I’ve been a part of the blogosphere for almost a decade and have learnt a lot, both new and from my mistakes. Here are 10 surprising skills blogging has taught me.

But first…

My Growth as a Blogger

In 2013, I launched Polly Defies Gravity, a lifestyle blog that covered a wide range of themes such as travel, financial literacy, living a healthy lifestyle, and discovering the coolest places to visit. I collaborated with both new and established brands. I attended blogger events and was invited to review a variety of products and services.

My Blogging Dilemmas

1. I knew I wanted to concentrate on a specific niche, but I couldn’t decide which one.
2. Around the year 2016, life became more difficult for me since I grew unwell and, at the same time, I began to suffer financially. I decided to take a three-month break. How can I keep writing about having a healthy lifestyle and being financially secure when I am no longer both? How could I possibly attend events if I wasn’t feeling well?

It didn’t make sense, so I deleted the entire blog in the same year.

Also Read: 12 Beautiful Lessons Travel Has Taught Me

Reemerging and Finding My Niche

One of the most challenging aspects of blogging is choosing a niche. We want to offer our readers everything that interests us, and that’s OK, but remember that by focusing on a specific niche and choosing a targeted audience, you’ll have a better chance of success since you’ll know who to target instead of the “general audience.”

Around 2018, I reemerged with Golden Island Senorita, a blog that focuses on lifestyle, travel, and encouraging professionals that travel is very doable without quitting your job – which became quite a trend with other bloggers parading “I quit my job to travel the world,” with very little information on how to actually start traveling after they leave their jobs. It’s reckless and deceptive, in my opinion. As a blogger, I feel it is our obligation to provide options or solutions whenever we promote something as appealing as quitting jobs and being open about how much we make.

Even when this was my first blog, I valued honesty and standing up for what I believed in and had experienced, no matter how controversial it may appear. When I review products and services, I usually pay for them out of my own wallet. For example, because I’m allergic to most cosmetics, you won’t find me gushing over a beauty product that I didn’t try in return for money or freebies. As a result, I can extensively investigate and produce objective reviews without bias.

Blogging Amidst the Pandemic

Because of travel restrictions, blogging has become incredibly challenging for someone who writes travel posts. Explore creative ways to keep the blog updated, such as posting articles about how to secure documents needed before traveling overseas, COVID-19 travel advisories, and other inbound travel processes. Simultaneously, learn how to optimize the blog so that it ranks high in search engine results by improving SEO.

10 Surprising Skills Blogging Has Taught Me

#1 Be Patient

Blogging is not an overnight success. After you press the publish button, there’s a lot more work to do because the content won’t appear in search engines on the first day. Find ways to publicize your new content by submitting them to search engines and sharing links on social media.

#2 Keeping Yourself Motivated

Are you familiar with the term “Blank Page Syndrome?” It happens when you have ideas for what you want to write but your mind goes blank and you wind yourself looking at the computer screen blankly. It happens to every writer at some point, and it is surmountable. One successful method is to outline your topic first, then expand it. I also have a habit of jumping right into the sections when thoughts are flowing and you can see things clearly.

#3 Be Keen to Learn New Things

Always strive for improvement, find opportunities to evolve, and get better so that we can generate excellent material that our readers can benefit from.

#4 Willing To Learn from Your Mistake

Failure is necessary to be successful. Our mistakes help us in determining our strengths and weaknesses. We will be more open to trying new ideas and reevaluating objectives and priorities if we acknowledge it. We also grow less hesitant about taking chances, and when presented with more difficult situations, we may easily draw on prior mistakes and become wiser in making decisions.

#5 Be Authentic

Authenticity or being authentic comes from being honest. It also means you’re true to your own personality and values, regardless of the pressure that you’re under to act otherwise. The persona you present online is quite similar to who you are in real life. It’s fine to make mistakes, to be vulnerable, and to admit that you don’t have all the answers.

#6 Time Management

Have you ever heard the phrase “work smarter, not harder?” Setting abstract goals is a bad idea since it undermines motivation and commitment. It generally has no clear end or way to know or measure whether or not we were successful.  We will be considerably closer to completing tasks if we set objectives that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. It will help us in establishing a direction in our pursuits and eliminating unnecessary or irrelevant work that will deter us from focusing on what is important.

#7 Making and Maintaining Connections

Making new connections opens up new opportunities. By sharing or exchanging information about challenges, experiences, and goals, a wide and interconnected contact may be an excellent source of fresh ideas and perspectives. You can get insights that can only be obtained by looking at a situation with new eyes. You will also meet experienced peers from whom you will be able to seek advice. The goal of making the connection is to form long-term personal relationships. It should be give-and-take.  Offering genuine assistance to your contacts also builds a solid foundation for receiving support in return when you need it.

#8 Be Consistent

Consistency is far more essential than you may realize. Being consistent helps you to become aware, build trust, and deliver your services in an effective and profitable manner. From a business perspective, your brand is more likely to fail if it lacks it.

#9 Dare to be Different

When you say “dare to be different,” it means you should be true to yourself, no matter how hard the world tries to persuade you to be someone you’re not. You might not be everyone’s cup of tea, which is a wonderful thing. Trying to fit in all the time fosters a sense of indifference and mediocrity.

#10 Confidence in Oneself/Brand

A belief in one’s capability to succeed in specific situations or complete a task is referred to as self-confidence. It also means that you accept and trust yourself and have a sense of control over your life. You are aware of your own strengths and weaknesses and have a positive view of yourself. You have the ability to set reasonable and realistic objectives and goals, speak assertively, and you can handle criticism.

When life becomes rough, being confident in your own strength may help you draw courage and determination. When we are confident, we are more likely to move forward with people and opportunities.

What other skills blogging has taught you? I’d like to know by commenting below.