Newbie blogger on the block: just hangin tough!

I almost fell for it. I almost let it get to me. I almost got caught up in it…you all know what I’m talking about…the craziness that is the blogosphere!  Hi, I’m Natalie, and I’m a newbie blogger.

I started this blog journey mid summer, a dream project I had been eager to launch since 2010. I knew it would be tough, I knew it would be challenging and time-consuming but I also knew that blogging was something I wanted to do and I knew why I wanted to do it.

Niche? I don’t really have one, yet.   Am I a “mom blogger” (such a popular and maybe overused term) or am I just a blogger who happens to be a mom?  I believe I’m the latter and I think there’s a difference, don’t you?  Perhaps I’m a lifestyle blogger? Sure, that works!  At the end of the day, I’m just me.
Content?  Well that really isn’t an issue, anyone who knows me, knows I have a lot to say all the time hahahaha

So why am I writing this post now?  Well, I’ve experienced a few challenges I’d like to share and just maybe someone else is feeling the same way.  Maybe there are other newbies out there who have other  solutions they’d like to share.  Talk amongst yourselves…in the comments (wink, wink).

Newbie Blogger Challenges

1. TIME –   This one is the absolute biggest challenge for me personally.  I’m a new mom (again) and in my head at the time I thought to myself, well, I’m on maternity leave so I’ll have the time, babies aren’t as difficult as I remember. Ha! My son is  almost 7 months old and SO active, my daughters (tween and teen) are so busy with school and extracurricular activities, and oh yea I have a significant other who works hard all day and has his own activities! We still have to eat and enjoy family time. Oh and let’s not forget my extended family and friends too.  I would say at times I’m spread quite thin!  I need:
   • Time to write
   • Time to edit
   • Time to optimize
   • Time to read/research
   • Time to comment
   • Time to network
   • Time to update and maintain blog design
2. Naive expectations of the blogosphere –  it can be like high school all over again!   There are the popular bloggers, the niche cliques who u may or may not belong to, bloggers who ignore you and don’t reciprocate when you comment or tweet them,  the shady spammers who always have a new way to get rich quick and the list could go on!

Newbie Blogger Solutions

1. Didn’t publish that post today/this week? It’s ok! The world will not end – you have a life!  However, re-visit why you started blogging in the first place, if you are looking for brand connections and sponsorship,  posting once a month or less probably wont cut it.  Pot calling kettle?  I’m workin on it and getting better!!! haha
2. Plan posts! Use an organizer or your smartphone and software like Evernote.  Thanks to Evernote and my iPhone, I am able to capture the many thoughts in my head during that 3am breastfeed or when I’m waiting to pick my daughter up from piano class. Almost all of my posts begin in Evernote on my iPhone.  Evernote syncs to my iphone, tablet, and laptop (now all they need to do is get a current plugin for WordPress)!  The tools available online to maximize the potential of a blog are endless – use the ones that are simple for you to use.
   

   Thank you Dollarama! I keep the small purple on in my purse. The large green one is for planning posts etc.

3. Content – it’s truly everywhere – don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s usually right under your nose and you’re more than likely experiencing it every day.  If you’ve exhausted that route, use a site like Plinky to give you random questions, prompts or challenges, then blog about it!
4. Connect with your blogging community – other bloggers who can help keep you accountable if that’s what u want, or just to check on ya once in a while like my new blogging buddy Nenette.
5. Schedule!  Take the time you need to work on your blog.  Have a discussion with your family and get that 1 or 2 hours a day just for you and your blog.  Use your time wisely!
6. Chillax!  Have fun with it!  Don’t let your blogging become a job you don’t want to go to!  Don’t become disenchanted or get caught up in the stats and who’s paying attention to you or not –  Tailor your actions around those initial goals of why you became a blogger extraordinaire.

My hour’s almost up, and I have a ton of other posts to edit and schedule  haha  Regardless of the challenges I’ve experienced, I still love this blogging journey I’m on, it’s what makes it so awesome!

Are you a newbie blogger like me?   Do you have a few solutions worth sharing?  Maybe you’re an established blogger and have some wisdom to impart on us newbies?  Comment away!