Year 1: What I’ve Learned Blogging So Far

Image by Irina from Pixabay

She Informs has officially hit the one-year mark and I thought, what better way to celebrate than to share the low roads, high roads, and the critical components of what I’ve learned blogging so far.

I will do this every year to reflect on my blogging journey and document my growth. Feel free to tag along!

Here what’s I’ve taken from this experience so far:

1. Consistency Is Key

Don’t underestimate the significance of blogging consistently. If I knew in the beginning how much of a difference in traffic it makes, I would have done it starting off. What I’ve realized is that with a new blog, one of the main focuses is building an audience and in order to do that, you must blog at a consistent pace. The more you blog, the more your audience will grow.

2. Don’t Focus So Hard On Views

When I first began blogging, I made it a bad habit to check my views multiple times a day. I was putting in so much work that I expected the views to magically appear out of thin air (especially when I applied SEO to my posts), but I was missing so many other pieces to the puzzle. That’s one of the things I love the most about blogging, you learn something new every day. I now check my views twice, maybe three times per week versus every day which makes blogging more free-flowing for me. Doing this will only cause you stress and make you feel demotivated.

3. Work On Building A Blogging Audience First

I talked about this above, but I want to get more in-depth here. Building a following on social media, a mailing list, and a loyal blog fanbase. Your subscribers should be receiving emails from you and can’t wait to open them. They won’t hesitate to try the products you recommend. You can depend on these people and they rely on you. Building an audience guarantees you loyal views and loyal customers that associate with your brand.

4. Invest Money Into Your Blog

You have to spend money to make money. Many people believe it costs little to nothing to start blogging, which is true. But if you want your blog to truly blossom, then you must invest in the things that it needs to do so. For example, one of my biggest mistakes starting out was not having hosting. I bought hosting 8 months in and had to restructure my entire website. It was a process, but I saw a dramatic change in things with having hosting versus not having hosting. This is just one investment. Investing in blogging courses, your site, blogging services many other things will get you where you want to be quicker than just going the free route. Out of everything I’ve learned while blogging so far, this was my biggest lesson.

5. Treat It Like Your Job

If you have a 9-5, your blog should be your 5-9. The same energy you give your day job, give that plus more to your blog. This may get draining at some point and you may feel you need a break, which is perfectly fine. I take breaks here and there to give myself a breather, but never fall off and forget why I’m doing it in the first place. The more work and time you put into your craft, the quicker the results.

6. ENGAGE

Comment on other people’s blog posts, share their blog posts, etc. Join blogging groups on FB, share experiences, and make blogging friends. This helps a lot when you feel like you’re alone and it starts to feel like a waste of time. There are people going through the same process, why not go through it together? If you love blogging, then it shouldn’t be hard to follow another person’s blog.

7. You’re Not Going To Make A Living Blogging Right Away

When I first started blogging, I thought I would be able to quit my job a few months in. Boy was I wrong. It’s been a year, and I’m still not yet at that point. Although there are various ways to make money blogging, it does not happen overnight. Do not believe the blogging gurus when they tell you you can quit your job in 3 months of blogging. It takes time…time to build your blog from the ground up. Time to build a following, time to make blog posts, etc. Most people on average don’t make a living until after their first year.

8. Terms & Conditions

There are a lot of things behind the scenes that you can’t do blogging. Like using other people’s pictures, making sure you’re website has a privacy policy, and even putting disclaimers in your blog posts. I can go on and on, but it’s essential to read and do your research on the legal side of blogging so that you don’t get into any legal trouble. What I’ve learned blogging is that there’s so much to learn. I didn’t know this until I was about 6 months in thankfully, nothing happened.

9. Opens Doors For Endless Possibilities

There are so many skills that come along with blogging. Digital marketing, graphic design, coding, writing, editing, SEO, and many more. These skills alone can open up any opportunities for any other endeavors you liked to pursue. Whether a new job or a freelance gig, the world is yours.

Thank you for reading my takeaways and what I’ve learned blogging in my first year, I hope this helps!

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