2021 Reflections: Lessons from My First Year Blogging

Over the summer, I caught up with a trusted friend who asked how my business was going. I was surprised at first. Sure, I finally found the courage to launch a blog (BACKSTORY HERE). But I did not often think of this passion project for what it really is: a small business. Styled by Science is one of the most fulfilling, and time-intensive parts of the past year. However, my first year blogging also came with many learnings. I hope these reflections are helpful for those thinking of starting a blog one day, but more personally, I wanted something to look back on in a few years.

KNOW YOUR GOALS

Understanding your goals for blogging is super important. It shapes your intentions, and guides you through the days you feel lost in your work. For example, is your goal to build a community? To develop an additional stream of income? To raise awareness to a particular topic or issue? All of these reasons are valid. You can strive for more than one, and they are allowed to change over time. You may also not even want to monetize it, and that is okay too!

Being honest with my goals helped me to jot down achievable milestones, and prioritize my efforts better. To me, maintaining a blog with high educational value was important. So I found myself forgoing a lot of fashion partnerships that did not suit this purpose well. Instead, I outreached brands that were a good fit. It took a lot more research to secure collaborations this way, but in turn, I found these partnerships to be so much more fulfilling.

TRY ONE NEW THING EVERY MONTH

Before I started my blog, I did a ton of research on how to manage one well. I also looked hard at the blogs I’ve loved and followed for years (hello—Extra Petite?), wondering how I can provide the same value to others.

The reality is, blogging is a lot more saturated than it was 10 years ago. And to my dismay, even following some tips to the tee did not guarantee me the same results that worked for others. I knew that my odds were a lot higher if I remained consistent, and built in one new habit or technique each month. For the ones that didn’t work, I stopped spending time on them.

Find what works for you. In 2020, every blogger swore that Pinterest was key to gaining blog traffic. I created over 100 pins, and not many took off. The work I put into maintaining (yet another) social channel became very taxing. So I decided to focus on SEO, and majority of my page views now come from Google.

Surprise: considering how much time it takes to maintain an Instagram, only a small percentage of blog traffic actually comes from there. But I stay for the wonderful community 🙂

FIND A GOOD SUPPORT SYSTEM

For me, starting a blog felt lonely and daunting at first. I did not have any close friends who were seriously blogging, so it was hard to ask for advice. Pretty soon, however, I made a lot of blogging buddies through Instagram (many of whom I had the pleasure of meeting in-person too). I also joined Facebook groups that had helpful question forums.

Cultivating a community of people who shared the same creative outlet as me made such a huge difference. I used to (and still) feel self-conscious, particularly when it came to the opinions of those close to me. Befriending other fellow bloggers motivated me to doing what I love, even if those around me didn’t understand or have the same interests. Along the way, I was able to share and receive tips for growing a blog too.

METRICS MATTER, BUT THEY DON’T TELL THE FULL STORY

As most content creators will admit, growing an Instagram is a lot of work behind the scenes. And it is too easy to equate ‘success’ with metrics such as ‘like’ and ‘follower’ counts. However, these numbers only tell a part of the story. Reshares, saves, comments, DMs, email subscribers—all of these indicate that your hard work is resonating with someone, even if they aren’t seen by outside viewers.

TAKE TIME TO FEEL PROUD OF YOURSELF

As much as I still worry about what others think of me, I realize that to even take the leap of creating a blog is a huge accomplishment in itself. I reflect back on where I was one year ago with not much more than a dream. At the time, I restarted my Instagram from 0 followers, created a fresh website without any experience on how to build one, and made my first commissioned sale in October 2020. While I still have a great length to go, it is amazing how much 1-year’s time can do. My mind is filled with possibilities of where I would like to take this blog.

Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with me, and happy 2022!