Today I have decided to take a little bit of time out from the fashion, beauty and lifestyle and talk about the lessons I have learnt from being a blogger and my general views on the blogging community. I have now been blogging for nearly 4 years and with thousands of bloggers out there, I feel somewhat of a veteran. To be completely honest, I don't even remember the reasoning behind initially starting my blog, all I know is that I wanted to write and expand my journalism portfolio. If you asked me four years ago whether I'd be sat here now with years worth of experience in the blogging community, a portfolio of brands I have worked with and telling everyone that i'm still head over heels in love with blogging, I probably would have laughed. I'm a person that four years ago couldn't commit to anything long term and writing was far from my strong point. As much as I hate to admit it, it was my ex that taught me how to write properly and get this blog rolling - similar to Adele and her ex being the reason behind the smash hit 'Someone Like You'. My blog being where it is today was unexpected, but probably one of the best things I have ever established and stuck to and with support from my lovely readers, lots of lovely brands and of course my husband taking most of my photographs, my blog is now where it is today - something that I'm incredibly proud of and happy to call my own.
So here's a few things that blogging has taught me over the years and that sometimes I don't always recognise. Being a blogger is more than putting words to paper, it's a lifestyle choice and in some cases, can be incredibly rewarding.
A good blog takes time and dedication.
I don't want to sound pretentious, but i'd like to think that I have a good blog. A blog that has stuck to it's true values over the years and has not been lead too astray by blatant advertising or sponsored posts. I'd be lying if I said I don't make money from my blog, but it's not what my blog revolves around. I love writing, seeing the feedback from my audience and knowing that one post may cheer someone up or make a difference in the life. Or from a brand perspective, encourage sales and get smaller companies that deserve credit notice. I have stayed true to myself for four years dedicating most of my spare hours to making this blog my little corner of the internet. To be able to accept the opportunities I have now, I have wrote so many posts that probably only three people have read, I have spent hours researching the current trends and trying to educate myself in the world of fashion and beauty and I have told myself to keep on going when it was all too easy to give up. There's no miracle strategy in the blogging world that will give you instant success - it is part luck and part determination. I wouldn't say I'm successful in the 'I have millions of followers and travel the world etc' way, but I'd say my success is that people actually read my blog and even if it's a small amount, it's more followers than I had when I started.
Building relationships is important
Building relationships whilst blogging is probably one of the most important things I have learnt from running this blog. Building relationships with bloggers is great so that you can attract new readers and support each other in the blogging community and building relationships with brands is important as they can help give you opportunities that makes your blog stand out from the crowd and be the best it can be. With that in mind, remember to thank people that have given you support, keep in contact with as many people as possible and always be polite. As in real life, the blogging community is more who you know than what you know sometimes.
'Freebies' are far from free.
One part of blogging that probably irritates me the most is the fact that so many people ask me 'how do you get all those freebies?' all the time. Unless your a blogger yourself, it is sometimes overlooked the amount of time and effort that goes into a post to obtain those so-called 'freebies' and when you calculate all the preparation work for the post, the photography and the writing what is considered a freebie to some people, it hard earned payment to bloggers.
Sometimes a smaller blog is better.
I'm not saying that I wouldn't like to be like Zoella with 6 million followers, but as my blog has grown and I have grown as a person, I have realised that sometimes having is a smaller blog is better. Having a smaller, yet dedicated readership means that I can be myself and write the way I want without pressure to write on a daily basis and being accountable to agents or big brands. Of course I'd like to be a bigger and better blogger in the future, but right now i'm the happiest I have ever been in my blogging career, I have lots of opportunities and most importantly blogging isn't a chore for me, I love every second I spend writing a blog post.
Blogging can shape your career
Finally, if it wasn't for blogging I would not have the job I have now, but I also know of someone that went on a rant about her job via her blog and got sacked. Blogging can be quite an influential tool, but when used correctly you achieve so much more than what is online.Thanks to blogging I learnt how to organise my time, build relationships and learnt more than a textbook would have ever told me about the blogging and PR industry throughout university. I now work with bloggers every single day and find my job highly rewarding - in fact, that photo just above was taken last week at work when the CEO of our company thought it would be a good idea to have Meerkats in the office. I have been so lucky that my blog gave me the extra experience that I needed to step onto the ladder of my dream career and although it isn't possible for a lot of industries, blogging still shows that you're committed, you have great organisational skills and that you're able to communicate with an audience efficiently.
Although it can be a little bit stressful and is pretty much a full time job of it's own, blogging has changed my life in so many different ways for which I am entirely grateful.
What lessons have you learnt from blogging?
