I recently got a notification from WordPress that I have been blogging for a year now! Technically, I created my blog a year ago but I only started actively blogging 3 months ago. I have experienced a lot of ups and downs during these past 3 months and I think it would be lovely to share what I have learnt about blogging so far. I hope you enjoy!
Blogging is not as easy as it seems
That perfect flatlay and glamorous pictures you see on blogs have probably been taken a 100 times to look just right. Before I started blogging I used to think people just empty the contents of their makeup bag and everything falls beautifully in place. I didn’t understand why mine looked like a hot mess. It takes a lot of effort and hours to plan posts, write it, take pictures and promote it. Blogging can easily turn into a full-time job! You have to be consistent and diligent and always try to improve. It’s not easy, but definitely worth it. So far!
If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to scrap it
When I first started blogging I couldn’t decide on what niche I wanted to blog about. So I started with many niches like music, movies, books, fashion, makeup, travelling and lifestyle. I started posting and I quickly realised that people did not like reading my independent posts about music, books and movies. So I deleted all those posts and I slowly dwindled down my topics to things that people liked. I listened to my readers and acted accordingly.
I think its okay to not blog about everything. Even if you love everything like me LOL. I think my opinion is more valued in certain areas than others, which is great! It allows my thoughts to be more targeted and my quality to be better. Don’t be afraid to adapt especially when you are starting out because you have we have so much lee way for change now!
Shamelessly promote your blog
A lot of people feel shy about sharing their blog posts but it is one of the best ways for people to find your blog. I am not saying that you should be that annoying, spammy blogger, but doing things like sharing your posts once social media and leaving your blog link at the end of comments is a great way to get your blog out there. If you feel uncomfortable about sharing your posts with people you know you can carve out an entirely separate community of strangers to share your posts with. For example, I now have a separate Instagram page where I am striving to grow a community of like-minded people different from followers on my personal page!
Interact with the blogging community
Interacting with other people is so important when you’re a blogger. It’s not enough to just publish posts and sit and wait for something to happen. I make sure to reply to every single person that took the time to comment on my post. Doing this helps build relationships with the people that read your posts! Also, do not be afraid to comment on other people’s posts, share their blog post, like them or follow them on Instagram. When you comment, try to leave thoughtful comments. Simply commenting “Nice” or “Great post” does not count. It shows you didn’t read a word of the persons post. Truly interacting really makes your blogging experience so much better!
This is one of the best tips for growing any social media site; posting often, striving for quality content and interacting with the community!
Be yourself
I think it’s perfectly okay to derive inspiration from another person because almost everything under the sun has been blogged about. I think what makes a post unique in particular is the fact that it is your unique perspective. That is why it is important to be honest and be yourself. It is so exhausting trying to act like something you are not and I think people can pick up on that. On the flip side, it is so liberating when people embrace unique aspects of your personality that you may think are weird or not good enough. That can be what makes you stand out!
I’m definitely still a baby blogger and I have no idea what I am doing 99.999 percent of the time so these are just some of the things I have learnt so far! I also have no idea what I’m going to do when I move into a self hosted site. And what in heavens name is SEO and HTML? This is uncharted territory. LOL wish me luck and fingers crossed that I appear graceful admist the madness!
What has blogging taught you?
The Pearly Life 
“Its okay to not blog about everything.” Wow. Youre right. As a new blogger myself, a book blogger in particular, I sometimes veer away from my niche. And it costed me! People got confused and left so i think what you have just written there is very important. I cant tell enough how important finding and sticking to a niche!
Great post by the way! Love it! ❤
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Blogging has helped me deal with stresses in college life. It has taught me that you know about what your main niche than you thought you did. Blogging has taught you that blogging takes time to get to find followers and be successful
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Great post!! Would you say that it’s better for a blogger to make a separate social media account for everything or using your personal would just be ok?
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I think a separate account would be better because it makes you more focused on your target audience and sometimes personal posts can be a bit off in the flow of a blogging feed you know? I personally have 2 accounts for my blog and it’s way better for me.
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Awesome, thank you for replying!
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