I started blogging in 2013 but did not really take it seriously till the end of 2017 unfortunately. I started reading various blogs on how to blog better and be great at it. In no way am i a pro blogger but i have learned so much from other great bloggers especially about blogging lessons for beginners. I would love to share things about What blogging has taught me so far.

Blogging has been an amazing outlet for me to release my thoughts and share what is on my mind with others. It has also been a great way for me to empower others in their journeys through life. When i initially started blogging in 2013, it was more of a notepad for myself and fitness. I started and stopped so many times as i lost focus. It was not until sometime in 2017 when i really felt God re-directing me towards the blog. He basically opened my heart to what he really wanted it to be. As a new mother, i have motherhood stories to tell and hence my blog has evolved from solely fitness. It is now an outlet for fitness, motherhood and my journey towards walking in my calling with Christ. These are not just about what blogging has taught me, but also blogging lessons for beginners. It may not necessarily be about how to blog or blogging tips, but they will guide you.

What blogging has taught me

Blogging is not easy

Contrary to what most people think, blogging is not easy. Many people think it just involves sitting down and writing. As a blogger, there is more to blogging than just writing. Especially if you are really serious about blogging. As a blogger, you are the editor, the writer, the marketer, the photographer, the social media analyst and so much more. Several things go into blogging such as:

Getting pictures to use: You either have to schedule when to take all the pictures to use for your blog posts or search free or paid websites for stock photos to use. You cannot just pull up a picture from the internet and use, there are legal issues that go with these things.

Social media: When you write a post, obviously you want others to see it, here comes promoting on various platforms.

Coming up with blog posts is not easy, i always have a notepad or notes on my phone to write ideas as they come to me. Then editing the posts and putting it all together.

My blogging space at home consists of my planners (yes i need more than one), a table calendar, notepads, hard drive, pens, camera etc. I really do not know any bloggers that can function without planners either digital or paper.

Deadlines: next comes deadlines to meet for blog posts going out, sponsored posts, ads, collaborations, guest posts. my brain is constantly on clockwork trying to keep track of my deadlines.

Blogging community

As a blogger, things can get very lonely and you will need a blogging community to stay on track. God bless my hubby who 100% supports me but he does not read all my posts lol. I remember in the beginning i used to get frustrated because family and friends did not read my blog or think it was something serious. But i have learned that they are not my target audience, maybe they will hop on eventually but for now, i would not be bothered. Surprisingly though, my parents seem to be getting into it slowly especially when i send them certain posts i have written. I am part of several blogging communities on Facebook. My favorite being Boss girl Bloggers. With communities like these, you get to meet so many other like-minded people and learn from them. You get to share each other’s struggles and experiences. No one else can truly understand how it feels when you hit your 5000 monthly views, or 100 subscribers or low bounce rates etc. I have also gotten to meet so many awesome women from every area of the world just from the confines of my laptop loll. With blogging communities, you also get to share great contents with other people. Bloggers are also the only people that can understand the joys when you hit certain milestones.

Loving what you do and inspiring others

By blogging, i have been able to find what i love doing. I am an introvert and so talking a lot is not much of my strength. Blogging gives me the avenue to share my thought by typing. I have been able to empower several people through blogging and just hearing feedback from people has been so empowering. There really is nothing that can be compared to finding your calling and walking in it. I wrote a post HERE about walking in God’s purpose for your life. By understanding what God has planned for me with this blog, i have been able to embrace it even more. If all we do is come to this world and work on things we have no passion for, then we have lived wasted lives. I believe my life is more than working in a passionless environment just to pay the bills. I have been called to empower women through my life and using what God has given me to speak to people.

Blogging requires patience

Patience, i cannot stress this enough. Blogging requires patience. It will take time, trust me. Do not believe all these posts that claim miracles overnight. Yes, maybe a few do but for the vast majority, this is not the case. You have to be patient with it. It will take time to see results especially in the area of blog views, making money, getting brand sponsorships etc. But do not give up

Although i just recently got consistent, it has taken me a while before being approached by brands for collaborations and sponsorships. If you stick with it, you will get the results.

Organization is key

Again i cannot stress the importance of Organization. Organization is one major blogging tip for beginners. I have a planner i love using to stay organized. Without a planner, my life would be a whirlwind lol. As a blogger, you need to stay organized and keep track of deadlines for posts, ads, etc to be successful. Especially while working full time, it can be tough to keep track. I have days when i have to stay up till like 3 am working on content that needs to go up or sent out to people. My planner definitely helps make my life a little bit easier lol. I also have a list of my blogging resources, things i currently use or have heard great things about.

Don’t compare

Another major blogging tip for beginners! It is so easy to compare your life with someone else especially when you see how successful they are. Focus on your own journey and stay in your lane. Your time would come. your audience would find you. You rob yourself of all the joy when you compare yourself with someone else and wish you had what they have. The comparison just makes you wallow in sadness while missing out on all the beauty that life has to offer. By focusing on this calling that God has given me, i have been able to always go back to him at times when i am feeling lonely or like i am not making any progress. He always reminds me of why he called me here and why i need to keep looking at him and not at people.

Have your own voice

If you try to blog like someone else or write like they write, people would eventually see through it and you would lose their trust. Find your voice and stick with it. There is nothing like a terrible voice, there is an audience for every writing style. Be yourself and own it.

Consistency

It is important to stay consistent. Like i said, in the past, i was never consistent, I would post today then be silent then post two months later. This is no way to grow a successful blog. It was not until i started reading about how to blog or blogging tips for beginners that i realized how important consistency is.  To be successful, people need to trust you.They should be able to rely on you to stay consistent. This is where having a content calendar is very useful. A great blogger friend of mine wrote a post on how to constantly have blog post ideas, click HERE to read it. For now, i try to post 2-3 times a week to stay organized. I know some people post a lot more often but you need to find what works for you.

There is always something to learn

Just when you think you have learned something new after so long, another thing pops up. I have learned SO much from blogging. When i started blogging and wanted to change my platform, i found a theme and paid someone $500 to design it for me. I look back now and like what the heck. It was great do not get me wrong. But the current theme i have right now, i found, paid about $80 for it and set it up myself. It was a learning process but i have grown so much from it. I have learned to do most things myself. Outside of blogging, i would not know how to do this myself. I can design posters for myself, do some technical stuff, write better and so much more.

Value yourself and your time

I value my time so much more now. From planning out my time to saying NO to certain things because i want to spend every second wisely.  I have had so many brands reach out to me to collaborate. Then i ask about the budget they tell me they do not have a budget at this time. Now, i am not saying i would absolutely not work for free but there has to be a benefit to me and my readers. We are all so busy and i have so many deadlines and things to do outside of blogging. With having a full-time job, family and kid, there really is no time to say YES to every project. Plus i also feel that often times, some of these brands do not actually value my time as a blogger. They have the money to market their products but when it comes to bloggers, they claim they have no funds. For me, spending time working for free to pitch products for brands takes up time that i could use to create valuable contents for my readers. These brands do not work for free so why should i work for them for free? The person who contacted you was obviously paid for their job, so why should you be at a disadvantage by working for free? These brands can pay you ten times over so why should we work for free?  Excuse me, i am really passionate about this valuing my time issue lol.

So these are just a few things on What blogging has taught me. What are some blogging tips you have or your own “What blogging has taught me” versions. If you are not a blogger, what are some key life lessons you have learned?