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I know this is sort of a "duh" statement, especially to all of you, but sometimes it needs to be said. No matter what type of blog you have, you will be putting in time towards your blog that you could have spent doing something else. Knowing how much time you are willing to put into your blog from the beginning allows you to properly plan for your blog posts. I usually can put in anywhere from 15-60 minutes on a blog post (usually I'm doing three things at once) depending on what I'm posting. I blog over at Static-Romance daily and I blog here at Sunshine Bloggers at least once a week. 

I usually have to collect images, make sure they're properly labeled, edit the alt tags upon upload, make sure my links are properly tagged, and the list goes on and on. There's also regular site maintenance, social media upkeep, building and maintaining your blog community...it's a process! Blogging for yourself or your business requires a certain level of passion and dedication. Readers can always tell when someone really cares about what they're blogging about. It's what drives them to keep coming back.If you feel your heart is calling you to blog, do so. Despite the process, it's an experience you will hopefully enjoy.

Your Blog's Design Matters

When it comes down to it, your blog is a website. Web design does matter. Your blog's design does matter. It's not done intentionally, but I have a hard time following blogs that are poorly constructed. The blog's appearance generally has no effect on the quality of the content; however, if posts are written in 28px Comic Sans with a 20px line-spacing, I won't probably read a word of it.

Have you noticed that larger blogs generally have a well-branded blog? People read blogs they can understand. They want to be able to rely on certain features, consistent post schedules, and easy navigation. It can sometimes been seen as a bit rebellious and self-satisfying to go against the grain and make your blog look the way you feel it's best. Trust me, I've read plenty of about me paragraphs that start with "I'm not a designer so I don't care about the way my blog looks." That's awesome! That's what makes your blog your own. However, most people aren't going to read a blog that does not stimulate their aesthetic appeal. At the end of the day, what your blog looks like does matter. Is it always fair? Of course not, but that's reality.

Most Blogs Don't Generate Lots of Traffic

The truth is, most personal blogs will not generate thousands of pageviews a month. Your blog may not end up in a magazine. You may not get a book deal. You may never see 100 comments on a post and that is OK. (If you do, that's amazing!) I've read dozens of posts over the years of bloggers feeling insignificant when compared to the blogs of their idols or their peers. Your blog is your own. Becoming content with what your blog is and your blog community is such an important part of the blogging process. If you aren't content with what you've achieved, you're always going to be seeking more. It's ok to have goals of reaching a certain amount of visitors a month. Don't be discouraged when you don't.

Blogging is trendy. Readers are attracted by things that interest them. For some reason, what your blog has to offer may not always appeal to the general audience. Who knows where trends may go? Your blog's content may not be popular today but the popular trends could always change tomorrow. Continue your blog's journey and I encourage you to admire what you've done. Like we've stated before, it's hard work and you deserve to reap the benefits.

Blogging is What You Make It