Blogging has managed to become a massive part of my life, not a day goes by when I don’t work on it – whether I’m writing a post, replying to emails, taking photos or planning content.
Recently something got me thinking about the early days of blogging, I definitely made mistakes so I thought it may be good to share some of those.
1) Start promoting my content straight away/ use social media to my full advantage
I can’t believe how long I kept my blog a secret, I relied on people finding it through commenting on others peoples posts and search engines – that’s it. Looking back I should have just shared it, I was so worried about what other people would think (I started blogging in 2009, it wasn’t a thing people did back then), I came to realise only a few years ago that the most important people in my life will support me, and if someone has something bad to say it’s just a reflection of them. I should have shared my blog and promoted it from the get go.
2) Don’t post anything you’re not happy with
In the early days I remember I would post things for the sake of it, I would actually press publish even though I felt uneasy about a post. Now I just don’t see the point, if I’m not happy with my work how can anyone else be?
3) Think about SEO
I really wish I had purchased my domain name at the beginning, thought about keywords and posted consistently. I had massive gaps inbetween posting at the start and it’s something I really regret. I would get out of the swing of writing and then a whole month would pass by without a single post. SEO is really important and something I think about and put more time into way more now.
4) Pass the opportunities that don’t sit right
I still feel so lucky to have brands message me regardless of their size or who they are. If they genuinely like what I do it’s the best feeling ever… However, I’ve learnt that I really shouldn’t say yes to everything, and I shouldn’t feel sorry or bad about saying no either. I’ll be honest, at the beginning I definitely said yes for the sake of it and I was a little naive. Now I just accept any opportunities that really excite me or products that I would genuinely buy myself/ already own.
5) Feel proud that I’m doing something I enjoy
I wish I had just been proud to have found something I loved doing. I never grew up with a hobby I enjoyed, some of my friends loved dancing or sports and I just didn’t have anything, so realising I loved blogging was a huge thing for me. If I could go back I would stop feeling embarrassed about blogging and embrace it.
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I kept my blog a secret for yonks too – and hurrah for starting in 2009, same! xx
I know what you mean with social media, I should have taken this a lot more seriously in the beginning and I definitely should have paid more attention to SEO. It's something I'm paying much more attention to these days! Kristy | thevioletblonde.com
Love this post! i've only just started blogging and It makes me feel very self conscious that other people will make fun of what I write about. Refreshing to see someone else take the plunge and do what they love! Lou – http://www.loukatherine.co.uk
Love the idea of this post girl!! I kept my blog a secret for so long too – the thought of people I knew in real life finding it was terrifying!! Totally agree with all your points here though. xxLucy | http://www.lucy-cole.co.uk
It took me so long to start sharing over social media. I was so afraid about what others would think! This is such a lovely post xxJessie | allthingsbeautiful-x
Such a nice post!!Who didn't do mistakes at the beggining!!I'm exactly in that phase where i say that i need to be more consistent!Like you say you can fall out of track and its coming back becoming harder and harder!xx Aphrodite ~ BubblyBeauty
I kept mine a secret as well! I felt so… anxious? that people would judge me. And I've also found that consistent, regular content is key. xo
Interesting blog post, it's nice to look back on the evolution of the blog and your behavior regarding it. I'm just starting mine, so it got me inspired to do more ! Thanks for that !ElsaLe Beauty Journal
I'm still guilty of not doing #1. I have personal social media accounts so spamming them with blog-related contents doesn't sit quite right with me. xErin Azmir
I could definitely relate to some of these! Promotion has been so important for blogging the past couple of years. It's so beneficial and I wish I did it more at the start xxLauren | itslaurenvictoria.blogspot.co.uk
These are all such valid points! I wish I started promoting my content more when I started out.Candice | Beauty Candy Loves
The whole SEO things just confuses me still and I just ignore it which I probably shouldn't do! Janay Andre x
I'm with you on a couple of these! I only started blogging in 2016 ( I had a youtube in 2011 but that was a loong time ago!) but even with that, my whole first year I was very inconsistent! XXFrances Kayleigh | Fashion & Lifestyle
I was exactly the same as you and I kept my blog a secret for nearly two years! I've been blogging for 3 years in February and I've seen growth in my account since sharing it, which is the best feeling ever. I also have no clue when it comes to SEO, so I think that this is something I need to start researching and actively work on xoChar | http://www.charslittleblog.co.uk
I completely agree, I was so scared of what other people though and then I had to ask myself, why I started this blogging in the first place. To connect with other people!dianaincolour.com
Amazing we all feel the same and no matter the advice at the beginning we all read and heard, we all continued to write with closed doors.Www.thehighlandclean.com/blogChris
I love this post and I have agreed with every single thing you have mentioned!Danielle xxhttp://www.fashionbeautyblog.co.uk/
These are really important points, lovely. I have been struggling with consistency due to being so being at work. I am going to do my best and pick it up this year 🙂 I also need to promote a little more maybe but then I don't want to be all about promotion, lol. It's all about the balance, I guess :)xox Nadiawww.mielandmint.com
These are such fab tips!!! I totally feel you on the SEO, I just started figuring that out this year and it has made such a huge difference! xo Lauren Will from http://www.LaurensLipGlossary.com
I was way too nervous to share my blog with friends in fear that they would say something negative about it. Now I don't shy away from it as much but I still don't share my posts on my Facebook or anything. I have some on my Instagram but other than that I usually use twitter (which most people I know personally aren't on). This was such a refreshing post to read. -Sophie xxwww.cherriesandperfume.com
Passing opportunities that dont feel right is so important, it's important to stay true to you and your blog and what you're all about. Thanks for sharing these tips xxxhttp://izzyk1998.blogspot.co.ukhttp://izzykreviews.blogspot.co.uk
This is a fantastic advice. We all make mistakes when we're newbies to anything thoMel ✨meleaglestone.co.uk@meleaglestone
I totally agree with you on the SEO topic! I‘ve done quite good for a longer time when I was posting more regularly and literally after a one-month break I had to start all over, haha…http://get-ready-with-laura.blogspot.de
Yesss to all of these. I wish I'd passed opportunities earlier rather than accepting everything. I'm so fussy these days, especially if brands don't pay me enough! You've got to know your own worth and what's worth investing your time in / what you'll actually enjoy doing xGemma Louise
Great post! I totally agree about not posting for the sake of it. I posted almost every day at the start but lots of those posts I knew weren't my best workwww.theemeralddove.co.uk
Fantastic post! My blog is fairly new, not even a year old yet so some of these points are where I am right now. I've relaxed more with the content I'm putting out; writing about things that actually interest me and light a fire within rather than things that I'm not as passionate about. I've also only this year started to use my other social media channels to my advantage, before I only ever tweeted about it. Some great advice here, thank you.Emma x emmarollason.wordpress.com
Great advice! I'm still quiet new to blogging so this is really helpful, thanks for sharing!
Great post! I love that last point! Blogging is definitely also for me finally a hobby that I'm glad I found, after trying to find a hobby for years but never really sticking with something for longer than a couple of weeks. Sarahsarahaurorax.com
These are really great and some good advice here for smaller/newer bloggers like myself! I definitely need to start clueing myself up on SEO and the like and to use social media more – I find it difficult to keep up with but definitely the best way to promote! Love the last point as well, I felt pretty embarrassed at the start too and still a bit now sometimes, but I am really proud of my blog and content and I definitely think we should all remember to feel that way!! Thanks, love your blog!Daughter of An Air Hostess // Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle