10 Things Amateur Bloggers Need to Know

I have a lot of tips for amateur bloggers. I’ve been blogging for over nine years. My first site was called The Butler Journal. I changed the name to My Money Chronicles in January 2019. I still enjoy it a lot. I still consider myself to be an amateur blogger. It’s opened up a lot of opportunities for me. Have you ever considered creating a blog? My friends and associates started amateur blogs in the last few years. Many amateur bloggers quit after a few months, while others kept at it. I’ll be the first to tell you it’s not for everyone. Today, I want to share ten things amateur bloggers need to learn about blogging.

Tips For Amateur Bloggers

1. It’s Not Easy

Many amateur bloggers think that blogging is easy. It’s not. It takes work and dedication. If you are trying to build a business or an audience, it is not always easy. You have to stay focused, and you have to get started. I used to struggle with this a lot. Now, I have a schedule for creating my content.

2. You Don’t Always Feel Like Writing

Some days, you are not going to feel like writing a blog. You may be bored and want to be lazy. Other times, you may be busy running errands or working on other things. Those are just a few reasons that you may feel like writing less. One way I make sure I have posts ready if I don’t feel like writing is to work on a few extra posts when the creative juices are flowing. Taking the time to work on great content will help you in the long run.

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3. Writers Block

Another reason that you may not feel like blogging is writer’s block. Writer’s block is very real. If you blog long enough, you will experience it. To get over writer’s block, you can do a few things. You can take a break and start writing again a little later. You can also write somewhere else. For example, if you write at home, you can visit the library or a coffee shop. A change of scenery may get the creative juices flowing. Writer’s block happens to the best of us, but it doesn’t have to last. This post features 50 blog topics that will help you.

4. Nobody is Reading Your Blog Posts in the Beginning

You won’t have any blog traffic at the beginning. Everybody realizes this early on when they are running a blog. Tell your friends and family that you have an amateur blog and ask them to check it out. Only a handful of people will do that. Don’t let it discourage you. If you publish and promote good content, people will begin to read and share your posts. They will also get picked up by search engines if they are good. Don’t worry about your readership and other statistics in the beginning. People will start reading as long as you create good blog posts.

5. A Lot of Amateur Bloggers Don’t Make Money Early On

Some people immediately want to make money blogging. In most cases, it doesn’t work like that. Making money from blogging takes time. Beginners usually won’t make much money in their first few years of blogging. The bloggers that you see making money are the ones that bust their asses. The money comes after years of writing posts, providing value, and gaining readers’ trust. If you stay with your blog long enough, you can reap the rewards and grow your blogging business. When you have enough traffic, you can make money with Google Adsense and eventually move to another company. You can also become a successful affiliate marketing blogger by promoting other businesses’ products.

6. You Are Always Learning

Amateur bloggers are always learning stuff. Trends are constantly changing. What might have worked in the past may not work anymore. A lot of things online are constantly changing, too. WordPress themes, hosting companies, Google, and search engine optimization (SEO) are just a few things that are continually updating. Staying on top of this is critical if you are serious about blogging. I love the learning aspect when it comes to blogging. Some of the best bloggers have webinars to help keep others informed. Some conferences (shout out to Fincon) are available to help you learn more. Those conferences can be life-changing.

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7. Stay on Schedule

To gain an audience, you must stay on a schedule. This is one of the most common mistakes you see with people who have amateur blogs. You have to post consistently. Posting on March 1st and then March 24th doesn’t work. Your readers will have moved on from you. Posting on a consistent schedule will keep your readers waiting. For example, I publish posts three or four times per week. That works perfectly for me. It’s all about finding out what works for you. An editorial calendar can help you out. It’s a document that can help you plan your content.

8. Everything Doesn’t Work For Every Blogger

What works for one blogger may not work for you. When it comes to your blog, do you? Your readers will know if you try to write about topics you don’t know about or like. They may stop reading your blog altogether if you don’t sound genuine. Test out different things, but never copy verbatim from another blogger. First off, that’s just wrong. Second, it’s plagiarism, and you will be considered a fraud blogger.

9. It’s Not For Everyone

Blogging is not for everyone. Don’t force yourself into doing it if you don’t enjoy it. Readers can tell if the passion isn’t there. There is nothing wrong with you quitting. At least you tried. Can you imagine all the people who wanted to do something but let fear get in the way? You didn’t do that, though. You tried blogging, and you realize that it’s not for you. There is nothing wrong with that. You can move on and try something else.

10. Be Active on Social Media

The final thing that amateur bloggers need to understand is that when it comes to blogging, you should be active on social media. Your followers may become your first big supporters and subscribers. I promote my blog on several social media platforms. I put more effort into some platforms than I do on others. Figure out which one you enjoy the most and start promoting.

Follow me on Instagram at My Money Chronicles.

Bonus:

You probably won’t make much money in your first year of blogging. Some people are doing very well with their sites, like Michelle from Making Sense of Cents or Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income, but that’s not the norm. They have been doing this for years. It takes time to make money and build that audience. Over the last few years, I’ve seen many new bloggers saying they are monetized and earning 4 to 5 figures on their sites in only a few months. Those people are probably lying. They use those headlines as clickbait. Please don’t fall for it.

If you are a new blogger or considering it, hopefully, you pay attention to the ten things they don’t tell you about blogging. They will help you while you are considering whether you should continue to blog or not. When I first started blogging, I didn’t know how serious blogging was, but I’m glad I started. My life has changed for the better. Yours could do the same thing.