AT THE START
you think it's all about getting a
set up and big query is
Blogger or Wordpress?
My decision was based on
1. My son's blog was on blogger and so he could help me.
2. Our Church Website (which I help with) is on Wordpress and it drove me demented about how when I typed something in and then looked at the page neither the spacing nor size of font ever seemed to be what I had intended and pictures just seemed to go where they wanted to go and not where I tried to place them.
So I chose Blogger.
Then now over a year and a half later my husband tells me that the blogging template in wordpress might be easier to work with than the website template. Thank you Fred for helping me sooner!!!!
Then my son tells me that there are ads on Wordpress that the blogger will not see on their blogs, so I would not be happy with that.
NEXT
after you have the blog set up you only think you have to think about what content you will put in your posts. When you get settled in to that you have to decide how often you will post to your blog.
But you haven't really got to the main hurdles yet because if you wanted to start a blog you must have had a good idea as to what the content would be and how much inspiration you have leads to how often you post. Not necessarily! But let's say yes you know your content and have decided how many posts each week and you have the ideas.
Then you realize there are not very many people reading this blog because even though the "whole world" can get use of the internet not everyone has discovered your blog among the millions of others.
What do you have to do to get it seen out there?
THAT'S WHEN
we start posting on facebook and twitter, provided we already have accounts, if not we have to start learning to use these sites. Lots will even make a page on facebook to get likes and hopefully blog followers through that as well.
Everyday you need to post and tweet your blog.
So your computer will never look like this!
NEXT
you hear people talking about "oh you need to be in circles and so that means you need to get on Google Plus and it you are like me you have held out for some time because you don't really want to have to learn something new at the moment because you are rather busy with everything else.
But eventually you give in and you are then hooked into gathering people up to be in your circles and getting offended if people do not put you in their circles.
AND THAT'S NOT ALL
you have to be pinning all the time because by now you have heard that everyone should know that Pinterest is the best place to get traffic to your blog. So your nice little pinterest boards which you had set up for your own interest now have to not only cater to you but be attractive to others so that they will follow lots of your boards and then see the pins linking to your blog and start to visit your blog and then like it because it is as attractive as your pinterest boards and then they will come back often to your blog.
Oh and then you should gather Instagram followers as well - but I definitely drew the line here and Instagram is staying personal for me.
AND THAT IS STILL NOT ALL
there are communities on google plus, groups on facebook, special Pinterest boards for groups of bloggers, and then something called Stumble Upon which I have neither stumbled upon or went looking for (yet).
AND OF COURSE BY NOW
1. you have discovered that your blog post should be full of very good pictures so you need to go take masses of photos
 |
| #BigBlackWedding |
and adapt them to use on your blog
or find places on the internet to get free pics.
or start learning to create your own pictures
2. you have heard of the words "blog hop" & "linky" and you decide to google this and then your life is never the same because not only do you have to join in with loads of these but you find all these other blog posts on these linkys that you want to read
BY NOW
you have wondered why you started this in the first place because it looks like it could take over your life and you have to be careful in conversations with others or else you will talk about blogs you have read and what you are doing on your blog too much.
AND THAT IS WHEN
you find out that other blogs with less traffic than yours are making money and everyone in the groups etc. are talking about sponsorship and ads and promotion and you have to take the big decision
DO I MONETIZE MY BLOG?????
I never in all my life thought I would use the word
MONETIZE
Aaaargh!!! Sandra when you put it like that I can completely agree and its scary how this domino effect of one thing leading to another and another and another leaves our heads spinning! I never thought I'd use the word 'monetise' either but I have done (although I haven't actually monetised my blog!) - the thought of trying to make money out of it (and all the legwork that goes with it) really does put me off - where is the enjoyment then? (Unless you have endless time and are considering yourself a professional blogger)... Great post X #TheThemeGame
ReplyDeleteHi Sam, thanks for dropping in. Well if I monetize this month which I had seriously been thinking of doing but then I've been so busy so far, I will do a post or two on that probably because I might need people to give me help in comments.
DeleteI completely agree with this post, I love blogging and it does just seem like 1 thing after another to try and make it a success. I started my blog for me to start with but I got caught up in the blogging whirl pool until I stopped and realised I started this blog for me. I will blog the contents I want if people read it then they read it. I wouldn't know where to start with trying to monetize my blog though but if I figure it out and it happens then it happens. I want to love blogging because at the moment it is the only thing that is all mine. But no it isn't easy.
ReplyDeleteHi Nicola, I love the way you say it is all mine. I know what you mean our blog is something that is all ours even though we want to share with others. Sense of achievement and then a friendship sort of thing as well. Thanks for dropping in.
DeleteHysterical! And scary-true.
ReplyDeleteHi again Jenn, this post just wrote itself and I didn't even see that it was going to seem funny until I had finished and was doing the pics.
DeleteHa ha - all so true! With every step, there seems to be a new one and then another decision to make. All good fun! Thanks for sharing with #thethemegame
ReplyDeleteGreat tips for starting a new blog! And even for an older blog also!
ReplyDeleteThanks Joanna, just wrote what I felt from what I had experienced but didn't know about when I was starting out in this blogging thing.
Deleteoh it can be a faff can't it? But try not to let the annoying bits get in the way of the parts of blogging that you love, and always remember the reason why you started blogging in the first place.
ReplyDeleteyes good advice Joanne
DeleteI am laughing so hard, I'm crying. I did a similar post (but without all the humor) last week- http://findingcrystal.com/ten-things-on-tuesday-1/.
ReplyDeleteHi Crystal, nice to meet you. The problem is we need a bit of humour after years of this.
DeleteI love this post - it seems like I got on a merry -go-round and can't get off... everyday it's something new and what started out as for fun has turned into a whole lot of work taking up a lot of time.... but, I still enjoy it....
ReplyDeleteHi Cathy, yes a lot of work which we would only put into it because we enjoy it. Thanks for dropping in.
DeleteWhen you read it, you realise just how much time, effort and thought hoes in to blogging. A greT way of explaining it and thanks for reminding me just how much time I put in to making it work :) #thethemegame
ReplyDeleteI know, blogging is so confusing sometimes. I learned right off the bat you have to set your expectations and decide what you want from this experience. I decided monetizing my blog was not worth it because of the amount of time it took. Maybe I'll change my mind in the future, but right now, I'm happy!
ReplyDeleteHi again Megan, yes I decided I really should try out this monetizing and do it this month but sick husband, unusual good weather for Northern Ireland and just keeping up with the posting and the comments on the blog meant I haven't got round to it yet. So maybe I wasn't that series about it.
DeleteI went through exactly that when I started. I kept asking myself why I wasn't getting any traffic, which led to setting myself up with Facebook, Google+, Twitter, etc just to bolster my blog. It's a full time job in itself.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, that google + thing I tried to ignore but then felt I had to get into and now I end up spending more time on that as well. Needmore hours in the day.
DeleteSo funny thinking about each of those thought processeses as they happened...and they did. I still love blogging and each new thing is an accomplishment to me now. Still make pennies in the monotinizing thing (that may not even be spelled right! LOL)
ReplyDeleteHi Jeannie, glad you still love it and isn't it great what we can learn and accomplish when we try.
DeleteYes--so much more work than anyone things-but we must like it huh!
ReplyDeleteStephanie I think you are right even when we don't admit it I really think we do like it, thanks for dropping in.
DeleteUgh, I hear feel your pain! I switched from Blogger to a self-hosted WP site, and I miss Blogger a lot. There's not much I can do in WP that I couldn't do just as well in Blogger, and for much cheaper. If you use the free WP, you will not be able to have any ads at all, so be careful of that. Good luck making your decision, and thanks for sharing at Fridays Unfolded!
ReplyDeleteAlison
Nancherrow
Ugh - don't I know it! It is a lot of work that I never even remotely imagined going into it. After you have been doing this for awhile then you feel guilty everytime you miss a linky party or getting on twitter, etc. I never wanted to do anything that made me feel guilty but here I am. I sitll enjoy it though! By the way, I write a blog on Wordpress for our local Health Initiative and as you probably know my business blog is on blogger. I have been able to compare the two and I still prefer blogger so the moral of the story the grass is not always greener. Stopping by from Tuned in Thursday.
ReplyDeleteEasy Life Meal & Party Planning
Hi Terri, thumbs up for blogger eh. I think I'm happy with it. Had to smile when you said that bit about guilt - it can happen can't it.
DeleteOh my Sandra....I think you just put into words all the stuff that has been bouncing around in my head. I never heard of some of these words until I started blogging, and now I find myself overwhelmed with trying to maintain my fun little blog, my full time job, building a new home, maintaining my current home, trying to keep up with social media, oh...and then there is that little thing called sleep, is that even a thing anymore. The only think I have stumbled upon is a stray shoe or a pile of laundry. Thank you so much for sharing this post....I really enjoyed reading it. Oh...and I found it via a Link Party...LOL
ReplyDeleteHi there, I so don't know what Stumble upon is all about but guess I' going to have to find out sooner or later, but that sleep thing - yes I forgot about that problem when I was writing the post. Maybe I was too tired to remember it.
DeleteThere is a ton of information to learn if you are a new blogger. I went with wordpress because I had some coding knowledge, plus I helped my husband used it on his sites and it was easy to use. I got to help him with some of his project in the very beginning. Then in 2012, after I had my youngest son, I decided to start my own blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping in. I had no coding knowledge but every so often I go in and add some code that I find somewhere to try to get something else on the blog and I'm terrified that some day I will wreak the blog completely.
DeleteOh my word, this is so funny and true! You are definitely not alone. And dare I say I'm among the masses who have been blogging for years and {gasp} have been unsuccessful in my attempts to monetize? I say don't go down that path because it's endless and possibly soul crushing, depending on your mindset. Blog for the joy of it!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Visiting from SITS.
P.P.S. I'm impressed by your Google+. I just got on there kicking and screaming because supposedly I must as a blogger...and I'd much rather just hang out on Twitter. :)
Hi Katy, I got hooked by google+ once I decided I had to learn something about it and it is so time consuming. But you are right I think the joy of blogging is the main thing.
DeleteLOVED this post. I started 2 months ago and I go through the same thoughts. It is awesome, but overwhelming. But also, I've found it is an amazing sisterhood, especially thought SITS and other communities. xoxo - Your SITS sister. -C
ReplyDeleteHi Caryn, yes lots of people to meet online and nice to know we are not the only ones who are thinking what is this each time we see something new to us. Thanks for dropping in.
DeleteI've been trying to balance that kind of thing now for 4 years! You put it so well and it just takes so much time and focus, which unfortunately, most days I don't have. So I find myself wandering around in the blog desert waiting to be saved by the great blog god, making my blog the success I think it should be. All the while, I enjoy the heck out of it because it fulfills my need to express myself, to share and to support others. So I guess there is room for everyone in the crazy world they call blogging! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYes room for all sorts of us. Thanks for dropping in.
DeleteThis is a great post! Enjoyed reading it. Blogging is time consuming and I like it but don't really see it as a way to make a lot of money without devoting a ton of time to it - which I just don't have right now. I enjoy writing and sharing things I make with short tutorials or my interests like exercise and workouts. I will say this past year of blogging has taught me a lot of things about the internet and how to do certain things with photos and on facebook groups, etc. If I am learning something new then it is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteGreat attitude Kimberlee, I also think it is good that I am learning new things and enjoying learning them at my own pace. Thanks for dropping in.
DeleteI only started blogging a few months ago, but the things that are involved are mind boggling. I'm just trying to take it slow and not get too overwhelmed!
ReplyDeleteLana do take your time and don't let it get too much for you. I started in 2012 and really only got serious this year and can see the difference in the time and effort. I am glad I was nice and relaxed about it for a good while before I got so busy.
DeleteI can so relate!! It kills me how much more there is to blogging than writing. I think the general population puts "bloggers" down a little. Oh...a blog? Have you ever gotten that response? But, in truth, it is a lot of work, a lot of research, a lot of change, and a lot of vulnerability. This was great!! I too am not sure how to monetize?! But, I guess there has to be a learning curve. Smiles!
ReplyDeleteYes Elizabeth I really only considered the writing when I started and a lot of the rest of it was a bit of a shock but some I like and some I don't and I have decided that seeing as it's my blog I'll do it my way and only take on the things I want to but it is still a lot of work.
DeleteWell put and so entertaining too! I can definitely relate! One of the reasons I started blogging was to learn something new -- did I ever and the list of new things to learn keeps growing and growing and growing! I have to back off once in a while -- but it is still fun overall.
ReplyDeleteHi again Charlene, yes there is just always more and more. I just added 5 more things to a blogging todo list this morning.
DeleteVisiting from Inspire me Mon. I'm on blogger, but have a website on Wordpress. It is tough to choose, but I have established followers on blogspot and tons of posts so I didn't want to lose them.
ReplyDeleteHello Linda, nice to meet you. Thanks for dropping in today. Another for Blogger!!
DeleteThis was such a lovely post, its nice to know we all go through this thought process as bloggers. I had no idea what stumble upon or blog hop was before reading this but now I want to find out. I would love to Monetize. on my blog just to see what it would be like to be honest and go from there. Thanks for sharing xx
DeleteThanks for dropping in Ola. If you monetize let me know.
DeleteYou are way ahead of me and I have been blogging a while but initially I set my blog up on blogger (with my daughter's help) and wrote something about once a month and that was that. Only after doing this in the wilderness for ages did I realise I might want someone to actually read it and I might want to think a bit about what I really wanted to blog about. And I haven't got much further than that yet. But, having joined UKBloggers on facebook I have at least heard some of the words you are talking about now. I hadn't even heard of linky, wordpress, or link back - and I'm just starting to learn what the odd word means. Sort of.
ReplyDeleteGreat article
Heather x
http://eeebgum.blogspot.co.uk/
Hi Heather, yes joining Uk bloggers on facebook and another group for bloggers on blogspot helped me to find out things too.
DeleteLOL!!! Thank you.... This must be the process of becoming a blogger. Your description is EXACTLY what I've experienced. I am so far from the end of the process though. It looks like the next step is figuring out how to manipulate pictures. I found a wordpress plugin for recipes...do you know of one for blogger? I want my recipes to look fancy like other bloggers'. I love this post! Pinned!
ReplyDeleteKathi I don't know of one for blogger but if I find one I'll let you know. Thanks for the encouragement about this post.
DeleteSandra it is so true - when I first started blogging I had not idea what I was getting into or what a steep learning curve it is :)
ReplyDeleteThank goodness we can laugh about it anyway or we would prob give up, thanks for dropping in Amber.
DeleteWow, I felt like I wrote this myself. I definitely go through and went through those stages of once you discover this needs doing for your blog then you need either do it or not and questioning why you started blogging in first place
ReplyDeleteHi there Miranda I think I recognize your name from a facebook group.
DeleteSmiling from beginning to end, Sandra. I had no clue what I was getting into when I started this blogging thing. I love it and wouldn't change a thing but it does take A LOT OF WORK! Fabulous post.
ReplyDeleteWould you believe it Beth that this was one of the easiest and quickest posts for me to write?
DeleteThis post is both so true & yet has so much humor in it. One thing I am learning - we must blog for the right reasons. Then the rest takes care of it itself. So glad I visited this morning from Titus 2 Tues.
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne, yes the right reasons that's why I say I will blog what I feel to blog and not be swayed by what anyone else would think or say.
DeleteLove this post and it's so true! I've been thinking about how much time it takes and wondering where I can cut back. I enjoy reading and writing, but I don't like all the other parts. Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Glad to hear I'm not the only one! :) #allaboutyou
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely not the only one Marie, thanks for dropping in.
DeleteLOVE THIS POST!!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I also had no idea how much work a blog would be/is! Especially if you actually want someone to read it! But based on your comments it looks as though you are doing a very good job, so pat yourself on the back!
I wasn't prepared at all for how time consuming it would be, but not only that....I wasn't prepared for how much I was going to end up liking being a blogger. So much so that even now (on vacation!) I have my computer in front of me so I can blog!!
I found you through the #AllAboutYou linkup and I'm glad I did!
Angela it is lovely to meet you, thanks for dropping in. I'm laughing as I read this comment as my husband and I always have this little discussion wherever we are going - do we take our ipads or will we need one of the laptops because it isn't so easy to blog on an ipad.
DeleteHa!! So you thought you wouldn't get anymore comments for this post?? This was hilariously true!! I laughed my way through it because blogging does almost take over your life if you do it right. I don't have an Instagram account and I haven't Stumbled Upon any other accounts that I want to have other than Google+, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. That is enough, don't you think?!
ReplyDeleteHi Judith, I have just given in to Stumble Upon just because I got so nosey as to what it was. I only have my personal Facebook account no page for the blog because it would just take up far too much time. My instagram is personal and I just don't get the linking it up to your blog thing at all. I was late going to google+ but now I have to admit I like it. Twitter I never get much chance to use personally anymore. Does anyone have a life outside their blog?
DeleteFab post, there's always something new to think about isn't there? This post pretty much describes a lot of the craziness that is going on in my head at the moment, about what more I 'should' be doing with my blog! Blogging is bonkers but brilliant! xx #allaboutyou #thethemegame
ReplyDeleteHi Caroline nice to meet you thanks for dropping in even though I know you will so busy on your blog too.
DeleteSeriously. It is nothing short of insane!
ReplyDeleteTrue, true, true
DeleteOmg, I laughed and laughed as I read this!! I just started a blog, literally 2 weeks ago and I have already traveled most of this very same path. I am now at the link party stage which is how I came to you and while it's so much fun, it's after noon and I'm still sitting in my bedroom with my computer on my lap, yet to do anything else today... ;-) Still haven't gotten much in the way of comments, so I actually look forward to that stage, but thanks for the great article!
ReplyDeleteLory at Designthusiasm.com
Dear Lori, do not wish your life away because that is what happens when you get all the comments, my husband laughs at me now because at first I'd be calling to him (he works from home & his office is beside my study) delighted that I had some comments and now I'm always telling him that I can't keep up with them. The thing is however it is nice to meet others.
DeleteGreat explanation on how much work it actually is and how you totally don't expect it.
ReplyDeleteIf only I could get caught up with everything. Thanks for dropping in again Camille
DeleteThis is fantastic. I started with Blogger and moved to WordPress. It is always hard to decide you really have to go with what makes you comfortable, and what fits your needs. I would love some tips on how to get the free stuff some bloggers get lol
ReplyDeleteLewis, I am with you there. I always see these things they review and the giveaways but have no idea how they do it. Sometimes I want to get into that and other times I think I have too much to do any way.
DeleteHoly Molly....................I stumbled upon your blog, Im not sure how, anyway, I have had your blog open all day, thinking about your post, I think you summed up my blogging experience, I fill like I go in circles, not just G+ ones. I tried using a plan, but that doesnt work, someone shoots me a new giveaway or needs me for something, and Im lost after that, so I get back on the Blog A Round, try to find way back, 24 tabs open of places I want to go or tabs I need to get back to for commenting., you got me started and I could go on, would e easy to do. However, I enjoyed your post it was great, made me laugh still smiling. All in all its a lot of work but fun too, I cant tell you how many women I have met, it would be one huge event to have them in one place. Ok now Im rambling, enjoy your evening!!!
ReplyDeleteOh Karren I always thought you would be so well organised. The tabs, you are right every day I have the full length of my browser of open tabs, and back and forth I go.
Deletegreat post i use blogger personally and i love it but i think wordpress has more flexibility x
ReplyDeleteHi Atosa, thanks. I'm more comfortable with Blogger I think.
DeleteYou are so absolutely right, and sometimes blogging can take as much energy as it gives - it is definitely a beast that needs continuous feeding from all different touchpoints! The bloggers who are making decent money do spend proper work-hours time on their blogs too, it sure doesn't happen by magic!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up to #AllAboutYou
Mama-andmore.com
OMG My life. Seriously this was exactly my feelings as of late. Thank you for the hysterical, honest and fantastic post. Also thank you for linking up last week to Friday Favorites!
ReplyDeleteSandra, I came to your blog through IBA linky. Love your style of writing. I did all thayou mentioned with my own website before. The life was too busy and I was getting so many spam comments. I tried Etsy to sell my crochet. Now, I let go all those and started learning Mixed media on my own. So, my blogspot blog is dedicated mostly to record my projects and to know other blogs. I added Google ads, and infolinks. My blog is not making money. But, I am happy with my blog . Now, i have joined in Mixed media artists group on Facebook and Google+. When I let go of the selling and monetizing parts of blog, life become more interesting. Blogging is fun now.
ReplyDeleteIf monetizing your blog is important for you, then you should go for it. There is a group on Facebook, "Bloggy girls club" and they are all about getting sponsors and making money. May be you can join there. There is no problem in trying to see what works for you. Good luck
Hi Bindu, thanks for dropping in. The monetizing is a big decision and I really thought I might do it by the end of the month but didn't so maybe I'm not really going to - I just don't know. Might check out that group though. I spend so much time on the blog and related things and I enjoy it but don't want to end up giving it too much time and feeling completely tied to it. It should be for the enjoyment and satisfaction of the writing more than anything else.
DeleteIt does seem like it's always something, doesn't it? Right about the time you've got everything figured out, up jumps another new something you've got to add to the mix!
ReplyDeletetoo true, now I'm having trouble keeping up with all the comments that are coming in too fast for me.
DeleteHow True! I get overwhelmed! And one thing deffinitely leads to another! lol Over and over! I don't have near the traffice I'd like! But keep trying! Thanks for this post! I see I'm not alone! I' glad I found this on Gloriously Made pinning party! Pinning yours now!
ReplyDeletethank you for the pin Jody, overwhelmed is indeed the word for it a lot of the time.
DeleteI just moved Momfever back from Wordpress to Blogger, a move not many make. But wordpress really is much harder than blogger. So be sure it's what you want before you make the move!
ReplyDeleteI've also got wordpress blogs, but the Blogger one is much less of a headache.
I really think blogger is best for me too.
DeleteExactly! I'm trying to "build a platform" and it's baffling to me. This was pretty much exactly the process I've been following....
ReplyDeleteExactly Melissa, there is so much that is baffling.
DeleteVery funny and very, very true! I just stepped off the social media merry go round. I had just about had it with the posting and tweeting. I do it when I want to now and it is so much more fun and I have so much more free time! Glad to have popped by!
ReplyDeleteGood for you Kim, it is important not to let it take over our lives
DeleteHi Sandra,
ReplyDeleteI found you over at The Shady Porch. I love this post. I am still relatively new to the blogging scene...July 14 marked six months of blogging for me. I think it all amounts up to blogging being overwhelming. I have most certainly felt overwhelmed among some other things. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Bit of fun helps to keep us sane and also see things in perspective. All the best for the next 6 months and 6 years???
DeleteIf we don't laugh about it all...we will cry. Thanks for sharing at the #partyontheporch...it made me smile.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I started my blog as a way to keep in touch with family and it has since evolved - a whole side of blogging I never knew existed when I first started #GoldenOldies
ReplyDeleteExactly Rebecca, blogging is actually so different to what I thought it would be on starting.
DeleteOh my word, this made me laugh out loud!! This has been my exact journey and struggle! Writing is my love. Getting my blog "out there"? Well, that is another story completely! Thanks for the chuckle, so glad I am not alone!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, found you on Google+. ;)
Oh Michelle, getting your blog out there is just not easy. Now I'm having problems keeping up with my comments and my blog is not that well known.
DeleteThis was so cute (and true)! I definitely giggled at your Stumble Upon line. I haven't stumbled upon it either! I have had a couple blogs in the past, but God told me to start this one & I am more excited about it than any other! :)
ReplyDelete