I've been Blogging now since August 2013, which sounds crazy as that means Sarah Smiles has been going for over two years! Over that time, I've learned a lot of things that I wish I'd have known when I started blogging, I'm sure they would have made my life a whole lot easier!
1) Keep it simple. Don't try to do everything at once and don't worry about making it all bells and whistles. Don't freak out too much about formatting and colours in posts, three years down the line, you'll end up changing your colour scheme anyway!
2) Try to keep on top of everything. I've been going through recently and getting rid of all the broken links on my blog. I can't help but think that if I'd kept on top of it, it would be a waaaaay easier job!
3) Lighting is honestly the most important thing. Some of the photos that are the clearest and are the ones that I'm most proud of, are ones that weren't even taken on my DSLR. Natural lighting is god, you honestly can't compete with it.
4) Receiving exciting emails and products is awesome. I know, I know, it isn't all about the freebies but come on, it is a handy perk ;)
5) Saying no to things is okay. Whenever I used to get an email which was like 'BLOG ABOUT THIS AND YOU HAVE A CHANCE OF WINNING THIS', I would be so excited! I'd get a post ready and schedule it and pretty much bend over backwards to make the PR person happy. Spoilers, I never won and I wish I hadn't shared my blog space so easily when it was almost like me doing the company a favour!
6) It will take time to find the blog design, content and schedule that works for you. It is totally okay if it takes you months to find your niche, I feel like I'm still constantly playing around with what I'm doing on my blog and thats cool!
7) Remember that blogging is a hobby. For a really long time, I struggled with my content and finding time and other things ended up getting pushed to the weyside. If you don't have time to post one week, thats totally fine. Don't be afraid to prioritise.
8) Comparison is the thief of joy. I think I'll end up talking about this in more detail at some point on the blog because it is something that I really want to talk about. Just remember that you can't compare your start to someone else's middle. Just concentrate on you and what you want to do.
9) Having a social media presence is super important. Connecting with like minded people and followers is awesome and honestly, the blogging community is the best and I promise, we don't bite!
10) LOVE YOUR CONTENT! Want to write about trains? Cool, do it. Want to write about your favourite blend of tea? Totally push that content out. Just remember to love what you are writing about. You are writing the blog, for you. Sure, the followers and support is nice but it is your corner of the internet, so make sure it makes you happy first!
Just to be clear, I have broken these tips a million tips and I'm sure I'll continue to make mistakes in the future (damn all those colours in previous blog posts that now look funny!). I'm a big believer in that no matter how many times someone tells you, you have to make mistakes for yourself. I'm sure I've made way more mistakes than this but it has been a fun learning curve and I don't think I'd have changed it at all.
1) Keep it simple. Don't try to do everything at once and don't worry about making it all bells and whistles. Don't freak out too much about formatting and colours in posts, three years down the line, you'll end up changing your colour scheme anyway!
2) Try to keep on top of everything. I've been going through recently and getting rid of all the broken links on my blog. I can't help but think that if I'd kept on top of it, it would be a waaaaay easier job!
3) Lighting is honestly the most important thing. Some of the photos that are the clearest and are the ones that I'm most proud of, are ones that weren't even taken on my DSLR. Natural lighting is god, you honestly can't compete with it.
4) Receiving exciting emails and products is awesome. I know, I know, it isn't all about the freebies but come on, it is a handy perk ;)
5) Saying no to things is okay. Whenever I used to get an email which was like 'BLOG ABOUT THIS AND YOU HAVE A CHANCE OF WINNING THIS', I would be so excited! I'd get a post ready and schedule it and pretty much bend over backwards to make the PR person happy. Spoilers, I never won and I wish I hadn't shared my blog space so easily when it was almost like me doing the company a favour!
6) It will take time to find the blog design, content and schedule that works for you. It is totally okay if it takes you months to find your niche, I feel like I'm still constantly playing around with what I'm doing on my blog and thats cool!
7) Remember that blogging is a hobby. For a really long time, I struggled with my content and finding time and other things ended up getting pushed to the weyside. If you don't have time to post one week, thats totally fine. Don't be afraid to prioritise.
8) Comparison is the thief of joy. I think I'll end up talking about this in more detail at some point on the blog because it is something that I really want to talk about. Just remember that you can't compare your start to someone else's middle. Just concentrate on you and what you want to do.
9) Having a social media presence is super important. Connecting with like minded people and followers is awesome and honestly, the blogging community is the best and I promise, we don't bite!
10) LOVE YOUR CONTENT! Want to write about trains? Cool, do it. Want to write about your favourite blend of tea? Totally push that content out. Just remember to love what you are writing about. You are writing the blog, for you. Sure, the followers and support is nice but it is your corner of the internet, so make sure it makes you happy first!
Just to be clear, I have broken these tips a million tips and I'm sure I'll continue to make mistakes in the future (damn all those colours in previous blog posts that now look funny!). I'm a big believer in that no matter how many times someone tells you, you have to make mistakes for yourself. I'm sure I've made way more mistakes than this but it has been a fun learning curve and I don't think I'd have changed it at all.
Do you have any things you wish you'd known before you started blogging?
This post first appeared on Lifestyle, Interiors, Food & Book Blogger - Sarah Smiles, please read the originial post: here
