As a blogger, I use Pinterest a lot.
I search for dinner recipes when I have no idea what to make.
I look up essential oil blends that might calm my toddler’s horrible temper tantrums.
I pin my own content to group boards and Tailwind tribes.
But there’s one thing I don’t do.
I don’t spend any of my time reading post after post about “How I Got 100,000 Pageviews in My First Month Using Pinterest”.
I don’t read, “How to Set Up a Blog in 5 Minutes”.
I skip right over, “How I Got 1k Subscribers in My First Month Blogging”.
If there’s one thing that makes my ears actually turn red and hot to touch is when people make online business seem fast, easy, and free.
Business isn’t supposed to be quick and easy. People write articles like this because it gets others to click.
I can’t tell you how many of my readers have expressed frustration that blogging was much harder than they thought. I agree.
I’ll be honest, I got into blogging thinking I could just write nonsense about my life and the masses would come. I’d slap up a few ads and I’d replace my full-time nursing income in a few months.
Because that’s what those blog posts led me to believe.
Here’s the truth; that’s a lie.
Setting up your blog shouldn’t take 5 minutes. It should take 5 minutes to install WordPress, but the rest of it?
The theme, the logo, the pillar content. That all takes time. It matters what your site looks like. It matters what your logo looks like. The quality of your content matters. The foundation matters.
You didn’t get 1k subscribers in one month? Well, that blog post you read probably forgot to mention that they already had an established network (like a Facebook group) that they could drive their offer to.
They weren’t starting from scratch.
They probably didn’t mention that they had a network of biz besties promoting them.
They forgot to get into the nitty-gritty details of a kickass lead magnet that people actually want.
You didn’t get 100,000 pageviews after you signed up for Tailwind? Well, what do your images look like? What kind of content are you putting out there? Are your titles easy to read or are you writing sentences in a fancy script that can’t be read on a giant computer screen let alone a mobile device?
Are you still trying to take your own pictures? Are you still using all the “free” stuff because you don’t want to invest in your business?
Reality check.
When people have extreme success really quickly, it’s anything but easy.
They likely have different circumstances than you, maybe they don’t need to work another job full time.
Or they don’t have kids constantly screaming and fighting with each other while you’re trying to concentrate.
Or they don’t have a dog that needs to be let out every time they sit down to write.
Or they don’t have a husband that keeps asking them why they look so angry when they are typing. (Is that just me? I keep telling him that’s just my concentrating face lol)
And here’s a big one: they likely have some disposable income they can use to invest in starting their business up the right way.
They can skip a lot of that trial-and-error-learn-as-you-go phase.
Designing an amazing lead magnet is quick and easy because they pay a graphic designer to do it for them. They get noticed on Pinterest because they can afford custom templates and they can invest in tools like Tailwind. Let’s not forget the e-courses to teach them a strategy that actually works, and money spent on ads to help them build their list or get those pins to take off.
And their “first month” probably isn’t their first month.
If they haven’t already been-there-done-that with another blog, then they have (at the very least) spent months behind the scenes working on branding, writing copy and pillar content, and education (learning the foundation of blogging as a business).
Then they “launch” and call it their first month.
Why does this bother me?
Because it’s discouraging. It’s discouraging to those that work so hard and don’t understand why they aren’t seeing those results.
It’s discouraging to have the resources and money to get that success but you never knew you needed to do those things because people weren’t honest about what it takes in the first place.
It’s discouraging to read posts about quick success and think, “Yeah I do all that, so what the hell?!”
And what happens when people get discouraged?
They give up. They succumb to defeat and they never see success.
I want nothing more than for you to be successful.
So here it is, the uncensored truth.
You need to invest. Time, money, energy. Non-negotiable.
You need to believe in yourself and have the confidence to put yourself out there.
You need to sacrifice.
While your husband is watching tv, you’re blogging. While your family is at the movies, you’re blogging. While the kids are napping, and after they go to bed. Any moment you have to yourself, you blog.
You write. You create. You learn. You don’t stop.
And if not, that doesn’t mean you won’t be successful eventually, but it will take longer and you need to be okay with that.
You can’t look at others success and wonder, “why not me?”
But I know you, you’re not like that. You do the work. You have what it takes.
I’m certainly not saying to burn yourself out or that you need a ton of money to be successful.
You need to trust the process. Don’t give up. Stop comparing yourself to others. You can’t get sucked into quick-cash rabbit holes or believe that blogging is effortless.
Or get discouraged when it seems effortless to others. (Trust me, there’s another side to their story)
And of course, you need the right tools.
Our free templates are a killer place to start (along with all of the tutorials and resources you’ll need).
Social media templates to get you that traffic.
Worksheet templates to turn your brilliant content into actionable lead magnets.
A media kit template to get you those sponsored posts.
(You get the drift.)
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Thank you so much for this reality check. I am definitely one who gets discouraged when my blog, or Pinterest, or instagram (or whatever else) didn’t get the number counts I’m “supposed” to get as a new blogger. This was really encouraging. Thank you again!
I’m so glad to hear this encouraged you! Please don’t get discouraged, I’m sure you are doing awesome!
Loved reading this! Just put it out there and say it like it is! Excellent
Thank you, Brian!
I can’t wait to get your templates. I’ve been blogging for 10 years and have made very little since the google slap. 🙁 My 3rd blog is over 2 years old and I still get about 100 views a day. Yes, I’m on pinterest and lots of group boards. I have done all the things that the courses tell me to do, but am still very stuck. Do you have any suggestions for the stuck bloggers?
It’s totally normal to feel stuck. Have you heard of the Just Keep Blogging podcast? I love it, especially when I’m feeling stuck or defeated- it’s like blogging therapy haha. My biggest advice is to really listen to your readers, figure out what resonates with them and do more of it. I started this blog with the intention of teaching but found out my readers really like templates so I do more of those and it’s working great, I can still teach AND I get to provide tools that help people with their blogs- win win!
Thank you for that tip. I haven’t heard of that podcast before and will definitely listen to it. Her website looks great.
You’re right! We love templates! You are amazing and I love all your resources. I plan to live on your site for a while until I get through everything you have here. 🙂
Awesome Heidi! Thank you 🙂
I. LOVE. THIS. POST. Thank you so much for being real about all the lies and half-truths out there about blogging. It ain’t a get rich quick scheme. Anyone who tells you differently is trying to sell you something you probably don’t need.
Totally agree Michelle!! While there is a TON of potential with blogging, it takes a MAJOR time investment and a lot of hard work to get going, I feel like people put themselves down, get frustrated, and even quit because they compare themselves to others when in fact, it was tough for others too!
Kara,
I am so glad to read this. I was starting to think that my content wasn’t really worth it. Yes, this is the first month of my new blog, but it is a continuation of a blog I’ve had for over 2 years. I struggle to get 20-30 views a day. Very frustrating. I saw some of images you made for JenniferMaker and they are incredible. I have photoshop elements, but do you think Canva makes more sense to make attractive pinnable pins? I’m not really literate in photoshop elements anyway.
Thank you again for your reality check and encouragement.
Lucy
Jennifer is so great to work with, I love her blog!
Kara, this is a very helpful post. I was wondering what is wrong with my blog. I struggle to get 20-30 views per day. I was beginning to think that my blog’s content really wasn’t worth reading. I appreciate your pointing out these facts to your readers.
I am trying to get more pinnable pins as a way to drive traffic to my blog. I currently have photoshop elements on my computer, but I wouldn’t say that I am literate in using the program. Do you think Canva is a better way to go to make pinnable pins? Also, if I use my own photos is the free version sufficient at first while I am learning?
Again, thank you for your advice on “my first month of blogging” – very helpful. Lucy
Lucy, I personally like Canva for social media images, I think it’s faster! The free version is totally fine for now! I’m glad you found the article helpful, I love the saying “Don’t compare your beginning to someone elses middle” I think it’s a good thing to remind ourselves of from time to time!
Thank you so much for writing this. I’ve been having lots of doubt about my blog and sometimes when people ask me how much traffic and money I get from it and I don’t want to answer because it’s embarrassing to me at times.
Never be embarrassed at the progress you’ve made and always celebrate the little wins! Sometimes just knowing you’ve made a difference in someone’s day is enough to give you the strength to push through the frustrating times! 🙂
Kara-this is a BEAUTIFUL post-for so many reasons! I love your honesty-it’s one of the many reasons that I tune in to everything from you. I’m someone who only stays subscribed to email lists/people that I feel have something that is very important to me: INTEGRITY. For me-integrity is definitely non-negotiable. Thank you so much for doing what you do and for being honest, incredibly generous and consistently being YOU!
That’s so sweet and wonderful to here Marjorie!! Thank you so much!!!!!
Your templates are a lifesaver! I was feeling discouraged with my boring design. Thank you!!
Thank you Melanie!!
I needed this today! I’ve been so discouraged the last couple days.
Blogging can be such a rollercoaster… there are lots of ups and downs– it’s totally normal. Just don’t give up because I PROMISE it’s all worth it! I’m glad the article was what you needed to hear <3