10 things I've learnt about blogging

I've been blogging for around six years now and in that time I've learnt so so much about blogging.  There is still so much to learn though but here are some of the things that I have learnt as I have gained experience in blogging.

Dedication is the key

Nothing happens over night, and that's the same with blogging. It takes a lot of patience and dedication to build up your blog and following. Blogging isn't for people that don't have patience. There are a lot of people who think that they'll start a blog, lots and people will come flocking to it and they'll get loads of free stuff when it just doesn't happen like that. Nothing ever comes for free.

The importance of promotion 

When I first started blogging I never promoted my posts, but now I use social media to promote recent blog posts, on top of also promoting older posts to draw in traffic. Since then I've really noticed how important it is to keep on top of that promotion. Obviously, you can't be glued to social media 24/7 but with websites such as Buffer and Instapult you're still able to keep on top of promoting your blog and they're so useful.

Don't worry about blog stats

Saying that, it doesn't bode well to constantly worry about your blog stats.  When I first started out I'd constantly refresh my stats every hour and it just brings unnecessary pressure to pull in crowds of people to your blog. It doesn't matter if you get 50 reads or 500 reads on a post. What matters is that you've written content that makes you happy and that you're proud of.

Write the content you want to write

It shows in your content if you're writing about something that you dislike or you have no interest in. Writing about the things that you love and enjoy always shows through the content that you write. It also makes it harder to initially write the post. I love writing about things that excite me. Blogging should make you happy; it shouldn't feel like a chore.

Organisation makes everything easier 

 I used to be so unorganised with blogging. I'd have post drafts and photos in lots of different folders. Now I plan and structure everything using a spreadsheet (it's what works for me!) so I know what I'm doing, what needs working on and what post is going up and when. It makes the process from start to finish feel hassle free.

It takes up a lot of time 

Preparing a blog post takes up so much time; taking the pictures, editing them, drafting the post, editing the post, proof-reading and correcting any errors, and not to mention the promotion after the post has gone up. With a newborn your time is greatly reduced which is also where organisation can really help when it comes to blogging. When I first started I had no idea one blog post took so much time.

Finding your niche is hard 

I still don't really have a niche, that's how hard it is but don't feel pressured into having to fit into a niche. You can feel pretty daunted because there are so many blogs out there in the niche that you might want to be in; however, you will get there at some point. You may go through several niches before you find the area that you want to stay in.

You don't need fancy equipment 

When I first started blogging I used to envy the bloggers with fancy cameras who had these beautiful clear photos, and then I learnt that it's not the equipment that necessarily makes the perfect photo. You can have an expensive camera but take unappealing photos. You need to learn about positioning, lighting and editing and how it affects the photo that you take.

Never compare yourself 

 Comparing yourself to someone else is always a dangerous thing;  not just in blogging but in any circumstance. You won't be you if you aspire to be someone else and you'll never feel truly confident in the content that you write. You should celebrate who you are and what makes you you. The individuality shows through your content and it's what will make people feel like they want to get to know you through your writing.

There's always something to learn 

I'm still learning things and I'll never stop learning things to do with blogging. Yesterday I learnt you could verify your website on Pinterest. The other week I learnt some new bits of coding to help with my layout change. I also learn things about myself that I didn't know before; things I'd like to do and experience or forming new opinions on topics that I never used to pay attention on. 

 I have to say, I now feel truly confident in what I write on my blog. It's taken years to get there but I couldn't feel happier now I've reached this point.

How long have you been blogging and what have you learnt during that time?