7 Blogging Myths BUSTED

When it comes to blogging, there is not always a clear distinction between right and wrong. Your journey to success will look different than everyone else’s.

But it seems like there are certain beliefs that many people still hold onto in the blogging world. Whether you are new to blogging, or have been at it for a few years, you have probably come across some of these blogging myths that I am going to share with you today.

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I have been blogging for a little over four years, and I am definitely guilty of falling victim to a few of these myths.

As someone who has been around for awhile, I feel like it is my duty to share with you some of the blogging myths that I have encountered.

Blogging Myths Busted:

#1 Your blog is about you 

Nope, definitely wrong. Shocking, right?

You started your blog, so it should be about you. Sorry to say, but it can’t be.

Most blogs are started as a hobby, and more often than not, they share personal stories and life experiences.

But the main focus of your blog needs to be your audience. Although you still need to maintain your unique voice and writing style, your reader’s needs should be your focal point. In order to build a relationship and gain a loyal audience, you have to serve their needs.

This does not mean you can’t share your life throughout your blog; it just means that you need to tie it in to help solve your reader’s problems, and answer their questions, within your content.

#2 If you build it, they will come 

Even if you have the most interesting blog and write mind-blowing content, your posts still need to be found by your ideal readers. Yes, I know everyone says the term, “Content is King”, which means your amazing content should be found automatically, but that is not always the case.

I made this mistake when I first started blogging. I was so excited to have my blog up and running, that it never occurred to me that people would not come flooding in.

I wrote a few posts and then sat back and waited, and waited, and waited. Want to know what happened? No one came…

Promotion is an important aspect of blogging. You cannot sit on the sidelines and wait for readers to find your blog. You need to go find them.

#3 Having a blog niche will limit you 

I used to wholeheartedly believe this myth. I was so worried that if I narrowed down my focus and stayed within a niche that I would be limiting myself. I wanted to relate to everyone who landed on my blog, and to do this, I needed to write about every topic possible…or so I thought.

I was wrong. You cannot be an expert in everything. I was trying to relate to everyone, and in doing so I wasn't relating to anyone. People would land on my blog and not understand what it was about. It was overwhelming, and the audience that I was getting was not my ideal reader. Once I took the time to figure out my blog’s purpose, I began to grow and connect with my readers. This myth held me back for a long time [2 years, but who’s counting?].

{Related: Finding Your Blog Niche}

#4 Lots of traffic = lots of money 

I have heard this myth quite a bit over the last few years. A lot of bloggers bank on the notion that if they have a post go viral, that they will be set. Although it is nice to increase your page views and have more traffic, it does not necessarily mean more money.

You can have an extremely small and engaged audience, and make much more money than someone with a huge audience.

The key is not comparing yourself to other bloggers. Just because someone may have 1 million page views does not mean that they make a ton of money from their blog. The relationship that you build with your readers is much more valuable.

Your authority and reputation will have a bigger impact on your audience. You could have a ton of traffic, but if your readers do not value your blog, it won’t make a difference how many visitors you have.

#5 You need to blog everyday 

Not only is blogging everyday difficult to keep up with, but it does not directly correlate to the success of your blog. Every blog is different and every blog has a different audience.

You may see bloggers who are extremely successful post once a week, and another successful blogger post every single day.

You need to figure out what works well with you and your audience. Focus on quality over quantity. Do not get caught up in posting every day just because that is what you see other people doing.

If you need to, take more time to perfect a post rather than posting because you feel like you have to.

I got caught up in this myth in the beginning years of my blog. I was so worried that if I did not post every single day, that people would stop coming to my site.

I was not focusing on the quality of my content. It did not matter if I posted three times a day; I was not going to build a larger audience, because my posts were rushed and did not offer much value.

#6 Every post needs to be optimized 

Not everything you write needs to be done for SEO purposes. Focusing on SEO is a great way to target specific keywords, but sometimes you just need to write for your audience, without trying to put in keywords and phrases.

#7 You need a large audience to be successful 

This is definitely a myth. Like I mentioned above, a larger audience does not necessarily mean you will be successful. Having a smaller audience, who is loyal to you and your blog, can be much more beneficial. You need to be focusing on building a community of like-minded people, not worrying about your numbers.

Organic growth will happen when you put in the work, and focus on attracting the right readers to your blog.

Did you fall victim to any of these myths?