what i've learned about blogging.

it's hard to believe that saturday marks the first "blog birthday" of {beauty in humble places}.
i had no idea it would turn into something that became apart of who i am.
something that introduced me to so many wonderful, diverse women.
something that allowed me to express myself and be me.


over the last year, i've learned so much about blogging -- the good and the bad.
although i'm no expert, i want to share what i've learned after a year of blogging:

• be yourself. when someone visits your blog, they want to read about you, not a second-rate version of yourself. people gravitate to those who are honest and real. through blogging, i've discovered my voice. for the better part of my life, i didn't give my opinion out of fear that others wouldn't like me because i disagreed, but we are unique and that's the beauty of it all. 

• write about what you love. whether it's a lifestyle blog, a fashion blog, or a food blog, write about what you love. write about what you know. your writing will reflect your passion, which in turn keeps your readers coming back for more. 

• blog regularly. this is a big'n. i'm not saying write a post every single day -- you'll get burnt out quickly. it's about consistency. i make it a point to blog at least four times a week.

• make a blogging schedule. this will keep you on track. it will also help you stay out those dreaded blogging ruts. 

• don't do it for the followers. lemme break this down for ya: when you start a blog, you aren't going to have very many followers. many people start a blog because they read other blogs and see how many followers they have. here's the thing: they didn't start out that way. they accumulated readers over a period of time. they have been writing and blogging for years. if you write openly and honestly, people will start following along. over time.   

• make sure to tag each post. you will thank me later. [also: make the tags basic. don't use tags like "chocolate" or "spaghetti", tag it "food"] 

• take good pictures. this is my number one rule. when i come across a new blog, this is where i either click the follow button or i move on. i'm not saying you need to go out and buy a dslr. these days, cell phones are fully capable of producing quality images. pictures give us a visual of what you're writing. we can be in that moment you're describing. (if you have blogger, another piece of advice: when you add a photo, click on it when you're typing out your blog. it will say "small" "medium" "large", etc. make the picture bigger so we can see it! i usually click "x-large")

• give credit where it's due. this is my biggest pet peeve. if you post a picture that you found from another website, CREDIT THE SOURCE. if you post a picture that you yourself didn't personally take, there's a name for that: it's called stealing. it's no different than shoplifting. if you read a post on a blog that you'd like to recreate on yours, credit that blog for their idea. [see example here]
  
  
• have a clean, clutter-free design. nothing is more distracting than clutter in our homes. same goes for our blogs. keep it simple. make it neat and proportional.
   
• comment, comment, comment.  comment on other blogs. plain and simple.
   
• have an 'about me' section. this allows others to learn the basics about you. it's very important, in my opinion.

• make a blog button. this lets others give your blog some love, which will allow their readers to visit your blog, which might make them want to continue reading. i've found a lot of great blogs from seeing their blog button on another blogger's page. [i found this tutorial to be helpful]

 

• participate in link-ups. link-ups are a great way for you to showcase your blog and find other bloggers you like. my biggest piece of advice when participating in a link-up is link the blog post associated with the topic of the blog you're linking to. when i first started blogging, i linked my blog, which is a no-no. (unless it's a blog link-up). example: a blogger has made a link-up for instagram posts. link your instagram blog post, not your entire blog. 

i think the most important lesson i've learned with blogging is to always be honest and open and stay true to myself.


here's to another great year of blogging!

p.s.: i made a new blog button. the link is at the bottom of the page is you want to grab it!