9 Scariest Things About Blogging


by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

It's October and in honor of Halloween, I just couldn't resist a tongue-in-cheek post about something scary. After spending the year traveling and teaching writers about blogging, I have plenty of fears to share. Lest you think this is me pointing fingers, let me reassure you. EVERY single one of the things listed has been something I've done/struggled with at some point. 

Remember, none of us is born knowing how to do this stuff. So lets laugh at our phobias together!

9 Scariest Things About Blogging
1. Trying to come up with a title. I know that the title of a blog post has a huge impact on whether someone can find it in a Google search. Truthfully, I spend as much time coming up with a title as I do writing a post. 

2. Search Engine Optimization. Once I figured out how to do it, it was easy. But it just sounds super technical and super scary. 

3. Worrying that no one will see my post. Growing a blog audience does take time. But when we take time to learn the basics, it's a groundless fear. Want to learn the basics? Take a look at the series I did on blogging. Blogging Basics for Writers

4. Staying with a schedule. I am absolutely adamant about staying on a schedule with this site. But it's something that hasn't always been easy for me. I can tell you that keeping a schedule is something that separates the professionals from the hobbyists. 

5. Finding free/copyright free images. I used to agonize over finding just the right picture to illustrate my site and NOT infringe on someone else's copyright. Now I have 2 places I use to find images. www.Pixabay.com and www.unsplash.com. Both have only Creative Common License 0 images and are easy to use. They have the highest quality images and I recommend both sites without reservation.

6. Ending each post with an open-ended question or call to share. I used to struggle with this one. It was hard to come up with questions that were natural and encouraged conversation. 

7. Staying focused with blog post topics. A successful blog (one that rises in search engine searches) needs to share posts within a single topic. For instance, The Write Conversation, is all about encouraging and teaching writers. There are a lot of specific topics that fall within that broad category, but keeping that general topic in mind makes sure I build credibility and authority with search engines. I can still write about a variety of things (social media, blogging, fiction, nonfiction, life of a writer, etc). But I slant each one toward writers, that keeps my site topical. 

8. Fighting burnout. Yep, been there, done that. Blogging sounds like a good idea�and is a great way to connect with our audience. But after about 3 or 4 posts it becomes work. Life interferes, it's hard to come up with what to write about, and it feels like we're writing to an audience of zero. When this happens we've have to find the way to persevere through the hard times. 

9. Inconsistent numbers. I used to think that if I was doing it right, my blog would grow�consistently. The truth is there's nothing consistent about blogging numbers. They're impacted by the seasons, the weather, even what's happening in our world. I've learned to remember that each number is represented by a person, and every single person deserves my best. 

These are the things I've struggled with over my years of blogging. I'd love to now what you'd add to my list. Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Don't forget to join the conversation
Blessings,
Edie

TWEETABLES
9 Scariest Things About #Blogging - @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Deciding to blog can be a scary thing, but it helps to know we all fear the same things - @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

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