15 Classes from 15 Years of Running a blog

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

Right now is a giant day. It marks fifteen years operating this web site. I posted my first weblog entry in early April 2008, after spending over a month bugging buddies I met in Vietnam for assist with coding. Again then, within the days earlier than WordPress, you needed to hand-code all the things, and I spent a whole lot of time determining how one can transfer photos round, design graphics, create hyperlinks, and format the positioning.

I began this weblog as a approach to get freelance writing gigs so I might afford to maintain touring. I simply wished to place off going company for so long as attainable. 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 form of an professional 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. Positive, I like the enterprise of operating an internet site. It’s a psychological problem I discover fascinating. However, to me, it’s nonetheless only a approach to fulfill my journey habit and keep away from having to work in an workplace (although, now that I’ve a workforce, it’s a extra sophisticated approach 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 making a living on-line isn’t odd.

“You stop your job? Are you loopy?” isn’t one thing lots of people say nowadays. There’s a whole lot of optimistic encouragement for this factor that was as soon as thought of so loopy that there will need to have been one thing unsuitable with you when you wished to do it.

As individuals are vulnerable to do throughout milestones like this, I wished to share some classes I’ve discovered as a grizzled previous web particular person (as a result of folks check with me as “an OG digital creator” as if I’m 90!).

1. Most individuals succeed due to luck

Somebody’s video goes viral, and all of a sudden 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 fame.

Some folks simply meet that one proper particular person at a convention.

After all, talent is required to keep up that success, however a whole lot of occasions, luck and timing play an even bigger function than folks wish 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 concentrate on search engine marketing? Most likely not. I simply occurred to start out on the proper time. That’s not one thing I managed. I acquired fortunate.

2. Throw a whole lot of spaghetti towards the wall

I’ve had a whole lot of failed concepts — from apps to T-shirts to a convention to a hostel. A few of these ventures caught for some time; others have been instant failures. Some got here again years later (we do excursions once more!). I’m continually making an attempt 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 have been the place you advised tales and gave life updates. Folks had RSS feeds and left feedback. Now, that occurs largely through e mail and social media. Yeah, some folks will click on over to your tales, and blogs are nonetheless helpful for sharing service-based content material, however the best way folks used to devour private updates is useless. It in all probability received’t come again both. The form of engagement weblog feedback used to generate is now discovered on social media.

4. Due to this fact, it’s important to be on social media

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

5. You must be taught to make some video content material

I hate video. I like phrases. However video is the wave of the longer term, and it’s important to be taught to supply 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 folks devour media, and, if you’d like your message heard by them, it’s important to do it.

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

Change is the one fixed in life — and the web modifications at lightning pace. When you don’t continually reinvent your self, you’re going to 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 observe their viewers. And, in consequence, whereas they make a dwelling, it’s only a tense grind of diminishing returns.

You must be keen to alter course typically if you wish to succeed on-line.

7. Some methods are timeless

Regardless that all the things modifications, some issues stay the identical. You must at all times have your personal web site, e 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 methods to get folks to observe you, purchase your stuff, or join one thing haven’t modified (as a result of folks 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

Keep in mind Vine? What occurred to all these creators who went all in there? All the time unfold your self round, as a result of platforms change — and so they don’t care about you. Algorithms change, development slows, and platforms alter course. So don’t put all of your effort into only one platform. Be in a number of locations, but in addition: at all times direct folks again to your web site and e mail record, as a result of, it doesn’t matter what occurs to social media, these are at all times going to be the 2 stuff you personal and management.

9. Rent a workforce

You’ll by no means develop when 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 photos. Hiring workers to assist with admin work, content material updates, e mail, and something in between will skyrocket your development. It’s inconceivable in any other case.

10. Consider your self as a pizza store

If you wish to be a profitable enterprise, it’s important to behave like, for instance, the brick-and-mortar pizza store down the road. You must take into consideration bills, P&L reviews, taxes, advertising, gross sales, and many others. You must give you boring advertising plans. You want workers. In any other case, you’re simply enjoying enterprise, not truly operating 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 hearken to podcasts. The highest folks in any area learn — continually.

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 — and so they keep on high! The remaining putter alongside.

12. Be taught to let go

We used to gross $500,000 a yr simply from our running a blog programs. Then gross sales dropped. I spent some huge cash making an attempt to get them again up, however the market had modified. All of a sudden, 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 in the long run, what the course market turned wasn’t what actually me. Now, we make about $50,000 a yr as an alternative. You must be keen to let issues go if one thing isn’t working.

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

It’s inconceivable to work and journey on the similar time. You simply can’t do it. Your work suffers, your travels endure, and your psychological well being suffers. If you wish to be a digital nomad, don’t transfer quick. Transfer gradual, 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 outdoors your trade

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

15. It’s OK to stop

It’s exhausting to confess failure. I do know a whole lot of journey creators — and creators on the whole — that preserve working on-line as a result of they really feel they will by no means return to an workplace job, regardless of the very fact they’re barely surviving. Generally issues don’t work out — it’s OK to stop and let go. Use the talents it’s important to work for another person and get a daily paycheck. We idolize working for ourselves within the on-line area 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 best way of admitting that one thing didn’t work. Life is simply too brief to be continually pressured and anxious for years. Let go.

Final yr, I stop running a blog regularly. I simply felt like I’d stated all I might say about journey. This yr, 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 concentrate on my well being and health. Final yr, I gave up a whole lot of private time when journey restarted post-COVID — occasions, excursions, and conferences. It took up most of my free time. Actually, final yr was the primary yr since I began touring and I didn’t go to 1 new place.

However no extra.

After this month, I received’t be occurring 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 yr.

I’ll proceed to weblog after I really feel the urge, however I wish to replace my e book How you can Journey the World on $50 a Day, write a brand new e book, concentrate on bringing journey to folks through video, and perhaps do one thing fully new. I’m undecided actually.

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