Blogging is a way of life for some, a source of entertainment for many, and a regular source of income for a few. It attracts attention, stirs up conversations and ignites controversies too sometimes.
While the trend of blogging has evolved through years changing from simply being a pastime to a full-time job for many, the misconceptions and myths surrounding blog writing are innumerable.
Some comments and theories surprise me, sometimes even shock me. But the following are the 7 Most Common Misconceptions About Blogging.
Being a blogger, I’ve come across various such misbeliefs that I decided to clear the air on any misconceptions surrounding it.
I am sure that all of your doubts about blog writing would be put to rest forever once you take the time to read further.
Maybe, after reading through them some of you would even be inspired to start your own blog and spread the joy of reading and gaining knowledge.
Let’s start with the most common but the frightening one that displeases most bloggers like me.
Misconception #1: Blogging is Easy
When multinational companies, pompous events and renowned organizations seek the help of bloggers to promote them, how on Earth can you call blogging merely as a pastime or an easy means to greater success in life?
Nothing is easy if you want to prove your mettle in the field. Even a deed as simple as drawing or writing down your thoughts requires constant homework, hard work, dedication and practice to master the art.
Blog writing becomes even more difficult when you are multitasking it with a full-time job.
You need optimal time to write and if you are trying to squeeze in more words within an assigned time frame. It does show in your final output.
Also, there are tons of people out there waiting to read your articles. This makes you responsible for what you write- the facts, information, criticism or appreciations.
You are required to think twice before penning down anything that becomes visible to the world. This means blog writing demands a great deal of research, effort, writing and editing.
As a newbie to the blogging field, you might find the art of blogging to be quite taxing mentally and even cumbersome sometimes.
Nevertheless, the fun quotient of pouring your heart out and bringing life to thoughts with words and quotes is an art that requires continuous hard work, engagement with daily news and adaptation to the changing world which never makes blogging as easy as it is believed to be.
Misconception #2: Every Single Blog Must be Perfect
Perfection is an art that can be mastered with practice. But haven’t we experienced from our school life that writing a composition never fetches full marks?
You always have the chance to improve your posts, write better and include more information.
Some of us never feel content with our post as we always feel that there is a scope for improvement. But remember, blogging is not about perfection but about content that satisfies our hearts and souls.
A blogger is a content writer, an editor, a proofreader, and above all, a human being who is prone to committing mistakes.
It is a common misconception about blogging that each of your posts must be perfect and free from errors.
You would have reread your post a thousand times before publishing, and there are even some of my friends who post not more than one or two posts every month. I agree that the post must be engaging and grammatically correct, but your success depends on your audience base.
You can’t keep your readers waiting for a month for a post!
Try to keep posting interesting and value-garnering articles regularly, which might be far from perfect but close to reality and your soul.
Misconception #3: You Should Post Articles Daily to Be Successful
Blog writing is not hitting the keyboard, writing codes for software, or doing some monotonous activity that would generate results at the end of the day.
It is all about creativity.
Developing indigenous skills to present engaging articles to the audience is a grueling task. Not everyone can do it regularly.
Practice makes a man perfect. Some writers go by this principle and try to write daily. But isn’t it necessary to read your articles also?
Making notes and correcting them routinely is also important.
Besides this, some people even feel that posting articles every day in their blog is necessary to become successful.
Indeed, you might end up with lesser traffic than expected when you don’t publish articles regularly. But I request you to focus on what you publish.
A trending topic or a hot debate can generate more traffic than ten regular posts.
One or two unique articles every week are more cherished by the audience than publishing redundant information daily.
Also, be consistent with your publishing frequency. It might be once a week, but your readers should know the interval between your posts. This helps them to come back to your blog expecting a first-class article from you.
Misconception #4: You Must be a Professional Writer
Do you think every successful blogger has a Postgraduate degree in English literature or is a skilled writer by profession?
Never!
Blog writing does demand one to write innumerable blogs while maintaining the quality of articles. But one common misinterpretation that I’ve heard among people is that they love to write blogs, but they aren’t professional writers.
Remember, successful bloggers are not the best writers in town.
You needn’t excel in writing skills but possess a mutual understanding with the audience that helps you to connect with them on a deeper level.
Some people can hardly spell most words but surprisingly they are also the ones who deliver their points intensely achieving amazing results in due course.
You become creative and learn new stuff as you keep writing.
Misconception #5: Higher the Traffic, Higher the Money You Make
Blogging is a great business these days which pays off well when you invest hard work, creativity, and smartness in your blog writing skills.
If you ask any blogger including me, each of us would assure you that traffic is necessary to make money but traffic is not all that’s needed to earn big money.
Attractive headings and interesting news generate much traffic to your blog page, but what’s more important is how well you can convert traffic into earnings.
The ugly truth is that there are some posts on my blog that generate over 6000 page views per month but hardly pay off.
If you are selling a product or providing some service, fancy words are not all that counts. You need a concrete strategy that focuses on helping your readers get what they want from your blog.
Explain in simple words and show them ways to improve their life.
Mind you, a few hundred readers interested in your blog are more critical towards generating money than thousands of uninterested ones.
Misconception #6: Blog Posts Should Never Be Beyond 600-800 Words
Word count has always been a debated topic as the attention span of individuals is decreasing rapidly.
It is true that individuals love to read upon something that contains juicy information but concrete content never disappoints.
There are several reports that longer articles have attracted reader attention even when they are being read on mobile devices.
There are even SEO benefits of a longer article as it helps improve search engine rankings.
Google is extremely clever in bringing up resourceful content at the top of the search list.
Though your blog might be 2000, 3000 or even 4000 words long if it has concrete and knowledge-enhancing content then I am sure that your post would be on top of the index chart.
You could call it an automatic promotion, as you would be witnessing a rapid influx of traffic to your blog page with such indexing.
Don’t be restricted by word limits of 500, 600 or 800 words. Focus on providing authentic and valuable information to your audience, whatever might be the topic of interest.
Misconception #7: There is No Actual Blogging Happening Until You Find a Niche
Another misconception about blogging is that you need a niche to be successful in blogging.
Blogging is fun, entertaining, educational and above all, thought-provoking.
Let me get things straightened up.
You don’t need a niche to start writing blogs. Blogging happens accidentally most times as many people find it truly exciting to write on things they are passionate about.
Maybe it could be their dog or even their pleasure of traveling.
This is completely fine as long as you choose to write blogs as a hobby. But if you wish to convert blogging into a source of income, you must provide value to your readers.
While some niches do offer extra perks when it comes to paying, it is necessary to find the exact spot where your passion, knowledge and people’s demand meet.
Before specializing in a niche, your primary responsibility must be to connect with the audience, understand their pulse and let the niche capture you in its sweet course of time.
Blogging with a niche opens the door for abundant opportunities, after which there is no looking back.
My Final Thoughts on 7 Most Common Misconceptions About Blogging
If you have been thinking of writing blogs and had been reluctant to do so, maybe this article has shed light on your doubts and helped you recover from imaginary thoughts that have been stalling your progress in blog writing.
I wouldn’t call it a race but do join the blogging community and come up with your share of information to the world.
Make the world a better place by blogging at your pace!