I recently spoke at the AmericasMart apparel show about an inside look of blogging back in January. After my speech, I got to speak with several girls who were aspiring bloggers. With so much great information out there on blogging, I don’t think I need to tell you HOW to blog but I can definitely tell you what I’ve gained from blogging that I never thought imaginable. If you do want to know HOW to start a blog, this is how I started. So here are a few take-aways from these past two years (still can’t believe it’s been this long) that I think will be helpful to some of you aspiring bloggers!
5 Things I’ve Learned Since Starting A Blog – Tips For New Bloggers
1. When you’re passionate about something, you’ll work your ass off.
It took me having a day job right out of college that literally put me in tears each and every day to really appreciate this thought process. And it’s attainable. I’m so excited to blog and do what I do, that I don’t care if I spend my Saturday night catching up on emails or working through my 9-5 lunch break on my laptop at the local Starbucks. I find enjoyment in what I do, so the hard work (and yes it is actually hard work) doesn’t feel so bad. In fact, it’s rewarding.
2. Networking is more important than you can imagine.
Without knowing the people I know and making the connections I needed to succeed, my blog would go nowhere. Literally, nowhere. I’ve learned that creating and working on relationships in this (and any) industry are super important. Luckily a lot of these relationships have turned into full-blown friendships. From Poor Little It Girl and Lauren Elyce who are some of my favorite people that I got to know through the blogging/PR world.
3. Be true to who you are.
When I first started blogging I wanted to be just like the big guns. Which is great and all, but I quickly found myself trying to copy their looks, their websites, their posts and so on. This was a shock to me since I consider myself an original and not one to follow in other people’s footsteps. However, something happened. Maybe it was the unknown world of blogging that caught me off guard, but I quickly realized I had to be me for this to work. And once I did, the readership followed. I’m vulgar, bitchy, say what’s on my mind kind of person. Because of my personality, I have loyal readers and may have pissed off a few along the way. But c’est la vie, that’s me.
4. My words actually get heard.
Going back to being the vulgar bitchy blogger that I’ve been classified as, this is one thing I’ve learned about myself since I started blogging; think before you speak. It’s still weird to me that people actually READ my blog or READ my Twitter. But they do, and I have to watch what I say while staying true to who I am. I think this has helped me immensely not only in my professional life but personally as well. But don’t worry, I’m still bitchy and say crazy things. But, I’ve learned to filter properly and to hopefully not offend anyone while doing so. *Hopefully*
5. I’m a sales person, and also a marketing, PR and accounting person. I wear a lot of hats!
While up for a promotion at my day job, this was brought to my attention by my boss herself. She was the one who pointed it out that I’m a salesperson already with my blog. I’m pitching myself to brands to work with them and following up diligently to get the deal., just like in sales I guess you don’t realize it when you’re just doing everything you can to succeed. But sitting back and looking at my blog, it’s a full-blown business.
I’m a PR person, I do marketing, I write up contracts, I also keep track of my revenues and expenses on a fancy spreadsheet; we do it all! I’m a full-blown entrepreneur and I never thought I would or could be. But I am and I love it. These are just a few of the many lessons I’ve learned from this two-year journey. I keep learning new things all the time. It’s definitely a journey, a term the Bachelor cast likes to use A LOT.
Have any other blogging questions for me? Leave a comment below and I’ll work to get it answered on the blog!
