And it doesn't matter if you're planning to turn your blog into a business or you're just blogging from an urge to share with your knowledge and creativity.
There is no magic elevator to success, you have to take the stairs, but still, you just want to avoid some common mistakes of new bloggers and learn about some lessons from the experience of those who have been there and who have done that.
I have owned this little blog of mine since 2013, way before blogging was considered a profession or a full-time job.
Firstly, it was just a desire to share with the photos I took daily with my new semi-pro camera without having my relatives and acquaintances unfriend or block me on Facebook.
I was looking for a space to share with my creativity and connect with people with similar interests and hobbies so My blog, coffee and camera! was born to unite my 3 biggest obsessions.
I would mostly post photos and join Wordless Wednesday Linky. But I was not active and would only work on my teaching blog which was rather a success.
When I started seriously thinking of reviving my lifestyle blog, the social media was not the same as before, there were lots of changes in the algorithms and it became a challenge to gain followers and engagement.
I have been blogging long enough to take a look back now and list 5 lessons I have learned from Blogging so far.
1. Anyone can write
I used to be someone who hated essays and would skip a class just to avoid handing an essay.
As an introvert, I was always self-conscious to speak about my inner world and I thought I would never be competent in writing.
My posts used to be a bunch of photos with a short caption or without. Nowadays I am thrilled to just sit down and put
down my thoughts as I feel more confident in my abilities.
Anyone can write if you just believe and make the efforts.
2. Love it and be passionate about it
Most of the times, people blog after their real-time work and they spend not any fewer efforts on it. Unless you enjoy doing it, you will soon give up when you face the daily obstacles: writers' block, unengaged followers, not enough feedback.
Don't hesitate to change your niche if you find a new interest. Many times you discover yourself as you start doing something and it's ok to experiment and change your steer. Just do it with love and will find your audience.
3. Engage with other bloggers
The first genuine support you'll get will be from your fellow bloggers. Like, follow and comment on your favorite bloggers, engage and you will get the same back.
Bloggers' block is real, but if you keep reading other bloggers and engaging and interacting with them, you will
hardly ever run out of blogging ideas.
4. Numbers are not everything
In reality, they don't matter a lot. Choose quality over quantity.
Social Media algorithms have become very irritating these days and it has become a challenge to reach your audience through your posts without having to pay a certain amount of money. But in reality, numbers are nothing if your followers don't engage and interact. Never underestimate the support of fellow bloggers. Engage and interact first if you want to receive the same.
5. Be patient
Success comes when you least expect it. I remember abandoning my Facebook page for years and then discovering I had more than 10.000 likes on it.
There will be days, weeks and months that you will work hard writing and promoting your blog with poor results.
But there will be a day when you will find out that one of your Pins has gone viral and you will get regular traffic and blog visitors.
Blogging is fun and I really enjoy it.
Yet, it is not easy and no successful blogger has done it overnight.
It needs perseverance and determination to not give up and keep going no matter how hopeless and discouraged you may feel.
Just grab the pen and write about something genuine. Create good content, combine it with good visuals and never give up as one day you will wake up and see that your hard work has paid off.
