4 Common Misconceptions People Have About Bloggers
By Sara Uzer
The blogging process has grown tremendously in recent years, offering increased opportunities to make an impact and generate an income.
Despite the progress, there are still many existing misinterpretations about bloggers.
This lack of understanding can often lead people to make assumptions about blogging and even belittle its value.
The truth is, the blogger lifestyle extends beyond journaling your daily thoughts and broadcasting them on to a pretty pink website.
Here are four major misconceptions that people have about bloggers:
1. They are self-absorbed.
A blog can sometimes be equated to a personal diary, which suggests that bloggers strictly write about themselves.
This can cause others to view bloggers as narcissistic when it’s typically very much the opposite.
Rather than being self-absorbed, bloggers are often enthusiastic about the opportunity to help others.
They are passionate about offering guidance and tips around the subject of their interest, and blogging is a great way for them to achieve this.
Many bloggers do share a glimpse into their daily routine and experiences. However, the purpose of this is to offer a personal connection with their readers.
Adding a personal touch can simply allow for more relatability.
It helps them resonate with people who are in similar age groups or are involved in comparable life stages or careers.
You might not be one to follow bloggers for inspirational life lessons, and that’s okay.
But if you’re listening to age-old advice, it may be worth scoping out a few bloggers to switch things up.
Following a blogger might not be life-changing, but you might be surprised by how it can feel like simply listening to a friend.
2. They’re not making money – so why all the effort?
If you’re a blogger, it’s highly likely that you’ve been on the receiving end of the following question:
“But… how are you going to make money off of that?”
Realistically, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this.
From affiliate marketing to sponsored posts, revenue-generating options are certainly out there.
That being said, posting good content doesn’t necessarily guarantee compensation.
There are a variety of external factors involved – SEO, social media following, and traffic, to name a few.
Therefore, making money as a blogger is much different than making money through a traditional career.
It’s something that can be successfully developed over time, using a variety of avenues.
However, people don’t usually dive into the blogging world with the primary intention of making extra money.
While this is surely an incentive to keep going, bloggers do what they do because they genuinely love it.
While payment and recognition will always make them happy, it’s their passion that truly keeps them engaged.
3. It’s a no-brainer for them.
For people on the outside of the blogging sphere, the process can seem a whole lot easier than it actually is.
So all I have to do is set up a blog and start posting? I can totally do that.
Well, not quite.
If you’re at least semi-serious about blogging, you’ll need to do a significant amount of research.
For instance, studying your target audience is largely important to succeeding as a blogger.
This helps you determine their primary topics of interest, and then shape your content accordingly.
Plus, there’s that whole self-promotion aspect – which can truthfully end up being a full-time job in itself.
Getting noticed requires the ability to stand out from the competition, which can involve a fair share of difficulties and discouragements.
In reality, posting regularly is just one piece of the puzzle.
Coupled with actively engaging and marketing, the life of a blogger is much more than meets the eye.
4. They are obsessed with social media.
If you’re friends with any bloggers, you have likely noticed how active they are on social media.
As much as you may love them, those frequent posts and updates might seem a little bit excessive.
However, they’re not doing it to spam your feed – it’s part of their strategy.
Social media has an enormous impact on the way that we consume information.
Therefore, being active and savvy on social platforms is a crucial way for bloggers to grow their influence.
For bloggers, social media isn’t about aimlessly scrolling to pass the time.
It’s used as a method to identify areas where they can make an impact.
Because when it comes down to it, blogging is all about connecting with an audience.
You might perceive it as a shameless self-promo, but we treat it as serving our purpose.