What 10 things would've been helpful to know when I started blogging?
1. Doing your own thing is really important. It's fine to be influenced by blogs you really like, but copying them is silly. Finding out what you enjoy writing about, and also what your readers like, is really important. You need to be confident in your blog, yourself, and your writing ability; because there'll be times when you're the only one who seemingly is.
2. You won't enjoy blogging if you're writing about something you're not passionate about. If you don't like makeup, don't start a beauty blog. (But you don't need me to point out something so obvious, do you?)
3. It's not all about statistics. Yes, they are important, but they're not the be all and end all.
4. Being patient is essential. Your blog isn't gonna take off overnight. It takes lots of hard work, effort, and time to get a new blog off the ground.
5. You don't need to be a design or photography expert. But you will learn loads of new skills in these areas because of your blog.
6. It doesn't always go to plan. Sometimes you'll write a post that you think'll do really well, one that you put a great amount of care into, and it'll totally flop. Other posts that you knock out very easily will do really well. It's quite unpredictable, really.
7. It's not as easy as it looks. Sometimes I've struggled with blogging, like I'm shouting my inane ramblings into the ether where no-one's listening to me. I've lost inspiration many times, which I've tried to be honest about. Getting your inspiration back is hard sometimes, which brings me on to my next point...
8. Finding other blogs who inspire you is great. The blogging community is fantastic, and it's brimming with some fantastic bloggers. Don't be too busy writing your own blog that you forget to read other people's!
9. If you're in it to be the next Zoella, you're doing it for ALL the wrong reasons. Hardly any blogs take off like that these days, so you need to be realistic.
10. The most important thing is to enjoy it!
What do you wish you knew when you started blogging?
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