5 Benefits of Bloggers’ Working, Grinding, and Hustling

When bloggers take the first step toward intentional blogging, we have visions of grandeur (tell the truth, yes, you do).  We imagine thousands of people, ok, maybe hundreds, reading our blog posts, commenting, and being helped by our wise insight!  We imagine businesses banging down our doors, ringing our phones, and blowing up our emails desiring to collaborate with us.

We plan out our blog posts.  We choose just the right photos.  We strategize our social media offerings.  We write our posts, click Publish, and then…NOTHING.

We check for comments on the blog article, but there aren’t any.  We check for shares, likes, and comments on Facebook, and again, there’s nothing there.  We post our articles to Instagram, Twitter, Bloglovin’, Medium, and Pinterest with absolutely no feedback from readers.  Reality sets in.  This isn’t as easy as we imagined!

What’s going on?  What’s the use?  Maybe we should just stop blogging and find something else to do.

DON’T YOU DARE!

My first month of blogging has taught me patience, if nothing else.  Oh, I’m sure there are occasional overnight success stories where bloggers post an article that goes viral.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, overnight success hasn’t been my experience with anything in life, including my blog.  Instead, I’ve had to work, work, work, grind, grind, grind, and hustle, hustle, hustle for five likes and one share.

But you know what?  I’m not bitter nor discouraged.  Instead, I’m more determined, focused, and invigorated than when I started blogging.  All the working, grinding, and hustling are beneficial for me, and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

How is all that working, grinding, and hustling benefitting me?

Increased Fortitude

I’ve never been easily discouraged.  All that working, grinding, and hustling increased my grit, tenacity, and perseverance.  OHHH so no one wants to Like my article?  I’ll work harder to promote it.  I’ll make sure the following article is even better.

Increased Learning

I try not to consider the number of followers, likes, or shares.  Instead, I keep plugging along, learning from the experts, improving my content, and honing my craft. Working, grinding, and hustling are GREAT teachers!

Greater Appreciation

Working, grinding, and hustling makes me appreciate EVERY Like, Follow, and Share that ReeINSPIRED receives.  I get so tickled when someone takes the time to comment on the blog post on my website, or Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages.  Since my following is still small, I can personally respond to every comment, even when the comment is just an emoji.

Friendships and Networking

As I work, grind, and hustle, I’m also networking.  I’m getting to know other bloggers and establishing friendships.  I’m analyzing what they’re offering their readers.  I’m looking for inspiration for future blog posts and collaboration opportunities.

Business Opportunities

I’m learning more about online business opportunities.  All this working, grinding, hustling, and networking is opening doors I never imagined possible.  I hadn’t considered an online resource library for my bible study notes until two months ago.  Nor did I know that I could offer an Editing 101 e-course.

Blogging isn’t all about numbers.  Yes, the numbers are essential, and they are great motivators.  However, there’s more to blogging than just the numbers.  While blogging allows us to offer our wise insight to our readers, it also provides us benefits that can’t be measured by the number of Followers, Likes, or Shares.

Blogging is a passion for many of us, and we’re being blessed through the connections and friendships we’re creating and the knowledge we’re gaining.  So, the next time your blog post doesn’t perform as well as you expected, don’t beat yourself up, and don’t throw in the towel.  Instead, ask, “What can I gain through this experience?”

You may surprise and encourage yourself with your own wise insight!

How do you measure your blog’s success?  Comment below with your wise insight.