Becoming a blogger has many advantages that are often talked about but people rarely talk about the disadvantages of blogging.
Wondering what’s on the flipside?
Here, we’re going to take a deep dive into the honest disadvantages of blogging.
As a blogger myself, I can tell you that the advantages of blogging are freakishly amazing! It is one of the best ways to make money online.
You’ll be your own boss and you can earn from anywhere in the world (even from your couch), all of this sounds amazing, right?Â
However, you will have to put in a lot of hours and an immense amount of effort to start relishing all the benefits.
So, it is important to weigh out the pros and cons before you decide on whether blogging is for you. In this article, I’ll share with you all the disadvantages of blogging from a personal viewpoint.
Let’s dig in!
At a glance, some of the disadvantages of blogging are:
- Blogging Needs Time and Effort
- Blogging Doesn’t Guarantee A Return On Investment
- Blogging Has A Technical Side
- Blogging Requires A Specific Skill Set
- Blogging Is Not As Straightforward As It Seems
- Blogging May Risk Hurting Your Business
- Blogging Requires More Than Just Passion
- Blogging As A Job Is Not As Flexible As It’s Made Out To Be
- Blogging Can Be Lonely
- Blogging Is Highly Competitive
- Blogging Does Not Provide Financial Stability
- Blogging Does Not Have A Clear Career Path
- Blogging Requires A Lot Of Time Online
- Blogging As A Job Can Affect Your Mental Well-being
- Blogging Is An Unconventional Career
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15 Disadvantages of Blogging
The reality is that blogging is far from easy, here we break down the disadvantages of blogging you should consider before starting a blog.
1. Blogging Needs Time And Effort And Might Not Make You Money
Yes, there is no easy way to say this but you’re not going to start earning from your blog right away.
And the reason why blogging is bad if you’re going all-in is that there is a chance that you might not make money, ever.
On average, it takes a period of at least 6 to 12 months for bloggers to start making revenue from their blogs, but it could take longer. Many bloggers give up early because they are not patient enough.
However, whether you eventually monetize your blog really depends on the time and effort you invest in it. The harsh reality of blogging is that you need to put in hours of consistent work before you start reaping any benefits.
Here’s a tip if you’ve read this far and you’re not discouraged.
Aim to publish at least one post a week, don’t start a blog unless you can commit to that. It would be ideal to publish two to four posts a week if you want to fast-track your progress.
The idea of posting frequently is to build authority and start driving traffic.
According to marketer Neil Patel, the goal is to get over 10,000 monthly unique visitors to start making a proper revenue stream from your blog.
If you’re looking for more guidance, check out my article on how often you should post on your blog to make money.
2. You May Not Get Back Your Return On Investment
We’re not just talking about monetary investment here.
Starting a blog is affordable, you can start a blog today with as little as $3.95 a month with my special link on Bluehost.
The major investments are the number of hours that you’ll never get back and the work you’ve put into the blog.
You will have to be prepared to publish quality content consistently for as long as it takes before you start driving in major traffic for your blog.
What is considered quality content you ask?
Well, quality content is content that is detailed, to the point, easy to understand, and above all, content that your readers want to read.
There are a few key strategies that will drive traffic faster, such as
- Writing well-researched and SEO-optimized content
- Sharing marketing content on social media platforms and creating Pins on Pinterest.
- Get a backlink by writing guest posts for other blogs in your niche.
All of this sounds like a lot, but the process can be a lot more simplified and faster if you learn from bloggers with experience.
Learn how to write SEO-optimized blog posts and how to triple your traffic with my courses.
3. Blogging Has A Technical Side
Is it necessary to be tech-savvy as a blogger?
Absolutely not, but having technical knowledge is definitely a flex that will make things easier.
(Note – I am allergic to technology but I still run 5 profitable blogs! So its possible !)
You are mistaken if you think all you have to do is write as a blogger. Writing is just one aspect of managing a blog, there is also the backend stuff.
The disadvantages of blogging platforms are that you will need to deal with all sorts of issues from time to time.
You need to be proactive and willing to learn how to fix problems on your own.
When you come across uncharted territory, you have to be patient enough to search the internet or reach out to a fellow blogger to find a solution.
You’ll face algorithm updates, server outages, and issues within your control like SEO management, formatting, and design.
If you find all of this a bit of a drag, you should reconsider if blogging is for you.
4. Blogging Requires A Certain Skill Set
Like any career, you need a certain skill set for blogging. You don’t need to be skilled when you start, just like with any job, you can cultivate it.
To be a successful blogger, you will definitely need good content writing skills, which encompasses researching ideas for content, good grammar, the format of content, the layout, what words to use and not use, and more.
Another important skill is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), the process of improving a site’s ranking on Google. With SEO you can dramatically increase traffic to your site.
Some bloggers find SEO hard to grasp and too technical for their liking.
Social media skills are just as important to building your brand and audience, however, it isn’t a skill you must have.
With the help of social media, you can improve your blog traffic, create brand awareness, create income streams, and more.
There are various Facebook groups, pages, and social media accounts by bloggers you can follow to learn and gain inspiration.
These are just a few of the skills that I learned were important as I progressed through my blogging journey.
You can start blogging without these skills, you just have to be open to learning as you go.
5. Blogging Is Not As Straightforward As It Seems
Starting a blog is a straightforward process, you just have to follow a few steps and within minutes your blog is ready.
However, the process of turning your blank website into a valuable resource that serves a purpose and has a viewership is the part that is a bit of a roller coaster ride.
It is not as simple as just churning out content weekly with the hopes that your great writing skills attract readers.
Here are a few important things that you should not overlook when starting a blog:
The first thing you have to work on when you start a blog is to create your ‘brand personality.
People need to know the person behind the blog, and they need to feel welcomed when they are browsing through it. Decide on the type of ‘voice’ and ‘feel’ you’re going for and make sure your writing and design reflect your brand.
One of the best ways to grow your blog, which is not talked about enough, is to connect with other bloggers within your niche, that’ll help you reach new audiences and build authority.
You can do this by pitching to guests’ blogs or engaging with their content by commenting on a post or sharing it on your social media accounts.
One of the biggest disadvantages of blogging is not knowing your journey unless you start.
6. Blogging May Risk Hurting Your Business
Blogging is actually great for your business website as it can drive more traffic and provide you with more opportunities to generate leads.
However, one of the disadvantages of blogging for business is that there is a huge risk that adding a blog to your business may not align with your business goals and might not get you the results you desire despite heftily investing in a team of writers.
A big disadvantage of blogging in business is that blogging may cost you your customers and partners. If you decide to start a blog, you need to ensure you do it well.
A business blog has to provide its target customers with valuable and relevant information to build the know-like-trust marketing influence.
One of the biggest blogger marketing disadvantages is if your blog is inconsistent with your business and brand feel, customers might lose trust in your business.
As a business blog, your content must be optimized, it’ll likely be just a waste of time and manpower if it is not. You have to make sure your content is visible, especially to readers and potential customers that want to find it.
Blogging is great for public relations. However, if you say one wrong thing, it’ll spread like wildfire and ruin your brand image in an instant.
Be careful about what you say online as a business. It is important to make sure it doesn’t cross any boundaries, ethical or otherwise.
7. Blogging Requires More Than Just Passion
It’s everyone’s dream to have a career they absolutely love and are passionate about. However, no matter how much you love doing something, it often isn’t enough to get you to the finish line.
The finish line in this case is being a successful blogger with a solid monthly revenue stream. Passion is a necessary ingredient, but it’s not the key ingredient to your success as a blogger.
And I think it’s important you take note that you do not need to have passion for your blog’s niche. Experience and interest in it are more than enough to get you by, but you do need to have a passion for:
- writing and structuring content
- learning new strategies to improve your blog’s traffic
- finding lucrative ways to monetize your blog
- fixing issues as they come and go
And most importantly, you need to be disciplined, because on days that you’re not motivated or filled with passion to do anything, having a reliable blogging routine will get you through it.
8. Blogging As A Job Is Not As Flexible As It’s Made Out To Be
Are you already picturing yourself perched in a cafe by the beach squeezing in an hour of work before you go on a beautiful sunset cruise?
Yes, many bloggers are digital nomads, which is fully possible when you work online.
However, that doesn’t mean that they work any less than they would have to at a day job.
In fact, bloggers may have to work harder especially if they are just starting out.
The disadvantages of a blog here are that it is a lot of work.
The only way you are going to succeed is if you treat your blog like a full-time job and business, and IT IS.
Sure, you can work hours that suit your lifestyle, and this is especially convenient if you’re a parent or on the road. But you have to put in the hours.
A great way to do this is to have a daily blogging routine.
9. Blogging Can Be Lonely
If you’re wondering what are the disadvantages of blogging as a full-time career, it’s that it can be very lonely.
Being a blogger allows you to be your own boss, but working on your own isn’t for everyone either. When you first start out, it is likely that you’ll be a one-person show.
A great way to keep yourself social is to occasionally work at coworking places, join networking groups, and take part in other activities such as going on a group expedition or simply having dinner with friends.
10. Blogging Is Highly Competitive
As of now, there are over 6 million blogs and more than 5,000 blog posts published each minute, on the internet.
The blogging industry is very competitive, and your content needs to have its own unique twist to be noticed.
It is also harder to get noticed in highly saturated niches like the food or health niches.
However, don’t let these numbers scare you. As long as you are putting out quality, well-researched, and SEO-optimized content, you will be able to build your audience.
11. Blogging Does Not Provide Financial Stability
Unlike having a full-time job, you won’t be receiving a fixed income with benefits at the end of every month.
No matter how much great content you put out there, there is no guarantee that each of your posts is going to perform well and bring in traffic.
The blog may not always perform well and your income may vary month by month.
My advice is to not place all your eggs in one basket and consider taking on other streams of income, especially in the beginning.
Other great alternatives to blogging you can consider whilst blogging to make money are freelance writing, hosting workshops, and creating digital products like online courses or e-books.
Take a look at my course on freelance writing to boost your monthly income by doing what you love!
12. Blogging Does Not Have A Clear Career Path
Don’t misunderstand me, blogging can absolutely be a full-time career. However, your career trajectory would not be the same as traditional careers.
As you are your own boss in most cases, you will not have career development or guidance unless you invest in blogging courses, a business coach, or appoint a mentor.
Growth is a hundred percent dependent on you.
The harder you work, the more you learn, the better you get, and the more you grow!
The great thing about blogging is that it can lead to other wonderful opportunities if that is what you want for yourself.
You can host your own podcast, become a guest speaker, consult businesses or individuals in your niche, and start selling products and services related to your blog.
13. Blogging Requires A Lot Of Time Online
One of the subjective disadvantages of blogging is that your work is mostly online.
And that means you’ll be spending a lot of time looking at your laptop screen and using the internet for research.
By spending most of your day online cooped up in a room, you may miss out on other important things like sunlight and human interaction.
If you’re not careful about balancing out the hours you spend working online, it can have some serious effects on your physical and mental wellbeing.
14. Blogging As A Job Can Affect Your Mental Well-being
So what are the effects of blogging on your mental health?
Well, working in blogging and social media as a whole can be mentally taxing.
In fact, studies suggest that 90% of content creators have experienced burnout and a whopping 71% have considered quitting.
The pressure of constantly thinking about ideas for new posts and creating content daily can be a bit much for anyone.
It’s important as a blogger to know how to organize your life, as you are your own boss, the chances of overworking and burning out are high.
My advice would be to prioritize having a work-life balance.
Create a daily routine and have a cut-off time for blogging, take most weekends off, go on holidays, and meet friends and family often.
15. ​​Blogging Is An Unconventional Career
Blogging is an unconventional but feasible career choice. When people traditionally think of careers, doctors, lawyers, managers, and firefighters come to mind.
Not everyone is going to understand your choice in a blogging career. As it is risky and not all bloggers become successful, many may be skeptical of your choice.
As long as you know that you can turn your blog into a source of income, you’ll have to ignore the naysayers and focus on yourself.
Although it might seem like many people are blogging today, it is still a path less traveled.
Do The Pros Outweigh The Cons?
Now that we’re clear on the disadvantages of blogging to consider, do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Here are some key advantages that I think really make blogging worthwhile.
- Be Your Own Boss and Manage Your Own Business
- Small Investment To Start A Blog
- Work From Literally Anywhere
Be Your Own Boss and Manage Your Own Business
Starting your very own blog equates to you no longer having to work for someone else in the long run.
Once your blog picks up speed and you start earning an income from it, you can say bye to that 9 to 5 life.
This is a huge pro as you have the freedom to set up, write and manage your blog any way you like plus you can take days off anytime you want!
Small Investment To Start A Blog
Starting your own blog can be inexpensive, there are many affordable and free options for all that you need when it comes to setting up your blog.
You can invest in more expensive options once you start making money from your blog.
You can start a blog with less than $100 using this guide, I think that is a small price to pay for running your own business.
The currency that matters when it comes to blogging is time and effort.
Flexible Living
You can blog literally at any time of the day and from anywhere in the world.
This is the real reason why I chose to blog. You have the freedom to live a full life while managing a business and making a living.
All you need is a laptop and decent Wifi, and you’re good to go.
If you ask me, a hundred times yes, being a blogger has been everything I’ve dreamt of in terms of a career.
Blogging changed my life for the better, and it can do the same for you.
FAQ
What Are The Disadvantages Of Blogging For Students?
The disadvantages of blogging for students are
- Blogging distracts students from studying
- Blogging can be socially isolating for individuals
- Blogging requires a lot of time
What Are The Disadvantages Of Blogging For Businesses?
The disadvantages of blogging for businesses are
- Blogging needs time and effort
- Blogging doesn’t guarantee a return on investment
- Blogging has a technical side
- Blogging requires a specific skillset
- Blogging is not as straightforward as it seems
- Blogging may risk hurting your business
- Blogging requires more than just passion
- Blogging as a job is not as flexible as it’s made out to be
- Blogging can be lonely
- Blogging is highly competitive
- Blogging does not provide financial stability
- Blogging does not have a clear career path
- Blogging requires a lot of time online
- Blogging is an unconventional career
- Blogging as a job can affect your mental well-being
What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Blogging?
The advantages and disadvantages of blogging are
| Advantages of blogging | Disadvantages of blogging |
| Allows you to share your experiences | Everything you publish is accessible to anyone online, you can’t erase what you’ve published |
| Easy and fast to set up, do not need to be tech-savvy | Need to be open to learning new things to successfully manage a blog |
| Easy and fast to publish and manage posts | It is time-consuming to write and update posts |
| People can engage with your blog through comments | People may be insensitive, rude and cost your reputation through comments |
What Is Successful Blogging?
Just about anyone can create a website, publish a post, and call themselves a blogger today. So what do people expect from blogs, why should anyone blog and what does it take to be a successful blogger?
The purpose of a blog is essentially to provide information that people want.
As a blogger, blogging gives you the opportunity to establish your authority online, earn a living, and as a business, you can potentially generate leads via your blog.
What is successful blogging though? Being successful in blogging is whatever you’ve aimed to achieve by blogging.
But when most people start a blog, they aim to one-day turn blogging to create visibility, make money, and work from wherever they want.
If all you want out of blogging is a hobby, then you don’t have to worry about the disadvantages.
But, if you do want to pursue ‘successful blogging’ and turn your blog into an income stream, it’s important that you know it’s not all rainbows and butterflies.
Final Thoughts on Disadvantages of Blogging
Now you know that blogging is not all roses as depicted on social media and that there are obvious disadvantages to blogging.
However, I must tell you that the disadvantages are menial in comparison to the myriad of advantages that blogging provides.
It’s up to you to decide if you have what it takes to overcome the hardships of becoming a successful blogger head-on.
So, if you find blogging to be enjoyable, you’re willing to put in the hard work and take on the foreseeable challenges, I don’t see a reason for you to not start blogging today!
Still need to know more about the advantages and disadvantages of blogging to decide if it’s for you, read my blog post to get a clearer picture.
