Five years. That’s how long I’ve been blogging for, and my goodness what a learning curve it’s been.
I know more about html code than I ever thought possible, and without even realising it I’ve become a content manager, copy editor, contract negotiator, picture editor, social media manager and accountant – to name but a few – all rolled into one.
My ‘blogiversary’ was in fact a couple of weeks ago, but I was so busy with sponsored posts I didn’t have time to blog about it at the time. Which is a good place to be in, and a long way from anything I could have imagined when I first started blogging.
At first I just wrote about all the things that were in my head as a new mum who had left a full time job behind and suddenly found herself at home with a baby all day long, and nobody to say them to. Like whether breast milk can cure an eye infection and why class teddy bears have a lot to answer for.
A couple of years in, setting myself up as a freelance journalist and with baby number two on the way, I realised that either my blog needed to start making money or I had to stop doing it. I (half-jokingly) referred to it as the monster I created, because it was taking up increasing amounts of time and was like a machine that needed constant feeding (a bit like having an extra child, in fact).
But I love blogging and there was (and still is) so much I wanted to say, so there was only one thing for it: I had to monetise my blog.
So I went to a blogging conference, commissioned an illustrator I love to come up with a new design, had a shiny new website built and went self-hosted (ok so it wasn’t quite that simple, but how went about it is another post entirely).
Another couple of years on and here we are, with baby number three on the scene and the blog generating a nice little income. So to mark my 5 year blog birthday I thought I’d share the 5 biggest lessons I’ve learnt in 5 years blogging.
The 5 biggest lessons I’ve learnt in 5 years blogging
1. Blogging is a labour of love. Anyone who says you can get rich quickly by blogging is lying. It takes more time, planning and effort than you could possibly imagine when you first start out.
2. No matter how many times you explain to a non-blogger how you make money blogging, they still don’t get it. Rather than explain the ins and outs of ambassadorships and sponsored posts I’ve now boiled it down to ‘people pay me to link to their website from my website’, which pretty much covers it.
3. Everyone is just winging it. I don’t meant this in a derogatory sense, I mean you can go to as many blogging conferences as you want, you can sign up to as many e-courses as you can and listen to experts until you’re blue in the face, but the fact is the concept of ‘digital influencers’ is so new everyone is still feeling their way. There’s not really a right way or wrong way, there’s your way – and it’s important to remember that.
4. Know your worth. And don’t be afraid to say no if a brand or company is offering you too little for your time. If you feel like you’re being taken advantage of, then you probably are.
5. It’s not all about the numbers. It’s easy to get carried away with what your domain authority is and where you are in the Tots 100 chart, but these rankings aren’t the be all and end all. Some of the best paid collaborations I’ve had are with brands who were more interested in the quality of my content and how engaged my audience is than where I rank in the various charts.
Are you a blogger and have you monetised your blog? What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far? I’d love to know what it is!
Wow, five years! Happy Blogiversary. I hope I’m still blogging after 5 years. I love it, but it’s definitely a labour of love.
Great post. I couldn’t agree more with everything you said.
I’ve actually taken a bit of a break over the last few weeks while I decided what and where I was going with it. Like you said, I either need to give it up or make it into a business. I am starting with a rebrand and my spare room is being transformed into my office so I have no excuse now haha. #FamilyFunLinky
Happy blog birthday! Blogging is definitely a labour of love and you’ve definitely hit the nail on the head about sponsored posts! i’ve only just started making money from my post and have wised up a little bit over working for peanuts. My blog isn’t huge but I certainly don’t see why I should put time and effort into writing a post, publishing and sharing it for a chocolate bar or something easily low value. If I love something I’ll shout it from the rooftops and don’t ever want my blog to be just about monetising and want to keep my own element on there too but equally bloggers shouldn’t be expected to work for free! #familyfun x
Wow, five years, congratulations!!! I’m only 2 years in (even though my first year was still very amateurish) and like you, I now want to monetise my blog. As a relative newbie, it’s great to read your five biggest lessons (I am very much aware of the first one already!) and it’s reassuring in a way that you think everyone’s still winging it.
#FamilyFun
Happy bloggerversary!! I have been going at this for a couple of years now and like you say, it is definately a labour of love. It is a lot of hard work. I am slowly getting a few paid posts here and there, I am hoping to build it up to a point where I can at least reduce my hours at work a bit (the dream is to be able to quit my day job completely and blog). Your blog is amazing, you deserve every success x
#FamilyFun
Thanks for the tips. You are right about it becoming a monster. I took a break because it felt that way. Juggling everything can be a challenge. Onwards and upwards hey! #TwinklyTuesday
Love this. Number two is the bane of my life!!! It took me a while to feel confident enough in what I was doing to stop the comparisons and stressing over stats. I actually left Tots last year when I was just outside of the top 100 because it gave me nothing but negative feelings. #twinklytuesday
the time required has been the biggest surprise. I’m getting ready to renew for year four and am still waiting for my fame and riches but there is so much more that blogging provides I’m happy with the few bucks every once in a while and the opportunities I’ve had to do things i wouldn’t have otherwise #familyfun
My mummy is a hobbyist blogger and works full time in a job she loves, however our blog has giving us some wonderful opportunities which has really embellish our lives, so we are thankful for that. Thankfully we haven’t monetised our blog so are not constricted to sponsored posts or deadlines…yet! Its nice to know we’ve got it to fall back on if needed x Not doing too badly in Tots100, but we know stats aren’t everything when it comes to quality content and engagement x Blogging isn’t an easy job! #FamilyFun
Congrats on 5 years! It amazes me how many people think that blogging is something that’s easy to do, they don’t have a clue about all that goes with it. Thanks for sharing and linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
Happy blog birthday and congratulations on 5 years of blogging. I’m nearly four years in and I have to admit that it’s still more of a hobby for me but it is nice to be able to make some income from my blog. I love your short summary explaining what monetising your blog means – it’s a very good way of describing it. I would definitely agree that blogging is a labour of love – there is so much that goes into it and it takes a lot of work before you do start earning from it. Always reassuring to know that everyone else is winging it too! π #familyfunlinky
Good for you! I’m 2 years in and still at that “slogging along” point. I make a few dollars here and there, but nothing I can call an income. I love that you say everyone is winging it – that’s totally how I feel! Thanks for sharing.
~Jess
#FamilyFun
Learning to say no is something I definitely struggled with, especially in the early days. I am getting better at it but still not brilliant, truth be told. 5 years is really some achievement, well done lovey and you’re right – there are SO many skills involved in blogging that I did not account for when I started out. Thanks for joining us at #familyfun x
Congratulations on 5 years of blogging – that’s really impressive and it sounds like you really love it, although it can be tough at times. I want to go self hosted soon and these some great truths π #TwinklyTuesday
Thanks for sharing your views. I can certainly relate to feeling like it’s an extra child to feed sometimes. #FamilyFunLinky