There are many misconceptions about the blogging world. After reading many blogging tips from many different publications, articles and self-help books I’ve discovered there are a plethora of myths being shared all over the internet. Here are the 5 common misconceptions about blogging.
- Blogging is Easy:
Although anyone can become a blogger with there being various sites we can sign up for and have a blog in a matter of seconds. This leads to the ideology that blogging is “easy” this is simply not the case. Many bloggers spend hours writing posts, researching information, finding or making images and editing their work over and over again. I can speak for myself that I spend at least forty five hours a week on writing alone not including my time spent on reading, researching and promoting my blog.
- Takes 5 Minutes Write a Blog Post:
A huge myth that I see many articles convey is it doesn’t take time to write a blog post. . Although we can write a post in five minutes, but for quality content it takes more time to effectively do so. Countless number of people always ask me “when do you have time to write”? The answer might seem a bit surprising usually if I publish a blog post it was written at least a week or two before it was published. The key is time management once we make a schedule allowing for time to write it makes the process a whole lot easier.
- Publish & They Will Come (Read):
This is a common misconception that most bloggers figure out after we publish our first article.No matter how much content we publish if we don’t promote our blog hardly no one will ever read it and even when we promote it’s not a guarantee that people will come.
- Blogging is a Waste of Time:
For many of bloggers we have experience some of our friends and family expressing their confusion on why do we blog? In their opinion maybe it’s better things we could be doing with our time or they might just view it as a “hobby” not realizing that this is our passion. To some, blogging is a career to others it’s a creative outlet. In the end it is a means of raising awareness or sharing knowledge. Blogging is also a great way to meet new people, make connections and learn about different cultures, tips on various subjects and information you might have never known.
- You Need a Specific Niche:
There are many “Blogging Guru’s” who convey the sentiment that we need a specific niche to have a successful blog. However this is not the case being ourselves is key to success. I’ve noticed some bloggers get caught up in have a niche that they forget that being authentic is more important than any niche could ever be.
Have you heard about any other blogging misconceptions? Comment below.
For More Blogging Tips Check Out
5 Tips To Increase Website/Blog Traffic + Bonus
4 Tips For Blogging Success
6 Ways To Monetize Your Website
Copyright ©2016 Jay Colby All Rights Reserved.
Jay Colby 
It takes me about two hours to do a good blog post. That includes time to write, edit, format, stress over the right words, and the other little things that need to be done. Add more time if I spend time replying to comments left for a post.
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I understand I’ve experienced the same when I write a blog post. Thanks for reading!
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I totally agree with each and every point you mentioned. These are the myths.
Nice post.
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Thank you!
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Great advice! I’ve definitely bought into the idea that my blog needed to have a niche, but there were times that I felt compelled to write about something different and got a great response!
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Thanks for sharing your experience!
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I had this same issue. I went to a few WordPress Camps where bloggers discussed having a niche. So I searched for one. I wanted my blog to be about Raising my son who has Special Needs. However I have so much more to write about, and I do.
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That last tip is so important! I just started my blog about a month ago just to have fun and be creative, but I’ve been finding myself starting to think of the direction I should take it instead of letting it develop organically and authentically. A large reason for that is because of what I’ve seen ‘blogging gurus’ say. So, thanks!
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I understand I had the same struggle when I first started blogging. Thanks for reading!
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Great post. Thanks for the information.
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Thanks for reading!
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great piece Jay – thanks
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Thanks for reading!
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Interesting post. I have been thinking a bit lately about why we blog at all. There are of course many motivations and I know when I started out, it was a tool for me to keep people informed about what I was up to but over time that has changed as I have become aware of and interested in other blogs…but never really thought of it as anything other than a hobby. Is yours a business of sorts?
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Thanks for reading & sharing. I would say mine is business seeing that other than blogging I write for a living.
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Jay, I appreciate the information in this post. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you for reading!
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Reblogged this on and commented:
I love this post by the everpopular Jay Colby over on his blog.
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Thank you so much!!
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The hard part isn’t in writing or editing your posts. It’s in promoting it. For me I think it should be 30/70. And in as much as you should blog about things you’re passionate about which might seem like a niche, it’s so important to be yourself lik you said. Blogging is for individuals who are really passionate about it cos that’s the fuel dat keeps you going. There are times you may feel lik giving up especially wen ur envisioned results ain’t showing up but still you keep doing what you’re doing bcos you love it! That sums up to your number 1, blogging is really not easy!
Thanks for sharing Jay..
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I agree blogging is way more difficult than some people think. Thanks for reading!
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I found your blog through Lindsay Nell’s and I think a LOT of bloggers will agree with everyone of your points! I can relate to all five, but the last two made me smile even more. If I had received a dollar everytime people asked me why oh why I spent all this time taking stupid pictures and writing for something that doesn’t pay, I would be rich! Maybe I should charge to answer it next time… lol And the niche thing… I spent months wondering if I should concentrate on one single style, but that just wasn’t me. So, I now present my site, the Cove, as a “convenience blog” 😛
I’ll be looking forward to reading you again 🙂
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I understand I’ve had the same experience with people always asking me why I spent so much time blogging. That’s great I look forward to checking out your blog. Thanks for reading!
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Wow Jay, thank you. Everything you said in this blog is spot on. We are new to this blogging adventure and it is something that takes time and thought. When we did our first journey across the USA we tried to post daily and sometimes we were up till the weeee hours of the morn putting it together with pictures hoping it would look good the next morning when we looked at it. We loved point 4! It’s like you were in the corner of the room listening. It is funny how you think family will follow you and give encouraging feedback and they’re the ones that never even check out the website. It’s the strangers that stumble on our site that become like family because they are on the same journey. Oh well we just keep on keepin on.
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I understand when I first started my site. My family never checked out my blog until recently. Thanks for reading & I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Nice post, Jay. My blog is pure creative outlet and I definitely feel passionate about writing. I especially love the part of having to have a niche. I find that so contrived. You’re spot on when you say just be yourself. People will either follow or they won’t.
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Thank you & exactly it takes too much time being someone your not than just being our-self. Thanks for reading!
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I absolutely agree! Great post once again!
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Thank you!
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I’m experiencing the same thing! Now that I’ve taken blogging more seriously my time is spent editing, researching, promoting etc. And people just don’t get that. Oh but if it were only that easy haha
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Exactly blogging takes up a lot of time and if you have never created creative content before. You wouldn’t understand the time it takes to create. Especially promoting sometimes I can spend two hours doing promo and not even realize it. Thanks for reading!
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Thanks for your response. Yes, as I’m doing promoting, writing and trying to enter the podcast sphere, I’m like I definitely need more hours in the day haha.
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I understand I tell myself the same thing. But that’s great I’m also starting a podcast. Let me know when you start I’ll definitely tune in.
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Thanks!!! Keep me posted on yours as well!!
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This is an encouraging post in it’s own way 🙂
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Thank you!
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Great post that covers myths about blogging. Is it ok to reblog in the New Year sometime? as it is something I can relate to and I would like to express this, while the reader goes to your post to read yours.
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Thank you & of course you can re-blog!
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Thank you. Will be sometime in New Year. 🙂
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Scheduling posts ahead of time is essential for me. I can give them a final check before posting. 😊
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Very true I do the same as well. Thanks for reading!
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Reblogged this on Shereena Badu and commented:
Must read for anyone new to blogging, very helpful.
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The only thing I’ve ever “written” in 5 minutes is a news report during a live shot on location. The only reason I could “write” that fast is because I was reporting facts.
Blogging is different – it’s emotional. Even if it’s filled with facts it has to “speak” to the reader.
Anywho – I too believe blogging is a waste of time… unfortunately I’ve been blogging for the past 10 years, and I just can’t quit.
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I agree with all of it. Blogging ain’t easy. The editing, looking for the perfect image to go with the post, trying to promote it even when there is little to no response? Not easy.
We stay in it despite all the work because of the passion.
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Excatly the work it takes to have a blog is more than some people realize. Thanks for reading!
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You’re welcome
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Well said and I wish more people would write the truth including the fact that it is phenomenally difficult to make money from a blog and that a lot of bloggers are full of it when they claim to have tens of thousands of followers of their blog that they gained in 3 weeks. I am also sick to death of those bloggers that continually force feed us crap on how to blog and how to promote a blog. Seems to me that many bloggers are successful because other bloggers like ourselves follow them to make sure that we keep in the loop – in other words they don’t have massive hoards of followers who are interested in what they post just massive hoards of other bloggers trying to find out their secrets…lol
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That is very true I’ve notice some of the same things since I started blogging. You make some valid points that’s why I was compelled to write this piece. Thanks for reading!
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Reblogged this on My Wellbeing and Learning Journey and commented:
I wanted to share this post written by Jay Colby on “5 Misconceptions About Blogging” because it was a post I could relate to.
I addition to this, I also wanted to dispel the myth about when a blog post goes on air no matter what time of day it is, does not mean I am at my computer hitting the publish button to air it there and then. Many of my posts are written in advance and scheduled in advance. These posts can sometimes be scheduled up to 3 months in advance. The only time a post that airs instantly at a touch of a button, is when I re-blog a post I seen and liked, directly from there blog. Just like i am doing now with this one. 🙂 Pop on over to Jay Colby post and enjoy the read, that many bloggers will relate to.
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Very practical words Jay; I agree with them all. I frequently spend 2-3 hours writing a blog post, cropping the photos, re-editing etc., it’s good to hear someone who recognizes the workload. I do however have an observation/question: how do you cope with looking at a blog post that’s clearly been dashed off in one minute or less (e.g. a photo of breakfast; a meaningless and poorly constructed haiku) and then see that this post has umpteen million (slight exaggeration; maybe 200) likes! I’m like “how can anyone like THAT?” when my carefully crafted post gets 20!
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Thanks for reading & that’s a great question. I think it comes down to preference because some readers like short and to the point blog posts. While others like thought out ideas and explanations of some-sort.
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Ha! Yes, having a successful blog is having a second job, if blogging isn’t it for you. There’s a lot of time that goes into blogging, and that’s before you sit down to compile your post. Writing, pictures, a video?, links, research. And that’s all before you hit the publish button. Whoo!
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I agree that to be a successful blogger we need to be ourselves. So often people tempt us into being someone else. Especially when it comes to making money. But if we can’t be ourselves when doing this, what is the point. Although I do write my blogs focusing on what I think I would enjoy reading. If I wouldn’t enjoy it, I’d probably not do it.
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Very true. Blogging (or any kind of writing) is really hard. When I’m writing an article I need a full day of uninterrupted time. Really hard to do with 4 kids and starting a business.
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Yup, this is so true! It is a lot of work, that’s for sure. I spend lots of time on my blog making sure it’s of high quality.
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Wonderful post. Very helpful and informative post i must say, these are the great things which you have outlined about blogging.
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So true! While I’m a new blogger and I did my fair amount of research about blogging, I had no idea it would be quite this time consuming and be as difficult as it is! That’s not to say I thought it would be easy, it’s just more challenging than I anticipated haha. Loving every minute of it anyway though!
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I do not necessarily agree that having a niche is a misconception. Whenever I am working with brands, they are always looking at what I generally publish about, and even though I love working with food, food is not the only topic I cover on my blog, and as a result I don’t get to work with many food companies – they are looking for more niche food bloggers for their product coverage.
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All points well hit! Yeah blogging is not easy, its and not like you ordered a food from fast food chain. You don’t want to see your blog just like a fast food chain, that’s why we create great content, to make it looks like a fine-dining restaurant.
-blairvillanueva
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So very true. We also have some posts we spent 5 hours on and never published! Blogging is a wonderful hobby. We have learned a lot about ourselves blogging.
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I have been blogging for over 11 years now and agree very much with all your points – but especially the last point. I think if I was not authentic or just being me on my blog I would have stopped a long time ago.
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Yeah. Misconception number 1 is that blogging is a money making business. I’ve been blogging for years now. When I think of all the money I could have made by spending my blogging time working even for minimum wage, it doesn’t compare to the money I’ve made blogging. it’s hard work but the reward is just in the blog itself. I blog for love, not just money.
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I absolutely enjoyed this post. People don’t understand the length of time it takes to write one blog post. I have a bunch of post to be edited in my Scrivener folders. I enjoy the editing process. I edit up until the minute it’s scheduled to go out. Guess that’s the teacher in me. Great post!
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I meant to say, great picture! Funny play on words!
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Reblogged this on Jay Colby and commented:
No matter if you’ve been blogging for five years or five days there’s always things that people assume about bloggers. Here are my top 5 misconceptions about blogging.
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I agreed with all your points. Most of my blogs take hours because I’m such a perfectionist. I Also do a ton of research that contrasts the points I’m making. So hours go into each post. People don’t realize the level of work we bloggers put into our content. This is a solid post highlighting those very things. #kudos
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The amount of time I’ve needed to write a post has varied a lot. Some great posts flowed from my mind to my keyboard quite quickly, and were maybe short and sweet. Others I really had to reflect on, and were quite longer. It really depends on the kind of post, I think.
I suppose my main niche is mental health topics, but when I started my blog I was determined not ONLY write about mental health. My blog is a place where I want to explore many different interests, and writing styles. I’d say 50% of my posts are mental health-related and the other 50% are mostly about other topics. As I said, I try to vary my writing style a bit, too. My followers are not very numerous, but they seem to enjoy all of my posts. You are right that if a person’s true self shines through, and people like it, you can write about all kinds of things.
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All of these are true and I have to say that just because we think a particular blog post is great doesn’t mean those who follow us will. One post I wrote I almost didn’t publish because I didn’t think it was up to par but eventually published it and it was one of my top-rated blogs. We never know how they will be received by other.
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Thanks for sharing.
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Reblogged this on The Hub.
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#5 is the hardest for me. Many of my friends and colleagues are supportive and take an active interest in my blog, but my family and closest friends rarely (if ever) read my work. Continuing to write and keep my blog growing is a personal joy and goal. My hope is that if I keep at it long enough they will appreciate my passion and maybe even my work someday. Your list is a wonderful collection of misconceptions because blogging definitely ain’t easy. 🙂
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Before computers, yep, well, everything I wrote was with a pencil and paper. After years, I had pages everywhere about the house. Finally, one day, I gathered up the obvious and added those I came across. I kept my writings in a folder that years later would not make the move to my new residence after my divorce. Everything, every page I wrote over the past fifteen years was lost. That was the second time in my life that I lost all my work. I started my blog for myself to keep my writings in one place and backed up. Then I learned there were others, I learned that this blog thing was a community of bloggers who are articulate, informed, humorous, mentally challenged, educated or not, some bloggers speak through photography, but, we all have that one important thing in common that make up a community and that is a passion for expression.
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