TBH I’m in shock that I’m writing this!! I cannot believe its been a whole year!! We did it!! I mean, 2020 seemed like it was 5 years long so I often forget that I’ve only been doing this for a year – but what a year it’s been! As promised, I wanted to put this blog post together with everything I’ve learned over the year as a resource if you are wanting to start blogging any time soon. One of the most common questions I get are blog related. So here it is! 8 things I learned after my first year of blogging:
1. Be YOU
This one is the MOST important one in my opinion which is why it’s first. It is SO easy to get lost in the social media world and sometimes it’s easy to fall into traps! Don’t do things just because other people are doing it (i.e. sharing a brand that doesn’t speak to you and only sharing it because someone else got reposted by said brand). If you love a brand enough, whether it be small or large, support them in a way that is true to YOU and then they will see – I promise! Share things that you can personally vouch for and that you GENUINELY LOVE. There is space for everyone on this platform and all you have to do is be you – and people will love and appreciate you for who you are 🙂
2. Consistency is Key
Make a posting schedule and post consistently. I use the app called “Feed Preview” to help me plan out my feed. I will say that I don’t care too much about the aesthetic but I try to space out eastern and western looks, still images and reels. TBH sometimes posting consistently can be a drag, time consuming and tedious. I’ve sometimes felt annoyed at myself for posting so often (LOL) and sometimes take breaks from posting everyday because it can be overwhelming! Over the past year, I went from posting every day to posting Monday through Thursday. With that being said, THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY to do it (at least I don’t think there is haha!) Do you boo boo!
3. Engage With Your Audience and Network
I’m going to say it here for the record – I haaaaate the word “followers”. It’s so cringe to me. To me, my blog and space is a place for me to express myself creatively through styling and traveling. I want to be able to share this with my audience, small or large, and be genuine to myself. Get to know the people who support you! Engage with them as much as you can because at the end of the day, I wouldn’t keep doing this if it wasn’t for you guys 🙂 Also, find other accounts that speak to you and show your support. It doesn’t matter if they “follow back” – be genuine.
4. Surround Yourself with Supportive People – Cut Out the Negativity
This one’s more of a life lesson and should apply to all aspects of your life! Thankfully I am blessed to have a great support system and my friends have been SUPER supportive about this new side passion of mine. But with that being said, there were a *few* people who weren’t. At first, I felt attacked and hurt about it, but realized that some people don’t want to see you thrive and THAT’S OK. At the end of the day, I shouldn’t be seeking approval from others. I should be happy with myself, my craft and with the positive people around me. There’s no room for haters!
5. Finding Your Niche
Okay I’m putting this on here because it’s important BUT I’m definitely guilty of not having this one “figured out”. I think in time this will come to me. Over the past year, I’ve learned things that I like to create i.e. “How to Style” videos and so I will continue to do that! I also know that I like to share both eastern and western clothes and love sharing travel inspo when I do get the chance to head out of town.
6. #’s Don’t Matter
This one sometimes bogs me down but I always try to remember how far I’ve come within a short period of time. It’s SO easy to get lost with all the numbers – the “likes”, the “follower count”, the “views” etc. With the ever evolving Instagram algorithm, it’s really hard to navigate what will do well and what won’t. If you are happy with the content you put out there and it’s true to you – the numbers really don’t matter. Brands will see your genuineness and will want to work with you! Some may be picky and may require certain reach and insights – and that’s okay! Be you and you will get there!
7. Do Not Compare Yourself to Others
Everyone’s journey is different. There are creators/influencers who have grown 10x more in the same time span and there are also some who haven’t grown as much. Do not compare yourself, your success, or your social media “growth” to others.
8. Just Do It & Have Fun!
And lastly, if you are here and you’ve always wanted to start something – whether it be an instagram page, a youtube channel, whatever – JUST DO IT! My biggest hurdle was myself – the self talk, the imposter syndrome, the “what will people think”. I was there and sometimes it still happens – it’s normal! It’s what makes us human! But in time, it gets a *little* easier.
I started my instagram page in 2015 under the alias “Behind the Frizz” – I thought it was deep and didn’t tell anyone about the account (see my low quality photos below haha). I revamped my page last year with a few hundred followers and was able to grow from there because I knew when I did it this time I wanted to give it my all. I personally wanted to keep my personal instagram page and allow my friends the option to follow me. I knew that I would be posting a lot more and it would be more fashion focused – so I didn’t want to “annoy” anyone with my content. At the end of the day, the people who wanted to support and follow did and I’m happy I did it that way but it’s personal choice!
I hope you found this blog post helpful! These 8 things I learned after my first year of blogging may only apply to me and I’m definitely still learning. There is really no right way and everyone’s journey is different! Feel free to comment or reach out via instagram if you have ANY questions I am always happy to help 🙂
xo
Vids
This amazing dress was gifted by Nadine Merabi and is not only STUNNING but the quality is IMPECCABLE. The beautiful images were capture by the very talented Dina Rohira Photography.
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