A year from now, you’ll wish you had started today*
I recently celebrated my five year blogging anniversary.
I remember the days before I started blogging like it was yesterday.
It’s been a wonderful journey; one I’m thrilled I took.
Today’s Lesson
Before I started blogging I didn’t know what to expect. I remember reading the blogs of Darren Rowse (Problogger) and Steve Pavlina and in their posts I found how it had taken them approximately two years to become “successful”.
I saw what they had done with their blogs and remember asking myself if I was willing to devote two years to this hobby.
My answer was “yes”.
In fact, I thought to myself, “Two years from now I don’t want to look back and regret I hadn’t started.”.
Anyone who’s been blogging for any length of time knows blogging isn’t easy. There’s lots to learn, not only about cr rolex day date rolex calibre 2836 m128238 0070 mens 12mm our blogging platform of choice, but also how to get our blog found, how to decipher our stats, how to get more comments, how to build our online footprint plus lots more.
Some will throw in the towel after realizing it too much work, whereas others stick with it and use their blog to build an empire of sorts.
What I’ve seen in the last five years are bloggers who have gone on to become published rolex datejust 126333 uomo rolex calibre 2836 2813 15mm authors, freelance writers, coaches, public speakers, entrepreneurs, blogging teachers and authority figures in their niche.
Five years of blogging taught me, a blog becomes what we rda vape tank want it to be and oftentimes it’s a stepping stone to a dream.
Today’s Assignment
When you started blogging, were you aware of the opportunities attached to blogging?
Where has blogging taken you?
Care to share?
~Barbara
Photo credit: mshades
*Quote by Karen Lamb , which has become my motto for 2012. 8)
First off – Congratulations on your five year blogging anniversary. Well done! And yes , I’ve been blogging for so many years I almost feel like a dinosaur. And even though the journey has been tough and full of “Interesting” events and milestones its a journey worth the ride. I feel that You cannot put any price on Experience. Thanks for sharing the great post.
Thank you Anton,
I agree with you. The journey is well worth the ride. Even if it has it’s ups and downs as you said, the experience is priceless. 🙂
I’ve been blogging since Oct 2007. I thought I could make money by blogging. I did for 5 minutes and then Adsense cut me off and that was the end of that. My blog changed and probably my biggest focus is to provide recipes these days. I am taking part in the A to Z challenge at the moment and for the first time I am getting lots of visitors and lots of comments. Previously I had a steady but small following. I don’t worry about it too much though, I enjoy writing my blog and I am just happy that some people like to read what I write.
Hi Jo,
Just think. You’ll be celebrating your five year anniversary soon. too. 🙂
That’s awesome how you’ve increased your readership by participating in the A to Z challenge. That’s got to be exciting.
Hi Barbara,
I had no idea of the places blogging would take me. I set out to establish an author platform and became an authority on teaching. I never foresaw that happening. But I’m glad I can share my expertise there.
I also didn’t expect to end up on hip-hop radio, podcasting, and writing for a hip-hop magazine website.
Let’s just say, blogging has opened up a lot of doors and enriched my life in ways I could never have imagined when I first started.
Hi Chase,
I’m thrilled for you. I remember those early days when you wanted to quit, but instead you held on. And look at you now. Not only are you an authority on teaching, but on hip-hop and podcastining, too. 🙂
Congrats on the 5 year anniversary Barbara! I’ve only been blogging for about 2 months and I admit I wasn’t expecting it to be so much work. At first you think it is just about writing posts and doing a bit of marketing. There is so much more to do than that though. The marketing alone is essentially a full time job. I am treating it like a long term project though. I know I won’t get rich overnight, but I hope it eventually builds up into something profitable and maybe lead to other opportunities.
Thank you Jeremy,
I like your attitude. And you’re right. Blogs are long term projects. Even though they can eat into our time on a daily basis, what I find works well for is is to step away from it from time to time to avoid burnout. Our blogs will wait for us, as will our readers.
Happy Blogging, Jeremy.
I was aware that there was an opportunity to make money online from blogging. I just didn’t know how hard it would be. The “big guys” make seem so easy….But in reality, its very time consuming and requires years and decades of commitment.
I am just starting to see some real income from my blog.
Leon
Hi Leon,
Yes. Making money from a blog not only takes time but is hard work. What you said is true about the big guys – they do make it look easy, but then again, they have many years of experience.
I wasn’t aware at all – just started blogging without thinking too much about it. Personal blogging turned into professional blogging and into a thriving social media business, and now also to food blogging which gives me lots of satisfaction, so I’m very happy I started MomGrind back in 2008 and agree that blogging is worth a try!
Hi Vered,
Isn’t it amazing where blogging can lead? I remember when you first stated blogging professionally. Before long, if I remember right, you were turning down work because you were so busy.
I wish you all the best with your new food blog. Being the great cook you are, I’ve no doubt it will be a huge success.
When I first started blogging, I didn’t really know any of the opportunities attached to it. It just seemed beneficial to my website as a way to keep it consistently updated. It was only after I started reading more about the whole scene that I learned about the benefits of it. Blogs like yours have helped me tremendously in finding new resources and ideas to talk about. So, thanks for your encouragement!
You’re welcome Robert,
That’s a good point – how you started a blog to enhance your website, only to find a blog has more benefits than just keeping your clients abreast on changes in your industry.
When blogs are attached to websites, I think the business itself could stand out from the competition especially if you provide some information for free (that would otherwise cost a client money).
Great article, and at first, I have to say happy blogoversary! 5 years, it’s really a big deal! I have been blogging since 2009 when I lost my job, and I had to replace my salary with my online income. I have to say that it was the hardest way to make an easy living, and it isn’t over yet. But enjoy it!
Thank you Julie,
You’re not alone. A lot of folk have started blogs to hopefully replace income lost from a “real” joy. Like you said, it’s not easy, but I think if a person hangs in there, rewards will follow.
First of all Congrats for your five year Blogging anniversary . Experiences always teach Something and it makes Perfect for future .
Thank you Prem,
Yes. Experience does teach us a lot. All the more reason to be open to new ideas and suggestions.
Congratulations on your blogging birthday, Barbara! When we started a year after you, one of the blessings was finding this blog already going strong. We had ideas about what we thought might happen with our business plans and the blog was definitely part of the entire picture. Along the way, things sorted themselves out into what they wanted to be. The result? Well, serendipitously, I just finished up a post detailing our business results for the last three months. We’ll be doing quarterly updates in the future, too. We’re definitely not sorry we stuck to what we started back in 2008. Thanks for all your support along the way!
Thank you Betsy,
I’ve had fun watching you and Pete as you’ve journeyed through the blogosphere and then expanded your reach with diversified business endeavors. What you’ve done is remarkable and what I like about the two of you is how you willingly share your failures and successes with others. For that, I thank you. 🙂
Congratulations on making it this far. I have only been blogging for about 6 month now. To be honest when I first started I though I was one of the few. I was saying to others, your company should start blogging it’s great. Only later did I learn that actually a lot of people were already doing it and there were over a hundred million blogs online at that time. However this did not put me off, I love sharing and interacting with others.
Thank you Aliosha,
Like you, I’m not intimidated by the number of blogs which are online either. For one, we can learn a lot from each other, and secondly, sadly, I also realize many of them won’t make it.
I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying blogging and all it has to offer.
First of all, congrats on making it five years! So, I started blogging with the intention of improving my page rank and keeping my page updated. I knew a lot of the benefits, but I didn’t really realize any of the personal benefits. I’ve met and talked to a lot of people now in this field of work and become good friends. So I would say that I knew the professional benefits, but I didn’t know the personal benefits!
Thank you Paul,
Isn’t it amazing how we start blogging for one reason, but along the way we find a blog is so much more? Like you, I’ve made some awesome friends via blogging and even though we may never meet in the real world, it doesn’t diminish the relationship.
Barbara, I join those who have congratulated you on reaching your five years of blogging milestone. At the end of June I will reach my two and a half year mark.
When I started blogging, was I aware of the opportunities attached to blogging? Yes and no. I thought it would be a format for transcribing the diary entries I wrote in the first half of the 1960s. I did not know how many other bloggers I would meet along the way.
Where has blogging taken me? It has transformed some of the ways in which I have spent my retirement time. I find the concept of the blogosphere fascinating and believe that we have only begun to scratch the surface of all that it has to offer.
Thank you Barbara,
Can you believe you’ve been blogging now for nearly two and a half years. Time flies, hey?
I agree. Meeting other bloggers is one of the greatest benefits of blogging. In those early days we feel pretty alone, but before long we meet fellow bloggers and before we know it, the world seems a lot smaller. 🙂
I’ve just been blogging for a few days now and I can see how much of a difference it makes in website rankings and traffic. Its amazing!
But I have so many questions that I still need answered and no SEO mentors around the place 🙁
I’m glad your blogging is going so well!
Thank you Etchadealdotcom,
That’s true. It doesn’t take long before we start seeing what all blogging can offer.
As for SEO, you might want to check out Aaron Wall’s site.
Good sharing.Its the fantastic idea of blog.Bloogging is such like a more enough idea about different contents.First of all congrats for your great experience share with us.
Thank you Asma,
Yes. Blogging not only lets us write about different topics, but to learn from the content of others, too.
Hi Barb,
I’d have to say I used blogging as a discipline to MAKE me write with regularity. I have done free-lancing off and on for decades so I thought blogging would keep the switch ON long term, keep the pump primed or whatever. Now, three years later I find it is a wonderful teaching vehicle where I share a lot of info on staying vibrantly healthy as well as aware of the many hidden dangers in chemical poisons around us.
It’s been an evolving thing, my blog. Love it! Love your blog too! 🙂
hugs
SuZen
Thank you SuZen,
You’re right. Your blog and what you write about has evolved. I love how you help open our eyes to what’s healthy for us and what the powers that be try to hide from us. Keep up the good work, my friend.
((Hugs)) to you, too. 8)
Congratulation for your blog aniversary. When I first started my blog I just wanted a hobby, but in time it has. become a great part of my life. Sharing my experience and my stories with others and getting their feedback is wonderful.
Thank you Jack,
I agree. Blogging does have unexpected benefits. It’s one thing to write a post to share what we know, but when others show up and share their opinions, it’s like the frosting on the cake.
five years!! That’s a lot of time. congrats!!
Indeed, from my experience, it does take more than two years to start to notice success online. thanks a lot.
Thank you Garlicguy,
True. With blogging, we don’t see overnight success, but given time, it usually pays off.
Hi Barbara .. I knew some of the opportunities there – but didn’t know how it all tied together .. and so much does – things have changed a lot in the last few years .. but I’m so glad I started blogging – even if I haven’t yet had time to do something with it.
I found I can write -a surprise after so many years – I’ve learnt so much history -I’ve met wonderful blogging friends, supportive ones too – and people I’d consider friends probably once met in the real world .. opportunities – now they abound and by being around and keeping our eyes open there are many paths we can take.
Five years is amazing .. and I must have been here for three of those now!!
Congratulations on a very interesting post .. stimulating your followers thoughts – and that’s what it is about isn’t it! Cheers Hilary
Thank you Hilary,
You’ve raised a good point. If we keep our eyes open, we can find many paths to pursue. Then it just comes down to picking the one we feel the most comfortable with and the one(s) that ignite our passions.
I’m waiting to see which path you take as your journey continues. 🙂
When I first started blogging, I had no idea where it would take me but I also under estimated how much time and thought it would take especially now that I am looking to start a new blog soon.
Blogging has been a bit of a roller coaster really, with it’s ups and downs (mostly ups though). It takes dedication and I can really see why some throw in the towel, but that’s not something I’m prepared to do because blogging is a lot of fun and it opens up a lot of opportunities that you’d never normally get otherwise.
Hi Adam,
Isn’t that the truth? Blogging does take a lot of time, but as you mentioned, it’s also a lot of fun and can lead to other opportunities.
When you get your other blog up, let me know and I’ll come an check it out.
Hi Barbara.
Congrats on your five-year blogging anniversary.
When I started blogging I was aware of the opportunities attached to blogging in the sense that it would give me a way to network with potential clients. What I didn’t realize was that I would find friends along the way 🙂
Where has blogging taken me? It’s reinforced what I know and love to do best: writing and editing. That is what I was doing when I was working full time, before I even started blogging. It’s allowed me the flexibility of working from home, which as you know, is now on a beautiful island.
Thank you Davina (aka Island Girl),
I think it’s great how you incorporated your blog with your business. With you being a writer, editor, and proofreader, not only do your clients “see” what you do, but they also get to witness how good you’re at it.
Life on an island? You’re living your dream. How cool is that?
Well post Barbara. Actually today i regret why havn,t started to blog one year back in 2011. Those days i was reading blogs of darren rowse, John and many more. And it is recommanded for everyone that never wait to start a blog even you should try your hands on blogger if you do not have money.
Thank you Navneet,
That’s true. Even if we don’t have money, we can experience what blogging entails. Blogger(Google) has a free platform as does WordPress. It’s just a matter of doing it.
I want to start a blog, seeing all the advantages that these people have nowadays and also because I feel I have so many things to say and I think that my opinions are worth spreading.
Hi Watch online,
Blogging does have a lot of advantages and like you mentioned, it gives us a chance to share our opinions as well as what we know.
Barbara,
My blogging career started last summer as part of a “branding” effort on my part – I did not even show up in a Google search back then!
While perhaps not as appreciative of the time requirements as I should have been, the fact that the blog still attracts readers and I have a lot more LinkedIn connections than before makes me view it as a success. I now show up in Google searches as well (though adding the middle initial K enhances things greatly)!
Hi David,
Your comment reminded me of my first days of blogging. I thought that as soon as I hit “publish” what I shared would show up on Google. I copied and pasted parts of my text and then searched and searched to find it online. No luck. Little did I know it takes time to show up in the searches (and hopefully not on page 50 – haha).
We never know how blogging will benefit us, do we? As you mentioned, you’ve made more connections on Linkedin, whereas if you didn’t have a blog, that may have never happened. It’s magical. 🙂
Hey! great share and congratulation on your 5th year of blogging . Well I guess everyone succeed on the craft they like and that they love most doing.
Thank you Vernette,
True. If we love to blog, we’re more apt to see success. It’s just a matter of asserting ourselves.
Wow, congrats on your 5 year ‘blogoversary’!
I am just a baby compared to you after I started about just over a year ago. Even in the last year there has been so much that I have learned about blogging and making better posts – I wish that I had started 5 years ago, I wonder where I would be now!
Thank you Cindy,
Congratulations on making it past your first year. That’s a HUGE accomplishment – one that a lot of bloggers don’t witness.
You’ve raised a good point about how blogging helps us to produce better posts – practice makes perfect. 🙂
Congratulation for your fifth blog anniversay!
I’m one of those who started a blog wrote first post.i wanted to share my opinion.Realised it is not so easy and then quit.It is not so pretty as it appears to be.It surely needs serious efforts to run a good blog.
You are spot on with your observation.
Thank you Umair,
I’m sorry to hear you gave up blogging. but what you said is true; blogging is not as easy it it looks.
That said, I’m happy to see you commenting.
Congratulations on competing your fifth year of blogging. I started blogging a year and a half earlier, and honestly I had just started i for fun. I was never aware of the opportunities that were awaiting me right here. I hope I can continue with this.
Thanks for sharing this post.
-Roger
Thank you Roger,
A year and a half is a great accomplishment. Congrats!
Yes. Blogging can lead to many opportunities. We just have to keep our eyes open and be willing to take some risks.
5 years is an incredible feat indeed. Congratulations. It is tough to find the kind of focus and momentum to keep a blog moving forward for such a long time, that is commendable. Among a community of folks that spring up and die off within a few months, to have a blog powering on five years later is incredible, like a company that began in the 1700s still running today. This only adds to the validity of your advice and information. Thanks for your help in the blogging world Barbara!
Thank you for your kind words, Robert,
I never looked at it that way, but you’re right; a blogger who has years of experience can also be viewed as an expert of sorts – no matter what niche they’re in.
When you combine the length of time your blog has been in business with the number of active readers and commenters on your site, there is a definite sense of expertise that I think newer bloggers should follow after. This business still so new, anything that works should be celebrated and adopted.
Hi Barbara,
Congratulations on your 5 years of fantastic work! I guess for me the hardest thing about blogging is continuing to do it on a regular basis among all the other things I’ve got on the go. Still, if I leave for more than a little while I tend to go into writing withdrawal. I guess that’s a good sign.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you Chris,
I know what you mean. When life happens and we have full-time jobs and family obligations, it’s difficult to blog on a regular basis.
But…if you’re having writing withdrawals, I’d say the blog is calling you. 🙂
Hi nice congrats anyway.Maybe youre a good blogger.When I first started blogging, I didn’t really know any of the opportunities attached to it.Personal blogging turned into professional blogging and into a thriving social media business.Its really hard in first time but eventually you will love it.
Thank you Corporate Gifts,
That’s a great example of how blogging can lead to other opportunities, including a business. Way to go!
Congratulations!
I’ve been blogging for one month. I don’t know where this will lead, but my hope is that my hard work and dedication will lead to more writing opportunities, a larger audience, and the publication of my book.
Thank you Tracy,
Congratulations on your first month of blogging.
Although blogging is hard work, it can pay off. It just takes time, but before you know it, the months will turn into years and that book you hope to publish can become a reality.
I wish you well. 🙂
It was great thoughts Barbara! At first, my only intention and desire is to try to write and be able to share my thoughts to everyone. Hoping that someone would read and leave something useful for conversation, I think it’s a passion. Now, I’ve read so much about the capabilities of blogging for business and self-growth. I still love to write on my own reasonable purposes, not for money but for myself.
Thank you Terrance,
One thing I’ve seen with bloggers who stick around, is whenever they’re following their heart, their blog has staying power. Although bloggers can make money via their blogs, many choose not to. It’s really an individual decision. If you feel it’s your passion, follow your heart and do what feels right for you.
Your success in blogging is a testament that it is better to not expect on things. I remembered my friend telling me that “Too much expectations will just lead you to frustrations”. And I’ve proven that to be true.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts in here. By the way, congratulations to your five years of making a mark in the blogging industry. Keep it up!
Regards,
Blake
Thank you Blake,
Ah….expectations. They can get us into trouble, can’t they?
One thing I like about blogging, and not having expectations of where the journey may lead, are the surprises we often find as we turn a new corner. It’s pretty sweet. 🙂
Congratulations on your BB (blogging birthday)!!! I feel “little” among you guys, most of you are very succesful bloggers, I wish I get there some day. A year or 2 might be enough? Just askin’ ;).
Thank you Amy,
You’re not “little” – you’re just as important as anyone else, as are your opinions 🙂
A year or two can lead to blogging success, but I think it also depends on how we define “success”. In some cases it could come a lot earlier.
congratulations to your blogging anniversary and many many years to come for you 🙂
PS: Great BlogStyle btw and the way you write keeps the readers (at least me) very interested in your blog.
Thank you for your kind words, Alexander,
I appreciate you stopping by and joining in the “party”.
I believe that for most people to be “successful” at anything, whether it be blogging, playing the guitar or starting a business, it takes 2-3 years on average. Of course successful means different things to different people, but spending 2-3 years at anything should get you at the stage where others look and think “Wow, they’re good!”.
Hi Ruth,
Yes. Success means different things to different people. Two to three years should give us enough time to learn our craft, however, I’ve also read (“Outliers”, I believe) we need 10, 000 hours of practice before we can claim “expert” status.
Congratulation.. I just started blogging recently and I can see the opportunities but is really hard work and I try to absorb as much info as possible from other experienced bloggers.
Thank you Sælg guld,
I wish you well on your blogging journey.
Although blogging is hard work, you’re smart to follow experienced bloggers as you’ll probably pick up some great hints and tips.
Thank you Shannon,
It is surprising how blogging ends up being different than we expected, isn’t it? I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying the process and doing well at it.
Blogging is a difficult job if you do not know how to make yourself known out on the internet. I have not made any money blogging, but my father created his own blog. He actually does not have any ads on it, and he feels it is purely recreational, a way to clear his mind into writing.
when i started blogging, I had no idea that there could be opportunities attached to it. I just went online and started writing about stuffs I cared about. And then one day, I got this opportunity to become a writer for someone. He needed some samples and I presented my articles which were already posted online. I got the writing job and the rest is history. I can tell that my knowledge about blogging and making some profits for it has really improved.
Well, I first started with some web publishing with my own thoughts put as some web pages. That was like 12 years back. But when I actually started blogging in its real meaning around five years back, I did know the benefits of blogging 🙂
…and I am glad that I started then…
In addition to being able to write freely now (I can put type down my thoughts on a computer faster,) I have become more connected. I can learn about certain situations and events faster than they are published on the news or even before my friends hear about them. It is fun to be able to listen to peoples reactions to news for the first time.
As for my professional blog, I can reciprocate the favor by publishing stories directly associated with accidents.
Congratulations Barbara! To people who are still undecided of creating their own blog, I think you should start now. Take your baby steps and months from you’ll be thankful that you have started today.
First of all, congratulations Barbara and a happy blogging anniversary. You deserve all the good things you have now and stay inspiring other people.
Dear Barbara, Heartly congratulations for completing five years and it is really inspiring for me to take up the blogging to next step.
Many people DO quit after a few weeks or the first month because they are not getting enough traffic. A lot of people think they can jump I to the blogging industry and expect to make loads of money! Let me tell them, it takes time & patience!
I like it when someone expresses him/her self in a blog. Most see blogging as news feeding but this is not the reason blogs were created. They are supposed to be the mean to speech your mind, your feelings and your ideas for a subject. Thank you for reminding me this!
hi,
Congrats Barbara, its really great that you have achieved this blog success..
when i started my first blog i had a goal that i should make my blog to get success within few years.. so that i tried many things but i cannot achieve my goal in the particulat month which i fixed.. but you did..
once again congrats..
Regreting what you did is never helpful. You can review the actions you did, this is healthy, but make sure you take into account the circumstances that existed at that time you took a specific decision. You may think now that you did something wrong, but back then you did that for a reason. Maybe that reason now feels stupid, but you are not the same person like that one 5 months ago.
This is a life lesson that I agree with 100%. It takes a long time to build anything and something on the web is no different. Start today and people won’t even know you exist for a few more months. Don’t wait until everything is perfect.
Yea i agree with Destin. This is what we call life. Ups and downs are part of it. Its really hard to build reputation. Once lost its almost impossible to regain it in the similar way. Barbara has done a superb job once again by raising an issue that is often misunderstood. Appreciated !
– S
Sarah Blue
Bank privatization
Robert Koenig i agree with you.No one perfect but work run your own.Practice preferred even this goes to ypur perfection.
Congratulations! Five years is really something. Imagine how fulfilling it is to be able to express yourself and bit by bit influence your readers. I know there are many ups and downs to this journey but every experience makes sharing all the better. Good luck for the next blogging years ahead.
I am new to the world of blogging. I am still in the learning phase. But I am really motivated to keep on going till I have an empire of my own. I am trying to grasp as much as possible but enjoying a lot while doing that. Life has become really interesting after I started blogging. Its whole new experience. Its a different world altogether where you can do anything. Its a place where anything is possible.
Barbara, i must say that you have maintained a good blog…i think you should start signing up for advertisements, you can earn good from it….