1. Time is of the essence. When you're writing a blog, you are pretty much on your own. There's no boss to check in on you and make sure you're getting at least one post up each day and planning for more. As a result, you can alienate readers (a fickle lot who suffer from a short attention span), who may not check back more than once to see if you've got new content.
2. Writer's block will get you. No matter how good a writer you are, there will be days when you look at the keyboard and find your mind blank, or that nothing you write is any good. It happens to everyone and it sucks.
3. My interests are overrated. Apparently, people don't want to hear every thought in my head. In order for a blog to be any good, it has to have a focus. People who want to read a celebrity news blog, for example, don't want to hear about my great aunt Iva's 95th birthday party.
Editor's note: Unless, of course, Aunt Iva is a celebrity.
4. Guest posts aren't always so great. You will be so happy the first time you get a guest post and you don't have to write for a day (trust me on this one). This will last right up until you read it and see the quality (likely very poor). As you get more, sifting through them to find a diamond in the rough will start to seem like more work than actually writing.
5. It pays to know HTML. In this day and age, people without a scrap of technical knowledge can get user-friendly programs to help them build websites. Unfortunately, it's no substitute for knowing how to code it yourself. You will soon find yourself seriously limited in your ability to expand and personalize your site.
6. SEO isn't a miracle. To be sure, a diligent attitude can take you far in the world of SEO. You can learn a lot and have a major impact on your site by simply understanding how search engines work and using that information to maximize your impact. But there's no guarantee of traffic and it certainly won't explode overnight. Plus, it's a LOT of extra work (or money...suffice it to say I'm nowhere near hiring help).
7. Traffic doesn't equal money. Many people believe (as did I) that once you start to see traffic you will automatically get solicited for advertising. Not so much, as it turns out. You have to show continuing growth as well as a loyal following and then you have to go out and secure advertising for your site.
8. Readers don't like ads. I think that's pretty self-explanatory. Just because you can paper your site with banners and pop-ups doesn't mean you should.
Everything in moderation, grasshopper.
9. Blogging can be isolating. Despite the fact that blogging is supposed to be a social activity, it's usually pretty solitary. For this reason, it pays to make time for friends and family on a regular basis. Otherwise you look at the calendar and suddenly realize it's been three months since you called your mom.
10. Blogging is the new secretary spread. It should come as no surprise that sitting at a desk all day will cause health issues, but color me surprised anyway. Stepping on a scale for the first time in several months and realizing I've gained ten pounds was not the most fun I've had this year.
Editor's Note: Hahaha, so very true!
About the 10 Things I Learned Series
From Tia: This is a guest blogging series on BizChickBlogs on 10 Things Learned in 2010. I've invited a handful of people to submit guest posts on this topic, and I would love to have more! If you have something you can write about, whether it be about what you learned about social media, having a blog network, taking time off, investing in premium plugins, starting another blog, closing a blog, whatever - contact me and let me know or read the guest blogging guidelines and send your guest post that way. Everyone is invited. Thanks!
Image credit: Shutterstock
Guest post by Sarah Danielson of Adiamor Engagement Rings, for the 10 Things I Learned in 2010 Series.
10 Things I Learned in 2010 About the Pitfalls of Blogging is a post from: BizChickBlogs