Blogging for three months has shown me that none of this is child’s play. It takes a lot of time, effort and sometimes a great team to run a successful blog and even make it a business. Although the last three months have been grueling and sometimes even disappointing, they have gotten me excited to share more resources by writing and publishing articles. Here are a few lessons for anyone hoping to get started on blogging.

PLAN PLAN PLAN

Before you get started, plan. I started blogging at the same time as my full-time role. My work is always my first priority which means that my blogging would take the hit whenever I couldn’t get any time away from work. Planning helps cushion the blow between your other responsibility and content production. A lot of bloggers have content calendars which is what I adopted. What will I write, when will I write it and when will I publish. Planning allows you to fit in your ideas seamlessly into a schedule that works for you. It also ensures that you don’t “run out of ideas” because your calendar would list whatever you plan to blog about in the future. 

BE WILLING TO SACRIFICE

My blogging schedule has definitely interfered with my regular activities. Time for fun with friends is now time I use to do research or write especially during the weekends since my weeks are busy. I also tend to spend more time online sharing content relevant to my audience.

Sacrifice also means that you may have to spend more money- on photoshoots, clothes.

Everything you do tends to be tied to content creation and the sooner you and the people close to you get comfortable with that, the better it will be for you. It is easier to treat it as an investment that way you commit to making it a success.

RESEARCH, LEARN AND EDUCATE YOURSELF

Blogging is about content sharing. Most of the time you will be sharing content on topics that you love/are interested in but do not know everything about. A big part of your work will be research based- reading, listening and asking. Blogging not only grows you as a content creator but also as a person. I have learnt a lot through my blogging. Before you get started, you must get into a learner’s mindset. It is certainly a lot of work but it is extremely rewarding to both you and your reading audience.

TAKE IN FEEBDBACK

Feedback is a great indicator that people are engaging with your content. It can be in the form of article views and performance metrics, comments, likes, shares or reactions. You need to learn to take in the feedback in a healthy and objective way. Someone might not like your article for different reasons and while their reaction might be valid to them, you need to see it through your own lens and take it in the best constructive way for you. Not gonna lie, I am yet to receive any negative feedback about my content so far since I launched and I am grateful for that, but I am always ready to listen to criticism about it nonetheless.

HAVE FUN, DON’T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF

At the end of the day, blogging should be fun and exciting. When you sit down to read or write about something, you should be looking forward to sharing the topic with your audience. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You will make mistakes no matter how much planning you put into it. Learn to be okay with that. I have had numerous brands offering unpaid collaborations. Some of my articles don’t perform as well as I’d like them to. I currently have 6 YouTube videos and more than 20 draft blog posts sitting on my computer and my phone. Before you start judging me remember I am doing that for you quite well. If I was so hard on myself, I would have it so hard. I am doing what works for me and that is okay.