I hadn’t realised, but I have been blogging consistently for well over a year now. Time goes by fast doesn’t it!?
Now, I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I’m sure you can all agree that I have come a long way in the space of a year. I am earning money from my blog, -which is something I didn’t expect in the slightest… not at the point at least- and I am building an authentic following and authentic relationships with my readers!
In my opinion, success is definitely relative. I’m not a multi-millionaire but I have been able to make something out of absolutely nothing. And this is what I believe makes me a successful blogger!
There are a couple of things I have learnt along the way; so if you are new to blogging and want to be a successful blogger too, read on to find out what I’ve learnt after one year of pretty consistent blogging:
1. Do your Research!
I cannot say this enough; do your research chile! The moment I started taking time on SEO, finding trends, using keyword research tools, my blog interaction started to skyrocket. Not only this, but I also started to take into consideration what my readers wanted to see which is vital when wanting to build a genuine connection with them!
I have been regularly looking at my stats to study what people were looking for before they came to my page- as well as user retentions and behaviours. That has allowed me to make more content specifically targeted at what others wanted to see.
Another thing I have recently become a fan of, is looking at Pinterest trends (I couldn’t allow myself to write this post without putting you all on to this). I am a blogger that uses Pinterest a LOT to market my blog posts so it is ultimately necessary that I know what people are searching for and clicking on at a specific time.
Correct and clever methods of content marketing can be the difference between a successful blogger and someone less experienced. These days, it’s all about what’s hot, that’s what gets your content out there and retains the interest of customers/viewers for the most part.
2. It doesn’t happen overnight
I understand, the idea of making thousands from your blog sounds enticing doesn’t it- but no blogger has gotten their blog to that stage in a short amount of time. Building a consistent audience takes time, ranking on google takes time… it ALL takes time!
Please please please and pleeeeaaase don’t expect your success to build overnight. It takes hours of blood sweat and tears– maybe not in the literal sense… (I hope not)- but if you want to be a successful blogger, it’s time to start clearing a lot of space in that schedule of yours.
I remember where I was this time last year, I’d just bought a new blog theme and I thought I’d done everything I could to make my blog great– turns out I was very wrong! Not only am I now mother to Maya, but I am mother to this blog too! I have put a lot of time and effort to make her into what she is today and I am very proud of her growth.
Do I sound crazy? Probably!
3. It’s okay to take breaks
Everyone is probably tired of me saying this by now but I cannot stress enough how important it is to take breaks regularly. Consistent blogging does not necessarily mean daily writing, we all get writers block, we all get tired! So whenever you feel like you need to rest, you should!
I started this blog because I wanted to do something fun and I wanted to rant to the internet because it’s something I thought I would enjoy-I was right! When you start to see writing as a chore, it’s no longer a hobby and just becomes a burden- no one wants that!
When you feel the burnout coming, why not practice some self-care and come back stronger, it does wonders for your content!
You may also like: 6 Easy Ways To Relieve Stress At Home
4. It Helps To Interact With Other Bloggers
If you want to be a successful blogger, you need to start interacting with successful bloggers. All bloggers for that matter! There are so many influential people in the internet world.
I really watched my blog grow after I started to join social spaces for bloggers which allowed me to form relationships and collaborate with talented people. My favourite platform is definitely Twitter at the moment as there are just so many friendly and supportive writers on there that’ll welcome you with open arms. You are able to share each other’s content, learn from each other and make new friends all at the same time! I’m extremely grateful for everyone that has taken the time to support other’s content and make social media a lil bit more bearable.
5. Do Things YOUR way
Even though it can be helpful to follow guides, listen to advice and follow the footsteps of others, I believe you will only excel if you are truly TRUE to yourself. I often battled between the idea of keeping my life and personality away from my blogging platforms. Where this may be the path that other bloggers wish to take, this was not for me! I found I enjoyed blogging much more when I started to give my readers a slice of Shayla, the real Shayla and people appreciate it.
My personality is very specific to me and I started to formulate my own writing style which has enabled me to gain traction for this reason alone! I realised that a mixture of formal and very informal writing worked best and gets my point across every single time.
Don’t feel like you have to completely hide who you are on your own platform and do things your way! Be fearless, be you!
Sooo…
Those were my 5 tips on how to be a successful blogger! I know I still have a lot to learn but I am very excited for where this is going! What have you learnt on your blogging journey? I’d love to hear from you!
