4 Myths that Stop Your Blogging Career from Moving Forward

When it comes to blogging, it’s easy to experience “information overload.” A recent Google search I conducted rendered 147,000,000 results for blogging related terms.

With a plethora of information out there, it becomes increasingly important to distinguish fact from fiction if you want to build and sustain a stable blogging career.

That’s why today I want to help you dispell a few blogging myths.

MYTH # 1: You should not use a free blogging platform.

Operating a blog on a free platform, like Blogger.com, WordPress.com, Tumblr.com, will “cost” writers their reputation. According to the experts, “Doing so serves as a scarlet letter branding them unworthy of serious consideration by clients, readers, and advertisers.

TRUTH:
Not true–at least not always.

Some prominent professional authors and bloggers like Kelly James-Enger, Erika Dreifus, and Hope Clark maintained successful free sites on Blogger platforms for many years.

The founder of this blog, Nina Amir, started her career with free sites, both on Blogger.com and WordPress.com, although she later switched to WordPress.com. She often tells those starting out on a blogging journey to begin with a free site if they can’t afford a self-hosted site.

So, I decided I would too. Since 2009, I have opted to venture the “road less traveled.”

The results? You be the judge.

In my eight years of professional blogging, my “free blog” has:

• Been recognized for five consecutive years with “Top Writing Blog” honors, alongside uber-popular sites like Pro Blogger, Copyblogger, and Seth Godin.
• Has allowed me to garner clients that include major brands, such as Good Earth Tea, Fanstory.com, and R. King & Associates.
• Has enabled me to attract good paying gigs and collaborative projects.

But, this post is not about what I have accomplished; it’s about you and what you can achieve, the heights you can reach, with sound, credible information to help you make informed decisions.

Accordingly, here are three additional myths I’d like to dispel to help you move your blogging career forward in 2017.

MYTH 2: Blogging will detract from your other creative projects and take away valuable writing time.

TRUTH:
Blogging can enhance your writing skills, teach you discipline, and help you build the platform needed to sell future books and products.

The key here is to manage your time properly and to prioritize.

MYTH 3: People don’t read blogs.

TRUTH:
Studies and surveys suggest otherwise. The Pew Internet Project reports that an estimated 30 million Americans read blogs on a regular basis.

Here are some other noteworthy stats provided by HubSpot.com:

• 65% of Internet users read a blog.
• Companies that blog have 97% more inbound links than those that don’t.
• Companies that blog have 55% more website visits than those that don’t.

Also, according to the “Science of Blogging” survey, 71% of respondents stated that blogs affected their purchasing decisions.

MYTH 4: You have to have a large following to have a significant impact.

TRUTH:
Real blogging success is not entirely about numbers. It’s about adding quality to the blogging community with your unique messages and content. It’s also about the connection you make with your readers.

Here are a few ways to evaluate where you stand:

• Are other bloggers linking to your posts? Are they promoting you within their social networks?
• Are blog comments from readers, by and large, positive and frequent?
• Have you received requests from other bloggers to provide guest posts?
• Have you won any awards?

If you can answer “yes” to any of the above, consider you are making an important difference as a blogger and writer.

Remember that “knowledge is power.” For real progress, never deal in falsehoods. Keep these four blog myths in mind for optimal results.

About the Author

Jennifer Brown Banks is a veteran freelance writer, relationship columnist, ghost writer, award-winning blogger and author. Her work has appeared in various online and print publications including:.ProBlogger, Men With Pens, Write to Done, Tiny Buddha, Women on Writing and the Well-Fed Writer E-zine.

Banks is the managing editor of Coffeehouseforwriters.com, where she also teaches creative writing classes. When she’s not at the keyboard, she loves cooking, reading, “Jeopardy,” music, and shopping.

Find out more about Jennifer here: Penandprosper.blogspot.com/

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