Turn Blogging Frustrations into Inspiration

Stressed? Are you blogging for money or for pleasure?
(photo credit: Vinicius de Carvalho Venancio)

Blogging frustrations can put down even the most optimistic and prolific writers at some point. 

For the daily blogger, running out of content to write may be a problem. For the prolific blogger, time management may be an issue. 

For newbie writers, attracting an audience and letting the netizens find out about your blog site are known hurdles.

Apart from time and traffic, what are the biggest challenges in blogging?

The list can be long, but one element that always crops up is money. According to one anonymous Samaritan at a local forum, blogging is a good channel for your thoughts and a wonderful way to showcase your expertise on a subject or two. Add money into the equation, and expect frustrations along the way -- for your first blogging venture anyway.

The statement, of course, was not aimed to discourage blogging newbie writers but to give a realistic outlook on what to expect. I greatly enjoyed his correspondence and thought that his advice was worth sharing with the reading public. So, how do you turn blogging frustrations into inspiration? Here's what he said:

• Don't think about the money first or you will become frustrated.
  
  
• Instead, focus on writing good and unique content. Your hard work and sterling writing are in themselves accomplishments. 
  
  
• Connect with your readers as best as you can. Start a conversation or dialogue. If you are writing for an audience, put yourself in their shoes. Always ask, "What's in it for them?"
  
  
• Wait until your site begins to attract 500 interested visitors a day before serving Google ads.
  
  
• Remove unnecessary clutter from your blog site or anything that will downplay your content: irrelevant widgets, images, slide shows and advertising banners.
  
  
• If you want to rank well in the future, select a less competitive niche. Making money online may be dear to your heart, but other experts have already built their empires on that key phrase.
  
  
• Target your traffic. SEO experts concur that compared to users in the United States, Australia and United Kingdom, visitors based in the Philippines are less likely to check out ads.
  
  
• Be patient. Remember that it took blogging gurus time to grow their sites. Don't rush success. Love what you do and work towards your goal steadily.

Forum hopping gave me the realistic picture that it takes an average of 1 to 3 years for blog writers to reach Google Adsense's payout minimum of $100. Still, there is much to gain from the activity. 

Whenever money-related blogging frustrations plague you, take on an upbeat attitude and ask yourself:, "Can money truly compensate me for the sense of fulfillment, fan following and web authority I was able to gain?"