of money to be made out there.
You can travel, you can try free products, you can spend more time at home with your kids, you can have a truly positive impact on your audience, you can make a lot of money … the list of positives actually goes on and on.
But when does the money come in?
Honestly, it takes some time to start making money blogging. And most bloggers actually give up before they start to reap the benefits of their hard work!
This is why I’m sharing this stuff with you today: I want you to be realistic and plan accordingly, so that you can make this thing work for the long-haul.
If you have a strategic plan in place, you can definitely start making money from your blog within the first few months. But most bloggers won’t make steady monthly income for a year or so (and this means a year of serious, strategic, weekly efforts).
If you want to read a true story about two successful six-figure bloggers that made ZERO dollars during their first 18 months in business, check out this interview with Ben Huber from Dollar Sprout.
You probably don’t want to start a blog solely for the purpose of making a lot of money in the first few months.
You’ll just be disappointed, because the money flows in slowly at first. Check yourself and make sure you have realistic goals in mind.
FACT # 6: PEOPLE MIGHT STEAL YOUR WORK
It’s going to happen. Someone out there is going to steal your work.
If you have something valuable, lazy people who lack morals will probably try to take that valuable thing and benefit from it at some point.
Instead of being angry about it, just be PREPARED for it.
I’ve had my work imitated and straight-up stolen on a few occasions. It sucks, but it happens. It’s important to be realistic and understand that some people are just kind of crappy and unethical.
MOST BLOGGERS are honest and supportive, but there are always going to be a few bad apples.
Don’t stress over it.
Just make sure you understand the real meaning of plagiarism. Make sure you have proper legal pages on your blog that protect you and explicitly state that your work is copyrighted, meaning it cannot be republished without permission.
And make sure you know how to file a DMCA take down notice if someone does steal your work.
FACT # 7: IT TAKES MONEY TO MAKE MONEY
This is true in any business venture. Blogging is no exception.
You’re actually going to have to spend money to make money.
Now, before you click out of this page and say “screw that!” let me share the good news.
Blogging is one of the only legitimate businesses that you can start for just a few hundred bucks and still make money from it.
You can seriously buy a domain name for a few bucks from NameCheap, buy a year of hosting for under fifty bucks from Namehero, use a FREE theme, grab some legal templates, and have your own blogging website set up today.
For a detailed step-by-step guide for getting your blog set up properly, be sure to review this free guide!
Blogging is a great option for people that want to start a business on a budget, but just like any business, you will eventually have to invest some money if you want to grow.
You might eventually choose to invest in a paid website theme, an automation tool, a course, a helpful plugin, or a virtual assistant.
There are quite a few things in this business that are worth the small investment, especially if they help you with efficiency, growth, or increased income.
But in the beginning, the investment will be very small and manageable, so don’t let it scare you!
WHAT NOW?
Okay, so now that we’ve gone through seven serious blogging struggles that most of us are going to face at some point, where do we go from here?
Should you even attempt to start a blog? If you do start one, is there anything you can do to manage the difficulties and navigate these (sometimes) rough waters?
I’ve got you covered, babe!
Here are seven things you can do to offset the blogging struggle!
1. FOCUS ON THE RIGHT THINGS
There will be some ups and downs for sure. But if you focus your time, energy, and efforts on the right things, it will be manageable.
Don’t focus on numbers – those will rise and fall all the time.
Don’t focus on the people that don’t encourage and support you – they aren’t worth your time.
And don’t focus on how many likes and followers you get – likes and follows don’t pay your bills.
Instead, focus on strategic growth.
Pro Tip >>> Be sure to install Google Analytics on your website and pay attention to how long people are spending on your site and how they’re behaving on your site.
We don’t need massive page views to be successful, we need engaged blog readers that love our stuff, click on our stuff, and refer us to others!
2. DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR GOALS + VISION
This is where an annual planner or a vision board will come in handy.
Sometimes, you are going to want to give up. It’s just a fact of life.
Before you do something you’re going to regret, think back on your goals and the vision you have for your life, business, and future.
Don’t make a big decision based on this ONE MOMENT IN TIME. Make your decisions based on your long-term goals and vision.
3. REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN!
A lot of bloggers get desperately caught up in followers and likes and money and “the next big thing”.
Don’t do that.
It’s exhausting and it sucks the joy right out of your job.
Remember to choose blog topics and revenue streams that you can actually ENJOY while you’re working. Note: if you’re outsourcing writing, this is less important.
If you’re focused on sponsored work, apply for gigs that you can have fun with, so they don’t always feel like work. If you’re focused on affiliate marketing, choose programs and products that you love writing about, so that the writing don’t feel so dry.
Find ways to have FUN with your work!
4. FIND BLOGGING FRIENDS
Everything is better with friends, right? Based on our ugly blogging truths above, you probably picked up on the fact that blogging can (sometimes) be lonely or frustrating.
Having supportive blogging friends that “get it” will help combat the loneliness and frustration.
You can find blogging friends:
- In Facebook groups
- On Twitter/Clubhouse/TikTok
- Through blogging events
- At retreats and conferences
- By searching through Instagram hashtags!
Example: #seattleblogger or #seattlemomblogger
**Side note: don’t be a creeper, k? Try to connect with people that share similar interests but always be respectful of their space and privacy.
5. MOVE YOUR BODY
Remember that “freshmen fifteen” we talked about before?
Yeah, let’s try to avoid that by staying active and moving that body whenever we can!
Yes, you will be in front of your computer a lot during these early days, but don’t let that stop you from stretching, exercising, or dancing around the living room!
If you can work standing up sometimes, then do that! If you can work out in the sunshine sometimes, do that.
Get creative and find ways to combine healthy living with your blogging career.
6. HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR
Building your own business is a serious thing that comes with struggles, expenses, and setbacks. But you can definitely combat some of that unpleasant stuff with a good sense of humor!
Learn to laugh about the things you cannot change. Embrace the struggles and the hard days. Let them motivate you to appreciate the easy ones!
If something happens that is truly devastating and it’s too hard to laugh at it, turn off that computer and go watch a funny movie.
Marlon Wayans, Jim Carrey, and Chris Farley movies are my go-to!
Laughter truly is the best medicine.
7. CREATE A SOLID SCHEDULE AND STICK TO IT
Staying scheduled and disciplined will help you to reach your goals and start making money.
So, if you’re ever feeling discouraged that your blog just isn’t making the progress you want it to make, check yourself and your daily schedule.
Make sure you aren’t wasting time scrolling on social media.
Make sure you’re checking daily goals off your to-do list, even when you’re not “feeling it”. And make sure you’re getting in front of your audience and serving them fully!
Related Guide: 29 Easy Blogging Tasks You Can Do When You Are Feeling Lazy
THE ULTIMATE TRUTH THAT ALL BEGINNER BLOGGERS NEED TO HEAR
Blogging won’t always be sunshine and butterflies and stacks of cash. Sometimes, it will be long days, hard work, and slow gains.
But just remember: all things that are worth having, come with some hard work and commitment!
We have to learn to embrace the work and the struggles. That’s the only way to benefit from the rewards that follow.
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to pin it for later!
Related Reads:
Follow These Easy Tips to Learn how to Boost Your Blog Traffic!
The Best Blogging Tools and Resources for Beginner Bloggers
Cate,
Thank you so much for sharing this. The ugly truths resonate with me, especially number 3. It’s not so much that my friends and family don’t want me to blog, it’s that they don’t see it as a valid business. I also love your tips for overcoming the struggles. I am going to print this to remind myself of strategies I can use when I’m feeling discouraged. Thanks again!
Love that you were so open and honest in sharing this. This summer I have really buckled down and done daily work on my blog, more than I ever have in the past, and it is draining! This post was encouraging, and it helped me refocus and remember that the number of page views shouldn’t be my focus, the engagement and keeping my audience on my site reading should be.
I’m so glad to see and read this article! Every single point was described ‘spot on’!!! One thing I want to share is that you have to spend money to make money and I am so glad you brought that up! And for me that made all the difference in the world. Im 2 months out before by q year anniversary and I have to say that it looks like all this hard work and effort will have been and is worth it! My first digital product, an ebook, got picked up by a publisher and things changed overnight. Thanks so much for writing this well-written article.
Great post Cate! Blogging is fun but very hard and also very discouraging a lot of the time, especially when you see other beginners making more progress. This post is a nice reminder to stay in my own lane, so to speak, and fine-tune my blogging plan. Thanks for always being so helpful!
Awesome and honest post Cate! Someone has to do tell the ugly side of blogging as well!
I totally agree with all the facts, although I try to walk if I have free time so I have not gained weight yet 😛
What a great post. Every single thing you said here is RELATABLE. Blogging is no joke and if you are doing it seriously, it requires more work than a full time job, especially in the beginning.
Thanks for this post! I felt like I got slapped in the face on one of the last points about creating a solid schedule and sticking to it. I was called right on out! Haha, I do find myself scrolling through social media wasting time…. “engaging”. But it’s not STRATEGIC engagement. That’s the problem. So I just get easily distracted and lots of time passes. Thanks for that reminder! Planning and strategizing are definitely weak points for me so that’s definitely something I will work on!
Hahaha, calling you out girl! We all do it, and the time just gets away. This reminder was for me too haha. Thank you so much for reading this and taking the time to leave a comment, I appreciate you so much!
Right?! So important to be realistic! Thanks for reading 🙂
Good for you Chris, I’m glad you’re getting those steps in! I’m working on it too!
Thank you for reading Rebecca! It’s so hard not to compare yourself to others, that’s for sure. Just keep refining your systems and focusing on the right things, you got this!
Beth I’m so happy to hear that things are moving along for you and you’re getting published – that’s awesome! I feel like as soon as people realize that some investments have to be made, that’s when their hobby turns a corner and they have the opportunity to start really growing. I’m so proud of your progress!
I’m so glad the post was helpful! Thank you for reading.
Yeah, sometimes family can unintentionally make out job so much harder, just by not being supportive. Stick with people who encourage you to keep going, you got this!
Great REAL post, Cate! I’ve been getting discouraged lately and getting caught up in the traffic numbers (or lack thereof). My blog is extremely specific, so it’s hard to find where my audience hangs out online. My mission for writing gets me through the hard days though. Thanks for posting this- new bloggers should definitely know this info.
Thank you so much for this post! I have been blogging for 7 months now and although I’ve made a bit of money, it is a LOT of work! I work full time and am a single mom of 2 kids, so I definitely struggle with keeping a schedule. I try to do the big parts (writing, editing, and creating graphics) on the weekends and promote all week, but it doesn’t always end up that way. I do want to eventually blog full time, so I will definitely take your tips to heart!
Whole heartedly agree. Thanks for being a breath of fresh air voice in the bloggersphere.
Good read.
Blogging is not given to us for income for a short time. It takes a while. I’ve been trying to test for it. I have a real job. Blogging is one of my big hobbies. It has to need lots of time. I didn’t know how many times and money should I pay for it.
But it makes me happy. I like this blogging.
Thanks for the good article.
Love this. Amazing to read about the other side of blogging no one tells you. Thanks for sharing!
This is really an interesting and same time exciting article to read! Yes we have people online just ready to copy your content and use it for their own benefits, so for a blogger you have to be prepared that one way or the other, your well researched and prepared content on your website will be copied at one point in time by a lazy guy somewhere!
Eight months in, I know every one of these statements to be so, so true! I love that you gathered all of these truths together for us, and shared all the negatives – in such a supportive way. Thank you! Susbcribing to your blog!
Such a well-written article with a lot of good information. I can relate to so many of these things, and I got some new ideas too. I should be writing every day and I’m not, I need to focus on that ASAP. Thank you!
Hey Cate, I’m pretty new to the blog world myself. This article about what is really going on is so great. I love the bullet point info. Really helps put things into perspective. Thanks for doing what you can to help others do well! I found you through a facebook group! After reading this article I singed up for the newsletter and found you on the gram! Thanks for the inspiration and direction.
seriously the best list of truths about blogging! I was at the beginning not so long ago and honestly had some wild dreams about how easy it would be to make money with blogging! Now I am more realistic, haha it was a great learning curve though :)! Thanks for sharing your tips
I agree with you in many of your points of view, mainly the one saying that our family and friends are possibly not our target! It is so true for me! My target right now don’t even speak the same mother language than me (I speak Portuguese but my business is all in English)! Thank you for all these ideas!
Lots of great information here! Love how you share and help others so much. Thank you!!
The ugly truth is so TRUE!!! From the non-support to the long hours and all the way through. However, when you come out on the other side and you have created this business that you absolutely adore it is all 100% worth it!!!
Hi Cate, Great article and nice follow up action items. I’m pinning this one for sure.
Ugly Truth About Blogging – Fact # 8 . SEO is key but it can be a long and grueling process.
Thanks for reading! So true about SEO too!
Worth it 100%, thank you so much for reading and sharing this positivity!
Thanks for reading Jamie, if I can help my people in some small way, it’s all worth it!
You’re so welcome, I’m glad it was helpful!
Hey, I was right there with you when I started, it was a BIG lesson learned haha! Thank you so much for reading!
I love hearing how people landed here, so thank you SOOOO MUCH for sharing that! I’m getting caught up on comments and emails, so I apologize for the delay. Talk soon!
Thank you so much for reading and commenting, I appreciate you!
Thank you so much Lori, I appreciate that positive feedback so much!
So true, it’s unfortunate, but it happens. We just have to be better than the lazy ones and also prepared to protect our work if need be. Thanks for your comment John!
Thank you for reading!
Thank you for reading! Yes, it takes a lot of time and effort, but keep it up if it’s what you love!
That is the nicest compliment, thank you so much!
Oh yes, you are busy! The fact that you’re already making money in your first year is huge, so congrats on that. I’ve got two little rugrats too and they are the “real” full-time job aren’t they? haha! Keep up the good work Rachel, I’m proud of you!
Thanks for reading Jennifer! I think Pinterest is a good place to give some attention, and SEO is going to be invaluable in your case. Regardless of where your audience “hangs out”, they most certainly are searching for specific things online, so getting in front of them while they search is going to help! Hang in there.
Thank you for sharing this!
I definitely felt this way when I first started blogging. But when I learnt more about affiliate marketing and SEO I was able to create blogs where I didn’t feel like I was banging my head against the wall. Some niches are definitely hard – and they’re the ones where everyone is trying compete in (how to start a blog type niche). But there are some many other niches which are just untapped and so much easier to build a blog in.
For example, I built a blog a couple months ago that was country specific and targeted a smallish niche. With around 10 articles I was able to generate income without any SEO or backlinks. So it’s really just about finding your space to blog in
That’s awesome, I’m so glad you’ve found your space!
Thank you for reading!
All so true as are many of the comments. I have been lucky and do get a lot of support from family and friends, but I don’t think many believe it is a viable way to make money. Maybe because I am not and it wasn’t my initial goal. I keep talking about making money and now I have the time to really make that happen. It has been all I can do to keep up with weekly stories and twitter but that should all change and hope to be more on your facebook. You were a great help and impetus for me in the beginning months and will always be appreciative! I am going to save this because it is actually very inspirational! Hope you are well!!
Thank you for sharing this. So good and so true. I’ve been lucky to have the support of my family the entire time, but it has been a long journey. I love spending time with friends and family, but I’ve had to separate myself on several occasions just so I can keep to my blogging schedule. Consistency is everything. On top of blogging, I’m an attorney and on the board at my church, so I’ve learned to protect the little free time I have. You’re right, blogging is fun and I’m blessed to be doing it…I actually enjoy the writing and editing process.
Great post. It was refreshing to read. I started a new blog from scratch after giving up a year ago. I was lacking direction then, but I know my goal now and I’m focused. Too many bloggers on YouTube making it seem like it’s a piece of cake. You had my attention from top to bottom of this post.
This is true in so many ways😆😆 I’ve gained weight and I don’t even know how and the pain of be able to explain to your family almost everyday that what you doing is actually work you not just scrolling around the pc
The struggle is real haha! I’m working soooo hard to wake up and MOVE MY BODY first thing in the morning so that I don’t start gaining weight again… the things no one tells you, right?!
Thank you so much, gotta keep it real so that newcomers have reasonable expectations. This is a fun job but it’s not easy. Thanks for reading!
Wow! this post is amazing miss Cate, I think you are one of the best and honest person out there that tell the whole truth about blogging. This really opens my eyes and my understanding… I’m also a blogger but not getting any traffic to my blog since I started 3 months ago! can you please check it out for me to see if there is something wrong I’m doing… My website: retiredinfluencer.com
Thank you so much, I really appreciate that! You can get a full blog audit done by visiting my Work With Me page here on the site!
100% True could relate to it, no one really talks about this side everyone is trying to show only the good side.
Gotta be honest and share the real side too, the ugly side of blogging (because there definitely is one)! Thanks for reading
Thank you for sharing! I just started my blog this past week and am already finding many of these things to be true!
Loved it! Thank you for this beautiful post! Number 3 about family and friends is the hardest part for me. I knew it from the beggining and that’s the reason i made a choise… There are less than 10 people that know i’m blogging. I wanted to see some kind of success till i start telling to everyone. And that’s why I searched and relied on complete strangers. I wanted to see what i can make from this effort and when i get to the point i want, maybe then i will start to share it with them. Girls, keep away from bad critic and not supportive people don’t want you to succeed!
Thanks for reading. Yes, there is no need to involve unsupportive people in our endeavors, there are plenty of folks out there ready and willing to cheer you on!
Thanks for reading! Enjoy the blogging journey 🙂
Thank you for sharing. And this is what I like the most:
“Focus your energy and efforts on the people that NEED to see or hear what you’re writing about”.