What I’ve learned from Blogging: The Benson Street

Hello Love & Laundry readers!!! I am Emily from The Benson Street. Happy Blogiversary Love & Laundry! I am so excited to be here and share with you what I’ve learned about blogging in the last few months.
 

I started blogging about 8 months ago. I remember really wanting to start this blog and instead of being cautious and figuring things out before, I did a little research and jumped in head first! Why did I start blogging you may ask. After graduating from college and working for a couple of years, I needed to find an outlet for my creative juices and a way to learn new things. Not only is it an outlet, it is motivation. It helps me to get my projects done, share my ideas and connect with friends. I am sort of lazy.  Here is a few of the thing I’ve learned.

1. Blogging is hard…. at first (and sometimes still is). Like I said I jumped right in. I knew nothing about html or search engine optimization. There was a huge learning curve. The nice thing I’ve found is there are tutorials for most of the techy blog stuff that I didn’t know about. Google is your friend. Just keep trying, reading and follow the tutorials. Eventually you will figure it out or find someone who will help you out. Finding a group of bloggers friends will be your most valuable asset.  It is great to have a safe group of friends to ask your questions without feeling stupid. Don’t worry we have all had trouble getting something to work just right. Like with all things practice makes things easier!
2. Manage your Time and Have a Plan. I could easily be sucked into the world of blogging 24/7. There are always parties I could link to, blogs I could comment on and posts I could write. But, I have a family and a job. I can’t realistically drop everything for my blog 24/7. I have to set limits and goals for myself. It is best to have a goal in mind, but don’t go overboard by passing that goal 3 times. I’ve decided when I want to post and how often. I know that I will always post on specific days at the same time. That is my plan and I stick with it. I like to schedule mini planning sessions with myself. At the beginning of the month and then again each week to make sure I am on track to reach my goals. Then I utilize anything I can to maximize my time. I schedule my posts, tweets, facebook posts, pins, etc. I get it all in at once and am not tied to my computer all day. Be a smart planner and time manager, it helps me not to lose sight of my family, life and other responsibilities.
3. Don’t Compare Apples to Oranges. I have often looked at huge successful blogs and wonder why can’t I get my crap together like these ladies. Reality check sets in and I remember I am still learning. I have been doing this for a few months and they have been doing this for years.  The only way to measure success is to look at how far my blog has come. Then I celebrate the milestones! I am only in competition with myself. This is when I can truly measure my growth. If I am improving my stats each month then I feel like I am on the right track. I am learning to be happy with where I am and not compare myself to any other blog whether big or small. There is danger in comparing. I don’t want to let it ruin all I’ve worked to create.
4. I Can Do It! And so can you. I have learned I can live on a little less sleep, I can write a bit of html, I CAN blog. When I first started, I wondered if I would be able to do it. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been worth it. Now I know that I am not going to stop. I don’t want to quit. I am having fun. Don’t get discouraged if you feel uninspired, can’t quite figure something out or are overwhelmed. Just take a deep breath and remind yourself why are are blogging. You can do it!
5. I Blog for Me. When people ask women if they dress for themselves, their friends, men, etc. I am reminded of why I blog. I honestly blog for me. I want to share ideas with others, but that is not why I do it. I do it because I want to push myself to work harder, be better and make a difference. I hope that if you blog or want to start blogging that you will do the same. This isn’t about keeping up with the Jones. It is about inspiring ourselves to be the best we can be. So if you are stressed step back. Look at the big picture and say “I Blog for Me.”

I hope these simple things I’ve learned can help you out in your blogging endeavors! If you ever need a support group come find me and I will do what I can to help you out! Here’s to another wonderful year at Love and Laundry!!!!