The Newbury Girl

Blogger Love | 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Blogging

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Blogging

January 22, 2019

As a blogger and marketer, I have a unique perspective about how to run a successful blog that will have dedicated readers and will be brand-friendly. Blogger Love is a series dedicated to helping new and seasoned bloggers develop their blog. In today’s post, I’ll be sharing the 5 things I wish I  knew before I started blogging.

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Blogging

1 | There will never be a perfect time to start blogging

How often do we hold ourselves back from trying new things because we are waiting for the right time, the most high-tech equipment, or the best resources?

Throughout college, I told myself that I wanted to blog about the beauty industry. However, I always felt like I was lacking something. I said that I would start when I possessed more industry expertise, more product knowledge, a fancy camera, chic looking backdrops, or a picture-perfect apartment. All these “things” I needed were holding me back from going after what I wanted.

The truth is that there is never a perfect time to start blogging. Our lives will never be perfect. Instead, we have to find the time to go after what we want. Then, we need to pursue our passions without reservation. Ultimately, if we want something badly enough we will make it will happen.

One of the things I wish I knew before I started blogging was that I did’t need anything but my passion and ambition (and maybe coffee).

2 | Stay Organized & Plan Ahead

When I first started blogging, I flew by the seat of my pants. I wrote down blog ideas in my bullet journal. Also, I planned to write posts to coincide with major events or new releases. However, I wasn’t thinking about my blog content as a whole.

I thought that as long as I could pump out 2-3 posts a week, others would find my content and follow me. As a result, my content felt inconsistent and my schedule was disjointed. However, I failed to plan my posts ahead of time. In fact, I’d go through periods where I was posting 2-3 times a week. Then I’d go through lulls where I’d post nothing.

Also, my actual content lacked cohesion. For example, if you were to look back at my old blog post, you’d discover that there are long periods where I seemingly focused on singular topics. For example, there were periods where I only wrote about simple living, smart consumerism, or beauty. As a result, my blog lacked an identity. My inability to plan ahead negatively affected my blog.

One of the things that I wished I knew before I started blogging was the importance of planning ahead of time to running a successful blog. By planning ahead of time, I am more capable of writing, editing, and shooting photos for my posts and Instagram. Moreover, by staying organized, I am capable of bringing balance to my editorial calendar.

Regardless of whether you prefer physical planners or e-planners, staying organized is vital for keeping a consistent blogging presence.

The Newbury Girl 2019 Blog Planning Flat Lay

Ready to Take on 2019

3 | Find Your Niche

A question that plagues all bloggers is whether or not you need to stick to a niche. First thing is first, what is a niche? According to Merriam-Webster, a niche is “a specialized market.” In other words, it is a highly focused market that hones in on one realm of expertise.

Here’s why you should try to find your niche:

  1. We all have certain topics that we are most passionate about
  2. We all have content we are ”experts in”

For example, I personally love engaging with content that focuses on beauty, wellness, and marketing. Also, as someone with two marketing degrees, half a decade of work experience, and a ton of experience trying new beauty products, it is easy and enjoyable for me to write about these topics. My passion is clear in the content that I write.

It is easier for me to write about these topics and it is easier for me to find others who share these same passions. I’m able to make a greater impact by blogging about highly focused topics that interest me.

Furthermore, all successful websites have a solid SEO strategy. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In layman’s terms, SEO is how your website ranks in an organic search when someone is looking for information on a search engine like Google or Yahoo.

There are a multitude of things that bloggers can do to positively impact how their blog ranks on an organic search page. Focusing on a niche will help search engines to better understand what your website’s specialty. Strong SEO will make it easier for others to find your posts.

4 | Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Self-comparison in the blogging community is a deadly poison that will kill your confidence and ambition. Everyone grows at their own pace depending on their niche, their promotional tactics, and the time invested in their blogs.

For example, blogging lends itself well to those who love to read and write book reviews. Why? People who love to read books tend to enjoy reading reviews about up-and-coming books and are often quite skilled at writing. In comparison, cosmetics is more visual. Fans of beauty content tend look to visual-rich platforms like Instagram and YouTube for inspiration.

One of the things I wish I knew before I started blogging is that blogging should be internally motivated, and not driven by the desire to ”grow stats.” Stats are one way to measure success. However, they aren’t everything. If you focus on making genuine connections and steadily work towards your end goal, you’ll see results.

5 | Have Fun & Make Friends

Last, but certainly not least, blogging should always be fun. If writing makes you feel anxious or depressed, something has gone wrong. Write content that brings you joy, not just content that you think will produce page views.

Blogging is inherently social. One of my favorite aspects about blogging is the ability to connect with and make genuine friendships. I look forward to reading what my friends post. I am so blessed by their constant encouragements and support. It sounds cheesy, but the blogging community truly is so supportive of one another.

One of the things I wish I knew before I started blogging was that making friends doesn’t have to be scary. As someone who is naturally shy, leaving comments on others’ posts was terrifying at first. However, after a year of blogging, I am more confident in leaving comments and interacting with others. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple tweet or a word of encouragement to spark a new friendship.

Let’s connect on social media: Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin’

5 things i wish i knew before i started blogging | essential advice for new bloggers

Did you enjoy my list of the 5 things I wish I knew before I started blogging? Consider checking out this helpful post full of Twitter tips or this post on how to write a kickass blog post.

Do you agree with my list of the 5 things I wish I knew before I started blogging? What is something you wish you had known before you started your blog? Please let me know in the comments below.

Reader Interactions

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Comments

    • For Instagram, I like using the Preview app to plan out my feed. For blogging I use a combination of bullet journaling (which I make myself) and then a random planner that I bought from Marshalls!

      Reply

  5. These are definitely things I wish I knew before I started blogging. Not comparing myself to more successful bloggers is something I really struggled with. I’ve really enjoyed making new friends through blogging!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for your comment, Kat! Self-comparison is so hard – but making friends through blogging has been the most rewarding thing about blogging for me so far!!

      Reply

  9. Loved and needed this! Actually just did a similar post, but I enjoyed yours more. I definitely have work to do to mine- always do. Great advice! 😊

    Reply

  10. This is such an informative post. I am just starting also and this has very useful information. Thank you for sharing xoxo

    Reply

  11. These are great tips! I definitely agree that waiting for the “perfect time” to start blogging is not a good idea. I do think it takes some practice to truly figure out what works for you so it’s best to just get started!

    Reply

  12. Sometimes we all need the little reminder to not compare ourselves to others in the blogging community. Especially if we are just starting out and are still learning things!

    Reply

  14. In the beginning, I was really planned out and had things done in advance. But now that we have been busy with the house, I’m writing a post at midnight the night before it goes out! Hahaha! And sometimes I miss one. 🙁 I’ll be happy when things can get back to normal.
    Christine xx

    Reply

  15. I feel this is so relevant! It is is necessary to stop pushing ourselves too hard, as you said. I especially relate with the comparison part: yoy should not compare yourself with people who has been in the industry forever and are well established brands. Even so, this is something I find myself doing too frequently.

    Thank you so much for sharing. It is great too know we are not alone.

    Reply

  17. Wonderful post. It is hard to do #2 for me as I have weeks where I can do 2-3 posts but some weeks, I can’t do anything as I am sick, I am dead tired from work, or work is eating me away. I am trying to post at least once a week but my hope is 2-3 posts.

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for this comment! 💜 I agree that work & life can really make it hard to be consistent. Posting once a week is a wonderful goal and I’m excited to see how you accomplish this on your blog this year.

      Reply

      • Well, the other problem is that I have so much content planned for the week. But just exhausted from a job hinders that creativity.

  18. Solid advice here, particularly about making friends and not comparing yourself to anyone else! Thank you for linking me to this through Twitter 🙂

    Reply

  20. “How often do we hold ourselves back from trying new things because we’re waiting for the right time, the most high-tech equipment, or the best resources?”
    ^ THIS. WAS. ME.
    I wanted to start a blog for the longest time but have always made excuses as to why I need to put it off. I finally jumped the gun last year and I am proud/glad that I did! I love the creative space I have and being able to share my thoughts in this HUGE blogging community feels pretty good. I enjoy engaging with bloggers of all niches! And you’re right, bloggers are the most supportive group I’ve come across lol. Great post! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, loved it!

    xx, Des

    Reply

    • Hi Des – thank you so much for this incredibly thoughtful comment. I’m so glad to know that you were able to relate and am happy to hear that you’ve also found the blogging community to be supportive. I’ve taken a look at your sight and it is absolutely gorgeous! <3

      Reply

  21. Love this post! I can relate to all the items, especially to #4! It’s so hard not to compare yourself to others esepcially when you see that their photos are better than yours, their blog designs are better than yours, etc. But I realized that once you see that it’s your own uniqueness that makes your blog worth visiting and reading, everything will be alright. ♥️

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for your comment! <3 It really can be so hard not to compare, but having a sense of strong community certainly helps. And I agree that having your own voice is so important – happy blogging! <3

      Reply

  24. These are some very helpful tips. Thank you for sharing ♥️

    The best tip is to make new friends & interact with them. It really helps a lot 😊

    Reply

    • I’m so glad that you found this helpful! 🙂 Making friends and interacting is truly the best part of blogging!! It took me a while to build up the courage to do that, but now I’m so happy that I’ve put my shyness aside.

      Reply

      • That’s really great ! There’s no need to be shy here 😉
        Glad to come across your blog.
        Have a great weekend 😊

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