15 Lessons from 15 Years of Blogging

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

Today is a huge day. It marks fifteen years working this web site. I posted my first weblog access in early April 2008, after spending over a month bugging pals I met in Vietnam for lend a hand with coding. Back then, within the days prior to WordPress, you needed to hand-code the whole lot, and I spent so much of time working out find out how to transfer photographs round, design graphics, create hyperlinks, and structure the web site.

I began this weblog in an effort to get freelance writing gigs so I may have enough money to stay touring. I simply sought after to do away with going company for so long as conceivable. I by no means concept I’d have a profession in journey, however I suppose after fifteen years doing so, this counts as a profession. I’ve created books, courses, and tours, spoken at meetings, and am quoted within the media. So, I suppose I’m type of knowledgeable in journey? That feels bizarre to mention.

Being a public determine is surreal to me, as a result of, in such a lot of techniques, I’m nonetheless only a man who desires to stay touring. There’s such a lot of the arena I need to see. Sure, I really like the industry of working a web site. It’s a psychological problem I to find interesting. But, to me, it’s nonetheless only a approach to fulfill my journey dependancy and steer clear of having to paintings in an place of business (although, now that I’ve a workforce, it’s a extra sophisticated approach to steer clear of the place of business!).

In the remaining fifteen years, I’ve noticed the web and journey content material advent trade dramatically. Digital nomads are not bizarre, and creating wealth on-line isn’t strange.

“You quit your job? Are you crazy?” isn’t one thing so much of folks say at the moment. There’s so much of sure encouragement for this factor that was once as soon as regarded as so loopy that there will have to were one thing mistaken with you should you sought after to do it.

As individuals are at risk of do throughout milestones like this, I sought after to proportion some classes I’ve realized as a grizzled outdated web individual (as a result of folks check with me as “an OG digital creator” as though I’m 90!).

1. Most folks be triumphant as a result of of success

Someone’s video is going viral, and abruptly their bakery in Australia has extra orders than they know what to do with.

Some folks get that fortunate interview that opens the door to reputation.

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

Of path, ability is had to take care of that luck, however so much of occasions, success and timing play a larger function than folks want to admit. That’s no longer one thing you’ll be able to regulate. Would I be the place I’m if I hadn’t began early with a focal point on search engine marketing? Probably no longer. I simply took place to start out on the proper time. That’s no longer one thing I managed. I were given fortunate.

2. Throw so much of spaghetti in opposition to the wall

I’ve had so much of failed concepts — from apps to T-shirts to a convention to a hostel. Some of the ones ventures caught for some time; others had been rapid screw ups. Some got here again years later (we do tours again!). I’m repeatedly making an attempt new issues after which discarding what doesn’t paintings. But all the ones issues that didn’t paintings helped us do different issues that did paintings.

3. No one reads blogs for private updates anymore

Back within the day, blogs had been the place you advised tales and gave lifestyles updates. People had RSS feeds and left feedback. Now, that occurs most commonly by way of electronic mail and social media. Yeah, some folks will click on over on your tales, and blogs are nonetheless helpful for sharing service-based content material, however the way in which folks used to devour private updates is useless. It most probably received’t come again both. The type of engagement weblog feedback used to generate is now discovered on social media.

4. Therefore, it’s important to be on social media

You can’t be in opposition to social media. You must be on it. I don’t imagine you’ll be able to run a personality-based web site with out the usage of social media this present day. You don’t wish to be on each and every platform — sign up for those who make you maximum relaxed — however it’s important to be on some. As I mentioned, all social engagement occurs there now. It’s the place you attach and take care of a courting together with your readers. Your weblog is solely the place you ship them when they’ve questions.

5. You must discover ways to make some video content material

I hate video. I really like phrases. But video is the wave of the longer term, and you have got to discover ways to produce it. I’ve already began doing extra video and plan to do much more. If your weblog has a face (you), that face must be making video. It’s how younger folks devour media, and, if you wish to have your message heard by way of them, it’s important to do it.

6. It’s vital to all the time reinvent your self

Change is the one consistent in lifestyles — and the web adjustments at lightning pace. If you don’t repeatedly reinvent your self, you will get left at the back of in point of fact speedy. I do know lots of on-line creators who by no means moved off their loss of life social media platform or modified their industry type and is puttering alongside, grinding it out however by no means in point of fact rising. They didn’t undertake new methods or get on new platforms. They didn’t practice their target audience. And, because of this, whilst they make a dwelling, it’s only a aggravating grind of diminishing returns.

You must be keen to modify path continuously if you wish to be triumphant on-line.

7. Some methods are undying

Even although the whole lot adjustments, some issues stay the similar. You must all the time have your personal web site, electronic mail continues to be king, and high quality content material as opposed to gimmicky tendencies and memes (on any platform) continues to be the easiest way to develop. The tried-and-true advertising and marketing methods to get folks to practice you, purchase your stuff, or join one thing haven’t modified (as a result of folks don’t trade), so following the recommendation of a host of “boring” entrepreneurs continues to be the easiest way to be triumphant.

8. Don’t move all in on one platform

Remember Vine? What took place to all the ones creators who went all in there? Always unfold your self round, as a result of platforms trade — they usually don’t care about you. Algorithms trade, enlargement slows, and platforms regulate path. So don’t put all of your effort into only one platform. Be in more than one puts, but additionally: all the time direct folks again on your web site and electronic mail listing, as a result of, it doesn’t matter what occurs to social media, the ones are all the time going to be the 2 belongings you personal and regulate.

9. Hire a workforce

You won’t ever develop should you don’t have a workforce. There are handiest such a lot of hours in an afternoon. You simply can’t do all of it. And your time must be spent on enlargement and advent, no longer formatting photographs. Hiring workforce to lend a hand with admin paintings, content material updates, electronic mail, and anything else in between will skyrocket your enlargement. It’s inconceivable in a different way.

10. Think of your self as a pizza store

If you wish to have to be a a hit industry, it’s important to behave like, as an example, the brick-and-mortar pizza store down the road. You must take into consideration bills, P&L reviews, taxes, advertising and marketing, gross sales, and so forth. You must get a hold of uninteresting advertising and marketing plans. You want staff. Otherwise, you’re simply taking part in industry, no longer in fact working one.

I do know lots of creators who say they “run a business” but if requested for specifics they don’t even know the fundamentals.

11. Never prevent studying

Go to meetings, learn books, and pay attention to podcasts. The most sensible folks in any box learn — repeatedly.

And they move to occasions the place they be informed from their friends.

And they move to area of interest occasions, the place they be informed from mavens in different fields.

The biggest unhappiness within the journey business for me is that few creators are in point of fact that specialize in bettering their talents (I say this as anyone who ran a certified building convention). But those that do? They overwhelm it — they usually keep on most sensible! The relaxation putter alongside.

12. Learn to let move

We used to gross $500,000 a yr simply from our running a blog classes. Then gross sales dropped. I spent so much of cash looking to get them again up, however the marketplace had modified. Suddenly, everybody on-line had a path on running a blog and was once throwing huge sums into commercials. Customers sought after extra movies and weekly calls. We attempted to conform, however in any case, what the path marketplace changed into wasn’t what in point of fact me. Now, we make about $50,000 a yr as a substitute. You must be keen to let issues move if one thing isn’t operating.

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

It’s inconceivable to paintings and journey on the identical time. You simply can’t do it. Your paintings suffers, your travels undergo, and your psychological well being suffers. If you wish to have to be a virtual nomad, don’t transfer speedy. Move sluggish, keep in puts longer, have devoted paintings days, and to find just right coworking areas. Don’t run from café to café and vacation spot to vacation spot or else you’ll all the time really feel like you might be handiest treading water, by no means like you might be shifting ahead.

14. You MUST community outdoor your business

You will have to community outdoor your business if you wish to be triumphant. In your personal business, folks know you and there are overlapping audiences. You can handiest develop such a lot. But going to occasions outdoor your business? Those are extra impactful as a result of you’ll be able to be that different business’s skilled. I’m going to finance, industry, and social media meetings so I will meet folks and be their journey man. Do they want quotes or an interview? I’m there. Going to non-travel occasions has accomplished extra for my web site’s enlargement than any journey tournament I’ve ever been to.

15. It’s OK to surrender

It’s laborious to confess failure. I do know so much of journey creators — and creators generally — that stay operating on-line as a result of they really feel they may be able to by no means return to an place of business process, in spite of the reality they’re slightly surviving. Sometimes issues don’t determine — it’s OK to surrender and let move. Use the talents it’s important to paintings for anyone else and get an ordinary paycheck. We idolize operating for ourselves within the on-line house such a lot that we overlook that it’s OK to only receives a commission to do a task and clock out and in. Don’t let delight get in the way in which of admitting that one thing didn’t paintings. Life is simply too quick to be repeatedly stressed out and concerned for years. Let move.

Last yr, I surrender running a blog frequently. I simply felt like I’d mentioned all I may say about journey. This yr, I’m going to proceed that development and semi-retire. I need to write extra books, journey for a laugh (no longer for paintings), and proceed to concentrate on my well being and health. Last yr, I gave up so much of private time when journey restarted post-COVID — occasions, excursions, and meetings. It took up maximum of my unfastened time. In truth, remaining yr was once the primary yr since I began touring and I didn’t move to 1 new position.

But not more.

After this month, I received’t be happening any longer complete TNN tours (although I will be able to nonetheless pop in from time to time). I plan to proceed at hand off the day by day operations of this web site to my workforce. (Letting move is the toughest phase of all of this!) I plan to wait my remaining journey convention this yr.

I’ll proceed to weblog after I really feel the urge, however I need to replace my guide How to Travel the World on $50 a Day, write a brand new guide, center of attention on bringing journey to folks by way of video, and perhaps do one thing totally new. I’m no longer positive in point of fact.

The remaining fifteen years were a wild adventure. But it’s time to do different issues. I’m no longer positive what, however it’s time to extend and notice what’s in the market!