What do you think of when you hear the word “Blogger”? I bet the first word that comes to mind is “mommy”. I bet the second word that comes to mind is “giveaways”.
Seen any of those Someecards floating around that make fun of Bloggers by saying things like “Honey can you pick up pizza? I’ve been busy pinning recipes all day.”?
Did you know that there is so much more to being a Blogger than being a “mommy” and doing “giveaways” and “pinning”? Bloggers wear many different “hats”. Let me explain a little more.
See all those job titles I have listed in my graphic? Those really are jobs that Bloggers fulfill. Really. All of them. And more. As a Blogger, I have had to wear all those titles at one point or another…even in the short time that I have been blogging. Ok…well…all of them except the title of “Dad”, but I think you get my drift.
I never used to understood how much work it takes to be a Blogger, but I do now. Blogging is work that never stops. You could literally blog 24/7. Now, sometimes this is a good thing as it gives Bloggers a lot of flexibility when it comes to getting your work completed. Busy with the kids during the day? You can blog at night. Have a disability or illness that keeps you inside the house or in bed during rough times? That’s when you can blog. Up at night because you can’t sleep? You can blog. The “bad” part about blogging is that once you become a Blogger, once the opportunities start to come in (and they will), you’ll discover that Social Media never sleeps. When you have finally logged off your computer for the evening and gone to bed, someone in another time zone across the country, or across the continent, is contacting you about another blogging opportunity. With each opportunity that comes your way also comes the need for you to test your skills as a Writer writing a blog post, an Advertising Director negotiating ad placements on your blog, as a Computer Technician trying to fix something that has gone wrong with your laptop (again!), and as a Web Designer trying to figure out what has messed up your website.
Soon you realize that you haven’t just become a Blogger, you’ve become an “expert” at many jobs you never thought you’d ever do….or thought you could do.
Think you know what it takes to be a Blogger?
Know anything about SEO? Analytics? UMVs? Tags? Categories? Ping backs? Broken Links? Plug-Ins? HTML? This list goes on….better start Googling!
Ever notice all those nice photos that Bloggers post in their blogs to “pretty up” their blog, to show you the products they are reviewing, to share their family activities with you, or to tell you about a great destination you should visit? Believe it or not, those photos take work. Most Bloggers take pride in how their photos are displayed on their site, so they turn to online photo editors to help them out. Editing photos usually involves resizing, watermarking, framing, creating a collage, cropping, placing text and other graphics to enhance the picture, and so much more. It takes a lot of effort to create a photo or collage that looks good and stands out on your blog page.
Like dealing with people? Hope so, because as a Blogger, you will deal with people – many, many people. If you want to be a successful Blogger, you have to put yourself out there. You can’t just hide behind your computer screen. You need to interact with your followers and readers…every day. You need to provide your readers with new content to keep them interested in checking out your blog. You need to respond to their tweets, their comments, their emails. They need to know you value them and care about them.
Bloggers need to master the art of “cold calling” or “pitching” to brands and companies. For this, you need to be your blog’s biggest cheerleader. The internet is a big place. The only way people are going to find you, and take notice of you, is if you tell them you are here.
Bloggers have to develop a thick skin. You can’t be afraid to hear the words “Unfortunately” “Thanks but” or “Not at this time”. You will get turned down. You cannot take it personally. Not all blogs, brands and products are compatible.
Blogging doesn’t stop at blogging. Once you’ve published that blog post, more work must be done to promote that blog post. In order for your post to be seen by the greatest number of people, you need to promote it on all your social media channels. Not just once…numerous times. There’s Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, Triberr, and many others, depending on which social media channels and networks you belong to. Most Bloggers are very supportive of one another, so a Blogger doesn’t just spend time promoting their own posts, but also posts of other Bloggers.
Don’t forget about Blogger “school”. That’s right, Blogger education is ongoing and non-stop. Not only do you have to learn everything there is to know about running your website/blog, you also need to keep up with the latest updates, plug-ins and changes that are constantly happening in the online world. You need to know your social media channels well, and keep up with their changes, making sure you know how to get the most “bang for your buck” when posting on those social media channels. Have you seen tweets, blog posts and Facebook shares concerning Social Media conferences such as BlissDom Canada? These conferences are “must attend” events for Bloggers. Social Media conferences are the “go-to” places to learn about everything Social Media and Blogger related.
Successful Blogs and Bloggers are never an “overnight success”. Blogging takes a lot of hard work and effort to make it to the top. Many successful Bloggers have spent years building up their reader base, building a loyal following, and gaining the respect of the companies they work with. Successful Bloggers also spend a lot of time reading. As a Blogger, you cannot just concentrate on your own Blog. You need to see what others are doing, what makes them successful, build on those ideas, and make them your own.
Is it all worth it? Absolutely! For all the hard work it takes to be a successful Blogger, there are just as many rewards that will come your way. If you are passionate about writing, sharing your stories and ideas, and love social media, blogging may just be for you!
