So,
my blog turned 1 on the 8th of February 2015 and I’ve been reflecting
on the lessons I’ve learnt in this journey so far. There are a couple of
tips in here too. I only planned to write 5 lessons but then it became
10 then 15 then 20, now 24 (2 for each month)
Enjoy!
1) Things don’t always go as planned:
I have so many examples of this. I started my blog on the 8th of
February but my 2nd post wasn’t up until the 29th of March as my laptop
screen spoilt and my camera battery charger got lost so my blog post
frequency wasn’t consistent until the end of March/ early April.
3) Have thick skin and don’t let the negative comments get to you:
Learn from them and take the constructive criticism into consideration
when next you write. It’s funny how people hide behind a mask and type
comments they would never say face to face.
4) Blogging exposes you to a wide range of opportunities:
I’m not saying this to encourage people to start blogs but brands/people
get to see your potential from your posts and can usually infer the
skills you have from the output you produce.
5) Networking is key:
Attend events related to your blog niche. In my case, I am a lifestyle
blogger so I write about food, music, style, events, beauty, my
experiences, natural hair, theatre, Lagos living, travel. I attend make
up fairs, hair events, stage plays, specific events during social media
week, etc to meet other people with similar interests.
6) Do not be a ‘prouding’ person:
Visit other blogs, leave comments too, interact with your readers,
follow them back on social media, they will feel closer to you and
that’s how conversations are generated.
7) Work on improving your skills:
Don’t be satisfied with every little accomplishment, don’t allow
yourself to get complacent. Once you achieve a goal, set the next one.
I’ve attend a Model workshop, Writers workshop, Makeup class,
Photography class, Social media week, etc I also know there are blog
workshops online. This is inter-related with the 5th lesson as you get
to meet other people with similar interests at such workshops.
8) Change is key, adopt with the times:
Don’t become ancient/stale/set in old ways. Just because a certain style
has worked for you for the past 3 years doesn’t mean it will work for
the next 3. Technology is improving and there are new developments that
make blogging easier, apps on your phone/tablets, etc. This doesn’t mean
you have to implement every new idea or new fad in blogsville but discern and decide which ones are important.
9) You’ll be shocked to discover those who believe in your ability:
Usually, it is people who you never thought will encourage/support/cheer you on so strongly that will be sharing your posts.
10) Discouragement will definitely come:
A post you’ve put a lot of effort and time into gets little views and
few comments. It might just be that you need to expand your audience
e.g. By participating in forums where your target audience are active in
or it could be timing – maybe you posted it an odd time and your next
post came too soon so people didn’t have time to read the previous one.
Or maybe the title didn’t make the post seem interesting.
11) Don’t give up:
If things are going wrong, dig deep and find out what the problem is,
then it will be easier to figure out a solution e.g. I expected more
comments on posts when I started. Then a reader pointed out that I need
to enable anonymous comments as everyone hasn’t got a Google account. I
did this and the comments started rolling in ☺ (Keep them coming folks, I
enjoy reading and replying them).
12) Feedback is important:
Ask your readers questions and throw in a reader survey annually or
every 6 months. I did a giveaway once and I expected more participation.
One of my readers said it was because she didn’t have a Twitter account
and so couldn’t fulfill all the criteria the giveaway required. If
you’ve experienced this, you could reduce the requirements for the next
one e.g. Follow on Twitter OR like us on Facebook. Most people are
usually active on one of these platforms. Alternatively you could host
giveaways on specific platforms like Beauty in Lagos did last Christmas.
13) Explore social media as a marketing tool:
It’s free and work can go viral quickly. Make use of hashtags on
Instagram and Twitter and read about how people grew their
businesses/increased their customer base via social media. I’m sure many
make up artists can testify to this.
14) Read other blogs, locally and internationally:
Learn from them, don’t be afraid to ask questions via email if you’re
interested in how they did a certain thing. I’m always excited when I
get emails from my readers/other bloggers and I do my best to get back
in touch with them as quickly as possible.
15) Don’t allow yourself to get intimidated by other bloggers:
Let their progress encourage you. I can ‘write story’ for
Africa but some people keep their blog posts short and simple, that’s
their style. There are people who will appreciate yours.
16) Consistency is key:
Sisi Yemmie typically puts up her Monday Chit Chat at 12pm every Monday
so her readers (myself inclusive) usually check her blog at Monday
during lunchtime. If you’re struggling to maintain your blog frequency
then let your readers know or try and post on social media every once in
a while to keep the connection alive.
17) Experience is a great teacher:
After a while you will learn what works and what doesn’t.
You will be able to figure out what time people are online/more active.
You will make mistakes and learn from them so you can help people around
you avoid such errors.
18) Don’t be satisfied with being a king in your village:
What about your state? Your country? Your continent? The world? Shoot
for the stars, so when you fall you land in the clouds. Aim high!
19) Don’t undervalue yourself:
Set your ad rate and stick to it, brands will approach you when they see
the value you can provide. Don’t negotiate when you are hungry.
20) Keep your private life private:
It is a personal/lifestyle blog but not everything that happens to you
personally should be shared with the World Wide Web. Know what to keep
confidential, what issues you can share with your blog readers and what
issues you should share with close friends, family members and mentors.
21) Do it for you:
Don’t start a blog because so many people are doing it/it’s supposedly
the next big thing/you want to make money/you want freebies. Start it
for the right reasons e.g. You want to share your talent with the
world/you want a bigger platform to express yourself. You can’t fake it
for too long if you aren’t genuinely interested. After a while it will
show that you aren’t in it wholeheartedly.
22) Do you:
I had said from the get go that I wasn’t going to write about
entertainment or gossip. That’s not my niche and I’m not going to write
about people’s gist just because it will bring in readers/traffic.
23) Original content:
Don’t be a copy cat. If you like the way someone does something, form
your own version of it. Be creative and don’t just imitate word for
word, let it influence you. I have a workflow series and the monochrome
way series. Berry Dakara does her lovely links and Sisi Yemmie does her
Monday chit chat. These bloggers inspired me to start a blog – reading
their blogs made me feel like I could do it too but we are different,
different writing styles, different blog layouts. I have what makes me
unique and so do they.
24) Enjoy the ride:
It isn’t going to be smooth but it does bring a sense of satisfaction
and fulfillment especially when you realise the sort of influence your
blog has/the impact it makes in people’s lives. It could be something as
small as your blog becoming a reference point when looking for a nice
restaurant to dine at or someone embracing their natural hair because
they see how you rock yours.
I know
some of these points don’t apply to people who blog anonymously e.g.
Naija Husband but if you have a blog, do share what you’ve learnt in
your time as a blogger. I am by no means the world’s greatest blogger
and I sure do have a lot to learn but I appreciate the journey and all
the experiences I’ve had.
I know good
things take time and even though I’m not where I want to be, I’m proud
of my little accomplishments. Over 140 posts, Over 100,000 views on the
blog and over 800k on Google Plus, collaborations with other bloggers
and brands, giveaways I’ve hosted and readers I’ve met, interviews and
features on other blogs and websites and now I’m aiming for more.
About Adetuke Morgan
Adetuke
Morgan is a lifestyle blogger who is passionate about playing the
Saxophone, writing, modeling and acting. She loves to travel, rocks her
Natural hair with pride and is a sucker for great food. Read about her
adventures in Lagos at http://www.tukesquest.blogspot.com and follow her
on Twitter & Instagram @TukeMorgan
