You must understand the advantages and disadvantages of blogging to be successful.
Speaking from experience, as a professional blogger, I know 80% of blogs fail.
I read recently that approximately 600 million blogs exist.
So it’s crazy to see so many business blogs failing.
Let’s face it: blogging isn’t the easiest career choice.
But there are plenty of things you can do to avoid being part of the 80 percent fail statistic.
One of the best ways is to learn from the people who blazed the trail before you.
And understanding the advantages and disadvantages of blogging is key.
In this post, we’re discussing the pros and cons of starting a blog and some must-know tips from a 7-figure blogging pro (yep, that’s me).
As a business lawyer and blogger, I’ve been blogging for around seven years now, and I have plenty of helpful tips for long-term blogging success.
Table of Contents
Why Do People Start Blogs?
Many people start blogs simply to blog about something they are passionate about or share experiences like traveling or overcoming a problem or challenge.
This could be anything from a personal triumph like losing weight to a social cause or issue.
By the way, if looking to start your blog, make sure to invest in one of these blogging courses first.
People who start blogs on something they are passionate about are more likely to stick with it despite the blogging challenges new bloggers face.
Other people start blogs to share their expertise with a variety of topics ranging from how to start a freelance job to crafting to even starting a blog.
The key to these types of blogs is to focus on what sets you apart, whether that is a unique style, personal experience, or perspective. After all, someone has probably covered the topic before.
No matter what blog you start, many people don’t know the advantages and disadvantages of blogging.
That means most newbies don’t know that their blog must be helpful and a topic people are searching for; otherwise, no one will read it!
Not all blogs are about educating readers or selling services and products.
They can also be entertaining, such as humor or topics about life in general.
19 Cons of Blogging
I believe in starting with the bad news first.
But when it comes to the advantages and disadvantages of blogging, the cons aren’t really bad news because you’ll know what to expect.
Being Consistent and Committing to a Blogging Schedule
Many bloggers, regardless of experience, struggle to post content on a regular basis.
New bloggers are often juggling full-time jobs, while experienced ones have busy schedules.
However, consistently publishing new content is crucial for increasing visibility and boosting rankings in search engines.
SEO-optimized posts drive website traffic and help grow your blog and income.
By regularly posting repurposed or new content, you can establish yourself as an expert.
Being seen as an expert in your niche helps you build the know, like, and trust factor needed to convert readers into customers.
Use this marketing tool to create content 10x faster. THIS TOOL can also write Facebook ads, Google ads, copywriting frameworks, emails, landing page copy, and more.
Time Commitment
Blogging requires a considerable time commitment that many content creators don’t think of when they start a blog.
It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to build a blogging business.
First, there’s the technical side of setting up a blog, email service provider, accounts on social media platforms, and so much more.
Secondly, there never seem to be enough hours in the day, as growing a blog takes a lot of time.
From coming up with content ideas to writing posts and social media captions, it’s all a lot to do while managing life.
Not to mention the skills you need to build all while learning how to market your blog and increase visibility.
Being Strategic
Blogging in the digital marketing space requires more than just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.
While experimentation has its place, success comes from being strategic about your efforts and investments.
The online world is increasingly competitive, especially with AI amplifying content production.
To stand out, focus on creating relevant content that aligns with your quarterly and yearly goals.
This strategic approach not only simplifies your process but also lays the foundation for successful blogging.
By breaking tasks into manageable steps, you create a clear blueprint for growth and success.
Putting Yourself Out There Can Be Hard
Whether you’re new or experienced, attracting potential customers and clients can be intimidating, especially with fears of failure or negative comments from internet trolls.
However, to reach your target audience and build brand awareness, you need to step into the spotlight, particularly through video content.
Audiences love connecting with the human side of a business, which is key to building the know, like, and trust factor.
Start small with Instagram Reels or TikTok videos, and gradually work your way up to creating a YouTube channel or presenting at online summits.
While it can be stressful, the opportunities it brings are invaluable for growth.
Blogging as a Business
This mistake is one almost ALL bloggers make.
Even with personal blogs, you must treat your blog like a business if you want to make money from it.
Because it’s a business, you need to be strategic with everything you do and make a plan for success.
It’s much more than pumping out valuable content.
Every successful blogger knows it’s a dash of experimentation to see what works and then doing more or that and ditching what isn’t.
And that means sometimes you have to pivot. Being strategic means, you’ll know when you need to adjust your tactics and try new ideas.
Related Post: Avoid these 20 blogging mistakes as well!
You Have to be a Self-Motivator
When you running a professional blog, one of the downsides is that you don’t have a supervisor to motivate you.
Getting things done is your job alone. It’s a great idea to find another friend in the blogging community who can be an accountability partner and motivator.
People who make the most successful business owners are often self-starters and don’t procrastinate (though we all do this at some point).
Getting Organized
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to organize your digital files and workspace.
Getting organized helps reduce stress, improve productivity, and eliminate time wasted looking for all the things you need to finish projects.
The Financial Investment Requirement
While start-up costs for starting new blogs are relatively low, you often need to invest in online courses and support to fast-track your path to success.
I hear so many new bloggers say that they won’t spend money until they make money.
That is the wrong mindset to have because smart investments can help you level up your skills quickly to find success faster.
No, you don’t need the extra cost of all the shiny objects that come up.
However, you must invest money in your blog as this is investing in your long-term success.
Plus, monetizing your blog helps you earn that money back.
Talking about monetization, join our high-paying affiliate program to earn a 40% commission sale on all our legal templates.
The Alone Time
It’s not a job where you can socialize at work like a traditional job, but you can network with other bloggers.
In fact, you need to connect with other content creators to be successful.
Participating in events like bundles and virtual summits can help you leverage other people’s audiences.
The best part is that they offer an additional income stream through affiliate marketing.
Takes Time to Make Money Blogging
Don’t start a blog thinking you will make money overnight.
It’s not a quick rich scheme and takes months and years to start making decent money.
So be prepared for that long-term commitment and be patient with your results.
Here are the different ways to make money blogging.
It Can Take a While to Find True Success
Even if you start making money through ads or any other way, your income will fluctuate.
Bloggers often find it can take a long time to find success, especially with a new blog.
It takes resilience, tenacity, and dedication to get you through the hard times, and there will be hard times!
Your blogging journey is different than everyone else’s, so marking your success by theirs’ isn’t realistic.
Even slow progress is progress, so just keep putting one foot forward and monitoring your results so you can adapt your strategy.
Here are additional tips on starting a successful blog.
Writing Blog Posts
Writing blog posts is not the same as any other type of writing.
You have to write articles that are easy to digest with shorter sentences.
For example, if you enjoy talking more than writing then maybe create a YouTube channel instead.
You also have to learn SEO and different ways to optimize your blog posts for search engines.
And you do have to commit to publishing content fast to gain traffic from Google.
This is why I recommend using this SEO tool along with this AI tool to create outlines and write blog articles.
Learning SEO
Learning SEO is a huge challenge for many bloggers, and many just choose to ignore it until they “have more time” or “things slow down.”
Spoiler alert: They never will, and SEO is an incredibly important skill to learn, even with all the Google updates that have decimated many bloggers’ traffic.
Learning how to do keyword research and optimize your content to rank higher in search results is a must.
The key is diversifying your traffic so you’re not relying on one source.
Consider Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, and other reliable sources, along with search engine traffic.
Blogging Needs Some Knowledge of Tech
Running a blog comes with its share of technical challenges, from minor tech glitches to major issues that can take your site offline.
Although WordPress is harder to learn than a free blogging platform, it’s worth the effort for its self-hosted functionalities and features like plugins.
Building your WordPress site and setting up your email marketing and social media accounts yourself gives you valuable technical knowledge.
In turn, that helps you troubleshoot issues and improve your tech skills.
Is your blog legal? Make sure to protect it legally with these tips.
The Blogging World is Always Changing
One thing in blogging is certain – it’s always changing, so you’ll see new things regularly, such as:
- Trends
- Technologies
- Systems
- Social media channels
- AI (now!)
- New privacy laws
And more!
Over time, some trends and platforms fizzle out, with new ones taking their place.
Always stay up-to-date on the latest tech and trends in your niche and the blogging world.
Those who jump on them first often reap huge rewards.
Not Legally Protecting Your Blog
Did you know that there are specific legal pages for blogs that you must have, or you’re breaking the law?
Blogging is much more than installing WordPress, writing a few blog posts, and calling it a day.
One of the biggest blogging mistakes new bloggers (and even experienced ones) make is not having the proper legal pages on their website.
Your legal pages are the very foundation of your blog, and they cover you legally. The pages you must have include:
Terms and conditions: Terms and conditions set up your blog’s rules and regulations.
Privacy Policy: This legal template ensures your blog’s legal compliance
Blog Disclaimer: This page limits your legal liability.
Grab my discounted Legal Bundle here to get the legal pages you need for your blog. It includes awesome bonuses too!
People Don’t Understand What You Do
I remember when I started my blog while working full-time as a lawyer, nobody in my family or inner circle understood the reason.
They didn’t even know you could make money blogging.
It’s also hard to explain to others why you do what you do.
So be prepared for this as one of the disadvantages of blogging.
You have to Learn Many New Skills
Blogging is not just about writing blog posts.
You need to learn MANY new skills such as sales, social media marketing, creating content, hiring employees, etc.
After all, you are going to be running a business, and that comes with big responsibility.
You also need some essential blogging tools such as Link Whisper, Rankiq, Jasper and others here.
20 Pros of Blogging
Now that we’ve been through some of the cons of blogging, let’s go over some of its advantages.
More Exposure and Visibility
Blogging can increase the visibility of your business, brand, and personal identity.
Ranking your content higher in SERPs can get you in front of a wider audience, increasing the number of potential clients and customers who find you.
Visibility can make or break you.
In the simplest terms, you need to regularly get more eyeballs on your offers to get new customers and clients and increase your income.
Having the best blog articles in the world does nothing if no one is reading them.
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Being Your Own Boss
This one is my favorite.
One of the big reasons why I started my blog was to be my own boss.
What full-time job gives you the freedom and flexibility to be your own boss?
It’s so amazing to know that you get to decide when you work, what you do, and how you do it.
You can take as many sick and vacation days as you want as long as you’re getting work done.
Sky is the Limit When It Comes to Blog Income
Most traditional jobs have an income cap or ceiling, but blogging doesn’t.
I have made seven figures from my blog, which has allowed me to level up my life in big ways.
Though it’s hard work, it’s all worth it.
There are also so many ways to make a full-time income (some of it mostly passive income), such as:
- Affiliate marketing
- Selling online courses and digital products
- Display ads
- Sponsorships
- Offering services
Just like your traffic, you want to diversify your income streams, too.
Working from Anywhere
One of my favorite things about blogging is the ability to work from home or anywhere with internet service.
You can’t beat the commute, and you save on expenses like eating out and gas.
Plus, if you’re a travel blogger, you can even get paid to travel all over the world.
Minimal Start-Up Costs
It doesn’t cost a lot to start your first blog (or next).
You can start with a free theme (though you’ll want to upgrade to a paid theme later), a domain name, and hosting. You’ll want to get an email service provider to grow your email list.
Mailerlite has a great free plan you can start with.
For hosting, I recommend Bluehost, BigScoots, or Siteground.
Siteground or Bluehost are great to start with.
As your blog grows, BigScoots has shared and managed WordPress hosting plans.
Learning New Skills and Knowledge
One of the best things about blogging is the education aspect.
It’s important to keep up with new blogging tools and technology.
As a small business owner, it’s important to take courses that help you level up your knowledge so you learn new skills and blog better.
Flexibility
The flexibility blogging offers, even for a new business owner, is unmatched by any other career.
You can work when you want to and go to lunch in the middle of the day. You can also travel as long as you have internet service where you’re going.
A Creative Outlet
Blogging also provides a creative outlet where you can create a variety of forms of content and learn more about your industry or niche.
Blogging also helps establish you as an expert, which can lead to new opportunities for making money and growing your business.
Improved Writing Skills
Writing skills can help you in so many aspects of your professional and personal life.
The more high-quality content you write, the more comfortable you become with certain topics and expressing your thoughts and new ideas.
Helping Other People
One main reason many people blog is to help others.
Sharing your experiences and how you overcame challenges in some aspect of life can make a difference in so many people’s lives.
There is nothing better than getting comments on blog posts or email replies from subscribers saying how much you helped them.
When you answer questions, provide tips, and explain how to deal with problems, you’re potentially changing lives.
Bigger Reach and Impact
As you help more people, you grow your impact and reach.
For example, through my legal templates alone, I have helped thousands of entrepreneurs protect their businesses.
This would have taken me years if I worked 1:1 to help all those people but blogging allowed me to reach more people quickly.
Each Day is Different
When it comes to blogging, no two days are the same.
One day, you may be preparing to speak at a virtual summit, while another, you could be working on a new lead magnet or digital product.
There are a variety of things to do, such as:
- Writing emails
- Creating digital products and freebies
- Designing blog graphics
- Designing or updating your website (avoid these website mistakes)
- Working on collaborations like bundles and virtual summits
- Creating social media content
- Writing blog posts
- And more!
Become a Better Copywriter
You learn to present information in a more persuasive and impactful way.
In other words, you get to enhance your copywriting skills as you write more content, create sales pages, landing pages, etc.
You learn how to write content that resonates with your audience.
Check out these copywriting books to learn more.
New Opportunities to Grow Your Business
The more experience you get blogging, the more opportunities will come your way.
The more opportunities you get to promote yourself and grow your business, the faster your business and income grow.
So, while blogging is hard work, the good news is that it’s rewarding and can help you find new clients, customers, and ways to make money.
Setting Your Own Schedule
This blogging pro may be one of the best!
So, many of us are forced to fit our lives around our work schedules with traditional jobs. But blogging and working from home allows you to fit your work into your life.
Not to mention, regular jobs often force you to wake up and sleep hours that may not work with your natural sleep patterns.
With blogging, if you’re a night owl, you can get up late. If you love mornings, get up early before your family does.
Make Money in Your Sleep
Yes, blogging allows you to make money in your sleep.
Whether it’s making money from affiliate sales or your own digital products, it’s a great feeling to wake up to sales in your inbox.
So blogging can certainly make you passive income.
Business Deductions
Many people don’t realize that one of the big benefits of blogging is being able to take all those business deductions.
Whether it’s your legal pages, your marketing expenses, the cost of your laptop, or any other business-related expense, you can deduct it from your taxes.
Some common examples of deductible expenses for bloggers include:
- Website hosting fees
- Domain registration fees
- Design and development costs for the website
- Software and tools used for blogging purposes
- Advertising and marketing expenses
- Office supplies and equipment (e.g. laptop, camera, printer)
- Travel expenses related to attending blogging conferences or events
Networking and collaborations
Blogging also provides opportunities for networking and collaborations with other bloggers, brands, and businesses.
This can lead to new partnerships, sponsorships, and increased exposure for your blog.
FAQs for Advantages and Disadvantages of Blogging
In case you’re a skimmer, here are some of the common advantages and disadvantages of blogging.
What are the Disadvantages of Blogging?
While blogging has many advantages, there are some disadvantages to consider, such as:
- It requires some tech knowledge.
- The time commitment
- You must learn SEO, which can be challenging.
- It can take time to see success and start making regular income.
- You spend so much time alone (no work friends).
- You must be a self-motivator and self-starter.
- There’s a lot of alone time.
- Putting yourself out there can be hard.
What are the Advantages of Blogging?
While blogging comes with its fair share of challenges, there are many pros, including:
- There’s no limit to how much money you can make.
- Improved writing skills
- Each day is different.
- You truly get to help people and make a difference in their lives.
- Freedom and flexibility
- A creative outlet
- Blogging is a great way to increase visibility and exposure.
- The ability to work from anywhere.
What are the Pros and Cons of a blogger?
While there are plenty of cons of blogging, like technical challenges, fluctuating income, and a steep learning curve, there are many pros, including:
- A flexible lifestyle
- No ceiling to income potential
- Networking and collaboration
- Increased visibility
- Community building for small businesses and solopreneurs
- A creative outlet
- Personal development
What are the three advantages and disadvantages of using websites like blogs?
Three advantages of blogging are:
- It’s a good way to increase visibility and brand awareness.
- The freedom and flexibility
- The ability to connect directly with your target audience
Three disadvantages are:
- There’s a significant time commitment
- Building an audience from scratch can be difficult
- Tech challenges and lack of experience can pose many problems.
Are there any dangers to blogging?
While blogging can offer numerous benefits, it is important to also be aware of potential risks and challenges. These may include:
- Legal issues such as copyright infringement or defamation
- Burnout from constantly creating new content
- Dealing with negative comments or criticism
- Maintaining a consistent audience and staying relevant in a constantly changing online landscape
It is crucial for you to educate yourself on best practices and legal requirements in order to mitigate these risks and ensure the longevity of your blog.
Learn how to how blog legally.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of vlogging?
Vlogging, or video blogging, has become increasingly popular in recent years as a form of online content creation.
Some advantages of vlogging are:
- More personal connection with audience through visual and audio elements
- Easier to convey emotions and personality
- Potential for higher engagement and viral potential
However, there are also some disadvantages to consider when it comes to vlogging:
- Higher production costs (e.g. equipment, editing software)
- Time-consuming process compared to traditional blogging
- Technical difficulties may arise during filming/editing/uploading process.
Overall, whether you choose traditional blogging or vlogging as your preferred method of content creation, it is important to weigh the benefits and challenges to make the best decision for your unique goals and circumstances.
Remember, both blogging and vlogging offer opportunities for growth, creativity, and potentially even financial gain.
Final Thoughts on Advantages and Disadvantages of Blogging
Blogging comes with its fair share of challenges, but the rewards can be well worth the effort.
From tech glitches to time management struggles, it’s not always easy.
However, consistently posting new blog content and optimizing for search engines are keys to increasing website traffic and building brand awareness.
Sure, there are technical hurdles and a steep learning curve. But blogging gives you the freedom to connect directly with your target audience and grow your brand.
No matter the type of blog you choose, success lies in staying organized, being strategic, and continually evolving your skills. While it takes dedication, the opportunities for growth, creativity, and financial freedom are endless.
So, if you’re ready to take on the challenges, blogging can be one of the most rewarding ways to share your voice and build your business. And now you’re set because you know the advantages and disadvantages of blogging.
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