I have said this so many times.
Maybe it’s because I have so many friends with something to say, something to share. I have said this to an environmental activist, a friend who I think needs and outlet for her mental health journey, a girl I’ve never met whose Instagram I adore, and others.
It’s true, the blogging market is saturated and has exploded in the past few years. Everyone and their cat has a blog. But, in my opinion, there’s room for everyone here.
Will you be able to live off blogging income? Meh. I make some extra cash which is fun, but that’s not really the point. I started my old blog, Little Bitty City One because I needed a creative outlet. I had no idea what I was doing and wasn’t monetizing it at all at first. I was just sharing little outfits and reviews of things I liked. And it evolved and it grew and I made like-minded blogger friends and our group also evolved and grew. I’m proud of what my blog has become and the connections I’ve made with blogging.
But I had to start somewhere, and so do you. And while my advice is far from perfect, it’s based on my own experiences and I’m happy to share it.
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DO:
- Just do it. Both of my blogs happened this way. LBC1 was an impulse thing I thought of one afternoon during a super boring training session for a new accounting program at my old job. I got out my little notebook and started furiously listing ideas for posts. The CaroLøve happened a little more slowly- I had an idea to start over with branding and with wordpress.org (more on that a little later) but I was dragging my feet a bit. Then my computer crashed… and Kendall got me a new one. It was totally unexpected and he did it because he wanted me to have the tools to be able to grow as a writer and blogger. So, one lazy morning, I just did it. Again, it evolved and grew and will continue to evolve and grow.
- Make connections. Bubbles & Bloggers would not even exist if Dani hadn’t taken the plunge and invited a group to meet for brunch over 2 years ago. Now I have some of my best friends and people who can relate to my blogging struggles and successes. It’s so important to grow your network as a person and a blogger! Bounce around ideas, ask for opinions, share the work of other bloggers whom you admire!
- Use wordpress.org. I wish, wish, wish I had ponied up to use the paid version of WordPress from the get-go. The short reason is that wordpress.org has far more capabilities, but if you want to know what I mean by that, here’s a comprehensive chart breaking it down. Especially if you’re serious about blogging or may want to turn it into a career later, this is the route to go.
- Try to get into a routine. My goal is to post 5-6 times a week. It helps to have feature posts like TGIF and Saturday Shopping but I like to stay pretty consistent with the content. That being said, you’re a human, not a machine, and unless you have a contractual obligation to post for a brand you can cut yourself a break if you need to. This is your thing and you need to make it work for you!
DON’T:
- Expect to be rolling in money/ followers/ brand freebies. Especially right away. When I first started my blog, I thought that just because I had a blog that companies would want to just give me stuff to post. Not so much. I look back and think about some of the brands I sent requests to and I’m like, “Really, Caroline? You thought Ralph Lauren was going to sponsor a little nobody blogger who got like 10 views a day?” I’ve since worked with some pretty cool brands. You can check out those collabs here.
- Buy your following. It’s so tempting, I know. But don’t do it. First of all, you won’t get any engagement from fake followers. I think brands are starting to get wise to this tactic and I know other bloggers can sniff it out like a designer impostor perfume. It’s also a great feeling to know that while my following may not be huge, it’s come together organically. I’m proud of that!
- Play the comparison game. This one is a toughy; I’m aware- and I’m guilty of it. It’s almost impossible as a woman and especially as a woman putting myself out there on an almost-daily basis not to judge myself against women I think are prettier/ have more followers/ go to more events/ what have you. But I promise you- you have a uniqueness that nobody else can follow because they have their own. Get out there and do you!
If you’re curious about starting a blog, let me know! I’d love to give you advice or answer questions! You might also want to check out my resources for bloggers post!
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