5 things I learned in my 1.5 years blogging journey

Hello my dear readers,

I have started my blogging journey with 2 things in my mind, no, actually 3:

1.To share some of my hobbies like cooking and traveling

2. To bring a smile on readers’s faces

3. And to take it at a certain level and be able to monetize something from it 

Now, what I have learned from this journey so far? 

I have learned that:

One

I did not expect it to be easy and I am a very organized person but honestly with a full time job for living, I have struggled to find time to share my hobbies.

I don’t know you, but in my case, I have realized that is not so easy to write a post. Is not just that I sit down in front of my computer and start writing. For me writing a post means finding first the topic, then start the research, then start writing, taking the pictures when possible, preparing the graphics, review and then finally hit the button Publish.

In all it takes me minimum 3-4 days, as I only have maybe around 1 hour per day but not every day.

Two

If I want to grow, I need to be consistent.

I have noticed that if I don’t publish everyday, my views are dropping pretty much. Now, there are bloggers that publish maybe once per week, or once per month and they are just fine like this. Maybe their views don’t drop or maybe even if they do, they don’t care but in my case, since I have this intention to grow my blog, views are important. 

Three

Don’t just publish posts for the sake of publishing them. It will not work. To engage people I need to give them quality.

I know, if you’ve ever read any blogging advising posts, you’ve definitely heard this pretty often and I do agree.

But what quality blogs means?

Maybe what is quality for me, is not quality for you…so how do I know?

I always do my research and make sure I give informative and useful content, something that can help others. No matter the subject, important is to be useful! If it’s an advice of how to grow a plant, a recipe, a trick in cleaning the house, an advice how to stay healthy, how to be happy, how to take care of a pet, no matter the subject, important is to be useful!

Engaging means growing! Beside engaging, nowadays a lot of bloggers just click the button like without even reading the post. As much as I like, I welcome and I appreciate genuine and constructive comments from my fellow bloggers, it doesn’t bother me either only the likes… remember? I want to grow my blog…how do I grow it? For sure I can’t grow it if I don’t have any likes…

Four

In 1.5 years I have passed 2,000 followers. Is this number good? Is it too low? I don’t honestly know. What I know is that I appreciate each and one of them.

Again, my intention is to grow this blog. But is it by growing the number of followers that we grow our blog? I think yes!

And how do I grow my followers? One of the most important things that I have learned is that I can write wonderful quality posts, very useful, but if I don’t go around and check, read and interact with my fellow bloggers, my posts will never be seen, will never be read.

Remember interaction and engagement means growing. 

Five

I have learned that if I want to monetize this blog I need to be a seller.

I have 2,000 over followers and you know how much I have earned so far? The wonderful amount of 8$. I don’t know how much you earn with 5,000, 10,000 or more followers but so far this is what I have achieved from displaying ads and having a WordPress Premium plan.

If you read the bloggers that blogging is their way of living, they will give you same advices: write quality content and interact with the others, but how do they actually make the money for living? For sure not like me, sitting here and just trying my best to give quality content and wait for someone to find me and offer to pay me for writing my posts.  They make money by being a seller! By going out there and ask for collaborations, sponsorship, guest blogs…meaning you need to be a seller, to sell your blog, to sell you.

Well, for this, I still need to work on myself…think that I have also did an online shop but guess what? Do you think is selling something? Nope…because I need to be a seller to sell something! I need to promote and sell the products… yes, definitely I need to work on myself for this part, as I’m really bad at it. 

Well, this is my experience so far. I’m sure each of you have different experiences, depending also on what’s the purpose of you blogging. 

However, I have learned that is always a work in progress, is always a learning experience and we never stop learning. 

As Einstein was saying: “Once you stop learning, you start dying.”

And what I like from this experience is that if my blog is growing, I grow with him! And I like growing! 

Important is also to take it seriously but also enjoy it! If we don’t enjoy it, it will just become a second job for which we are even not paid, so guess how long will take us to shut down everything and waste all the time that we have invested so far? 

So in conclusion and in short, after 1.5 years of blogging I have learned:

  1. Time is of essence in blogging.
  2. Consistency is the key but keep it fun! 
  3. Quality goes hand in hand with quantity in my case.
  4. Interaction with other bloggers is a major factor for growing a blog.
  5. Be a seller and monetize your blog, of course only if you are interested.

I may be wrong but this is my experience so far.

What is your experience? How is your journey? I would love to know. Let me know in the comments below. Sharing is caring 😉

Oh but there are also satisfactions of blogging, maybe I’ll cover them in a different post 😉

Bye Bye for now

Have a wonderful Sunday!

97 thoughts

  1. Everything you have learned in blogging is correct in your experience! Earlier I uploaded posts constantly but now I do only three post a week that! Time is the main reason! And money is also a factor ! Have a great day Ribana! 💙 🌼 😊 Hope you are enjoying your time! 🤗

    Reply

    1. Thank you Suni! Yes, time is a major factor in our blogging journey 😊 I wish I could have more to spend on my blog 😉
      Thank you always for your support!
      Have a wonderful week! 🤗💕🌸

      Reply

      1. Ribana,e we will get encouraging views through out blogging 🌷! You are a regular blogger that is why you get encouragement😊 ! Wish you a energetic journey! Enjoy your week! 💜🌼😊

  2. I began my blog after encouragement by friends and family. At that time I had no idea what one was, let alone how to do it. I take my hat off to you for the amount you do when still in employment. I could not even have started until I retired.

    Like you, I think the interaction is the most satisfying aspect. Sometimes I have nothing in particular to say on a post I follow, but I never click like without reading.

    I like to amuse and to present variety – as you so successfully do. Because my blog is in effect a daily diary that keeps me active, otherwise I would be boring, which I hope I’m not.

    One of the most satisfying aspects is the conversations that develop between followers. A surprise is the number of real friendships that have developed with people I am never likely to meet.

    I’m not interested in monetising, which is probably fortunate.

    I would say that your number of followers is impressive in the time. Mine has taken 7 years to build.

    Reply

    1. Thank you for your support Derrick! My biggest struggle so far is the time. I would love to have more time to dedicate to my blog but well, I hope that day will come 😊
      Yes, interaction is very satisfying and nope, I don’t put like either if I don’t read the post 😊 but I do appreciate any likes I receive 😊
      I’m always trying to have interesting content but also funny, we all need some smiles on our days 😊
      I love your pictures and your adventures! Nature is my happy place and your pictures express is so well!
      Yes, being able to make friends here is something amazing! Friends that have same interests and they live all around the world! Priceless!
      Thank you again Derrick for sharing and for your kind support! Wish you a lovely week!

      Reply

      1. Be true to yourself, as you have been on your “Picking a school!” post. Read before you press LIKE. Acknowledge comments on your posts. FOLLOW people who interest you and comment on their posts. Thanks very much, Asher.

    1. I’m not sure how it works actually as some months I have less ads views and the income is higher and I have months with more ads view but the income is lesser…🤔
      So far I have 58.8K views, 27.4K visitors, 35.1K likes and 13.1K comments…

      Reply

      1. Thanks for the info. Tracked well with mine. So far, in 2019, 21k, 10, 10, 2000 (views, visitors, likes, comments). 57k, 0.27, $15.50 (ads served, cpm, total revenue). “peanuts” in other words

  9. Good post! Yes, blogging in more difficult than I had imagined in that is takes me many hours working on a post before I hit publish.

    It is the views that matter most as far as monetizing. With as many followers as you have, I am surprised you aren’t making more money.

    Reply

    1. Thank you very much! Yes, it takes me many hours too to do a post…time is really important! I hope one day I’ll be able to spend more time in blogging 😉
      Not sure how these ads views are working, as some months I have more ads view and income is less and some months with lesser ads view but higher income…🤪

      Reply

  10. I don’t do any of those things. I just do what’s fun, what I like, or else I say whatever I feel like saying. I don’t plan anything. I never once thought about making my blog into anything, or getting anything from it. I don’t try to make others follow me or stay. I don’t even know how to think about things like that. So, I have no advice at all.

    Reply

  11. My reason for blogging is the same as 2 and 3, except I’ll say “Share my stories and other creative writing on no. 1

    I been seriously blogging for a little more than a year and I got 300+ followers, so yes, I think you have a good number 🙂

    Yes, constructing a post takes time. I tried posting daily from time to time but currently I come to term of posting only every second or third day because I’m close to burning out. If I post everyday, I won’t have time to write my own fiction and read other blogs. No matter how much fun it is, if it starts to feel like a burden then it’s not worth it.

    Agree. It’s all about selling yourself. I don’t like selling myself but then again, it’s just a word. After all when you met new people you like to be friend with, you’re selling yourself in a way.

    But the main thing for me now is not to bother about views and rating… I’m just going with the flow at the moment. If they follow, thank you… if not, hopefully they will one day 😀

    Have a wonderful day Ribby.

    Reply

    1. True dear Jess! Honestly my intention is to grow my blog but I’m not bothered too much about views right now! Of course I like them and I want them but more important currently is to be able to create useful content, to manage my time in such a way to be able to keep a schedule and to enjoy it of course! Interacting with the all of you is very important and I also enjoy it! 😉🤗 every day I find new things 😉😁
      I’m trying to keep this blogging journey healthy, as I don’t want to reach the time when I’ll be so exhausted to not make it anymore…🤪
      I was never a seller and I guess I’ll never be! I’ll need to work on myself and try to find a compromise I guess 😉
      Thank you dear Jess for your support and kind word!
      Wish you a lovely week! 🤗💕🌸

      Reply

  13. I am not into monetized blog. My blog is too personal for that. Glad to know that you reached more than 2,000 followers in less than two years. That’s a feat 🙂

    Reply

  14. Thanks for sharing your experience. Many of which I agree. I started a premium plan in October and made 1 post a week. When I increased the posts to 2-3 per week, views also went up. It shouldn’t be a chore and as you rightfully pointed out when it’s for little or no payout! Maintaining 2-3 posts a week requires discipline and planning💪🏻. I also like the impromptu moments when I take photos and videos of things or topics as they happen. These unplanned posts usually go out …well quickly too. Finally congratulations on achieving 2000 followers in less than 2 years 😊

    Reply

    1. Thank you very much for sharing! Blogging is hard work and needs in fact a lot of discipline and planning our time carefully! But we also need to enjoy it 😉
      Yes, I have noticed too that my unplanned posts are going out pretty quickly 😊😉
      Thank you very much for your support and wish you a lovely week! Happy blogging! 😊

      Reply

  15. Excellent information and all true! I have over 10,000 followers and it will be 3 years in February 2020 for me. I blog almost every day and I spend about 5 hours a day on my blog and replying to comments.

    Reply

    1. Thank you for sharing Diane! Wow, I wish one day I’ll be able to spend 5 hours a day for my blog! 😉 You are doing a pretty awesome job! Happy blogging 😉 and happy cooking 😉

      Reply

  16. You have done amazingly well to get so many followers so quickly. You are very organised. I don’t organise at all. I just post as I feel it. More than once a day usually. Yes, I do feel tired now, and sometimes it feels like a chore, which it wasn’t in the beginning. But my blog is poetry and not much else. My number of views also goes down if I do not post. In fact, my number of views has dropped dramatically just lately, which puzzles me. I do not monetize it. I really only started my blog as a platform for my poetry. I also never Like a post without reading it. Your blog is great Ribana xxxx

    Reply

    1. Thank you very much Lorraine for your kind words and support! Means a lot! I guess with poetry is different as you need to write when the inspiration hits you 😉😊 and you do a wonderful job!
      Thank you and wish you all the best 💕💕🤗🤗

      Reply

      1. All the very best to you too Ribana. I find your travel tales wonderful ❤️

  17. Hi Ribana, Congrats on 1.5 Years first. 🙂 Your tips are really inspiring. I would take most of your points on making my blog look more presentable. It’s quiet shocking, are you serious? 8$ with 2000 followers. Now i need an air, let me have a quick walk. I’m sure you will start earning more with more followers, I wish you will very soon find that glitch to earn more. Rightly said! Learning has to be consistent. I always had that feel that i am missing something, but i never blogged for followers or tried to blog to earn money. Each of our journey has begun with something else. My Journey begun to calm down my mind, and i successfully achieved it 80%. This is an eye opening post. And i would like to correct myself in lot of thing. Thank you Ribana. This is going to be an impact to myself in a good way. Thanks for this post. Have a beautiful week ahead ! 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Simon, I’m glad you find it useful and I’m glad you’ve achieved your goal almost entirely 😊 with hard work and consistency, I’m sure you’ll reach all your goals!
      Life I guess is a learning journey as well as blogging! We are all here to learn from each other 😉 Important is to find the way to enjoy it 😉
      Yes, I still need to figure it out regarding earnings 🤪
      Thank you always for your support and kind words! Are always very appreciated!
      Wish you a beautiful week too! 🤗🤗
      Oh…the comments on your posts are disabled 🤪

      Reply

      1. what did you say? again😒 How it is happening🙄 Everytime i change the setting and comeback write a post and comments disabled.. God! 😂😂 I’ll correct it now😸 Have a beautiful day✨☃️

  18. Hey Ribana, an intriguing and interesting post indeed.

    There are indeed many statistics out there that can help you further with your quest.

    $8 in a year, is that not about average for a blogger not specifically selling? I am sure l have seen this low figure before in other posts. I think the biggest problem, is that a lot of readers are very wary of hitting links on blogs and affiliateships in general.

    I am going to book mark this post as it ties in with something l have planned for next year.

    Reply

    1. Hi Rory, thank you very much!
      Yes, actually I am amazed that I did also this $8 without selling anything 🤪
      Honestly I am wary too of clicking on links on blogs unless is a link to another blog or really something that I’m interested in.
      I guess you’ll be very busy next week 😉 so many projects 😊 well done Rory!
      I must start thinking at my blogging for next year too 🤪

      Reply

  19. I blog for the pure love of writing and words. I can’t sell anything because I hate selling. It’s payment enough if someone enjoys and finds my posts helpful in any way.

    Lily

    Reply

  20. Very good post Ribana! And some great info and helpful ideas. I have been blogging for 2 years and have 599 followers. But my blog is kind of different which is why I don’t get so many followers, though I’m hoping to top 600 by the end of the year. I don’t know how you keep up with so many blogs, I have trouble keeping up reading with less than 600 followers! I am a slow reader though. I never wanted to have ads on my blog, no money in it and to be honest, I find them annoying. Thanks for this post!😁😸

    Reply

    1. Thank you Steve! Well yes, each one of us I guess we have different purposes for blogging and in the end number of followers, ads or no ads, important is to enjoy what we do 😉 Reading and interacting with others is what takes me most of my time…even more than doing my own posts 🤪
      Have a wonderful evening Steve and thank you for sharing your thoughts! 😊😸😻

      Reply

      1. Yes indeed! And for me blogging is very enjoyable and giving others a smile or two is what I’m about. Thanks Ribana and keep up with your wonderful posts! Have a great day!😁😸⛄⛄

    1. Thank you! Well, WordPress has different plans that you can choose from. My current plan is a premium, I pay a fee monthly or yearly and beside giving you more space for photos it also allows you to display ads on your blog that will generate a small revenue depending on the numbers of views on your blog 😉 You can find more info in the settings of your plan 😉

      Reply

    2. I’m jumping in here to answer, hope I’m bit treading on any toes. With a Premium plan you automatically get accepted for displaying Word Press ads, if you look at my blog you will see them at the bottom of each post. You can also opt to have other advertising displayed. Word Press takes care of it all for you. I had some ads on my blog within a week and I see a few cents trickling in already.

      Reply

  22. I publish weekly, for the most part. When I add a second post, my views go up. I like that, but I’m not trying to make money out of this, so I remind myself that I have no real reason to care. I do anyway, but at least I know it makes no sense.

    Reply

    1. All of us have different purposes with our blog but what is most important is to always enjoy it! As long as we care about our blog and our readers and as long as we enjoy what we do, then blogging is a pleasure with or without revenue 😉

      Reply

  23. Thanks for your post. As someone who is just starting out it’s so useful to read this type of info. I have been posting about my travels on Facebook for 3 years now and people kept encouraging me to start a blog. So finally, a couple of weeks ago I took the plunge. I am loving it but need to formulate a plan of how to manage my time and how often to post etc.
    I also hope to earn something from it but there seems to be such a variance in how that works out for people. I have met people who make a living from blogging and others who, like yourself, earn peanuts. I would be happy with a modest return for my efforts but how to generate it, that is the question. Time will tell. I would appreciate feedback from yourself, or anyone else who has time to take a look at my blog, I’m eager to learn.

    Reply

    1. I’m glad you’ve started this journey! Yes, I guess the most important is to find your schedule…the one that works for you! And once you find it, consistency is another important factor!
      However, earning or not earnings, remember to always enjoy it!
      Merry Christmas 🎄 and happy blogging! 😉

      Reply

    1. Thank you very much for sharing! I’m glad you find it useful! I have started in the same way and is a wonderful journey!
      Always remember to enjoy it! Happy blogging! 😉🤩

      Reply

  26. I’m not sure followers equals income. I have been blogging for 12 months and I have 750’ish followers. However, I had 44,000 views and made $44 dollars or $1 per 1000 views… with that sort of windfall, I’m afraid long lost relatives will soon be calling. Nonetheless, I promote my blogs by posting them to relevant Facebook pages and that increases my views.

    Reply

  28. hello ,,i am really motivated by your post ,,, but i just want you to tell me how much did you pay for your premium registration because from my country am realising am suppose to pay 156USD which am thinking it’s huge amount for my my blog🤔🤔🤔🤔😏😏

    Reply

    1. Hello, thank you very much for stopping by! I pay USD 120 per year…is not cheap but otherwise I have a very limited space for pictures and I do like to publish a lot of photos 🤪😊
      If you don’t publish too many photos, I guess the non paid version is pretty good to use too 😉

      Reply

    1. Thank you very much for stopping by!
      Great post! I agree we should be careful in doing such a choice as we really may loose our genuine followers! Great example 😉

      Reply

  33. I like your story, using blogs gives us the opportunity to make the world more advanced. I learn new stuff everyday. I personally have spent my lifetime mastering my skills which I want to share. and bring the enjoyment and irreplaceable experiences for those that haven’t arrived yet, but on the right track

    Reply

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