EVER feel like your blogging efforts are going unrewarded?

Are you sick of spending heaps of time on a post and feeling that no one cares about what you’ve written?

Do you look at other bloggers, read other blogs and sometimes feel inadequate, jealous, cheesed off?!

Yes? You do?!

Brilliant.

Then it’s not just me then. *smiles*

I’ve been blogging for over three years now and in the main, I absolutely love what I do. I’ve spoken many a time about how blogging and the blogging world has enriched my life, and it has. In more ways than I’d dared imagine.

However, I’ve also experienced bouts of blogging doubt and have even occasionally dabbled with the thought of quitting. Why? Because sometimes when you’re blogging, you can feel like you’re putting in a whole lot of hard work for little – if any – return.

Every blogger hits a blogging brick wall from time to time. So if you’re currently sick of pounding on bricks and feel like you’ve come to a halt, then here are some tips to help you find your way through (over or underneath) your barriers.

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Stop comparing

Know your worth and stop concentrating on what everyone else is doing. Yes there will be more successful bloggers than you, yes some blogs may be ‘better’ than yours but it’s all relative my friend.

Comparing yourself to other bloggers will only leave you feeling miserable, especially if you’ve experiencing a bump in the blogging road.

So turn your focus around, stop looking outwards and start concentrating inwards, on your blog and making it the very best it can be.

Stop ‘racing’

Blogging is not a race, it’s a journey.

I say these words a lot to myself, many a time too, whenever I feel like my blog is a little stuck or ‘going nowhere’ fast.

Being a blogger is about owning and sharing your voice with the world, therefore when you think about it like that, we’re never really in competition with anyone but ourselves.

When I first started I was an eager beaver, determined to make a name for myself and get myself out there. But all I ended up doing was creating half hearted content and making myself feel like utter crap.

People can smell blogging desperation a mile off, so if you truly are desperate to succeed and are continually push, push, pushing, you’ll probably find that you get much better results if you chill out a little and go more with the flow.

Step back & have a rethink

If you’ve come to a stop in the road, then accept it and STOP. Take a break, gather your thoughts, seek inspiration and have a rethink about your blog.

Are you genuinely happy with the content? Are you in too much of a rush with your posts? Do you really need to write every single day? Are you engaging with the blogging community? Do you give back or just expect to always receive?

When a brick wall appears in front of us, often it’s an obvious sign that something is wrong or we could be doing something better. So use it to your advantage. See it as an opportunity to slow down and think.

What changes could you introduce to make you and your blog happier?

Success takes time

The majority of famous bloggers out there are not ‘overnight’ sensations, but long term grafters who have been slogging their guts out for their blogs, for years.

If you’ve just started out, it’s easy to become disheartened when you feel like you’re not achieving much or that your blog isn’t receiving the attention you hoped it would. But you need to know that being a successful blogger is a long term goal not a short term project.

In the first year of my blogging life, I gained a small but loyal readership, made a few social media ripples and earned nothing. In year two, I saw my readership increase a little and I started to work with brands for small amounts of money or occasional gifts.

And then came Year 3.

In Year 3, I felt a big positive shift. I experienced a leap in visitor numbers, I met a sensational group of blogging pals, I started to earn a lot more money, my posts began to receive recognition and strangers began to tell me that they loved my blog. Oh and I also won an award.

None of this happened overnight.

Making a name for my blog has taken me time, effort, patience and consistency.

Now after taking the leap to become a professional blogger, sure I hope to become bigger and better still, but I’m blogging at my pace, with integrity and I’m more than happy with that.

Reach out

If you’re stuck, ask for help. Reach out to fellow bloggers that you have a relationship with and ask for advice.

If you’d like to earn money from your blog, don’t just wait for brands to come to you. Take a deep breath, get in touch with some PRs and tell them what you can offer.

If you haven’t got any good PR about you and your blog, then contact a journalist and see if you can help them in any way.

If you keep getting ignored, told ‘no’ or are continually rejected, hold on to the faith and keep reaching out. As a blogger, you have to try and make things happen.

Remember why you’re doing it

When I feel rubbish about my blog, I force myself to remember why I’m doing it.

There are three reasons why I blog:

1) Because I am a writer.  That is who I am. That is what I do. And I love it.

2) Because I am passionate about helping and supporting women.

3) Because I love the opportunities that blogging brings.

When I take away all the stress and the pressure that I put on myself to make Pouting In Heels a bigger blogging name, when I strip it all back, when I find some peace, these are always the things that come to mind.

That stop me pulling the plug. That see me through darker blogging days.

So when the brick walls keep appearing and you’re wondering why you should keep bothering, have a quiet moment with yourself and listen to what your heart tells you.

Why are you blogging? 

What does it offer you? What is your reason? What is your goal?

A little soul searching will do and your blog the world of good. And who knows, if you listen intently enough, you may just discover a reason that surprises you or could change everything.

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With love,

Kate

This post is linked to #TheList, #SundayStars.