The story of a typical new blogger often starts with being introduced to the various benefits of this activity. Naturally, it requires a blogger to be passionate about writing along with the right technological aptitude to get the hang of the field. So, most people jump into the field of blogging to explore it as a hobby or a fun activity. But this hobby has a lucrative side to it which is mostly not found in other areas of interest. A blogger can enjoy the fun of getting to stick to a favorite pastime while earning a livelihood. This is why blogging has gained massive popularity as a great source of making money online for home-based solopreneurs.
There are many challenges that every new blogger is likely to come across though. It just becomes a matter of being proactive towards these difficulties, accepting them as reality, and working to fight them rather than choosing to give up. To put it another way, you may be a new blogger for now, but your never-ending perseverance can take you to the next level of being an experienced authority in the field.
The Domain Troubles
The choice of a domain name is often overlooked as a mundane responsibility to take care of prior to the launch of a social media marketing blog. However, this step can become an obstacle between a new blogger and future success if it is not selected with the aim of making it truly represent the purpose of the blog itself.
This is why bloggers who are new to the field must find time to select a domain name which seems professionals so that the blog is not misinterpreted as a personal site. Similarly, you should try to opt for a domain name should not reflect excessive inclination towards your blog’s SEO and should stand out among other business blogs with similar themes.
Insufficient Returns
When you commit to making money online through professional blogging, you are naturally aiming at generating a certain level of revenue. However, every new blogger should set realistic and attainable revenue goals during the introductory phase of the blog site. But in most cases, the potential of making money through this source is known to be high which is why many people begin to expect immediate returns. Subsequently, minimal revenue in the early stages can be discouraging enough for new bloggers to either quit or to make hasty decisions and investments to increase their sales.
This is why it is imperative to draft a blog business plan which includes well-reasoned goals of low revenue-generation which should be revised over every few months or per quarter.
The Quest for Building Awareness
Business-oriented blogging eventually makes it important to gain recognition among followers, target audience, and similar bloggers within the industry or field of specialization. But reaching this level is no less than an obstacle for new bloggers, mainly because it requires time, patience, hard work, and determination.
This means that you should set out on your blogging journey with a clear mindset about the efforts you will have to make to become widely recognized after a period of time.
Missing the Bull’s Eye
Even though it is a small, home-based business, blogging should not be taken as a simple money-making activity. In fact, it requires bloggers to follow a systematic and strategic approach, thoroughly abiding by predetermined business plan and goals. Without such a professional perspective, a new blogger is likely to have an erratic manner of sharing the blog’s content marketing efforts.
An inexperienced blogger should integrate the primary purpose of his or her blog all across the blogging schedule, content, topic, theme, and so on. This means that a blogger must define the purpose of existence of the blog in clear terms.
Traffic Attraction & Generation
What makes it difficult for a new blogger is to realize the challenges of low or even no traffic generation in the early days of a blog. This is mostly because of the countless blogging success stories that we come across.
In order to transforming your status from a new to a seasoned blogger, you will have to understand the dynamics of business-oriented blogging and the impact of search engines. This way, you will be able to decipher the underlying causes of low traffic generation as search engines also require time to rank new blogs. This means that you must continue to create and share high quality content on your blog which contains highly searched keywords in adequate density.
Poor Interaction
The success of a blog is based on several factors which include positive interaction and feedback from the visitors. However, getting comments from the visitors is beyond the control of a new blogger.
This is why most newbies are advised to be generous in posting comments on other blogs and social media networks, as well as further responding to any replies on their feedback. Once they initiate interaction and add valuable information in their comments, they will attract the attention of other regular bloggers and followers to their blog.
The Opt-In Obstacle
Building strong relationships with the target audience is an imperative objective for every new blogger. But the means of getting there include building a list of solicited subscriptions for an email database. This is a challenge because new blogs lack reputation and trust due to which the target audience is mostly reluctant in filling out the opt-in form.
But there is really no two ways about it. As a new blogger, you must not ignore the goal of acquiring email subscriptions. All you have to do is to aim at it with a slightly different perspective. You must consistently give your target audience the content that holds value to them so as to build their trust in the near future.
The Loyalty Difficulty
Generating repeat traffic is another important obstacle faced by every other new blogger. This challenge leads to de-motivation towards blogging as a steady source of livelihood for the future.
A few tips to encourage repeat readers for your blog include opt-in subscriptions for email newsletters. You should also develop and follow a blogging schedule to instill the sense of anticipation among your readers.
Just remember not to let your determination get shaky because of these obstacles. They may be inevitable in most cases but once you are ready to fight the challenges with effective and systematic methods, there will be nothing between you and your blogging success.
Hey!
Another great post and worth the read! Right. I think obstacles for bloggers will always be the fact that they think it is a fast earning money scheme. Blogging takes time and effort. However, just because a few make it so simple, they tend to have high hopes which could be their biggest downfall.
Personally, I’ve been there myself and could never stop telling others than blogging isn’t really about making money. It is all about the passion.
Just my 2 cents.
Reginald
Hi Reginald,
Absolutely, blogging is about passion and the money you make from blogging is a bonus!
Hi Annetta,
This is essential advice that you give in this post.
Although blogging and blog-hopping can be an enjoyable activity, I think that so many fall by the wayside for not being consistent, not sticking with it, not engaging enough with other bloggers and their visitors and for expecting too great results in too short a time with too little effort.
Just like anything, blogging requires hard work, commitment and patience and I believe it’s the bloggers who approach the task demonstrating these three traits who go on to be successful.
As you mentioned, it’s also essential to have a clear plan of where you’re heading with your blog and how you intend to get there. Again, this is a vital aspect to any business and the task of blogging is no different.
Thanks for yet another excellent post, Annetta.
Kind regards,
Glenn
Hi Glen,
Setting the goal is really important as a new or an experienced blogger. When you are new, it is pretty easy to deviate from the goals and sometimes you need to force yourself to be on the track.
Great Post! I completely agree to every single obstacle point that youve made. As a new blogger I am going through the same challenges currently but am determined to get the success going. Using all social platforms and every possible efforts to write / update good quality contents on the site. Just that dont get much time to do blog commenting for building quality backlinks 🙁 If anyone has any other advice for me, I would be happy to hear or get more tips.
Hi Anetta,
1. “every new blogger should set realistic and attainable revenue goals during the introductory phase of the blog site.”
What kind of revenue can you get in the early stages of blogging? I would be happy to know. I my mind, during the first months (at least 5-6 months) there will be absolutely no revenue to generate. Please, please, correct me if I am wrong.
2. Building awareness. Yes this is the most important task and the biggest difficulty. You don’t know how to increase awareness and the results seem miserable, at best.
3. “you should set out on your blogging journey with a clear mindset”.
In my experience, when you begin, there is no clear mindset. It simply cannot be. There are so many things you don’t know. Yes, you can play and say: I will do this and that. Sooner or later you will forget about your goals or, in most cases, you will change them.
The only thing you can do is to start working. In time you will find your way and mindset and goals will become more clear.
You simply cannot start in a systematic, organized way. The only case where you can do this is when SOMEBODY, more experienced, helps you.
4. “Search engines need time to rank new blogs.” How true! That is why you cannot expect spectacular results in the first 5-6 months (at least).
Hi Silviu,
As always, nice to see you long and thoughtful comments here!
Lets talk about blogging mindset. As far as I know most people get into blogging with no real goal or idea. They’ve heard about blogging and they also have heard that it can bring money. Well, it does not happen instantly. And most people who gets into the blogging business without the goals or set mind will quit soon. But a few will learn from the mistakes they have done and learn. There are a very few who gets into the blogging and content marketing business after doing an extensive homework.
My family every time say that I am wasting my
time here at net, except I know I am getting familiarity all the time by reading thes good content.
My relatives always say that I am killing my time here at net, but I know I am getting familiarity all the time by reading
such nice content.
Very great post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say
that I have truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts.
After all I will be subscribing for your rss feed
and I hope you write once more very soon!