These are my thoughts on the matter. What is a successful blogger and why am I a blogging success?
My idea of a successful blogger is someone who is “well-known” in their niche. They also make money blogging. I know a lot of people say that they are not in it for the money but be truthful, it’s nice to make money. To pay off those outstanding bills, or to save up for Christmas or that holiday you have been dreaming of for a while. Or to be there, able to watch your children grow up. Supplementing the family income – a mumtrepeneur if you wish for a lot of mummy bloggers.
Everyone can be successful in their own right. I know that there are lots of blogs with thousands of page views each month. There are also those little blogs that have a great engagement from their readers and a good support system, just not the views. To me both those types of blogs are successful. Just in different ways.
So onto me. Am I a blogging success?
I’m very critical of myself. So I actually wouldn’t call myself a blogging success just yet. I don’t think my blog is “well-known” enough. I don’t have lots of brands knocking at the door with opportunities. The few emails I do get are for companies wanting everything for nothing! I don’t have a huge amount of page views a month. I don’t believe I’m that good a writer. English wasn’t my strong point at school, I was the science geek.
But I do feel I’m on the right path to be a blogging success and my wonderful tribe members are helping me become a better blogger.
I love to learn, and that is what blogging is to me a learning journey. Over the past couple of months I have overhauled my blog and went self hosted with a gorgeous new theme. I feel very proud of my blog.
I will call myself a successful blogger when I can earn enough to drop to part-time in my day job so I can be there for my baby girl. Until then I see myself on a learning journey to be that successful blogger. I’m prepared to put in lots of hard work to become that blogging success and knowing myself I will achieve it…. one day!
To hear more from Rachel you can visit her at Rachel Bustin
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33 Comments
I love this series and I think Rachel is doing a fantastic job at blogging! I love her book reviews 🙂 xx
Thank you Katie for posting my blogging success story. ❤️ Xx
What a great idea Katie and a lovely insight into what you view as success Rachel, I’m sure you will make it 😉 x
Good luck Rachel! You’re doing fab already and I have no doubt you’ll eventually reach your goal of being able to work part time thanks to blogging.
Oooh Rachel I hope you manage to achieve your dream and drop to part-time. I’m a SAHM at the moment but once my kids are in school, the plan is for me to go back to “work”. Like you, I’m hoping that if I work hard on my blog, I might actually be able to stay at home and earn from this instead.
P.S. I love this series, Katie! It gives people an opportunity to be really positive about what they’ve achieved and, as someone who isn’t great at acknowledging what I’ve done, it’s really encouraging #ABloggingGoodTime
I really am enjoying this series. Lovely to get your thoughts and insights, Rachel. You seem to be very driven and that in itself is a recipe for success. Alison x #ablogginggoodtime
I think you are doing a fab job Rachel – you always seem to be getting lots of reviews and things I’m sure it won’t be long til you can wave bye to some hours! 🙂 #ablogginggoodtime
Been meaning to catch up on this series for a while! Great piece and inspiring too! #ablogginggoodtime
If blogging is what you love wouldn’t it be nice to be able to give up part time work to do more of it! Lovely idea. #ablogginggoodtime
What an excellent series, I think I need to do some catching up! I think you are doing a great job Rachel and your blog looks beautiful! I am sure you will go far! #ablogginggoodtime
Love this series. Rachel is spot on in recognising those blogs that maybe aren’t raking in the mega views and mega bucks, but are really engaging their readers and are such an important part of the blogging community. I wish her the very best of luck in her blogging mission. Thanks for sharing lovely x #Ablogginggoodtime
What a fab series. It helps so much to see what other bloggers see success as being. Thank you for the glimpse into your blog success Rachel. I agree that a blog doesn’t have to have huge stats to be successful, and that having an engaged community is just as important. #ablogginggoodtime xx
What a great piece! I love this guest series as it’s so nice to find what makes people tick and what they see is as a success. #ablogginggoodtime
I just discovered Rachel’s blog last week when I stumbled across her amazing post about not being there when her mum lost her uncle to cancer. She’s an amazing writer! To me, being a successful blogger is about it being fun. If it ever gets tedious, even if you’re in it for the money, the writing won’t be from the heart, and your readers won’t be as engaged. I’m just starting out and it’s all about the learning for me. I don’t find writing easy, but I love the whole community spirit in the blogging world. If I have one of two people who I don’t know leave a message, I’m over the moon! #ablogginggoodtime xx
I love this, such an inspiring read. If we are learning in the process it can only be a good thing!
#ablogginggoodtime
I think RAchel raises an important point when she talks abuot the engagement -many blogs have huge views but with no real engagement or connection. If you have a handful of core readers who support you and you them, thats important too. #ablogginggoodtime
I consider my blog a success because of the content that I write and the people I reach with that content. I stopped caring about page views and trying to make money from my blog. Maybe someday I will try to do that again but for now, I’m content with how things are and I’m having fun. That’s the best part for me to be successful, that I’m having fun. Great post and thanks for hosting #ablogginggoodtime
So much love for this! Totally in the same boat as you <3
I love reading this series each week – it gives me great inspiration from my position as a really new blogger! #ablogginggoodtime
Ah a really nice idea – 1st time I’ve come across this series and look forward to more. Agree it’s not all about the stats, I like it when I see a friend in the flesh and they make a positive comment about my blog, it always feels more personal than the same being said but online. #ablogginggoodtime
Great series, interesting how different people measure success. Blogging is definitely no easy road, it sucks you in and takes up a lot of time. But if you love it then it’s worth it. I think Rachel’s blog is great, her new theme is fab. #ablogginggoodtime
It’s really encouraging to read other people’s blogging stories, especially as a newbie. This week I have really struggled with my blog, thinking about why I’m doing it and what my niche is. I love writing and I see it as a way to vent, socialise and just reach out to what so far has been a lovely, supportive community. I think you are so right that success can only be determined by ourselves, it depends on our own circumstances and what we are looking for. Great post and great series, thanks for sharing! #ablogginggoodtime
I love reading this series! Really interesting to compare other bloggers ideas of what a success is and read blogs that I haven’t come across before. #ablogginggoodtime
I think you’ve got the right attitude Rachel. It’s important to enjoy blogging whatever stage you’re at. Once it becomes a chore it takes all the fun out of it. For now I enjoy having a really great network of online bloggers/readers with authentic engagement, I rarely look at my page views. I think if you’re willing to treat blogging as a job and grow it naturally then your hard work will pay off. The new blog looks lovely Rachel, I’m always so impressed when bloggers go self-hosted, I’m far too much of a scaredy cat! 🙂 #ablogginggoodtime
Loving this series. It really is a learning journey, i can’t believe how mach I have learned in the 11 weeks since I started blogging and just how much more there is to learn, I don’t think that journey ever stops. Rachel has the right attitude and I’m in no doubt she’ll achieve her goals before long.
#ablogginggoodtime
Another fab post in this really thought-provoking series. Rachel seems to be very hard on herself – I think she is doing a great job! #ablogginggoodtime
I just recently started blogging about three months ago so i love to hear advice and stories from those that are successful! #ablogginggoodtime
You have made so much progress Rachel and your revamp is fantastic. You are an inspiration to the rest of us, good luck with it all. #ablogginggoodtime
Hi Katie , I agree we don’t celebrate success enough, well not the small everyday successes that most of us can relate too, but often keep quiet. I think it’s wonderful that your series will allow others to share their successes.
Hi Rachel, we each have our own measure of success when it comes to our blogs, and I have every faith that you will get your blog to a place where you believe it to be the success you want it to be. I, on the other hand, think your blog is already a success! You have a small baby and you still manage to keep your blog going! There is no way I would have even considered writing a postcard when my two were small let alone starting up a blog!
#ablogginggoodtime
I love this series so much! I have to take part at some point! I will def send you a post sometimes. I think Rachel is right in so many ways : it’s not about the number of views but the engagement. #ablogginggoodtime
What a great series! I love the thought that everyone is a success in its own way. From this post I really like Rachel’s attitude towards keep learning and moving forward to where she wants to reach. All the best to both! The series! and the Blogger! xx #ablogginggoodtime
I don’t think anyone blogs for the money, do they? I think all blogs, whether big or small, are a labour of love for the creator #ablogginggoodtime
Blogging really is a labour of love. And as cliched as it sounds, as long as you’re still enjoying it – no matter how big your blog, you’re a success! #fortheloveofblog