Oh wow, I’ve been thinking about this post since this summer, and it always felt so abstract! Then I looked at my calendar today and realized that just like that, it’s here! Exactly one year ago I hit publish on my first post, having no idea what I was doing. Let’s be honest – I still probably have no idea what I’m doing haha! But that’s part of the fun, and I’m really proud of how far I’ve come and how much I’ve learned!
Well first of all, I have to start this post with a huge thank you to you, my readers! I am so grateful for every article you’ve read, every post you’ve shared, pin you’ve saved, and every comment/message you’ve sent. It seriously warms my heart, and makes every late night and early morning worth it.
Ok, on to the tips! I have learned soooo much in this first year. I started out not even knowing what I didn’t know, and certainly not knowing how to get where I wanted to be. While I hardly have all the answers yet (what fun would that be, anyway!), I get a lot of people asking for tips and tricks for starting their blog. What better time than my one-year anniversary to share some of what I’ve learned!
1. Don’t Let Naysayers Bother You
This was really, truly, a difficult lesson for me. Hitting publish on those first few blog posts made my heart pitter patter out of control. I wanted my content to be well received and enjoyed, and I didn’t want to be made fun of because I was trying something a little out of the box. And you know what? Some comments did make their way back to me, but it helped me come to an important realization. When someone has icky things to say, it’s a reflection on them. Not you. If you have a dream, no matter what it is, don’t for one second let anyone else get in the way of it.
2. One Thing At A Time
When you start dipping your toe into the humongous infinity pool that is blogging, it can be so overwhelming! Every time you turn around you learn about some other thing that you’re not doing that’s apparently critical to success. It’s pretty easy to let that stress you out, because there is A LOT in the behind the scenes of your blog that you never knew existed, and only 24 hours in the day! So just identify one thing you want to learn that week, month whatever. When you’ve mastered that skill and it’s second nature, it will be easy enough to start working on the next task. I keep a biiiiiig list of all the things I would be doing on my blog in my dream world, and that way I can keep my eye on the prize and always keep moving in the right direction.
3. Invest In A Nice Camera
Buying my Canon DSLR is one of the best things I did for myself and my blog this year. You can take nice photos with your iPhone, but in such a visually focused industry, a nice camera is a must to take your blog to the next level. In a similar vein, I’m really glad I also invested in photography lessons. I had never used a DSLR before, and was totally intimidated. Now I will never take my camera off of manual!
4. Set Realistic Goals
Ok, I’m actually still trying to work on this one! So do as I say, not as I do haha! I’m impatient, want huge success yesterday, and set really ambitious goals for myself. The problem is that then when I don’t achieve them, it makes me lose sight of the fact that I actually accomplished a lot! Sit down and really think about what you can realistically accomplish in a week, month, year, whatever. You can always reevaluate if you’re amazing and leave your original goals in the dust!
5. Stay Authentic
Be yourself, and don’t try to imitate anyone else. I think people can really sense authenticity, and it’s the “it factor” that makes me excited to follow and connect with new bloggers everyday. This one also comes down to why you’re starting a blog in the first place. Share about the things that really genuinely excite you, and your readers will be able to sense that.
6. Just Do It
Not everything needs to be, or will be, perfect. Want to start a blog? Just do it! Trying something new can be scary and overwhelming, but that’s how we learn and grow, right? Don’t spend your life having a clear idea of what you want to do, but never hitting play on your own story. You only live once!
Now it’s time to pop the bubbly (or my new favorite rosé!), celebrate a fun first year, and toast to the year ahead! Cheers!
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