A Beginner’s Struggle in Blogging

Some people may think that blogging is an easy thing to do. Others would take it for granted because they think it’s just another option and not a regular job that should be taken seriously. Uh oh, I tell you… if you have this mindset you gotta change it because BLOGGING is not as simple as you think.

So I Became A Blogger….

I worked as an entertainment writer and columnist in Manila for a little more than two decades.  When we relocated to Bacolod, I thought of another thing to do that is related to writing. I searched for writing opportunities that are similar to my previous job in Manila but unfortunately at that time, there were none.

Until I chanced upon Mr. Jojo Vito’s blog and after several exchange of messages I asked him if I could write for his blog site as I wanted to learn and discover more about blogging. He readily said yes, and so my journey as a newbie blogger began.

Beginner’s Struggles and Frustrations

As a newcomer in the world of blogging, I admit I had encountered difficulties.  The first year was tough. To this day there are still terms and technicalities that I find hard to cope with.  Since I previously worked as an entertainment writer, the medium we used was taglish (Filipino-English). Writing in straight English was another thing I had to adjust to.

Here are some of the challenges I encountered and how I got to deal with it.

• Technical aspect– I’m not a techy person so to this day I still ask guidance and assistance from my blogger friends. In blogging, it is not enough that you write your article and voilaah it’s published! No. After writing my topic, I have to edit, select appropriate photos, edit each paragraph header and choose the title for the blog. Edit it again for final posting and then publish it. It takes a while but it makes me smile to see my work published in the net.

• Blogging terminology– As I have mentioned, coming from a different world and having used a different medium, I had to adjust and practice writing about topics that are new to me.

• Market the Blog– In traditional media, the people behind the newspaper and magazines are the ones who take care of  marketing, selling and circulation. In blogging, it’s different.  You have to invite people / friends to like and share your posts in social media so that your blogs can be read by as many netizens as possible. The more you invite them to like your post, the more your blog will be known and established. If you don’t put any effort in marketing your blog, then all your work will be wasted.

Well, I hope this will give those who aspire to be a blogger an idea of what to expect.  Strive hard to learn more and not to give up no matter how rough the roads and challenges you may face as you pursue this career. Blogging may seem easy but I tell you, it’s not.  As seasoned bloggers would say, you’ll reap the fruits if you planted it right.

CCT.