15 Lessons from 15 Years of Blogging

Posted: 4/2/23 | April 2nd, 2023

Right this moment is an enormous day. It marks fifteen years working this web site. I posted my first weblog entry in early April 2008, after spending over a month bugging mates I met in Vietnam for assist with coding. Again then, within the days earlier than WordPress, you needed to hand-code every thing, and I spent numerous time determining how you can transfer photographs round, design graphics, create hyperlinks, and format the positioning.

I began this weblog as a method to get freelance writing gigs so I may afford to maintain touring. I simply wished to place off going company for so long as doable. I by no means thought I’d have a profession in journey, however I suppose after fifteen years doing so, this counts as a profession. I’ve created books, programs, and excursions, spoken at conferences, and am quoted within the media. So, I suppose I’m type of an skilled in journey? That feels bizarre to say.

Being a public determine is surreal to me, as a result of, in so some ways, I’m nonetheless only a man who needs to maintain touring. There’s a lot of the world I wish to see. Certain, I like the enterprise of working a web site. It’s a psychological problem I discover fascinating. However, to me, it’s nonetheless only a method to fulfill my journey dependancy and keep away from having to work in an workplace (although, now that I’ve a workforce, it’s a extra sophisticated method to keep away from the workplace!).

Within the final fifteen years, I’ve seen the web and journey content material creation change dramatically. Digital nomads are not bizarre, and getting cash on-line isn’t odd.

“You give up your job? Are you loopy?” isn’t one thing lots of people say nowadays. There’s numerous constructive encouragement for this factor that was as soon as thought-about so loopy that there should have been one thing fallacious with you in the event you wished to do it.

As persons are susceptible to do throughout milestones like this, I wished to share some classes I’ve realized as a grizzled previous web individual (as a result of individuals seek advice from me as “an OG digital creator” as if I’m 90!).

1. Most individuals succeed due to luck

Somebody’s video goes viral, and immediately their bakery in Australia has extra orders than they know what to do with.

Some individuals get that fortunate interview that opens the door to fame.

Some individuals simply meet that one proper individual at a convention.

After all, talent is required to take care of that success, however numerous instances, luck and timing play an even bigger function than individuals want to admit. That’s not one thing you may management. Would I be the place I’m if I hadn’t began early with a deal with search engine marketing? Most likely not. I simply occurred to begin on the proper time. That’s not one thing I managed. I obtained fortunate.

2. Throw numerous spaghetti towards the wall

I’ve had numerous failed concepts — from apps to T-shirts to a convention to a hostel. A few of these ventures caught for some time; others had been fast failures. Some got here again years later (we do excursions once more!). I’m continuously attempting new issues after which discarding what doesn’t work. However all these issues that didn’t work helped us do different issues that did work.

3. Nobody reads blogs for private updates anymore

Again within the day, blogs had been the place you instructed tales and gave life updates. Individuals had RSS feeds and left feedback. Now, that occurs principally by way of electronic mail and social media. Yeah, some individuals will click on over to your tales, and blogs are nonetheless helpful for sharing service-based content material, however the way in which individuals used to devour private updates is lifeless. It in all probability gained’t come again both. The type of engagement weblog feedback used to generate is now discovered on social media.

4. Due to this fact, you need to be on social media

You possibly can’t be towards social media. It’s important to be on it. I don’t consider you may run a personality-based web site with out utilizing social media these days. You don’t should be on each platform — be a part of people who make you most snug — however you need to be on some. As I stated, all social engagement occurs there now. It’s the place you join and preserve a relationship together with your readers. Your weblog is simply the place you ship them once they have questions.

5. It’s important to be taught to make some video content material

I hate video. I like phrases. However video is the wave of the long run, and you need to be taught to provide it. I’ve already began doing extra video and plan to do much more. In case your weblog has a face (you), that face needs to be making video. It’s how younger individuals devour media, and, if you would like your message heard by them, you need to do it.

6. It’s necessary to at all times reinvent your self

Change is the one fixed in life — and the web adjustments at lightning pace. In the event you don’t continuously reinvent your self, you’ll get left behind actually quick. I do know tons of on-line creators who by no means moved off their dying social media platform or modified their enterprise mannequin and is puttering alongside, grinding it out however by no means actually rising. They didn’t undertake new methods or get on new platforms. They didn’t comply with their viewers. And, consequently, whereas they make a residing, it’s only a nerve-racking grind of diminishing returns.

It’s important to be prepared to alter route usually if you wish to succeed on-line.

7. Some methods are timeless

Regardless that every thing adjustments, some issues stay the identical. You must at all times have your individual web site, electronic mail continues to be king, and high quality content material versus gimmicky tendencies and memes (on any platform) continues to be one of the simplest ways to develop. The tried-and-true advertising and marketing methods to get individuals to comply with you, purchase your stuff, or join one thing haven’t modified (as a result of individuals don’t change), so following the recommendation of a bunch of “boring” entrepreneurs continues to be one of the simplest ways to succeed.

8. Don’t go all in on one platform

Bear in mind Vine? What occurred to all these creators who went all in there? At all times unfold your self round, as a result of platforms change — they usually don’t care about you. Algorithms change, development slows, and platforms alter route. So don’t put all of your effort into only one platform. Be in a number of locations, but additionally: at all times direct individuals again to your web site and electronic mail listing, as a result of, it doesn’t matter what occurs to social media, these are at all times going to be the 2 belongings you personal and management.

9. Rent a workforce

You’ll by no means develop in the event you don’t have a workforce. There are solely so many hours in a day. You simply can’t do all of it. And your time must be spent on development and creation, not formatting photographs. Hiring employees to assist with admin work, content material updates, electronic mail, and something in between will skyrocket your development. It’s not possible in any other case.

10. Consider your self as a pizza store

If you wish to be a profitable enterprise, you need to behave like, for instance, the brick-and-mortar pizza store down the road. It’s important to take into consideration bills, P&L experiences, taxes, advertising and marketing, gross sales, and many others. It’s important to provide you with boring advertising and marketing plans. You want workers. In any other case, you’re simply enjoying enterprise, not truly working one.

I do know tons of creators who say they “run a enterprise” however when requested for specifics they don’t even know the fundamentals.

11. By no means cease studying

Go to conferences, learn books, and take heed to podcasts. The highest individuals in any discipline learn — continuously.

They usually go to occasions the place they be taught from their friends.

They usually go to area of interest occasions, the place they be taught from specialists in different fields.

The best disappointment within the journey trade for me is that few creators are actually specializing in enhancing their abilities (I say this as somebody who ran knowledgeable improvement convention). However the ones that do? They crush it — they usually keep on prime! The remaining putter alongside.

12. Be taught to let go

We used to gross $500,000 a 12 months simply from our running a blog programs. Then gross sales dropped. I spent some huge cash attempting to get them again up, however the market had modified. Abruptly, everybody on-line had a course on running a blog and was throwing huge sums into adverts. Clients wished extra movies and weekly calls. We tried to adapt, however ultimately, what the course market turned wasn’t what actually me. Now, we make about $50,000 a 12 months as a substitute. It’s important to be prepared to let issues go if one thing isn’t working.

13. Don’t attempt to work and journey on the identical time

It’s not possible to work and journey on the identical time. You simply can’t do it. Your work suffers, your travels undergo, and your psychological well being suffers. If you wish to be a digital nomad, don’t transfer quick. Transfer sluggish, keep in locations longer, have devoted work days, and discover good coworking areas. Don’t run from café to café and vacation spot to vacation spot or else you’ll at all times really feel like you might be solely treading water, by no means like you might be shifting ahead.

14. You MUST community exterior your trade

You could community exterior your trade if you wish to succeed. In your individual trade, individuals know you and there are overlapping audiences. You possibly can solely develop a lot. However going to occasions exterior your trade? These are extra impactful since you may be that different trade’s skilled. I’m going to finance, enterprise, and social media conferences so I can meet individuals and be their journey man. Do they want quotes or an interview? I’m there. Going to non-travel occasions has performed extra for my web site’s development than any journey occasion I’ve ever been to.

15. It’s OK to give up

It’s exhausting to confess failure. I do know numerous journey creators — and creators on the whole — that preserve working on-line as a result of they really feel they’ll by no means return to an workplace job, regardless of the actual fact they’re barely surviving. Generally issues don’t work out — it’s OK to give up and let go. Use the abilities you need to work for another person and get an everyday paycheck. We idolize working for ourselves within the on-line house a lot that we overlook that it’s OK to only receives a commission to do a job and clock out and in. Don’t let pleasure get in the way in which of admitting that one thing didn’t work. Life is simply too brief to be continuously confused and anxious for years. Let go.

Final 12 months, I give up running a blog regularly. I simply felt like I’d stated all I may say about journey. This 12 months, I’m going to proceed that development and semi-retire. I wish to write extra books, journey for enjoyable (not for work), and proceed to deal with my well being and health. Final 12 months, I gave up numerous private time when journey restarted post-COVID — occasions, excursions, and conferences. It took up most of my free time. In truth, final 12 months was the primary 12 months since I began touring and I didn’t go to 1 new place.

However no extra.

After this month, I gained’t be happening any extra full TNN excursions (although I’ll nonetheless pop in occasionally). I plan to proceed handy off the day-to-day operations of this web site to my workforce. (Letting go is the toughest a part of all of this!) I plan to attend my final journey convention this 12 months.

I’ll proceed to weblog once I really feel the urge, however I wish to replace my e-book How one can Journey the World on $50 a Day, write a brand new e-book, deal with bringing journey to individuals by way of video, and perhaps do one thing fully new. I’m undecided actually.

The final fifteen years have been a wild journey. But it surely’s time to do different issues. I’m undecided what, nevertheless it’s time to broaden and see what’s on the market!