There are definitely a few things I wish I had know before I started my blog - a few truths about the reality of blogging. There are so many positives and upsides and if you find a passion for it then these things are just part of the package! These are in no way rules or anything set in stone, just something I have learnt from experience and wanted to share.
Make Time - it takes a lot of effort.
Although blogging has lots of lovely benefits, it isn't all swish parties, polished photographs and flat-lays. It's a very time consuming hobby, which is absolutely fine if you love it and are happy to put the time in! Snapping, filming, editing, planning, writing, publishing, posting and sharing content takes a lot of time, so I think it's a good thing to know that before you start - not to put anyone off, just as a little friendly note as I didn't quite realise when I started (luckily I'm now happy to put the time in!)
Things won't happen straight away.
I have been blogging for over three years now and I am a prime example that growth. takes. time. I don't blog for the numbers, they are simply a lovely bonus, but the feeling of your blog, channels and social media growing is great - it means people are interested in what you have to say and have to share with them.
Be creative, be influenced by others, but be you.
A little cliche sounding I know, but it is so important to stay true to yourself on your blog. It is usually plain to see when someone is pretending to be someone they're not or pretending to like things they don't like just because they think it'll go down better with readers. With the 'blog-market' being so saturated now, your unique selling point is... YOU! Be influenced by other bloggers, let their ideas inspire your ideas, but make sure your ideas are your own.
Schedule & Plan - it will help!
Content planning will make your life so much easier! Plan what you are going to post and when you are going to post, so you've got an idea of what is coming up. If you plan a month or so ahead you can be prepared for any specific content that might need to go up at a certain time of year - I always find days like Valentines Day or Bank Holiday Weekends spring up on me and had I realised I would have planned some content around it.
Most importantly, make sure you enjoy it - it's fun, creative and exciting!
Are you starting a blog soon? Or do you have any tips you can share too? Let me know in the comments!
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I've just finished my second year at university and one thing I realised this term was how tricky it was to keep juggling all the different things I want to do in life. Something had to be put on the back burner and in this case it was my blog. I didn't neglect it, but if I had to be writing an essay on market research, I couldn't be writing a blog post about my new shoes. I also had to put going to the gym on the back burner as I just felt guilty if I wasn't at home writing essays and revising. I've put together a few tips on keeping on top of things when you're busy.
- Top Tips -
Don't push yourself.
If you have to get an essay done, revise for an exam or write up a report for work then make time for it and if you have to put other things on hold, that is okay. Your health is the most important things, a blog post can wait. Make the time to get the things you really need to get done, done and then if you're too tired to do the extra things, don't push yourself to do them.
Do what works for you.
If you friend can spend all day working and you have to have breaks, that's fine. Everybody works differently so don't compare yourself to others, just do what works for you. If your break means taking an hour out to shoot some photos and write a post then do it, if it means going out for some fresh air and taking time out, that do that.
Schedule. Schedule. Schedule.
If you do set some time aside to write up some blog posts, write a few if you can, then schedule them to go up throughout that week. This way your blog won't fall behind but you don't have to keep thinking about it. You can even schedule tweets about your posts too, with apps such as TweetDeck.
Don't stress.
We are all human and understand people have busy lives, your readers won't mind if you don't have the time to write new posts when you have deadlines or are very busy at work/ You blog because you love it, don't make it something that worries you.
If you have to get an essay done, revise for an exam or write up a report for work then make time for it and if you have to put other things on hold, that is okay. Your health is the most important things, a blog post can wait. Make the time to get the things you really need to get done, done and then if you're too tired to do the extra things, don't push yourself to do them.
Do what works for you.
If you friend can spend all day working and you have to have breaks, that's fine. Everybody works differently so don't compare yourself to others, just do what works for you. If your break means taking an hour out to shoot some photos and write a post then do it, if it means going out for some fresh air and taking time out, that do that.
Schedule. Schedule. Schedule.
If you do set some time aside to write up some blog posts, write a few if you can, then schedule them to go up throughout that week. This way your blog won't fall behind but you don't have to keep thinking about it. You can even schedule tweets about your posts too, with apps such as TweetDeck.
Don't stress.
We are all human and understand people have busy lives, your readers won't mind if you don't have the time to write new posts when you have deadlines or are very busy at work/ You blog because you love it, don't make it something that worries you.
As bloggers, sometimes we have to juggle blogging with work, university, school and life in general. It can get a bit too much sometimes (ahem... hence the lack of posts recently!) These are my tips to maintain a routine and keep on top of things!
Let me know if this helps you and don't forget to subscribe!
G xxx
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