1. Blogging is hard work: When I say blogging is hard work, please know, I’m not complaining. I started blogging as a creative outlet and years later, it’s still the outlet I need to keep me sane. Just like anything in life though, you can’t expect results over night. Growing a brand takes time, work and patience.
2. Loop giveaways hurt your engagement: as someone who once participated in loop giveaways, this is a sensitive subject for me. Why? Because I feel guilty for buying in to them. I can proudly say I’ve been loop giveaway free for years now and I’ll never get wrapped up in them again. P.S.A: giveaways are not a substitute for hard work and your brand is more than a number. Since I started blogging, I’ve hardly taken any time off. Even when I was participating in the occasional giveaway, I never used them as a crutch or a means of playing catch up after not putting in the work. I was always putting in the work and maybe that’s why quitting them cold turkey was so easy. Fact, most giveaways cost anywhere from $25 to $150, if a blogger is running one giveaway a week, do the math. I recently read Poor Little It Girl’s blog post titled “Why I Don’t Follow Bloggers Who Cheat Their Way To the Top Instagram” and it resonated with me. I’m not sure when and how giveaways became a means of “ethical growth,” you’re buying followers and most of them won’t stick around. Please know I don’t condone any bloggers who participate in these giveaways, they’re just not for me. Over the years, I’ve learned, investing in photography for my blog is way more rewarding than wasting money on giveaways. At the end of the day, there’s nothing more frustrating than working your derrière off only to watch others cut corners, but remember this – hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.
3. Create what you love: when it seems like influencers are just influencing each other, it’s easy to start questioning your content. There have definitely been moments when I’ve felt pressured to drink more Starbucks, shop at Target and pose in more flower fields, but that’s not me. I’ve realized that creating content that’s true to me keeps me wanting to create, it has also prevented the infamous burn out I hear so many bloggers talking about. Creating what you love, is simply fuel for creating.
4. Blogging can feel a little like high school sometimes : when I first started blogging, I was a bit naive. I thought every blogger would live by the motto “community over competition, “ but I quickly learned that wasn’t the case. This harsh realization was actually a gift though, it forced me to seek out and truly appreciate creatives with the same mindset as me. Amazing things happen when we just work together.
5. Work with brands you’re passionate about: if you’re familiar with my blog, you’ve probably noticed I wear a lot of the same brands. Why? Because I love them! Commission or no commission I’m going to wear what I want. Fact: I don’t even say yes to every collaboration or sponsored post that comes my way. If it’s not a good fit, I politely pass. My brand is my image and I’ve vowed to stay true to myself.
6. Invest in your blog and other available platforms: we’ve all heard the saying “don’t put your eggs in one basket,” but it’s so easy to do that!! I’m totally guilty of doing that, but I’m trying to break the habit. Remember the Instagram blackout that occurred earlier this year?? We couldn’t post and we all freaked, remember that? I do, and it was eye opening!! Not having access to Instagram forced me to think about a world without it. What other means do I have for getting my content out there? Well, I have my blog, Twitter and even Pinterest. Having a diversified blog or even laying the foundation for one, is only going to set yourself up for success in my opinion.
I’d love to know your thoughts on this post, so be sure to leave me a comment. Have a great week, everyone!
Loved learning from your experience. This truly is hard work and I value your authentic content and honest advice.
-Suburban_Life_and_Style
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate your kind words and support. I was apprehensive to publish this post but knowing there may be another blogger out there feeling the same as me was just the motivation I needed to open up about my experiences.
Your blog and your brand have really been an inspiration to me. You have worked super hard and put a lot of time and effort into your passion. I’m sure you have taken lots of risk too. I don’t know what my passion is , but I hope I can have the guts and perseverance and work ethic to pursue it like you have . I know it’s still a work in progress and you will dream even bigger but I’m happy to see that your hard work is paying off . Cheers to you and here is to more success!
You seriously made me cry Nikki! Thank you so much for your amazing words and support. It’s never too late to pursue your passion. I would have started my blog sooner but I was standing in my own way. Sometimes to realize and pursue our passions we need to stop telling ourselves we can’t, because we definitely can.