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2 Years Blogiversary
Today marks my 2 years blog anniversary or as we know it my blogiversary. Two years ago I embarked on a journey and took a chance at something I never dreamt of. Yes you read that right. Blogging was not on my radar until two years ago when I started living on my own. I was bored and needed a new hobby to keep me occupied. My love for travelling, fashion, and photography lead me to this celebration today.
How It Started
I had just moved to Panama, exploring and randomly posting pictures on my Instagram (@travelbeautyblogg). From random selfies, to travel photos to my favourite meals and beauty products, I posted it all. Although my feed was filled with mainly travel pictures, I narrowed down to 3 niches: travel, beauty, and fashion. In this way, I was able to focus my efforts on my passion. Ensuring that I kept my readers’ interests by posting relevant content. Back then, choosing a niche and sticking to it was a tradition.
Currently, I still post my cup of coffee, inspirational quotes and lifestyle photos that can tie in with my theme. Posting photographs on Instagram were all I did for almost a year. Then at some point, I started researching about starting a blog. During those months I realized I had a lot more to say; I wanted to give advice and share my stories. It wasn’t too long after that things finally kicked off.
Lessons Learnt And Experiences Gained
Hard Work
Although blogging is my hobby it requires dedication. Some people do this as a full-time job and I totally respect them. If you are not prepared to make sacrifices to make it work then do not consider starting a blog. In life, we are faced with challenges and blogging is no exception.
Meeting Deadlines
Planning and scheduling of blog and social media posts became a big part of my life and is crucial to my blog’s success. Personally, I like to plan my posts weekly so that things flow smoothly when the day comes.
Writers Block
Happens more often than I would like but I know how to cope whenever it happens. There were times in the past when I felt frustrated and disappointed that I had nothing to write. But I quickly found out that this happens to everyone and taking a break is okay.
Community
Becoming part of a community was necessary and it definitely paid off. Networking with other bloggers opened my eyes to a lot of things. Prior to joining these groups, I had no idea how massive the blogosphere was. This was a channel to support each other, beyond commenting on each other’s blog posts. Being a part of a network gives you the opportunity to talk about your challenges, read about others’ challenges, grow and get inspired from them.
Investing
Investing in your blog is investing in yourself and it has its rewards. No one will know you exist if you do not share your content on social media or on paid mediums. After a while when I realized things were getting serious I improved my writing skills. Eventually, I invested in a DSLR camera and some other blogging tools that I thought were a must.
Opportunities & Dreams
When you have become established, you have the opportunity to work with some of your favourite brands. Even if you do not land your dream collaborations, you can still join networks that will provide the opportunity to be sponsored or paid or gifted. If you are lucky brands will come to you first but your blog aesthetic and tone must be aligned to theirs. Thankfully I have had the opportunity of working with countless beauty and fashion brands.
End Thoughts
Today, blogging is a bit harder as there are so many changes to adapt to. Also, more and more people are quitting their 9-5 jobs and blogging as a career. Everything now seems to be about creating a “perfect” Instagram feed and aesthetic. The blogging world is saturated but the key to surviving is remaining consistent and finding your niche. Thanks to my lovely family and beautiful followers who have supported me from the start. Hope to see you guys again for year 3 God spares our lives.
Are you a blogger? Do you experience writers’ block? If so, what do you do to overcome it? Let us share our ideas in the comment section below.
Last Updated on June 23, 2020 by Shevy
