hillheady

a fashion & travel blog

What 8 Bloggers Wish They Had Known Before Starting A Blog

What 8 Bloggers Wish They Had Known Before Starting A Blog

I’m so thankful for how much my blog has grown in the last 3+ years, but I didn’t always have all of the answers (and I still don’t!). Unfortunately, there’s no “how-to” handbook for blogging and a lot of it is trial and error. We’re all just trying new things to see what works best for our brand. However, I always think of how nice it would’ve been to have someone to answer my simplest questions when I first started hillheady.com in 2016. That’s why I gathered a handful of my favorite bloggers who know a thing or two to share their own advice on getting started. This group inspires me every day and pushes me to be my best blogger self! So this one is for all of you who are wanting to start a blog, but not really sure where to even begin. My best advice? Just do it! There’s no time like the present.

  1. Camille of Charmed by Camille: Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket, but pick your focus areas and grow over time. I started my blog and really wanted to grow my Instagram following, so I worked on only those two for 3 years. Your blog is the only thing YOU own, so as things change in the social atmosphere (ahem, algorithm) it can impact your blog. Now that I have a pretty steady follower growth on Instagram, I am branching out to other platforms and types of content like Pinterest, video, etc. It can be really overwhelming at first so pick priorities and then expand your pond a little at a time.
  2. Michael and Ian of I Love That For You: You will feel ridiculous or self-conscious taking photos at first. Get over it. You’re doing what you love. The sooner you embrace it, the sooner you’ll capture amazing shots truly capturing the story you want to share. Accept your vulnerability. It took four months for Michael to have enough courage to post a picture of us kissing. The response was pure love and support. Your vulnerability is your strength. Don’t say yes to everything. Sometimes you might have too much on your plate. Sometimes a partnership or collaboration doesn’t feel genuine at that moment. Politely say no but foster the relationship for when the time is right.
  3. Tomi of GoodTomiCha: I wish I knew that I should really just create content that I enjoy creating. I’ve lost a lot of time because I wanted to shop where the top bloggers were shopping or match their entire aesthetic. That whole time I could’ve been creating an audience that was invested in ME and not a false online identity. I’m happy that now I’m confident enough to just be myself and share whatever the heck I want!
  4. Dana of The Champagne Edit: Honestly, I wish I knew what blogging and the digital space would become (I started in 2012). You obviously can’t predict the future, but I wish I would have taken it more seriously right off the bat — I wish I learned basic HTML from the start, played around in Photoshop more, and found a niche in order to build a community early on. I recommend this to a lot of people who want to start a blog!
  5. Alex of Adored by Alex: I’ve been blogging for 8.5 years, with 3.5 of those being full-time. So I’ve been around the block a time or two! It sounds super cliche, but I wish I had believed everyone who told me to be confident and go for it, whatever it might be. To not let my hang-ups, such as posing for photos in front of a crowd of people, or to not do something because other girls weren’t doing it – because people are visiting your blog, or becoming a steady reader for you, not for anyone else!
  6. Laura of Louella Reese: Probably first and foremost, the importance of being consistent and having a brand. This is something I truly didn’t learn until 2+ years into blogging. Now I know that is it is hands down two of the most important things in making your blog a business and a success. Consistency on when you post on your site, when you share to social media, and the topics you cover. Yes, switching things up a bit or adding additional topics is great but always staying consistent and true to your brand and what it represents. Also, it is okay to say no! I definitely didn’t feel I could say no to brands or partnerships at first. I felt I need to take everything that came my way. Now, I have learned the importance of turning down brands and collaborations that just don’t fit me personally or don’t fit my brand. I think others really respect you for doing that and a lot of times, the contact that reached out to you will really respect that as well.
  7. Amanda of A Glam Lifestyle: Crazy to think, I’ve been blogging now for just over 5 years! If I could go back and tell myself a few things, the first would be to find your support system. Like with any passion project or business venture, it’s important to build a network of like-minded individuals who can give you advice and support you when you get overwhelmed. You have to be your own hype girl! Also, not all of your friends, significant others or even your parents may understand what it is that you’re doing or support it as much as you hoped. That’s okay! The other is – never underestimate the power of Google! It was only in the last 6 months that I hired someone to help with my Pinterest and now my SEO. Prior to that I Googled my way to the answers and watched countless YouTube videos to improve my website functionality. YOU CAN DO THIS!
  8. Madison of Musings by Madison: To my surprise, blogging is not a traditional 9-5 job. Work hours can be more like: 8am-10pm (sometimes later!) Monday through Sunday, including holidays and vacations with no real days off. I had no idea how much time I would need to dedicate to it or the skills I’d need to garner along the way. Who knew that so much went on behind wearing pretty outfits, publishing Instagram posts and a few weekly blog posts?! It requires constant early mornings/late nights, endless amounts of planning and creativity… the list goes on. So creating a schedule and figuring out a way to balance it all earlier on is something I wish I had known sooner. It definitely would’ve saved me a lot of wasted time and stress!

bloggers in pajamas on vacation

Comments

  4. Liz says

    Love this post so much! I can agree 100% with all of this. There’s so much I wish I would’ve known too!

    Reply

  7. Stephanie says

    Love so many of these ladies and what they had to say about blogging. It’s ALL true, and I agree with them on almost everything. There’s been so much I’ve learned over the 3+ years I’ve been blogging, and so much I know I still have to learn!

    Reply

  10. Jamaria Johnson says

    Great advice and I’m bookmarking this post to read again later. Thanks for sharing! xo

    Reply

  13. roxy says

    Love the honesty and vulnerability these ladies shared! It’s so true, I’ve been blogging for 11 years and taking photos STILL can feel awkward in crowded spots lol. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Great post!

    Reply

  15. Tanvi Rastogi says

    I love this post. All of them are great tips and views. What I have learned after 15 years of blogging is don’t be afraid to mix it up. Your views on things might change, and you will change with them and so will your blog. And that’s the beauty of it all. 🙂

    ❥ tanvii.com

    Reply

  20. Stephanie says

    There are so many factors to consider when beginning to blog. I probably did more research than most do these days before even purchasing a domain, but after four years, I’m still learning every single day – and I don’t think I’ll ever quit learning. It’s an ever-changing platform!

    Reply

  30. Sarah Lindner says

    Been blogging for a few years now and couldn’t agree more with you ladies! I also wish I would have invested more serious time when I started, not realizing how big it has become! xoxo, Sarah

    Reply

  31. Stephanie says

    It’s fun to see what other bloggers wish they’d known before starting. I’ve been blogging for nearly 5 years (full-time from the start, shockingly enough), and I’m still learning tons every day! I hope some beginner bloggers – and old timers – benefit from this!

    Reply

  34. Makeup Muddle says

    I love reading posts like these, and they’re so helpful for those that want to start a blog. I wish I’d known how much work blogging involved haha! I definitely underestimated how much time it’d take, but I wouldn’t change it for the world! xo

    Makeup Muddle

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy