So here’s something. I’ve been trying to ‘get it right’ and ‘be successful’ at this whole blogging thing. Recently, I’ve been on a few panels to discuss ‘How to Use Social Media to Build a Brand’. I love speaking to groups of people about what I love to do and as cheesy as it may sound – Blogging is my art.
As I prepare for these talks, I look back at the actions I’ve taken to get where I am and I’ve realized that while I’m on the panels to teach others, I am learning something about myself and this whole blogging thing. Today, blogging is more than this website – it encompasses creating short videos (behind and in front of the camera) and relevant photos for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. It’s also research – a lot of research, asking questions, and often it’s working out of my comfort zone.
When I love blogging, like really, really love it, it’s because I’m either writing about something that sets my heart on fire like education, entertainment, culture, and my family life. When I’m writing about those things or I’m covering events about those things (paid or unpaid), I seriously have those thoughts like, “THIS is what I’m supposed to be doing.”
When I feel like I’m failing at blogging, do you know what I’m doing?
I’m trying to be somebody else’s successful. Even better, I’m trying to be what I think is somebody else’s definition of successful. Queridos, this is not the way to blog – ever. This is not honestly blogging.
My story of how I began blogging goes something like this:
I started blogging because I was transitioning out of direct sales and I didn’t know what I wanted to do next. My business coach told me that I should start a blog. So, I did. I didn’t know what I was doing. I blogged for almost a year before I even realized that there was a business in blogging.
I just ‘kept at it’ and built my brand and business.
This is all true. However, there is something being left out though. Before I learned about the business of blogging, I just wrote and wrote. Some of it was good and some of it was not so good. However, it didn’t matter. I just wrote and hit publish. It was like if I had something on my heart that I wanted to share, I’d blog about it. Writing in this way helped me discover what was important to me.
Honestly Blogging and Creating Content with a Purpose
I’m taking the lessons that I’ve learned by trying to live up to some made-up expectation of blogger success; and I’m taking the lessons that I’ve learned about myself and what’s important to me; and I’m going to do something with those lessons. I’m going to create content that serves a purpose.
What is that purpose?
- Empower people to be their best.
- Write honestly about current events affecting our Latino families.
- Give quality resources for education to support students and their family’s.
- Write honestly about why education and STEM education is important to all.
- Highlight diversity and inclusion in media or the lack of and why it matters.
What I’m really learning right now is that I may need to find another way to make money because sometimes writing about your passions doesn’t pay the bills. And that’s okay. I don’t mean that I need to quit blogging and make money elsewhere. I mean that it’s time to diversify my income so that I can continue (or return) to writing content that serves a purpose. There are many, many blogs that teach you how to make money blogging. While tactics vary, the bottom line is the same – diversify your income.
This journey has been an interesting one. I learn every step of the way. Stick around as I continue to explore and build and adjust. I promise there will be cultural content, educational content, family content, and tacos … at least photos of tacos.