Sometimes I still feel like I’m floating like a draft in a big sea of water, trying to meet up with the big guns in this industry. I’ve always loved writing and I’m addicted to reading. I read anything interesting from novels to newspapers to magazines to billboards adverts, so writing came naturally to me.

Thewriterscorner.com is a different ball game entirely. Since I started writing here it had always seemed like a mountain needed to be conquered, and the more I achieve the more things there are to learn. I didn’t dedicate much time to it at first due to my 9-5 job and there were many things I didn’t know about blogging when I started. 

Here are 5 things I didn’t know about blogging before I started and what I think you should know now.

1. BLOGGING IS NOT JUST ABOUT WRITING ARTICLES

At first, I felt I only had to write an article and post it as I do on Facebook and that will be all. Then I had to get pictures that were related to the articles I wrote not just random pictures that looked good. When I couldn’t get more of them I learned how to design and create infographics that summarized any post I made to make it visually appealing.

Like my first blog post 6 simple tips for developing characters in a story which wasn’t SEO optimized, I later learned about making my blog visible to a much more wider audience by making sure it was SEO optimized.

With no one to teach me any of this, you can imagine the loads of work I had to do and the stress I had to pass through. Phew!!

2. SPENDING AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF TIME PROMOTING THIS BLOG THAN WRITING

Just like I thought blogging was all about writing articles, it happened that it was only a small fraction of the total time taken in blogging. There is no point in putting out great content when no one gets to see it.

So I’ve had to learn how to promote this website though a good social media strategy and email marketing. These also require creating content and interaction with different number of people who those content relates to. So you will see that the amount of time it takes to promote your website is almost equal to the time it takes to create content for your blog, if not more.

3. THE COMPETITION IS HIGH

The number of new blogs coming up is increasing by the day. So many people want to become a blogger and establish themselves as an authority in their chosen field. It’s a job that anyone can do from the comfort of their home in this 21st century.

The only way I figure you can grown in this competitive world is to STAND OUT and dominate in your niche.

4. IT CAN GET OVERWHELMING

Every blogger has a tone to his writing that makes it easy to relate to, but we bloggers are also human. We get tired, angry, sad or even frustrated with their work. Whatever form of negativity that comes around will not be seen on the blog. Especially on days when your analytics looks terrible and you get frustrated at the amount of time and money you’re putting into it to make it work.

5. THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO LEARN EVERYDAY

Blogging tends to be demanding and time consuming but it doesn’t mean you should stop. I know some people have started this journey and stopped somewhere along the way, only to pick up sometime later.

My advice is this: Don’t stop. There’s always something new to learn. SEO was like a corner of the house you sweep that your duster doesn’t touch when cleaning the house. These past months I’ve been reading and studying about it and my feet don’t feel as wobbly as it did at first, even though its a broad and complex topic. At least I know my way around it more.

The same goes for storytelling, social media strategy and email marketing. Not to talk of Book related topics. There’s an infinite amount of information in the online world that is just out there waiting for me. And I just love the process it takes.

If you notice, all of this process are connected to each other. One step affects the next one. On the whole I feel I’ve embarked on a journey that’s both challenging and present with lots of opportunity. It sure requires lots of brain work and takes up most of my free time, buy in the nearest future I’ll look back and see that it was all worth it.

Do you have a blog?

Have you worked for a blog before?Which valuable lessons have you learnt from it that you’ll love others to benefit from? Do share with us in the comments box below