Blogging Truths Be Told: A True Story About Monetizing a Blog (Part 3 and The End)

Today is the day to close out the series, “A True Story About Monetizing a Blog.” Not because I don’t have at least today’s post and another one left in me; but mainly because, I’m virtually sensing that you’re probably grasping my points about what it takes to build up and successfully monetize a blog.

I introduced you to those success factors in last Friday’s post and mentioned them a time or two before that. But, let me give you the run-down again in case you missed it. You need to exhibit:

• dedication
• commitment
• perseverance
• patience
• proficiency
• a hard-working work ethic
• consistency
• a long-term focus
• confidence

in order to get your money-making groove on in the blogging places and spaces you wish to occupy. And I even went so far as to give you a little true story action last week by going into the first two items on the “blogging qualities” list: dedication and commitment. And if I really wanted to milk this thing, I could probably get through the rest of the month sharing my stories for each of these qualities. But, I’m not going to do that to you.

Today, I think I’ll go into my spiel on perseverance, patience, consistency, and long-term focus a little bit. “Proficiency” and “confidence” may come out in some version of a “Blogging Truths Be Told” in the future.  And HARD WORK . . . well . . .  just read through the following blog posts to get a handle on where I’m coming from for that particular topic:

Blogging Truths Be Told: Blogging’s for the Worker Ant

Blogging Truths Be Told: Blogging’s for the Worker Ant (Part 2)

Creative Entrepreneurship Basics: Entrepreneurship Takes Work

Now, I know last week’s storytelling came in the form of my experiences back in my high school days, but I’m coming up to present time for today’s true story. I’m going to discuss what happens to a Creative who just happens to love to write and blog but who eventually decides to take a leap over to the entrepreneurial side of things.

So, present day, it is.

Let me just tell you where I’m at with my blogging business . . .

I’m at the point where I’m learning the process to fly. I’m running with my wings spread out and taking a few leaps to see how high I can get into the air. I can feel the momentum building and I even appear to take off for a few seconds. But then, I land back down on the ground to start the process over and over and over again. That’s where I’m at in present day 2022.

Is it a bad place to be with my blogging business? Answer: “No, not at all.” I’m growing, my wings are spread out wide, I’m picking up speed with my running, I’m leaping in the air with stronger legs, and eventually I’m bound to stay up in the air and fly.

How do I know this? Well, I’d have to say that — flying is, undoubtedly, the next step in my journey. It’s inevitable. Only inevitable because I intend to stay in the process long enough to see this next step play itself out. Flying! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

A person who has a desire to grow and who goes through the process in order to do so, giving the process enough time to do its thing (and being patient with the process while it’s moving through its steps), will eventually reach levels of successes in that growth process.

Let me just ask you something. Okay, have you ever met someone who was just about to reach a goal but petered out right before attaining it? I mean . . . RIGHT before accomplishing it? It’s like the biggest upset ever. That individual was just about to win the battle and could almost lick up the sweet taste of victory — was just right before that point of crossing the finish line — was just about to reach that summit of climbing the most challenging of mountains to reach the top to a most picturesque scene that mere descriptive words could never adequately describe.

Have you ever met that kind of individual? Are YOU perhaps that individual, or have you been that individual in the past? Hey, and don’t feel bad if you happen to be that someone. I’ve been that someone a time or two in my life. But, I’ve moved on from those moments in my life’s timeline. I’ve learned from them — what to do and, mainly, what not to do.

I don’t down myself for going through moments in time where I gave up. Those moments are a part of my history and helped to make me into the kind of creative entrepreneur that has no desire to just about reach success, but then, flake out right before the career blessing. No. No. No. Not doing that. I don’t dare let that “give up” tendency surface to my blogging business. I DON’T DARE! I’m not playing peek-a-boo with the whole “throwing in the towel” mentality. Can’t do it. Won’t do it.

And believe me when I say that I’ve had 101 reasons why I should give up blogging if I based my continuation in the blogging space on the success measures that most look to such as traffic and vanity metrics and money. Now, don’t get me wrong. Those pieces of information are telling, for sure, but they don’t define me personally, they don’t define my potential, and they’re just measurements in a point in time.

At each part of my blogging business journey, I’m taking snapshots of where I’m at. And just like the child who has mom mark his or her height on the growth chart each year, my snapshots are definitely showing my maturity (my growth) in business. And that growth is what leads to successes. Putting one step in front of the other — learning to spread those wings, increase your run speed, and eventually . . .

Take off!

That can only happen if you give growth the time it needs by being patient with the process it lives in. And you have to be consistently involved with each step of the process as well. There’s no dropping the ball and then thinking that you can come back later to the game and pick it up right where you left it. No, business in blogging doesn’t work like that. Because while you’re gone, there are other players coming in the game, there are new round-the-clock games taking place, and additional rules being added to how the game is played. The game doesn’t stop when you stop. It keeps going. And here’s what happens to you when you give up on the game . . .

YOU LOSE!

You get left behind. And if you thought things were hard before while you were in the game, then guess what? It’s going to be even harder to get back into the swing of things when so much time has elapsed and everything’s changed while you were on your hiatus. So, I figure why not stick it out and continue in the process that I’m currently in until I’ve mastered it. Look, I already know that if I give up on the process that takes me to my goal now, I’ll end up regretting that decision in the end and will want to come back to it at a later date. Why? Well, the overall goal I’m seeking to achieve is ultimately my heart’s desire and that need to achieve doesn’t just go away because I stop embracing the process.

Therefore, I’ve learned to factor in PERSEVERANCE into my business growth mindset. I can’t be successful without it. Because these times in which we live are going to try us on every level as creative entrepreneurs. It ain’t easy making a living out here. Competition is fierce. And it’s a miracle if any one person pays you or your creative abilities any type of attention at all. And when they do, appreciate every one of those wonderful people who grace you with their presence. (I know I do. So, “thank you, my friend.”)

If you let your mind rest on the fact that you’re not seeing the traffic, or getting the numbers, or receiving the money when looking at that one snapshot of your life, then you’ll easily feel like giving up. Look at the progression of your snapshots. You have to keep doing your thing, even when no one else is around. You have to continue to blog like your future career depends on it, because it does. You can’t afford to give up on your blogging passion (if it’s your passion — the thing you love/enjoy doing); because while you take your foot off the gas, there are other drivers taking over the blogging lanes. And guess what? Again, you’re going to be left behind. And guess what else? It’s going to be even harder to pick up riders (readers) who are willing to travel along with you for the blogging ride.

Your perspective of your blogging business needs to have lenses focused on the long-term. It doesn’t benefit you to look at your blogging success based on one snapshot in your blogging life. You need to look at all of the snapshots along the journey to get a more balanced perspective. And if you’re seeing overall progress at the end of that string of snapshots, then you’re successful as far as I’m concerned. You’re moving your way closer and closer to that supreme success measure — that overall goal — you’re trying to realize one day.

Persevere through the mentally tough times that tell you no one cares about your blogging life and that you’re not making a difference. Be patient with the process that’s molding you into the creative business person you are and know that it takes time to go from a business newbie (baby) to a business guru (full-fledged adult). Oh, and patience while you grow is a must-have. You can’t rush the process. Many have tried and failed. So, don’t set yourself back by trying to skip the steps you need to go through, take short cuts to bypass learning opportunities, or cheat your way through the process. Those blogger stories never turn out well.

Work through the process each and every day. Consistency is key to anyone’s success in anything he or she is trying to achieve. In fact, how can you master a thing or reach a goal if you don’t keep working at it day-in and day-out? Ain’t gonna happen. Fit the “journey to your goal” into your regular routine and let it play out daily until you actually reach that goal.

Always keep a long-term focus in what you do. You never know how long it’ll take you to reach your ultimate goal. Focusing on the short-term is what causes people to give up before they see the fruits of their labor come to fruition. They look at the fact that they’re not seeing results as quickly as they want to or they aren’t seeing them at all. But here’s the thing: those periods of time are only points on the timeline — snapshots along the journey. They aren’t the end of the story. YOU define your story. So, if you want to succeed, then succeed. The destination to your goal post could be a longer journey than you think, and you have to be willing to go the distance to get there.

Lastly, I thank you for sticking with me until the end of this post. I sure hope that I didn’t disappoint you because I didn’t talk about money-making strategies, in particular. No, I discussed something even more important than that. I discussed those qualities that are going to lead you to the money in your creative business. And that discussion makes all the difference in the world. There’s no money-making without the qualities that I’ve addressed in this and last week’s posts. No money at all. And money isn’t what makes the world go round. It’s the people in it that make the world go round. THAT’S FACTS. Get the person on track and the money will come.