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Don’t you just love a good old rant? I mean it is good for the soul, letting out all your frustration and it makes you feel better.
This post is not a ‘pity party’, but a chance to rant a little, share my frustrations about the ugly downside to blogging for other bloggers to relate to.
Don’t get me wrong. Blogging can bring you new and amazing opportunities that you wouldn’t normally get, you learn a lot about yourself as well as teaching you a range of skills. You will see the internet is littered with positive reasons why you should blog – I have even written a post about exactly that. However, you do not see as many posts sharing the bad side, the frustration and anonymous bloggers can come up against.
I am sharing a list of my top 8 things that I see as the bad and ugly side to blogging. Can you relate to any of these?
1. The Expectation To Work For Free
Blogging is one of the only jobs where brands/PRs expect you to work for nothing. Unfortunately, as a blogger, you will get inundated with ‘opportunities’ that require you to work for free or for a ‘product’ that does not equate to the amount of work you would have to out in.
If you are a new blogger, it can be really tempting to take on these opportunities because it is a brand, but it is important that you know your worth. Getting those emails or requests can be so frustrating especially when you want to make a career out of your blog.
2. Takes A Lot Of Time
Blogging entails so many different tasks and you have to learn to balance the different platforms as well to be a successful blogger. If you are not writing blog posts, you have to market your posts, engage with your audience, research for posts as well as keeping up with your social media posts. In order to grow an engaged audience, you have to stay really present online, which even with scheduling apps can take up so much time.
Say goodbye to much of your free time! Whenever you are not busy, you will be working on your blog. If you love blogging, it may not seem like a problem that your free time is gone. I can find it difficult to keep all the plates spinning sometimes!
3. Do Not Believe Everything You Read
Unfortunately, there are plenty of bloggers and content creators who will be dishonest about things like how much money they make, which could lure you into buying their products. Others could deceive you about the products they use because they are working with a brand, or it is a paid sponsorship.
4. You Can Have Too Many Products
When you are working with brands or being gifted PR products, they can easily build up. A lot of brands like to pay in products, so you can end up with a lot more products that you actually need.
This has happened to me and I do not feel very eco-friendly. However, I have been gifting products to loved ones, so that they do not go to waste.
5. Not Every E-Book Is Worth The Money
E-books have become a popular way for bloggers and other content creators to make money online. The most popular I have seen are e-books about blogging tis and ‘how to become a successful blogger’ and you need to be aware of who you are buying from and what you are actually purchasing.
Unfortunately, there are ‘bloggers’ out there that have only got 5 minutes of experience and are pumping out e-book after e-book about blogging tips, but it is all a scam and not worth the money at all. It is important that if you want to purchase an e-book or an e-course, you do your research first.
I have wanted to write and share an e-book not based on blogging for over a year now, but I am a bit nervous to do it, so let’s hope that 2022 is the year that I share it.
6. Never Ending To-Do List
As I have said before, blogging can be hugely time consuming because of all the tasks that need to be completed. The to-do- list can literally feel like it is never ending. It is super easy in the blogging industry to burn out because it can be stressful trying to juggle all the tasks. Even when you have one aspect planned and you are ahead of schedule, there are always more things you can be doing. It is vital that you have a healthy balance, so that it doesn’t become overwhelming – something I need to remember more of!
7. Not Every Blogger Is Kind And Supportive
Let’s face it, it’s life and you are not going to get on with everyone. In addition, not everyone is kind and supportive.
Luckily, I haven’t been on the end of any unkind comments, but I have seen disagreements online, other bloggers copying and pasting others content. It can be an unhealthy environment at times with the ‘comparing’ mindset or when you are part of a disagreement. The best way to be is honest and you will find the right people to follow. I have made some lovely online friends through blogging. You just need to be aware when sharing online.
8. The Changes In Algorithms
The algorithms for social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest and even Google change continuously – they are a pain! You think that your marketing strategy is working and then suddenly, your statistics are tanking because the platform has ‘made some adjustments’. This downside is one of my pet hates in the blogging world.
Do not get me wrong, just because I am listing some of the ugly sides to blogging doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy it because I do love it. Blogging has taught me so much about perseverance and patience. I have gained so many new skills from blogging that I can transfer them to other employment. But every now and then, it is necessary to have a good old rant!
I agree with everything. It’s kind of unfortunate. Especially the “blogging about blogging” bloggers who don’t actually have experience in building and maintaining a successful blog. I want to start a blogging blog because while I am pretty new at blogging, I have formal education in computer science and feel like I have valuable things to share when it comes to technology side of the blogging world, but I fear that I will be perceived as a phony like them.
This is an excellent list and I can relate to all of them. Something that annoys me is when people leave meaningless comments, or comments that show they clearly haven’t read your post. Why bother? I suppose they do it in hope that you will reciprocate with a comment.
I wholeheartedly relate to this post! As you mentioned, there are many good things about blogging and it does have a tendency to sharpen your skill set in many areas such as writing, marketing, and planning. But it can be incredibly discouraging at times when it comes to the never ending to-do list, unsupportive bloggers, and those pesky ‘ambassador programs.’ I appreciate your honesty. Like anything in life, there will always be a good and a bad side. Thank you for sharing!
What do I find frustrating in the blogging world? All of the above. Great points, every single one of them. I’m in it for the fun of it. Thanks as always for sharing,
Not just e-books, there are tons of YouTube videos on blogging. They exaggerate earnings from blogs. As someone reviving my blog after a decade, I am finding hard to bring the traffic I used to have. I am learning things slowly now.
Your list is spot on! I feel like the amount of things on my to do list feels never ending. I also hate how brands expect you to work for free or something on like a 5-10 percent commission.
I agree with them all! The never-ending to-do list is unfortunately very true! 🙁 I love blogging and I would continue doing it but it can sometimes really get discouraging. Thank you so much for sharing your opinions about this, Lauren xx Penny / http://www.whatdidshetype.com
Keen observations. Im yet to come across harsh bloggers. Guess have been to lucky to have really supportive bloggers and readers around. What I find most annoying however, is when people who dont blog themselves pass nonsensical remarks. We know they dont feel passionately about our work and I wonder why even bother reading and replying.
As a new blogger, this is both relatable and gives me a lot to think about. I haven’t even gotten to the marketing bit much yet. I’m still studying and learning a lot about the blogging world. Am I discouraged by this? No, I love what I’m doing and finally feel a sense of purpose in my days. I hope to one day have a successful blog. I really appreciate your honesty in this post and will take it as a warning of what’s to come. Thank you for opening my eyes to some of the challenges yet to come. Great post!
It’s so refreshing to see this side of blogging! Getting any traffic at all is such a pain especially for a newbie (I’ve been doing this for nearly a year) and it does take a toll on mental health as well. I’ve not had any interest from brands and nobody uses my affiliate links right now, so unfortunately I am working for free which I think people don’t realise. Thank you for this post, really well written!
Hannah, you’re not alone. I feel the same way and I’m in the same boat as you. I’ve been at this for 2 and a half years and getting traffic to your site is a struggle despite reading 100s of articles on how to do so. But I can agree that nothing comes quickly. And we just have to continue posting great content and it’ll turn around 🙂
This is all great points and I can agree with all of them. I find getting more readers and subscribers the most frustrating. Second would have to be preparing everything after writing. I’ll have one vision in mind and half the time I have to change it up. The amount of work put into blogging is overwhelming but I always enjoy it after seeing the end result. I’m so glad you spoke about the not so nice side of blogging. Thank you so much for sharing this post 🙂
Now this is a post I can related to! As a new blogger, I feel I am putting all of my energy into my blog posts but nobody is reading them. Everyone keeps saying it takes 3 months…6 months… but it’s a bit frustrating when you don’t see much in terms of a reward.
Crystal | http://www.amazingbaby.app
I agree with these. Algorithms are the bane of my life. My IG is continuing to go backwards when before the major change it was going nicely. I don’t think I’ve been hit so badly on pinterest as some but new pins are doing nothing, it’s all old classics still going strong. I used to buy into a lot of courses, and yes you have to be so careful. Some I sat in and wondered how they thought they were up to date and there’s very little new things to learn that you can’t learn for free.
Blogging certainly has so much more to it than I think non-bloggers realize — I love it but it can feel like a chore sometimes! I agree with all your points — it’s good to know so many other feel the same!
This is such a relatable post! I don’t think I ever realised just how much time goes into blogging until I started my blog, and sometimes it really does feel like the list of things to do is endless! I’d also definitely be interested in your e-book, that sounds amazing. Thank you so much for sharing x
Thank you for reading and commenting. If I do my e-book I will share it online for you to check out x
It’s important to rant sometimes, especially to persons who can understand where you’re coming from. It doesn’t mean you don’t like what you do but there are shitty sandwiches in every endeavour. Blogging is a lot of work, time-consuming and requires continuous strategising. It’s worth but it can definitely be overwhelming.
Yup agree with this 😅 bloody hate the algorithm changes. Love blogging but, yes it’s hard bloody work – great post x
Thank you for reading and commenting.
Great post! Definitely didn’t realize how much time blogging would take up when I started!
Ain’t this the truth. I can relate to most of these points, everything except the monetization stuff (since I haven’t dipped my feet into monetizing my blog yet). I feel like bloggers constantly give, give and give some more and much of it is for free. I don’t think people realize how much research and energy goes into blog posts. For a blog to survive, I feel like bloggers need to really really love what they do!
Blogging takes so much time which is why I think a lot of bloggers get discouraged and quit. I was going through the blogs I follow the other day and so many bloggers had quit or vanished without notice. Some of them blogged consistently so it was quite a shock to see that they had thrown in the towel and quit. This is one reason why I refuse to quit and haven’t quit yet. I still consider myself a newbie and hobby blogger but I plan on sticking with this as a promise to myself.
loved everything about this post! so relatable. as a fellow blogger, i feel heard. blogging takes so much energy and work and so many of these points are so true. not everyone will be your friend / helpful, they lie on how much they make / success & in all honesty i think it’s trial and error. a lot of us are just learning a long the way and learning from one another. i’ve tried to be easier on myself with taking breaks, scheduling tweets and promotions so i’m not online all day everyday. but it’s hard when all you want to do is be successful and have your work noticed.
It is difficult but worth it when you start to see results. I am glad you were able to relate to this post.
Fortunately enough, I don’t need to work for free, because I seldom get work offers in the first place, lol. But I relate to #2 the most, in that even my ‘normal’ admin duties for the blog takes up to three hours a day, and this doesn’t include writing. Loved this. Thanks for sharing, Lauren!
I loved reading the comments on this post as much as the post itself! I often get nonsense proposals from brands or, worst yet, spammy offers to help me boost my search engine ranking.
Gifted products can definitely accumulate; I do not have many, but I try to make it a point to only accept products I will actually use. 🙂
These are so true and especially, the never ending list to do. Every day all year we so much to do on the list.
This is very accurate. I agree that all of these points are things that you need to watch out for as a blogger. One thing that really annoys me is how easy it is to create “legit” content on amazon or through your own site. There is soo many books on amazon and not all of them may be good. Not all of them may have been edited to perfection simply because some people are just throwing anything together. All of this content worries me.. I fear that soon the internet will be saturated with just content and it’s going to be harder to separate the good from the bad.
Great points! I can relate to some of these specially how much time it takes.
Wow, this is a great an eye-opening post. We definitely agree with the thankless work that serious and scrupulous bloggers do to enhance the content world. We also understand that need to consistently post to maintain traction and relevant (although a great and timeless post should produce enough relevant and traction alone). Thank you for sharing this great and provocative post!
I know what you mean. So many write asking for free mentions of books and products. Also the admin is a lot. But we love it, right?
Definitely love it!
This is such a great post! I can relate to all 8 truths! It really takes a lot of my time, but I love it! I am happy to find fellow bloggers with the same opinion as mine, now I know I am not alone! Thank you for this wonderful post!
This is a great list and something for me to be mindful of. I’m still pretty new so I haven’t experienced too many of these yet. One I can endorse is the LISTS! The to-do lists are never ending. Even if I did manage to check some stuff off, the one that is always on the list is creating more content. I appreciate being told about people wanting bloggers to work for free. I’m not to that stage yet but definitely do want some brand to determine my value as it will always be in their favor. Thanks for the heads up!
~ Cassie | letsgrowmom.com
Definitely do not sell yourself short. You deserve to be paid c
Blogging requires a lot of time and patience. When I started as a new blogger, I read many blogging tips online, only to find out that things are not always how they seem. Not all bloggers are honest in sharing their blogging experiences. It isn’t easy cheezy as some say. You must be willing to put in the work. Not to mention, SEO, traffic, content strategy, and worst of all feeling burnt out. Blogging is a journey. If one desire is to be successful. They must be willing to go the long haul.
Yes! My biggest pet peeve is the number of bloggers that are writing about ‘how to blog’ when it’s their first blog ever and they’ve never been through the process before – they just read somewhere that it’s a good niche to make money. You end up with this community of people all sharing the same wrong or outdated “tips”. I am a firm believer that if you’re going to teach something, you better get out there and prove that you can do it yourself first! That doesn’t mean your “how to blog” blog needs to somehow be experienced when it’s new, but have another blog you’ve succeeded with, for example, that you can point to!
Can you link your blog? I am so glad you are able to relate to this blog post.
I agree with them all, the never ending to do list is ver6 frustrating but must be done. Also endless ebooks and ecourses thrown at you is just annoying,
It is good you can relate. Thank you for reading and commenting.
As a beginner I think it’s tiring not knowing if u are doing it right or wrong…even after reading and researching, you still have exercise a lot of patience and dedication to get anywhere
This is the post I needed to read today! I always feel like I am the only one feeling like most of these and to see that I am actually not the only one makes me feel slightly better x
I am glad you were able to relate to this post. Thank you for reading and commenting x
I think the most frustrating thing about blogging is how much time it takes, and if you disappear for a while, people tend to forget about you and your blog! I had a blogging friend who had an extremely popular beauty blog, but she disappeared for a few months, and her views/comments completely went down the drain. It sucks to feel like you always have to be “on”. Great post xxx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Thank you for reading and commenting.
You nailed it with this post. The early stages of blogging may want you to run away from this planet.
Thank you for reading and commenting. Can you link your blog?
You make some great points! When I started blogging, I didn’t realize how much time it would take. You really have to be dedicated to do it!
Thank you for reading and commenting.
As you indicated, blogging has a lot of advantages, and it may help you improve your skills in a variety of areas, including writing, marketing, and planning. However, when it comes to the never-ending to-do list, unsupported bloggers, and those pesky ‘ambassador programs,’ it can be quite frustrating. I like your forthrightness.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
Thank you for this list. I have always wanted to know the downside of it all since I am still nervous with putting up first post 😂.
You should put up a post!
Hi Lauren,
I suspect that most of us can relate to many of these, I know I can. With regard to your e-book what I can say is that, whilst I have no experience of publishing e-books whatsoever, what we usually regret in life is the things that we don’t do (no the things that we do) – so, I’d say go for it! 🙂
Thank you! I appreciate your support. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I totally relate to this post Lauren! My to-do list feels like an unlimited list too – ticking one thing off and adding 3 more aha.
It is so true. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Blogging is a lot of work and is very time consuming, even for a part-time blogger like myself. I enjoy it. I have learned alot. Because we live in a society where many people do not love to read or their attention span is shor, they prefer to watch a short video clip over reading a 100O words blog post.
It does take time but worth it. Thank you for reading and commenting.
This is so relatable, especially when we started blogging three years ago.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
I personally feel that most ugly thing about blogging is people who are blogging as if they are doing a favour. I know many bloggers, who post and disappear, and don’t want to get involve, They don’t care about other’s thoughts. When we are blogging, we are not doing it for us, we are doing it for the readers.
A very well written blog Lauren.
Honestly, the endless to-do list and dealing with stress are the worst part of blogging. It is just overwhelming when you just want to write about what you care. That said, it is fun to be have my own little space online without having to adhere to anybody’s algorithm!
Thank you for reading and commenting your experience.
Blogging is harder than I thought and it is common believe that bloggers just sit around and write all day 🙂
My schedule is pretty hectic so I try to do as much as possible when I have the time setting posts on blog and social media ahead. think I might stop reading all those “how to become successful blogger in a month” tips and tutorials all together and focused more what I like. They are too a like or totally contradictory.
I will read and engage with blogs I like and keeping an eye on how they are doing things and analyze could it fit me/my blog and would I benefit from it. And hope I can make it without sacrificing my mental state 🙂
Good luck on your blogging journey. It is hard work but worth it. I would avoid stuff like that because it takes time and consistency.
Super insightful post, thank you. Blogging definitely isn’t only just having fun and writing…
Thank you for reading and commenting.
Thanks for sharing, I have learnt a lot in the last year, esp. from point 7 you made, not everyone is kind and understanding blogger that is nice to you, to let you explain yourself. I’m def. learning the hard way from that I know that I have a good group of fellow bloggers that are supportive 🙂
This is a thought-provoking and insightful post. We can definitely understand that long hours spent working on promotion, content, and presentation with little to show for it. But we have on good authority that exponential growth will come. Consistency and intrinsic motivation go a long way in keeping the content flowing. Thank you for sharing this post, and we definitely agree that the overflow of information makes it hard to discern which content to actually view and believe.
Definitely happens gradually. You have to be consistent. Thank you for reading and commenting. I hope it has been helpful.