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So You Wanna Be a Blogger: 5 Things Non-bloggers Think About Bloggers

This is a short list of some common misconceptions my non-blogging family and friends have about bloggers. 
  1. You got all this stuff for free:  Free?  Are you kidding me?  There is a common misconception that bloggers get tons of free stuff.  Free means little or no work is required and that's not the case.  Each blog post requires time and energy, not to mention internet, electricity, bandwidth, etc. and neither of these are free.         
  2. You're always blogging:  Five words - Scheduled Posts And Editorial Calendar.  I have four kids and a husband, I work full time, I serve on several committees, I am the carpool mom, and I volunteer... I volunteer a lot so there is no way I could always do anything, including blogging.  Here's my secret:  I use an editorial calendar to keep up with my blogging deadlines and schedule my posts throughout the week. 
  3. You're a blogger, you must be a great writer:  I'm a decent writer, but I'm not the best storyteller and blogging is about telling stories.  You can write to your heart's content totally oblivious to grammar, technique, punctuation, etc.  However, blogging is a craft involving attention to grammar, technique, SEO, writing style, FTC disclosure, photos, PR Rank, a story, and so much more.  
  4. There's no way you could possibly try all of the stuff on your blog:  If I reviewed  it on my blog... I have used it.  I promise to provide an honest review of every product I review so that means I have to try it.  Sometimes, I call on family and friends to try certain products for me and offer their thoughts.  For example, I have braces so when an opportunity to review a wearable  teeth whitener came up, I called on my hubby to test the product and share his thoughts in my blog post. Books?  I get a ton of books.  Thank goodness for my eReader and fellow book loving friends who sometimes help with my book reviews.
  5. I wanna start a blog just like yours:  This should be the number one thing on the list.  Go ahead, start a blog but remember like everything else there is a right way and a better way to do things.  If I knew now what I knew then I would have things a little differently.  Three Boys and an Old Lady is a labor of love. I say labor because it is work.  I say love because I love the brand I've built over the years.  I've thought about changing the name because many haven't followed me long enough to know the story of how the name came to be.  I have three sons and a daughter, yep she's the little old lady. This blog is my creation and reflective of me as your blog should reflect you.     
So there you have it.  My list of 5 things non-bloggers think about bloggers.  
What are some things you think non-bloggers think of bloggers?  

Comments

candy said…
Hard keeping up with the day to day work and life in general and throw in a blog and you just doubled your load. Wonderful ideas. I would expect an honest opinion and hope all bloggers give one.
Jeannette said…
You have the nail right on the head! I have been a blog for a very long time and in order to be very successful you need to continually work at it. Nothing is free when it comes to blogging. Yes there definitely benefits but you were hard for them.
Sarah Bailey said…
Honestly I have no idea how some bloggers do all they do, I totally feel like I am always blogging I don't have scheduling/time management down yet obviously.
AiringMyLaundry said…
Yup, this is all so very true. I've gotten the free comment before and I'm like, "Uh no." And I really do review everything I share and I give my honest opinions. It's tough work!
Emily said…
Yes to all of these! I am a home decor blogger, so do get a lot of free stuff, or even paid to work with the brands. So many people comment that they want free stuff for their house too. Well I put in about 15 hours of work between styling the pictures, taking them, editing them and then writing the post. Before any actual promotion gets started for each post. I earn that "free" stuff!
Liz Mays said…
It is so nice that there are ways to schedule posts. It's a big lifesaver when vacationing or traveling!
Pam said…
I definitely agree on the "free" stuff. I do a lot of work for the stuff that people think I am getting free.
Claudia Krusch said…
There are so many myths to being a blogger. I have been asked a few times if I get everything for free.
Ali Rost said…
I couldn't help but smile at the "You're always blogging" comment. Certainly, with all the things there are to do, one could fill all of their time doing it. The reality is we have a lot of other cool things in our lives and blogging isn't necessarily the thing that defines us. x
Kiwi said…
Whats funny #1 inspires #5. When I first started blogging years ago no one thought what I did was cool if anything it was ignored. Now I do have people saying I want to be a blogger like you and I have a similar response, please go ahead but be consistent (and sad enough there are people only doing it for the free stuff and lose motivation to blog passionately).
chubskulit said…
Yep, I get annoyed when people ask me how to get free stuff. I told them that it's not really free because we work for it too. Blogging takes a lot of time and dedication.
Anosa said…
It's funny how so many even my assistant at my 9-5 was saying she wants to also get 'free stuff' and I had to laugh because there is nothing free about the products we get for review.
Mimicutelips said…
People want to pick my brain for free. They think your hook ups apply to them. They think it's a cake walk. The average person has no idea.
And I have friends say, you do all of this stuff and looks like it's always fun.
stephanickety said…
My mom loves to offer me up to tell people to start a blog and do what I do. Drives me crazy because she had a job where everyone thought they could get into it easy as well and she knew that wasn't the case.
Oh goodness. Everything is true in this post! I remember my family's reaction when I told them I will quit my corporate job and focus on blogging. They thought I was crazy! Seriously, blogging is a lot of hard work and patience. It is just like giving birth and raising a child until that child becomes successful.

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