It seems that no matter what you do you will always hear negative things or even horror stories on any topic. I’m not sure why that is the case. I hope that people give something the benefit of the doubt themselves and then form their own opinion based on their own experiences.
Blogging is no different. I’m certain there are tons of people out there nervously debating with themselves and trying to work up the courage to begin blogging. I know. I was one of them years ago. I’d like to debunk some of the blogging myths that I often hear floating around on the internet. Have you come across any of these?
Common Blogging Myths
Creativity is Key
I am not what you would call a traditional creative person. I can’t draw, paint, or create things on a whim. What blogging has taught me is that creativity comes in many, many forms. These words on the screen? Creativity. Those graphics? Yep. You got it….a result of creativity. Our Instagram feeds? Creativity again. Sure we can snap a photo and upload it. But what about the behind the scenes or that flat lay? Taking an ordinary picture and choosing a different angle certainly changes how one can view the simplest of objects. Those filters you added and tweaked top get that perfect look? All part of being creative.
We each learn to flex our own creative muscles and put our own spin on what we produce. We learn from others’ creativity and are inspired daily. So when you hear that notion of needing to be creative and artistic and fear that you are neither, toss it aside. You will find you have a spark of it and you will show that everyday on your blog in ways that you may not have even considered creative.
Blogging is Dying
Have you heard this one yet? I hear it quite often and think it’s due to the fact that the new push is towards email lists and online courses, 2 things that are rampant in the blogging world.
But is blogging dead?
No, no, a million times no. At least in my opinion it in’t. Check out Bloglovin’. Check Twitter. You’ll see lots of bloggers still blogging.
There definitely is a push to do more and be more than a blogger in the blogging world but that does not mean that blogging is dying. As long as there are bloggers out there with a story to tell, a recipe or craft to share, and tips to teach blogging will stay just where it is. Thankfully.
We have all heard of blogging myths. Today a few of them are getting debunked! Click To Tweet
Blogging is Expensive!
Here’s the thing; blogging is as expensive as you want to make it.
You can start out and stay on a completely free blogging platform.
You can create headers and buttons for your blog through a free photo editing service such as Pic Monkey or Canva.
You can belong to a styled stock library like Haute Chocolate where you pay a monthly fee or use free stock photos.
You can pay for ads or approach other bloggers and ask about doing an ad swap.
Many social media scheduling tools like Buffer or HootSuite are completely free so you can promote your blog easily.
There are quite a few blog investments that are worth every penny in my opinion, but are they necessities? Not at all. In fact I encourage you to blog “for free” for a bit in order to see if it is something that you want to continue doing and perhaps then you can invest more at a later point in time.
The Online World is Rough and/or Cliquish
Let’s face it: there’s always going to be a select few that give something a bad name. It happens everywhere. The online world can be a cruel place in general. Cyberbullying happens because cowards can hide behind a keyboard and remain anonymous and say things they would never dream of saying to someone’s face. That’s the world we live in unfortunately.
In my few years of blogging I have only had one negative incident that left a bad taste in my mouth. Having said that, I think we all need to realize that we can’t control others’ behaviors and we need to adjust how we handle those situations. If only everyone followed the cardinal rule of blogging…..
As for cliques, I have yet to find them. You will find, however, that you will make connections and friendships with people you may never meet in real life yet their friendship will become valued. If I had to choose just one benefit blogging has brought into my life out of all of them, I would say that the people I have met have enriched my life and experience in so many ways.
Bloggers, as a whole, are a supportive and encouraging group. We all started out in the same place and we all can relate. We all want to inspire and help each other. There are so many ways to do this and you will find examples of this often in the blogging world.
It’s Too Hard // Too Time Consuming
Much like the expense of blogging, the time commitment is entirely up to you. You will find that there are a myriad of ways to stay organized and productive while blogging.
What you really need to know is this: there is no blogging police. Your blog is just that: YOURS. You do what you want, when you want, and how you want. You want to post 5 times a week? Great! 2 times a week? Perfect! You don’t want to have a newsletter? Fine! It’s all okay.
You set the tone, the rules, and the standard on your blog and you make it work for you and your life. Not everyone will blog full time. Many of us have families and full time jobs and we blogging is our hobby. Grant yourself some grace and work with what you can and want to. Relax and enjoy it!
What blogging myths have you heard about? Have any kept you from starting a blog?
