What I Learned From One Year of Blogging – Part 1

I remember my very first year of blogging like it was yesterday.

That’s why I still go to therapy…

I kid, I kid!

But it was an overwhelming, confusing and exciting year where my mind was blown wide opened to the possibilities of what I could create for myself.

Of course the full manifestation of that wouldn’t come till quite a few years later but I’m just SO GLAD I stuck to it because it’s now enabled me the freedom to live the life of my freakin’ dreams traveling the world living a location independent lifestyle.

Now, I know freedom is a HUGE desire for you too. And I know you can and will achieve if you set your mind on it and get your butt to work! And if you’re new to this whole blogging thing and you want to know what you should focus your time and energy on (and possible shortcuts you can make), I’ve got you covered.

This awesome guest post by Katelynn from hampersandhiccups.com was written just for you!

Take it away Katelynn..

March 28 marks one year from the publishing of my first post on my blog. Shortly before that I had been tossing the idea of a mommy blog around for a while. To be honest, this isn’t my first blog. I had multiple (three) failed attempts before. I was able to pinpoint my failures and learn from them.

• Not taking it seriously
• Using it as a hobby vs. a business
• Using free (and frustrating) services

But there’s still lots I didn’t know (and still don’t) as a new blogger. Which is why I want to share what I’ve learned over the past (almost) year of blogging “professionally”.  

At what point can we call ourselves “professional?” Is it the first payment or is it a mindset? Maybe how we define ourselves?

Learn from my mistakes and blunders so you’re not fumbling as blindly as I was.

Here’s a quick break down of what we’ll be going over:

PART 1:

• Research
• Discounts
• Hosting
• Themes
• Coding
• Treat it Like a Business from the Start
• Branding
• SEO

PART 2:

• Content
• Videos
• Editorial Calendar
• Email Marketing + Growing a List
• Opt-Ins
• Social Media
• Community

Let’s get into it!

Research

The number one thing with any business venture is research. I did do a lot before I purchased anything, but it’s worth mentioning that there’s more to research than just looking at reviews.  Not only do I look into any plug-in and theme but I also check into affiliate programs and collaborations.

However! There’s still mistakes made when research is done. Take for example my first theme. I didn’t even know what themes were!  I just read everywhere that the Genesis Framework is the way to go. So I bought it.  Then I needed a child theme. So, I had to buy one of those! You’ll read more about my theme issues later on, but for now, just remember it pays to do lots of research.

On that note, make sure to research more than just the reviews (other bloggers, Google, try a free version). With my theme example, I could have researched what a theme actually was before I bought one!  

Other services I use that came highly recommended are:

• Canva (creating graphics)
• PicMonkey (picture editing)
• Tailwind (pinterest automation)
• ConvertKit (email marketing)

Research is also important to help you learn, pretty much, everything to do with blogging. Unless you’re really awesome at techy stuff, coding, etc. Honestly, I Google most things before I ask for assistance from my hosting service or my electrical engineer brother.

Discounts

While you’re researching, you’ll likely come across links from blog posts to purchase specific services.  These are almost always affiliates (more on that later), and are the best way to buy things for a few reasons:

• You’re helping out the blogger (you will appreciate it soon enough)
• The person sharing the link likely has a reduced price to offer you
• You know it’s a good product because a fellow blogger is recommending it

If you don’t come across discounts organically, search them.  You’re not going to get a price reduction on everything, but every little bit counts – this can be an expensive hobby.

Hosting

There’s a few different ways you can go about building your website.  I’m going to be referring to a self-hosted site – one that is independent from WordPress (or other).  

It’s going to get kind of confusing but bear with me.

A Hosted site comes with limitations on customizing, but you don’t have to deal with any of the crazy computer stuff.  It is hosted by the builder site.  Ie) WordPress.

A Self-hosted site is more customizable, but you’re in control of a lot more of the technical aspects, including your server.  You are hosting your own data, etc.

So, in terms of WordPress, yourwebsite.org is self-hosted, yourwebsite.com is hosted by WordPress.

Now, if you want to treat your blog as a business, I recommend starting with a WordPress.org (or other self-hosted) site off the bat.  It can be changed later on, but it becomes tricky and time consuming.

Once you decide to go with a self-hosted site, you’re going to want to purchase the services of a hosting company to handle all the technical mumbo-jumbo.  When I was researching, I kept being referred to BlueHost, so that’s what I use.

Any time I’ve had to do something within the server, it’s been really easy to follow (thank you Google) and simply laid out.  This is one of those places you’ll want to find a discount.

Themes

I eluded to my theme struggles earlier.  What I didn’t know when I started, aside from the Child Theme for Genesis Framework, was, well, everything.  I just thought a theme was the colours and graphics for a website. I assumed you’d be able to drag and drop everything anywhere until you got the look you wanted.  Not the case with WordPress.

I became super frustrated when I couldn’t get my beautiful pro theme to look just like I envisioned in my head and resorted to trying to learn coding and change things on the back end. This is extremely terrifying, and I don’t recommend it!

What I do recommend is learning about any theme you’re interested in and following the installation guidelines to a T – something I didn’t even know existed, at first.

Once I realized what a theme actually was (layout, menus, headers, footers, style, ad space, the way the site works), I was able to find one that suited my needs completely (Pretty Chic, Pretty Darn Cute Designs).  This is admittedly much easier to do in the beginning, rather than switching themes later on. Trust me.

Usually, the theme creator is really helpful and willing to assist you with any technical difficulties (Lindsey dropped everything on the day of her child’s birthday to get me up and running).  Between her and your web host, you should have all the help you need.

Ooh, also, once you purchase from one company (I used StudioPress – again, came recommended), you usually get a discount for future purchases.

My advice is to look at other blogs to see what you like and don’t like.  Think about how you want your site to look, feel and operate. Consider menus, structure, search bar, banners, etc.  Spend time on potential theme demos and don’t make a quick decision just to pick something.

(Elise’s Notes: It is super important AND EXPECTED that a theme creator offers support and documentation for their theme. Make sure you triple check that it’s offered before you buy the theme so that you don’t run into trouble after purchase. My recommendations are HerPark (my theme) and BluChic who are both very high-quality, affordable and with excellent support).

Coding

Stop!  Don’t run away!  I know It’s a terrifying word (I still can’t say it without cringing), but it doesn’t have to have you breaking out in a cold sweat.

Honestly, the one thing that hindered me from starting a blog for so long was the coding.  Despite learning coding and creating an entire website in grade 7, I had absolutely ZERO knowledge on the topic.  I finally just bit the bullet and went for it. I figured if I waited ‘til I knew everything, I’d never start.

And here’s the truth.  My little secret.

I still know NOTHING about coding!  

If I have to change the odd thing within a post, I’ll search Google for the code, copy, paste, alter, VOILA.  Do I know what “href” or “div style” mean? Not a chance. All I know is that it’s important and I don’t want to mess with it!

My advice for coding?  Acknowledge it. Respect it.  Google it. Leave it be.

(Elise’s Note: Marianne from Design Your Own Blog is one of my fave resources for anything coding).

Treat it Like a Business

When I first started Hampers and Hiccups, I thought bloggers made money through affiliate sales on Amazon and Google AdSense.  I naively applied for both. Amazon went through quickly. AdSense did not. You need a ridiculous amount of page views for them boys.

But here’s where I struggled.

I thought it was going to be easy money.  You know, I write what I want and make money when my thousands of followers buy through my links. Simple. I’d be making a full-time income within a month.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Wrong.

You wanna know how the most successful bloggers make a lot of money?  It’s not solely through ads. And it’s most certainly not through the Amazon Associate Program.

It’s through sales of their own.  They put in a tremendous amount of work to create, pitch and promote their products to readers, businesses and other bloggers in hopes of making sales.  These bloggers have created a business by selling their goods and helping others.

These products are informative, helpful, and in demand.  The creators have found a need and optimized their opportunity.

So, while I was sitting around waiting for two more people to buy something through my Amazon link for me to become an associate, other start-ups were busy hustling their products because they were in the business mindset from the start.

Nail down your motivation, hopes, goals and motives (raise awareness, journal, money), and get clear on what you need to do to get there.

And those big business blogs?  They started from nothing, too.

Affiliates

I’ve already mentioned Amazon Associates, but, what I didn’t know when I started, was that so many businesses offer affiliate programs!  They are a great way to make a little cash, but they’re also a lot of work.

I say, apply for sites that you actually use and would endorse, but don’t get too caught up on them. Instead, focus on content, growing your list, reader loyalty, trust, creating and promoting your products.

Remember, those affiliates can be taken away at any time.

Branding

Think of your favourite brand. I’d bet that their logo, a commercial, or something else memorable just popped into your head.  Their marketing is strong and makes an impact. That’s what you want your own brand to do.

I first learned about blog branding through Allison Marshall (Wonderlass).  If you know who I’m talking about, you know she has a rock-solid brand. Everything she does, says and creates is cohesive, unified and easy to relate back to her.

And it’s authentic!  She grew her brand around herself.

It’s taken me a long time to do this.  I’ve tried out a few different ideas, and I think I’m finally on the right track now.  It’s just a matter of taking the time to create a branding guide and sticking to it.

• Colours
• Graphics
• Copy (how you talk)
• Logos
• About Page
• Gifts
• Blog Posts
• Blog Features
• Social Bios
• Videos
• Collaborations
• Rules, Guidelines, Policies
• Business Cards/Stationary
• Emails
• Letters
• Opt-ins/Freebies
• Give-Aways
• Rate Card
• Templates

The important thing is to relate to your audience without losing yourself in the process.  Use your passion.

SEO

Search Engine Optimization.  It’s a hefty one. Like, I’m talking, dedicate a full quarter of the year to learning it.  Even then, you likely won’t have it down pat. Oh, and did I mention things change instantaneously?!

It’s pretty self explanatory, but basically it’s how your post/site stacks up against others for the same search term or keyword.  You want to be higher in the rankings to generate more page views and, in turn, conversions.  

In plain terms: you want Google to like the words you’ve written.

In the beginning, I did a lot of research on plug-ins every blogger should have. Yoast came up over and over again, so I added the free version to my WordPress site. I didn’t know literally anything about SEO, and just followed the tips given on Yoast, and went by the colour coded circles – green is good.

One of my dearest friends (also a blogger) sent me this resource.  It is beyond fabulous.  It outlines everything you need to know about SEO, where to get help, what to include in your post to keep readers engaged, and how to get ranked higher in search engines.

I also use Jaaxy, a keyword research tool.

I still have Yoast, but I understand it a bit more, now and don’t get caught up by the coloured dots.  I also know that pinning down a key-word and pulling my hair out over ranking isn’t always worth it. Sometimes it’s better to focus my efforts on Pinterest, which, of course, uses a different algorithm.
*Sigh*

Phew! Feeling like that’s a lot to download and process right now? Well you’re right! That’s why we’ve broken this post up into two parts. Part 2 will be posted next week!

Now it’s your turn: What info from Part 1 of Katelynn’s post are you going to start applying today? Let us know in the comments below!

See you next week!