I’ve always been wary of blogging about blogging because most of my blog audience isn’t interested in the topic. But personally I love reading and talking about blogging, so I’ve decided to start a blog series that I’ll be keeping separate from my regular content.
You won’t see these posts featured on my home page or shared on my blog’s Facebook page, but instead you can find them under “Blogging” in my navigation menu, on Bloglovin’, or you can subscribe to my separate blogging newsletter for updates.
In my last post about growing blog traffic through branding I talked about how branding tends to be something no one thinks about when they first start blogging, and everyone ends up wishing they had thought about way sooner.
And that had me thinking – what other blogging revelations do I wish I had come to much more quickly?
Spent money on blogging
For ages I would feel guilty spending any money on my blog.
I think maybe because blogging is something that some people do make money from, I felt like I shouldn’t be spending anything on it if I wasn’t making any money from it (even though I didn’t even plan on making money from it). Of course that’s nonsense! I happily spent money on dance classes, photography gear, language lessons, and my other hobbies, so why couldn’t I spend money on this hobby?
And of course as soon as I did start to consider turning this hobby into a business, investing money into it became totally necessary.
One of the things I wish I had invested in earlier? Keysearch! You can read why in this post (skip to the part about focusing more on SEO).
Invested in a good theme and hosting
I have to shake my head at myself when I think of all the time I wasted trying to tweak my free blog themes when I could have bought a much nicer them that came with support.
I use the Daily Dish theme by Studiopress on the Genesis framework, which is built really well, so it doesn’t slow down my site. Their support is really good, so I’ve been able to customize the theme with almost no knowledge of coding.
And if you’re still on blogger or wordpress.com, Studiopress has actually just come out with their own Site option, which includes themes AND hosting.
Perhaps even more important than a good theme, though, is good hosting. I started out on GoDaddy, which was a nightmare so I quickly figured out I needed to make the switch. I ended up choosing Hostgator because it’s affordable and has a good reputation, and I had a great experience with them.
I’ve now upgraded to VPS hosting with Orange Geek which at $50/month is not cheap, but it takes care of those random days when I’ll get 20,000 hits from Finland.
Bought a full-frame camera
I had always heard that good photos come from good photographers, but let’s be real – a good camera matters too.
Of course it’s totally fine to photograph with your phone or a smaller camera, but if you really care about photo quality then a nice camera does make a huge difference. I really love photography and I would have invested in a full frame DSLR way earlier if I had realized what a big difference it would make to the quality of my photos (for a long time I also thought it was just the lens that mattered – it’s important, but it isn’t everything).
Like, even when I bought my full frame camera (I went with the Canon 5D Mark II since it was cheaper than the newer versions) I had this idea in my head that I would have to work really hard to figure out how to use it and get it to take better photos than my cheap Rebel.
Nope, that thing took gorgeous photos right out of the box. Of course my photos have gotten better the more I’ve learned about the camera, but even the photos I get strangers to take of me on auto mode look way better.
I’m not saying you should necessarily go out and buy an expensive camera, especially if the weight and bulk would put you off taking it everywhere with you, but if you’re frustrated with the quality of your photos then the answer to your frustrations could be a nicer camera – at least it was for me.
Learned from bloggers whose businesses I admire
Okay, this one is duh, but also took me so long to figure out.
I’ve enrolled in a lot of blogging courses over the years (at first just out of interest, because nerd). I’ve done some of the well-known travel blogging courses like Travel Blog Success and Travel Blog Monetization Summit, as well as smaller ones focused on specific elements of blogging. It’s something I’ve been happy to invest money into because I know they’ll save me time in the long run, but also because I just really enjoy reading about blogging from experts.
But I’d say only one course has had a lasting effect on my blogging career: Monica Stott’s The Blogger Course.
I signed up on a whim last July, mostly because I’m just a big fan of The Travel Hack and everything Monica writes, but I quickly found myself looking forward to every Monday when we’d get lessons for the new week. By the end of the 12-week course I knew I was ready to blog full-time (something I hadn’t even considered before the course), and a couple of months later I made the jump.
Now, I’m not saying everyone should race to sign up for the Blogger Course (though I’m not discouraging it either – it’s a total bargain when I think of far less useful courses costing $400 or more). The point is, Monica’s course was so helpful for me because I wanted to run my business in a similar way to her.
I love that she incorporates lifestyle elements into her blog, that she works with a mix of travel and lifestyle brands in addition to working with destinations, and that she’s managed to shift her blog from a hobby to a business without losing her totally relatable blogging voice. In fact I think her blog got better when she went professional, because she had more time to dedicate to it. She also makes like triple my goal salary, so there’s also that!
So basically what I’m saying is, if you’re going to take advice from another blogger, whether through a paid course or advice they’re offering for free (like this blog post here!), take a look at the business they’re running and consider whether you’d want to run yours in a similar way. If you have nothing in common with them or wouldn’t want to follow them yourself, then it might be best to seek advice elsewhere.
And at the extreme (though all too common) side, be wary of bloggers who make their primary income through selling courses or other products to other bloggers, or whose most popular posts are about blogging, not travel. At least avoid them unless bloggers are also your target market, in which case they’re a perfect match for you!
Networked with other similar-sized bloggers
This might just be the #1 thing I wish I had done earlier as a blogger. I used to feel like the business side of blogging was such a mystery – especially when it came to making money and setting rates. The stuff other travel bloggers shared publicly about making money travel blogging always seemed really vague. I mean, even when they talked about rates they would rarely give actual numbers.
So I basically spent a very long time hugely undervaluing my work.
But now I’ve spoken with enough similar-sized bloggers to me that I’m confident when giving brands my rates, and I also get a lot more business opportunities because we all refer each other to brands we work with.
Now, I wouldn’t approach a much more established blogger to exchange contacts or discuss rates with, as they might not feel comfortable sharing those things. But I can’t see any reason that a blogger at the same level wouldn’t want to.
I think this is especially true when it comes to discussing rates, because if I’m charging more than they are they’ll want to know that they can raise their rates, whereas if I’m charging less than they are they’ll want me to raise my rates as otherwise brands won’t want to pay them that much. Win win!
Do you have anything to add? Please share in the comments!
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Sarah says
I totally agree about spending money on blogging tools. For the longest time I really shyed away from spending any money on my blog until I realised that, personally, I probably couldn’t enjoy it to its full potential without. I now look at it in the same way I look at spending money on subs and equipment for the netball league I’m in – I might not be particularly good at it and I’ll definitely never make a living from it, but anything that enriches my life in some way is worth investing financially in. I’ll be sure to take some of the other advice on board too, thanks for sharing!
Silvia says
Exactly how I feel about it! Like, of course it’s totally fine not to spend money on blogging as well, but I do think it was silly that I wouldn’t let myself when at the same time I was spending money on other hobbies. Blogging should be fun, not stressful (at least when it’s a hobby, haha).
E says
I do agree with a lot of what you’re saying, but I also think that taking some time to figure out what you like and what direction you are going in is good before you begin investing. There’s so much stuff out there and I think what makes most blogs successful is that everyone’s had that testing out period. In retrospect, you think: I should have found my niche sooner or invested sooner, but hindsight is 20/20. You didn’t do it sooner because you didn’t know what you know now. So, I think first people should see if they even like blogging, maybe give it 60-90 days of consistency before starting to truly invest. Yes you “lose” time but not as much if you realize it’s not for you. I think a small period of testing the waters is good, and then from there, being judicious about how you use your resources. But I do think that investing is good (rather than trying to learn everything on your own for free — that takes years!). Yay!
Silvia says
Oooh yes I definitely agree you should give it a few months! I wasn’t clear about this in the article, but I was actually talking about feeling like I couldn’t spend money on this hobby when I had already been blogging for over a year, haha.
Anne Morgan says
You’re so spot on with the not wanting to spend money until it makes money cos until then it’s just a hobby. I have to keep telling myself that I spend money on my other hobbies as does everyone else on theirs so why do I think of my blog differently? I’m slowly getting over this, but it’s taking a while!
Silvia says
Yeah, it definitely took me a while to get over it too – like, a year and a half? haha
Fenne says
thanks for sharing. I am not a pro blogger but these posts are a good way to think about things I didn’t even knew about. Might be nice to find a blogger with the same subjects or interests as I have, but I guess I have a strange mix- still it’s me…and I don’t want to change that.
Albert Bond says
Great post! I’ve struggled with spending money too. Glad to hear I’m not alone. I totally agree with the networking aspect. That has been very helpful.
Tam says
Thanks for the advice! I just started up my own blog (http://freshcoffeestains.com) and am struggling with learning the ins and outs. It’s a steep learning curve! Never considered taking a blogging course but now thinking about it. Keep it up 🙂
Silvia says
Yeah, if you’re happy spending a bit of money to ease the struggle a course can really help! I loooved Monica’s – I still go back and reread the material sometimes.
Norman says
Working together with other bloggers…..geee. I am such an introvert! I really hate doing this *lol*
On a more positive note, I very rarely follow advice from others. Instead I am constantly trying out my own things, which leads to a lot of dead ends, but also a couple of amazing finds.
Had I listend to all those guides I would still be wasting so much time on instagram, instead of doing stuff that actually results in real traffic. (Now branding is cool, but as i am working full time, i only got so much time! :P)
Silvia says
Doing your own thing will make your blog all the more unique! I’m the sort of person that does better when working with others, but it’s great that you are happy to go it yourself.
Maria says
Ha, and I thought I am the only one who was just incredibly cheap with blogging expenses 🙂 It took me months of debating to sign up for Board Booster and Buffer, even though they are only 10/month each and even less, if you pay for the year. On the other hand, I have no problem spending $100 on Amazon for stuff I don’t really need.
I also agree about the sharing between similar size bloggers. I feel the best way to do this is on group press trips and at conferences. It just seems such a taboo topic and I have been blown off by a few fellow bloggers, which in turn made me hesitant to bring up the topic again. I like using SocialMediaBluebook.com and also your tip from your last post to approximate $1/page view in the first month of an average new blog post. That sounds very reasonable.
Silvia says
Yeah it’s so weird to me that it’s a taboo topic! But you’re right – it’s waaay easier to discuss stuff in person. And yes, social blue book actually inspired me to raise my prices quite a while ago!
Lindsay says
Awesome tips! I am just barely dipping my toes into the blogging community, and I know this is a great way to network and learn, but am having a hard time finding people to connect with. My blog is super small, but I would love to grow and be a genuine part of the blogging community. It seems like a wonderful community to be a part of.
I do have a DSLR, and paid for my own hosting. The DSLR was a purchase I made before I even thought about starting a blog, but paying for hosting stung. I felt weird paying so much, but I know it will be worth it in the end. Blogging has been awesome so far! Thank you for your tips!
http://adventureblissfully.com
Silvia says
Yeah, that’s why I think it’s helpful to really treat blogging as any other hobby (at least when it is a hobby). Paying for hosting is kind of like paying for a yoga class or art supplies? lol that’s what I would tell myself at least!
Misa Gjone says
I had the same problem with GoDaddy, then switched to SiteGround ASAP. Actually, all these 5 things are also things I wish I’ve done to my blog earlier 🙂
Thank you for sharing!
Silvia says
Seriously, GoDaddy was awful! At least we both learned something, haha.
Misa Gjone says
In the beginning it was quite OK. And then the nightmare began, I think. Even when I tried to talk with their customers service team about transferring my hosting and domain, they tried to manipulate me and just made things became more complicated, and also made me feel like my decision was so right 🙂 Anyway, lesson learned, hah!
BTW, I live quite close to Gardermoen, so if you have any flight from here in the future, I hope that we can hang out for a coffee then!
Nash&Kim says
Hi Silvia,
This blog was such a fantastic and informative read! Like you, we have the tendency to be squeamish when it comes to spending money on our blog. That feeling of it being foolish is very apparent. But now that you mention it I guess the idiom of spending money to make money comes into my mind, so it is probably a priority. So my question is what are the most important things that you do pay for (or are all the topics listed in your blog?
Thanks again.
—
Nash&Kim
Care.Inspire.Share.
thenomadicpeople.com
Silvia says
Most important I think were good hosting, a nice theme, and The Blogger Course (which I think I linked to in the post). Those would be my best investments, I think!
Marylia says
Thanks for all the tips! I am going to look into the blogger course. Still a newbie but thankful for blogs like yours that are informative. I truly enjoy reading your blog and fell in love with Norway when I visited! Lucky!
Silvia says
So happy it’s been informative! And the blogger course is gold – definitely well worth joining.
Cathy (MummyTravels) says
That first point is such a great reminder – for any other part of my career, I’d be looking at training and outsourcing things I couldn’t do (or weren’t worth my time), yet it seems such a difficult thing for me to wrap my head around for ages for my blog.
Silvia says
Right? It’s kind of crazy how hesitant I was to spend money on blogging when I’ve always felt okay spending money on my other hobbies.
ao co do sao vang says
Thank you for sharing, Silvia! i like it
ao thun blak says
Great post. i like it.
ao co viet nam says
Thanks for all the tips! I am going to look into the blogger course.