Woman walking with balloons

Happy Birthday to my blog, it turns one today (14th of February)!
I have to admit I had no idea what a blog really was when I started out. I just knew I wanted to write and create my own little space that others might find useful, entertaining and motivating.
I’ve learnt so much. I initially started on Tumblr because my little sister told me that was the place to be and set me up an account. I discovered Tumblr was more about photos and it didn’t really suit my needs.  I switched to WordPress and my blog was born. It doesn’t feel like a year, it feels much longer because it’s been such a journey.
So, here are 10 things I’ve discovered:

  1. There’s a LOT to learn. Aside from perfecting the art of writing you need to know about images, alt text, SEOs, plug ins, linkies; the list is endless. I had no idea but I do now (well, slightly more of an idea!)
  2. The blogging community is full of REALLY nice people. I’ve had so much support and help from other bloggers. I suppose I expected everyone to play their cards close to their chest and not want to give away their top tips in what I assumed was a competitive field. Instead I’ve experienced endless kindness and generosity from everyone. Special mention and thanks to Vicki at Honest Mum and Mirka at Fitness4Mamas  for welcoming me with open arms and answering basic questions without making me feel stupid!
  3. The more you blog, the more you want to blog. You start noticing things in everyday life, asking questions, experiencing emotions and find yourself planning your next post. When people like and share your work it gives you a bit of a boost and that feeling can be addictive and spurs you on to write more.
  4. Blogging is powerful. The rise of the ‘digital influencers’ is a sight to behold. Blogging has given a voice to many who would otherwise not be heard. It provides opportunities and opens doors. From personal views to business blogs; empires can be created. It’s an exciting, evolving industry.
  5. Promotion is key. It depends on the purpose of your blog. If you’re just writing for yourself that’s fine but if you want others to read what you’ve written too then you’ve got to learn to self promote; for me, this has been the hardest thing. Initially it just felt like showing off and I battled with the whole concept. It’s got easier the more I’ve done it and has brought bigger audiences but it can still make me feel uncomfortable.
  6. Blogging takes time. Leading on from number 5 it’s worth knowing that blogging not only takes time, it eats it! After you’ve written your post if you want to promote it you’ve got to schedule tweets and FB posts, stick it on Pinterest, Google +, wherever takes your fancy. I also like to read and comment on other bloggers posts, it’s a supportive community and I want to do my bit. It’s time consuming!
  7. After a year I’m still a baby! I have SO much more to learn. The list of skills I want to gain is too huge to write down here. I know they’ll all help my blog to become more successful but each one has to be explored and experimented with.
  8. I want to build my blog. My blog is a tiny drop in the blogging ocean but I can see the potential and the possibilities. I want to make it a useful resource, a favourite trusted place to come back to. I’m prepared to put in the work and am starting year 2 with great excitement and optimism.
  9. Blogging leds to vlogging. Like many other bloggers I’ve plucked up the courage to get in front of the camera. I’m a total beginner and again, I have SO much to learn. It’s been fun creating my YouTube channel and my kids have taken great delight in helping me and starring in some vlogs too. I’m saving up for a shiny new camera.
  10. I love blogging. From not even knowing what a blog was to having my own site where I can share my thoughts and ideas has brought me so much pleasure. Yes, it’s hard work but I enjoy it. Satisfaction comes from learning. It’s a new hobby and hopefully the more I invest the more I’ll gain.

Are you new to blogging? Have you found it difficult? Do you want to start but are too scared?…..why not leave me a comment.
Image by Gratisography

Mr and Mrs T Plus Three

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41 Comments

  1. Congratulations! I definitely thought you’d been blogging for more than a year. I agree with all of this – I’ve still got a lot to learn after four and a half years! Blogging is incredibly time-consuming, but it’s also addictive! I can’t imagine a life without blogging.

    1. I’ve learnt so much from you Sarah. I admire your consistency and honesty. I enjoy your blog every morning with my first cup of tea. Thank you and don’t stop!

  2. Congratulations on reaching your 1st year of blogging Juliet. I know what you mean, I still feel that I am learning and I’ve been doing it for longer than you. All the best for the future. I do like your blog and will follow with interest 🙂

  3. Happy Birthday and congrats! I can totally relate to ever point in your list. I love that blogging opens our minds up to so many questions and thought provoking posts. Keep up the great work!

  4. Happy blogday. 🙂 If it helps at all, I have been blogging on and off for longer than I dare to think but I am still learning if that helps? I am glad that I found your blog (through twitter) and I look forward to reading more of your posts. x

  5. This was really interesting to read thank you. I am new to blogging and although I’m totally addicted, I definitely feel that I’m making it up as I go along!
    I am a bit perplexed by how to get more followers of my blog. Any tips gratefully received…

    1. I don’t have that many followers but have a growing number of visitors if you know what I mean. I post links to the blogs a lot on Twitter with scheduled tweets but in fact a large portion of readers come through Facebook where I tend to post once! Search engines bring the biggest number of readers and I’m still to learn the techniques for maximising this but there are bloggers out there who’ve written helpful blogs on this topic. Good Luck! …….We’re all winging it 😉

  6. Oh my goodness!! How bizarre because 14th Feb was my first blogging anniversary too!! (We must have had a great Valentine’s Day last year!)
    I can relate to so many of these points and was nodding my head in agreement throughout. It’s been such a journey and I’m probably way behind where you are as I had to take a couple of months off last summer for personal family reasons. I totally agree with number 3 – I just keep finding all these ideas pushing to get out of my head and I have to keep remembering to write them down!
    Number 5 – yes definitely. I still cringe every time I promote a post of mine to Facebook because I think everyone else is getting fed up with me going on about myself!
    Number 7 – Yep. Reading and engaging with a lot of other people keeps me thinking, “Wow! I’ve got so much more to learn and a lot more to do.” It’s a bit intimidating at times but also inspiring.
    If you don’t mind, I may write a similar post as this has inspired me about my own learnings in my first year. Thanks for a great read. #TheList P.S. I think we already met via my post on running through Vicki…! x

    1. It’s funny how you always feel a link with someone who share you or your kid’s birthdays isn’t it? So our blog babies were born on the same day, how fab. Glad you liked the post. I seem to know enough to bumble along but not to take big strides but I’ll keep working away. You go for it with your post and tweet me so I can read it too! Let’s make sure we ‘check in’ every year. J x

      1. Absolutely Juliet, that’s a great idea to check in on our babies’ birthdays! I’m bumbling too but enjoying the ride. I’ll definitely write an anniversary post and Tweet you. Thanks and good luck. X

  7. I’ve been blogging for about a year now and still have so much to learn! One thing I struggle with is feeling like I’m just messing around on social media, I need to start taking it more seriously and get my head around the fact that it’s quite vital to building a successful blog and hopefully generating an income from it at some point! x #TheList

    1. Oh, I know what you mean! Suddenly cruising around the Internet can be classed as work. Hard for the rest of the family to understand! Thanks for reading #TheList

    1. ….and thanks for being such a great source of info for us beginners. I turn to your post on images for your blog so often, to get that list of websites with free images! Thanks for reading x #TheList

  8. Fantastic post and agree about it leading to vlogging. You should join our Vlog Stars linky, we’d love to have you! Thanks for linking up to #thelist x

  9. Congratulations on your first year blogging.. I’m just starting out so this really resonates with me, especially the self promotion bit.. Look forward to reading your blogs.. X

  10. Congrats on the 1 year blogging! Business or blog for fun, if you give your 100% it takes lots of time, I will agree with you. Dedication to your readers along with networking with other bloggers. I admire your blog and your work!
    Zaria

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