Last Updated on May 4, 2020 by ellduclos
What Bloggers Wish They Knew Before They Started Blogging
I had the opportunity to team up with some amazing lifestyle bloggers and together we compiled a collaboration post on what we, as bloggers, wish we knew before we started a blog. Sometimes you may dive into blogging head first without knowing a single thing and learn along the way. We may not have known everything when we first started blogging, but we are learning.
I hope our shared advice helps you to become a successful blogger who won’t give up.
Blogging is Hard Work
When you are starting out as a blogger it might come as a shock to you just how much work is put into each post. You also might find that it takes a lot to keep your following growing and engaged.
“I wish I knew how much backend stuff there was going to be. It’s not just writing posts, hitting publish, and then boom readers/followers. There’s a lot of other stuff bloggers do. A lot of hats bloggers wear.”
– Lauren from Creatively Lauren
Related: Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Money Making Blog
How Important Promoting Your Blog Is
If you are new to blogging maybe you are unsure of how, where, and when to promote your blog!
“I wish I knew that promoting your blog through every social media platform is essential for driving traffic to your blog. I am now constantly making sure that after each blog post I create, I instantly share it to my Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!”
Related: 13 Ways to Increase Your Blog Traffic
Mindful on Social Media
Since social media plays such a huge role in blog traffic it is important to try growing your social media without forgetting about those who are already following. It is also important to note that all eyes are on your social media so be mindful of what you post.
“I really wish I knew how important it is to maintain clean and professional social media accounts. An average user does all kind of stuff in his profile but if you are a blogger or an influencer, your social media profile becomes your identity; and anything stupid there can ruin your business.”
Time Management
Keeping up with a blog is a lot of work. Being aware of time management from the beginning will create a less stressful atmosphere. Plan out your projects, posts, and days. Make sure you can set aside time to really focus.
“I wish I’d known how much time it would really take to get started. From the thought of “hey, I should start a blog” to launch. To many bloggers claimed “15 minutes” That’s not the case if you want to do it right. It took me two months! Working full time, and running a family and home. Stealing hours and moments where I could to research, buy, build, research some more, and more and eventually… write!”
–Shawna from Pray Love Wellness
Related: How to Time Manage a Blog
How Important Pinterest is for Growing your Blog
One of the biggest platforms bloggers can use is Pinterest. Many bloggers in the beginning are unaware of how big of an impact Pinterest can have on your blog traffic.
“I wish I knew more about Pinterest. I started with Pinterest years ago when it was by invite only. I didn’t know how much it could mean to my blog. I now bought a course and all but, I wish I knew more about pinning strategies before I launched my blog. I also wish I knew how keywords play such an important role in the pin’s descriptions.”
–Andrea from Moonlight Sweetness
“For me, I’m late in the social media game for my blog. I thought SEO was the bees knees when I started, so I honed in on that. I should have learned and used Pinterest to my advantage at first. It would have been a lot easier to get traffic right from the beginning! SEO takes time to kick in.”
“From the beginning, do 2-3 pinterest images per post. Make them simple and easy to read. Follow examples from successful bloggers. This helped me go from 300 to 3000 page views in one day.”
Take the Ultimate E-Course to Explode your Blog Traffic with Pinterest
How Important Good Photography can be
You may not know this in the beginning but, readers tend to be more attracted to blog posts with images. It really catches the eye. This is something my blog is currently struggling with. I am still learning photography.
“I wish I knew better photography, as in my observation people get attracted to photos first and if they find it appealing they move on to the reading part.”
You Need Thicker Skin
It’s the haters that always try and ruin your success. It’s inevitable that one day you will come across someone who is negatively attacking you and your blog. Not everyone will tell you that your content is their favorite and that’s okay. Don’t be alarmed and don’t take it personally. They want it so badly to affect you and you just can’t let them win!
Related: Getting Over the Blogging Blues
Consistency is a Must
Have you ever heard the saying, “Success comes from what you do consistently.” It’s true. In order to be successful when it comes to blogging, you must be consistent.
“I wish I knew the importance of consistency. If you tell your readers you will be doing a weekly post on a certain topic, make sure you stay consistent. It’s important to keep your word and stay consistent!”
–Christiana from Casually Christiana
Related: How to be a Consistent Blogger
The Routine For Posting
There is so much that goes into posting one blog post. In the beginning you expect it to be maybe a short, easy process. It is in fact much more than that.
“The one thing I did not account for is the actual amount of time it takes to make one post ready for publishing – I wish I would have known about the routine that goes into a post – writing, SEO & Keywords, pinnable images, separate pins, posts to social media accounts to promote the post, branding, and the links to add – both inbound and outbound, plus opt-in and freebies – ALL JUST FOR ONE POST. I’ve since created a checklist for each post to make sure I have all the elements prior to clicking the “publish” button. Having a routine is essential for time management and to make sure you don’t fall into the obsession-burnout cycle.”
–Grandi from MyAggrandizedLife
Related: What to do Before + After Publishing a Blog Post
How Much Patience you Need to Have
If you do not have patience with your blog, you will begin to lose hope or possibly give up. It is vital that you are allowing your blog to grow over time. Success does not happen over night. We all wish it would but, patience is key.
“I wish I knew that it requires a great deal of patience and undying hustle for you to be successful at it. Its not that I lack these qualities, its just that being a Masters student, it kind of like gets a bit hectic to daily update your blog, and then hit the books for the rest of your time, pulling all-nighters every now and then. But at the end of the day, I love it. Blogging is my passion, and it doesn’t bore me, rather push me to achieve new heights.”
“To be more patient! That’s what I wish I would have known from the beginning. That’s what I still have to remind myself of even today. Blogging takes time. It takes learning. It takes networking and building relationships. Blogging takes patience from the very beginning. With the excitement of launching a new blog sometimes patience goes out the window and you overlook small details that could potentially change the direction of your blog. Patience is a must in the blogging industry.”
Organized & Scheduled Posting
It is essential to stay organized. You will only stress yourself out if you do not plan accordingly. As bloggers we find it helpful to schedule out our posts.
“As a blogger, you create many, many posts. It is important to stay organized with your posts and have a rigorous posting and promotion schedule in order to stay on task and consistent!”
Related: How to Stay Organized as a Blogger
It’s Not Just About The Numbers
We can’t help but focus on growing our following. Let’s face it. Everyone wants a ton of followers over night but that’s just not possible. We start focusing so much on getting a larger following that we fail to engage with those who already follow.
You Can Make Money
Most bloggers start a blog because they are passionate about writing and enjoy it as a hobby. Many who start out have no idea that they can actually earn money from blogging.
“I wish I knew it DOESN’T have to take you one or two years before you earn your first cent blogging. In fact that’s got to be one of the biggest LIES I’ve ever read about blogging. When you’ve got a solid niche, a good social media marketing strategy, and talk about interesting/trending topics and focus on answering questions, you have the potential of earning from ad revenue or affiliate marketing immediately! There’s no time limit or destined struggle every blogger has to go through before they start getting a return of investment. Major key: everyone’s different, from experience to work ethic to personal goals. So take most non technical blogging advice with a grain of salt!”
Don’t Try Too Hard
I know you are going to want to try extremely hard to make sure everything is perfect but, this is not necessary. Write with passion and it will be perfect. If you are passionate about what content you are putting out then chances are it will attract readers. Be yourself. Readers relate more to those who are themselves. There is no need to put on a fake identity to try and be considered “perfect”. Over analyzing and stressing over every detail can create a disaster.
“I wish I knew how to not try so hard! I read and researched and learned as much as possible but then I felt like I had to do everything by the book. I caused a lot of un-needed stress and tension in my own life because I put too much effort in; as silly as that sounds. I find things always go the best for me when I just allow myself to be who I am, when I do things naturally and honestly. Sometimes I forget how.”
–Renee from Heart Soul and Whole Food
How much I Would End Up loving it
You may think that the planning, promoting, organizing, scheduling and more would drive you away from continuing but the truth is, if you are passionate about writing and your creativity, blogging soon becomes your love and obsession.
“I wish I knew that I would be so in love with it and actually want to create a successful blog! I started blogging for fun really. I wanted to have something else to do and to learn a couple of things while sharing the things I love. But blogging has opened my eyes to so many things! I am beginning to appreciate the whole process of putting a blog post together and actually keen on ensuring that the blog is a success! If you choose the right niche, you will enjoy it! Your passion will grow! Moreover, you get to meet some other amazing bloggers who will make the whole blogging experiencing so much more fun!”
“I wish I had known what a large community it was – how exciting it would be to meet all these people – I would have done it years ago!”
“That despite the hard work, blogging would be so fulfilling and a great creative outlet. I was scared to start blogging and wish I’d been brace enough to start earlier!”
–Elaine from This Grateful Mama
Network & Collaboration
If you are a new blogger it could be quite possible that you are hearing about network and collaboration for the first time. Collaboration is much like this blog post that you are reading now. It’s when bloggers work together as a pair or group to create something special for their readers, such as a blogpost. It really helps to grow your blog reach. Never be afraid to interact and engage with other bloggers!
“I wish I had realized the importance of networking with other bloggers from the start. I set up my blog and then stumbled upon Facebook groups, Pinterest group boards etc. I have learned so, so much from these communities that have greatly improved my blog, my content and my traffic. Plus it is so much fun to “hang out” with my fellow bloggers online! If I had known this upfront I would have saved myself a lot of trial & error.”
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It’s Okay Not to Know It All
Don’t be discouraged going into blogging not knowing it everything. Even well established blogs with a large following are still learning everyday.
I hope that this will help you as you venture through your blogging journey and career.
Let us know what you wish you would have known before starting in the comments below.
Until Next Time,
xx
Ell
Absolutely loved this post! It’s a great compilation of all the things a blogger should know and knowing this can make a huge difference! I’m absolutely positive that this post will come extremely useful for all those thinking of starting a blog or those who are in the early stages of blogging! Thanks for creating such a helpful post! ?
PS/ Thanks so much for letting me contribute to this post! 🙂
This is a great read and fantastic tips for bloggers and those wanting to create an income blogging! I love how you included fellow bloggers input.
Very unique idea and a good post for newbies, keep up the good work ✌
Very informative article. I’m sure it’s gonna help future bloggers in so many ways.
This was fun to do! I loved reading everyone’s blogging experiences and I’m glad I could contribute. I can’t wait to do it again! ?
Just found out about the power of Pinterest! Thanks for posting!
This is such a fantastic post, Ell. Thank you so much for writing it. I’m sharing it with my friends who are interested in blogging. Thank you!
I LOVE this post. It’s so helpful and has wonderful advice. I’m so lucky to have been part of it. 🙂 I love all your posts!
This came together so great lauren, a great sharing of knowledge from our #bossgirl blogging community! So glad to be a part of it!
I can so relate to everyone’s part of this post. To run a blog takes way more time and effort than anyone realizes (if they don’t have one), and time management will be key to get it all done!
It was really informative! Thank you so much for the insights!
Yes!! It is hard work, but worth it!
When blogging… dedication and consistency are everything!
Eek – great post, I found myself nodding along as I read it – like, yup, yup, umhmm, definitely, yes! 🙂
I loved this post!! I wanted to collab as well but as a new blogger I didn’t feel like I could just yet:) I agree on your social media identity it’s so important to keep a ‘clean’ profile because whatever you put out there is what people are going to judge of.
Love always,
Zineb
Consistency and Patience will be considered one of the most overlooked options especially by newbies… Even some top bloggers still make that error, took me several years before I realise that was what make my blogging career suck.
Sticking with those two made a whole difference.
It was so fun to read through everyone’s responses! Thanks for letting me participate in this round-up.
I really love this post 🙂 it’s quite interesting to read these opinions and experiencea from various bloggers! Thank you all for putting this together! ❤️
This is such a thorough article. What a great resource for someone looking to start a blog! I’ve read many articles on the same topic but none were written as well as this one. Good job!
Such great advice from everyone! I love all these tips. I am a Newbie so reading all these comments really help me a lot! Thanks for sharing!
Great post and great information! Keep up the good work! ❤️
I love this post and the honesty from these great bloggers!!
Soooooo true! I was literally reading each line like “yes!”
I found this to be so helpful, and reassuring, as a new blogger myself. It’s refreshing to read such honest viewpoints from an experienced group!
Great post!! You list some really useful and important tips and I love that it is a collection of different bloggers! Super helpful, thank you 🙂