Myths about blogging in Singapore
Many things come to mind when you hear the word “blogger”. I hear 2 pieces of criticism often:
- A blogger shouldn’t be classified a blogger just because he/she owns a blog
- People consider themselves models because they pose in front of cameras, and photographers because they own DSLRs
I’m not sure how people define “blogger” nowadays. I guess you are a blogger if you share content with your readers regularly and really DO own a blog – the only difference is whether you consider yourself a “celebrity blogger”.
Some people think that blogging is an easy way to earn big money.
Read more to find out the top 10 Myths about Singapore Bloggers. Never be a victim of these myths if you ever want to start a blog and be successful.
These are just my personal opinions and may not be applicable to all.
1. Blogging makes you rich
Uh-oh. You just landed yourself at the wrong starting line from the moment you get this in your head. Just because blogging catapulted Xiaxue and Qiu Qiu to fame, it does not imply that blogging can instantly earn you big bucks.
These famous bloggers have unique and interesting content, coupled with years of hard work and opportunities to be successful. Blogging takes a lot of hard work to become successful – it could take months or even years just to see results. You won’t get paid unless you really hit a certain influential level or blog traffic.
If you start off blogging with the mindset that you will get rich with it, you will not get far.
2. Blogging=Full time job
No doubt blogging has attractive benefits which cause people to take up blogging as a job, but it is not easy to earn money from blogging. In fact, many popular bloggers who are earning a lot from paid advertorials have their own stable jobs apart from blogging. But of course, being a full-time blogger is quite shiok.
Imagine working from home in front of your laptop.
3. Bloggers get free stuff all the time
Just because bloggers get sponsored for “this” and “that” doesn’t mean they are free. There is no free lunch in this world. You can see it as “free” because we aren’t paying for it, but we are in fact trading something more valuable: our time.
As bloggers, we receive products and services so that we can write reviews on our blog. These are not complimentary. It is not free because there is a lot of effort put into just one blog post. Hours can be spent just churning out a decent blog post.
That brings me to the next point.
4. Being a blogger is easy…
Or so you thought. Being a blogger is never as easy as you think. It requires a lot of hard work, patience, and dedication to build up a blog and write quality content. You have to spend time attending events, marketing yourself, and building connections with others.
It’s almost impossible to get popular overnight unless your post goes viral. Then again, you have to remain “active” because blog traffic doesn’t stay permanent.
I am neither complaining, nor am I discouraging people to start a blog. In fact, I enjoy blogging and the perks that come along with it. I just hope bloggers are given more recognition for their effort and work, and blogging doesn’t come off as an easy job in others’ eyes.
If it was easy, every blogger would be rich and successful by now.
5. Bloggers must be skilled writers
Nope, a blogger does not have to be very skilled in writing, nor is it necessary to have all those “flowery” and chim language in your blog posts. As long as you can write decently, get your point across to your readers, and be able to capture the readers’ attention, then it is absolutely fine.
It’s not a magazine or essay you’re writing. To be honest, while I’m not very good at writing, I’m always trying to improve.
Having a flair for writing is a plus, but it isn’t a necessity.
6. Bloggers should look good
Yes there are many good-looking bloggers out there. But I don’t think it is fair to say that you cannot be a blogger if you don’t look pretty/handsome. After all, blogging is about having your own “voice” on an open platform.
No doubt that the best-looking ones are likely to get a lot of followers. If you’re a fashion or beauty blogger, then it might be an advantage if you look attractive. But don’t worry – if you really have good quality content, people will eventually enjoy reading it.
7. Bloggers have freedom of speech
When people get scolded for some controversial opinion they posted on their blog, many will reply: “This is my blog, I can write anything and everything I want.” Hmmm. Yes and no. I respect that many bloggers dare to voice their opinions and have a say on something that they disagree with.
After all, not everyone has the courage to do that. But if your statement crosses the line (either legally or ethically), I don’t think it is acceptable to say that you have the right to post anything you like, especially if you are a public figure.
8. Blogging is dangerous
I think most of the younger generation are not aware of the potential dangers of the Internet. Posting your feelings and updates on your personal life on your blog openly is so common these days.
Cyberbullying becomes so prevalent because anyone can access your data so easily and use that as a tool of criticism or personal attack. Photos of your past can be dug out with just a few clicks on Google.
I agree that blogging has its risks. As a blogger, one has to embrace both the love and the hateful comments from readers. But I don’t think that being a blogger is dangerous if you can achieve a balance and not go around to offend anyone with your malicious comments online. Beware of what you post on the internet.
9. Niche bloggers attract more viewers
Niche means that you only blog about a specific topic or category. For example, beauty, food, or technology. Some people feel that niche bloggers are more successful because they can target a certain group of readers.
Others might think otherwise because they feel that niche blogs limit their potential due to the narrow topic. I guess it’s really up to your comfort level, and whichever way makes you feel good about blogging. Just follow your instinct. I prefer to blog about different things and I am sticking to that.
10. Bloggers need to blog every day
Blogging used to be the popular, when teenagers blogged about their daily lives. Some people even feel that blogs have to be updated regularly to keep the traffic coming in, but that isn’t always true.
Blogging every single day without fail might be possible for the first 2 weeks, but subsequently, you will tire yourself out and those daily blog posts are created at the expense of good quality.
After all, consistency is all you need.
Any other myths?
This list isn’t exhaustive. If you know any other myths about being a blogger, feel free to comment below and let me know! If you like this post, please share it!