Q:I’d love to start a blog. Do you have any advice?
That’s great! Whenever I am asked this question, my brain immediately goes to one of my favorite quotes:
Don’t talk about it, be about it.
The best way to start a blog is … to start a blog. Whether it be on Blogger or Squarespace, it doesn’t matter. Just start somewhere. I literally had no idea what I was doing when I started Sequins & Things and I didn’t follow any blogs. There was a huge learning curve but I was determined, motivated and worked hard to figure out whatever I needed to know. Google helped me with almost every single question I had back then and is still my ‘go to.’
The hardest part is probably figuring out how YOU are going to make a unique mark within this industry with your blog. I’d suggest following YOUR passion in order to find your ‘niche.’ There’s so much to be admired out there in other influencers but I think we all have something special to offer people around the world, so follow whatever it is that makes you different and sets you apart and share that with everyone!
Invest in a DSLR camera or a nice mirrorless camera that has a manual setting because content is king in the blogging world!
Take a photography class or watch photography YouTube videos to help you learn how to take photos in the manual setting. Automatic just won’t cut it.
Learning how to edit your own photos in Photoshop or Lightroom would also be helpful, however, if you have a photography partner from the beginning like I have, you might be able to get by without that skill set.
I also encourage you to reach out to fellow bloggers that are starting out, too, and build friendships. It’s helpful to have other gals in your corner going through the same thing.
One of the most important pieces of advice that I have is …
… make sure to start for the right reasons. My blog came about as an extension of what I was already sharing with my audience on Instagram. It was more work, but I was motivated by my passion for creating, sharing and connecting with other women with similar interests … even if it was super small. I didn’t find out blogs could generate an income until almost a year after starting mine, so when I hear girls say they want to start a blog because of the income you can make — it’s hard to wrap my mind around. Sure, it was a really nice realization and incentive — I mean, isn’t it everyone’s dream for a career to come out of the things you’re the most passionate about doing? — but it was never my motivation. So, make sure you’re passionate about blogging for what it is, even the not so glamorous things [i.e. accounting and taxes – ew!] because money will never make you happy in the long run.
My last piece of advice is to HAVE FUN, BE YOURSELF and BE PATIENT. Don’t focus on the numbers or being ‘the biggest’ or ‘the best’. Just do you. No one else can be the creative that you are, so share original content and have fun creating it. If you’re being genuine and authentic, in time, people will gravitate towards you and want to follow along as you go.