What I’ve Learned From 1 Year of Blogging: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

If you follow me on Instagram (if you don’t, you totally should, @signedashlyn), you saw that this past Thursday marked 1 year of starting this very blog.  I feel like within this year, I have learned a lot, but at the same time, there is so so so SO much more to learn.  There is so much information out there in the universe about blogging.  Some of it is super helpful and I am so thankful for the bloggers who are truthful and give honest information about blogging.  When I first started blogging, I told myself that I wanted to share what I learned with people who were starting out/wanted to start because I want to help others reach their goals.

Now, as we all know, I am by no means an expert at this.  But, like I said, I have learned a ton this past year and want to share some things that I have learned with you all.  There is so much information to share with you, so to prevent this blog from becoming a novel, I am going to give you the short and sweet version today.  But, I’d love to do more detailed post like this in the future if you guys like this sort of blogs.  So let’s get into it…

Welcome to…

What I’ve learned from 1 Year of Blogging: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

#1. If you’re going back and forth about starting one, just do it!

I love to write and I wanted to start a blog for the longest time.  But, I went back and forth for so long because I was so nervous.  Now that I started one, I wish that I had done it sooner because I love it.  And this doesn’t just apply to blogging, this applies to anything.  Don’t let fear of the unknown stop you from doing something.  Just go for it, because you’ll never know what you’re missing if you don’t take a leap of faith. 

#2. Be yourself, don’t try to fit the “image.”

On social media and online in general, there is a lot of pressure to look or act a certain way.  To post specific things.  But, it is so important to be yourself and be authentic because this is what people are going to connect with the most.  Being unique and original is what makes you special so that’s what you should show to your followers. 

#3.  Consistency is key

Now, I’m not saying that you need to go crazy about posting the same exact time on the exact same days, but it is important to come up with some kind of schedule and post on the same days each week.  This way, your followers know when to expect your blogs.  

#4. Don’t stress about follow count

I absolutely cannot stress this one enough!!! Followers aren’t going to come rushing in (in most cases).  It takes a lot of hard work and consistency in order to start gaining a following.  Whether you have 20, 200, 2,000 or 2 million, your voice is still important and your content matters. it can be so easy to fall into the trap of constantly checking your followers and that being your main concern. Just keep being yourself, and soon enough, the followers will come. 

#5. Don’t post something you are not proud of

Take your time on your posts and be proud of what you post!  If you go back and read a blog, and you don’t really enjoy it, most likely your readers aren’t going to either.  For the most part, if you don’t have fun writing it, your readers aren’t going to have fun reading it.

#6.  Make as many connections as you possibly can.

It is important to find connections in everything that you do.  Blogging is no different.  You have to advertise, advocate and network.  Because blogging is through social media, making connections is a pretty easy thing to do.  Try to connect with bloggers you look up to.  People who you can go to with questions.  It is also important to connect with people who are in a similar place as you.  You can do this through DM’s and engaging with other’s posts.  Another way to do this is to keep responding to people who comment on your posts. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Who knows who you could meet and what opportunities could come your way.

#7. You don’t need fancy equipment to be successful

 This is a BIG one. If you are going to read any part of this blog, read this! When I first started my blog, I wanted all the best equipment.  I wanted a new laptop, a good camera, a good editing software.  While all of these things are great tools to have, they are not all necessities.  Not right away at least.  I started getting new equipment over time.  If you are going to make any investment, I would recommend getting Lightroom on your computer to edit your photos.  I find Lightroom pretty easy to get the hang of with practice and it takes your photos a long way.  I believe it is around $10 per month and I think it is worth it and a great first investment to take your photos to the next level. As far as camera’s go, I think eventually in your blogging career, if you really want to take it to the next level, you’ll have to think about getting a camera. BUT, do not let the fact that you don’t have a big fancy camera stop you from blogging. Your phone will work just fine to start out. Then, once you’ve been blogging for a while and you want to take it more seriously, start looking into getting some equipment.

These are some big picture tips for you if you are thinking about or have just started blogging. I just want to take a quick second to say a huge, enormous thank you for everyone who has supported me this past year. I am so incredibly thankful for you and you are all the greatest. Hearing your feedback on my blog posts literally is my favorite thing ever and I can’t wait to see where this blog takes me. Here’s to many more years of blogging.

Thank you for everything.

Signed,

Ashlyn

p.s. the cake had the same logo on it from the shirts I made a few months ago. It was a marble cake with cool whip frosting. It was super yummy!