Before I started blogging, I had never really been an avid blog reader. I followed a few but never really checked in regularly. Honestly, most of my blog reading was done when I’d look up information on a topic or item and if a blog had a write up about it, I’d read it. It wasn’t until I started this blog that I really appreciated all the work that goes into this world of blogging. As of April 16th, I’ve been a blogger for 1 whole year! There’s still more room for growth and improvement but I’ve definitely learned a lot in my first year.
5 Important Thing I Learned in My First Year of Blogging
1. Don’t Focus on the Numbers
The point of a blog is to provide information for people to read, right? Well, as a new blogger my fear concern was that nobody would read my blog! There are plenty of other beauty blogs out there, some extremely popular, so I wondered how many people would click to see what little ole me wrote about a product I tried. As a result, I checked my blog stats incessantly! When I tell you I was obsessed with seeing how many views and clicks I had each day…it was absolutely nerve racking. And then when my views were up for a few days and then dropped the next day, my heart sank as well. I started wondering if it was my content or how frequently I was posting.
Being that I work full-time and have kids, I wasn’t able to post more than once a week on a consistent basis so my content would have to be the driving force. I soon came to my senses and the realization that as a new blog, it was going to take time to gain more readers than just my friends and that stressing about my monthly views was not going to help. I had to keep in mind why I started Sassy Critic in the first place and keep blogging about my honest opinions on products. Once I made up my mind to stop focusing on the numbers, I became much more confident in what I was doing. Before I knew it, I was gaining more and more readers all over the world each month.
2. Be True to Yourself
This may be cliche and you may have read it in other blogging 101 posts, but it is so true. After starting my blog, I started getting into reading other blogs, beauty related and otherwise, those that were popular and not so popular yet, and I got to see the differences in the voice of each blogger. The blogs I enjoyed the most had personality. I almost felt like I knew some of those bloggers and could imagine myself hanging out with them. That’s what makes people keep coming back to see what’s new on your blog. Your personality and your voice. Thanks to my mom, I tend to be the grammar police but the great thing about a personal blog is that you don’t always have to be so formal. You can present information in a more relaxed and relatable manner. People appreciate that.
You could even present information and earn money while doing it, which has been another plus for me as a blogger. Many companies that request blog posts will allow you to use your own voice as long as you include the information they want you to and they will pay you for it! If you are a blogger or aspiring blogger and interested in making some money from it you could follow these tips to help you in your journey!
3. Get Blogging Buddies
Throughout this blogging journey, I have come across a few really helpful Facebook groups for bloggers. These groups are made up of all kinds of bloggers and the information I’ve gained about all things blogging has been tremendously helpful. Such groups are also very helpful in getting your blog posts seen by others who may not have come across it otherwise. I’ve even made a few blogging friends who I am so grateful for.
For example, Heidi is a full-time blogger and manages multiple blogs that cover topics such as relationships, beauty, wellness, and ways to save money! I have no idea how she does it but she clearly has a love for blogging and she’s damn good at it! One blog is enough for me! All of that experience has brought her much knowledge on blogging, SEO, social media marketing, etc. that she graciously shares with me. She even gives me constructive criticism now and then which puts a fire under me to keep improving. You know what they say, if you want to be successful, surround yourself with people who are doing better than you.
4. Don’t Quit
This kind of goes with #3 because having buddies will help prevent you from jumping ship when you feel like it’s all for nothing or when you get in a rut. I think most bloggers hit a point when they question whether or not they want to continue. I’ll admit, I hit that point a couple of times. Not because I didn’t want to blog anymore but at times when life and adulting took over and I wasn’t able to blog as consistently. There were also times when I felt like I was out of ideas. I don’t know how that was possible with all the beauty products I have and buy on a regular basis!
These 5 things have helped me in my first year of blogging! Click To TweetWhat helped me in those situations was just taking a little break. I still promoted my posts on social media and continued reading other blogs until I got my blogging mojo back. Blogging is a lot of work and can be time-consuming so if you have to take a break to focus on other things or just to get your mind right, it’s okay. Just don’t give up on it. You’ll be glad you didn’t.
5. Stay Organized
Okay, this is an area that I’m still working on but embraced the importance of towards the end of my first year. As you may know, I started a Youtube channel as a compliment to this blog just a few months after starting my blog. I actually have more fun making videos than I expected I would. However, it’s another thing to work into my schedule. Recording is somewhat easy but planning and editing can be another time vampire. Add that to the planning, writing, creating graphics, researching, and social media marketing needed for the blog, it can all get overwhelming very easily.
Having a plan in place is extremely important! I used to jot down ideas in a notebook but that’s just not cutting it anymore. I have finally found a planner to help me get my ish together! If this doesn’t help me, I’m in trouble lol!
Source: Shanieism.com
To say this past year in blogging has been a learning experience is an understatement. But you know what? I don’t regret any of it. The ups have far outweighed the downs and I’m looking forward to continued growth and sharing more of my beauty product musings with you and many others! If you are a new blogger, or even if you’re not so new, I hope that these 5 tips will be just as helpful to you in your blogging journey!
All really great tips! Thanks so much for the kind words and mentions. Ofcourse you are one of my faves and part of #teamcraycray lol. You are doing so great and I’m blessed to climb to the top with such a great person:)
heidi recently posted…Best Social Media Tips For Bloggers In 2017
Awww thanks so much Heidi! #teamcraycray all the way lol!
Love the lessons 🙂 Don’t quit is probably the biggest! It can be overwhelming and a lot of work but it’s also fun and rewarding – congrats on your first year!
Thank you Shelby! I’m so glad I didn’t quit!
Great post! Happy birthday to your blog!
Thank you Mary 🙂
Couldn’t do it without my blogging buddies! 🙂 Great lessons for any new blogger to take in!
Shopgirl Anonymous recently posted…Urban Outfitters: What Is The Shopping Experience?
Having blog buddies is the best!
Great read! I enjoy your posts and blogs. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Genine 🙂
Congrats on your first year. I’ve found that blogging is a journey and you keep learning every year.
Stacie recently posted…PACT Organic Clothing – Super Soft Workout Gear
So true Stacie! I have learned a lot and there’s still so much more to learn!
Congrats on surviving the first year. These are all great tips that ring true. I still ignore numbers, because I want to keep my real purpose in sight.
Mimi Green recently posted…Did You Know Turban Day Was A Thing?
That is the most important key Mimi. Thanks!
These are some great tips! Oh yes, ignore those numbers! Opportunities come from having great content & connections. Keep building those relationships and keep pushing.
Will do, Candice, thanks!
Congrats on your 1 year blogaversary! It’s definitely more work than many people realize when they first start. It’s great that you have found blogger groups and that you have already learned to ignore the numbers. Much success to you.
Thanks Lauren! I’m so glad that I didn’t get caught up in the numbers!
Congrats to making it to 1 year of blogging. Someone try to tell me blogging was dead but that is a lie. Keep it up, make friends, learn in the industry and do not let negativity get to you while you are blogging.
Kiwi recently posted…BEING CROWNED AS AN ATLANTA #CURLLEGEND BY CURLY GIRL COLLECTIVE
Thanks! Blogging is definitely not dead!
You’ve accomplished a lot in such a short amount of time. I’m amazed by the progress you’ve made so quickly. Definitely keep up the great work and much success to you! Congratulations.
Thank you so much Elle!!
Getting and STAYING organized was the hardest part in my blogging journey. Congrats on year one! You’ll need these give motivators for the upcoming years too.
It sure is but I’m getting better! Thanks Anitra!
Great tips and applicable at most if not all stages of blogging. Thank you for the reminder from one new blogger to another 🙂
OMG you’ve been so helpful! I’ve been consistent with my current blog for about 2 months now and it’s definitely overwhelming but fun! I love to learn from other’s experiences, so I’m taking this blog post to heart. Point #1 is sooooo me! My numbers skyrocketed last week for the first time and I was on cloud 9. Now it’s been kind of slow. But I will persevere until I’m up to where I want to be. Thanks again!