Hi all! So, I started my blog in December of 2014 over the holidays because I'd been intending to for a while, and I just kept putting it off because I never felt like my blog would stand out above anyone else's. It's hard loving something like beauty and makeup because it's so easy to compare yourself to everyone else who loves it-- you all blur together to form one giant beauty community and I often feel like my words are lost among the others who are like myself.
After I started my blog I got a little bit lost and a little bit disappointed. I quickly gave up on it and knew no one would miss it, but a few months later I came back to it because I didn't want my blog to be something I tried and gave up on too quickly. (Like piano... and gymnastics... and drawing class...)
Once I picked my blog up off the ground, gave it an overhaul, and tried my best to be consistent with my posts, I've noticed a big difference in how I feel towards it, and no matter what the number of people who read my blog is, I enjoy writing it anyway.
So, today, I wanted to talk about a few things I've learned in my first few months as a blogger and, if you're in the same boat as me, maybe some of these things will be helpful to you as well.
(and to those who work hard)
One thing about me, that I'm not terribly proud of, is that when I start something I expect to be at the top of my game right away. It's a bad complex to have, and I end up giving up too quickly when it doesn't go that way (and it never does). It's common knowledge that everything takes time to be great, and I'm ashamed to admit that all my life I've been too impatient to wait for it.
In the time I've been writing this blog, I've learned to be patient. I'm not writing to get something out of it, and I'm not writing it for anyone but myself. I love makeup and I love beauty, but everyone likes to be heard and everyone likes knowing that there are other people out there who care about what they have to say.
I've learned that good things come to those who wait (and to those who hustle to make it happen) but nothing happens overnight. I've learned to keep doing what I enjoy doing, and people who enjoy it too will come eventually.
This one I'm still learning, and I probably will always struggle with it. It's impossible not to compare yourself to other people, especially when you're just starting out and you see others doing exactly what you're doing, but better, it seems! Their photos are better, they have more followers, they have more readers, and the biggest one to me... they have more money to buy high quality products to write about.
It's hard not to harbour a slight bit of jealousy, but the more you study others and what they're doing, the more you start to feel insufficient and insecure about what you're doing when there's truly no reason to feel that way at all. Something that's important to remember is that nothing is perfect right from the beginning. It takes time to build up, and comparing your just-starting-out blog to a blog with 5,000+ followers that's been going for 6 years is ridiculous, because if you take a few minutes to look at that blog's archives (provided they haven't deleted them!) you'll notice that they started out right where you did too. Everyone did.
I've learned that when you compare yourself to others, you can end up feeling pretty terribly about something you used to be so proud of. It's good to admire other people's work and effort, but use them as inspiration to work hard and get yourself out there too rather than putting yourself down for not being them.
from the crowd is a valuable asset
I mentioned earlier that it's easy to feel like you don't stand out among all the other beauty bloggers and vloggers out there, and it's true; there are so many of them that you get lost in the jumble quickly. When I started my blog I didn't think I had anything that other people couldn't do as well, or couldn't do better. I didn't think I had anything that would put me aside, but I do. Everyone does, you just need to find it and find a way to write about it.
I've really enjoyed writing mini-tutorials for photo manipulation and editing software, and I never thought I could do that on this blog, being that I wanted to keep it beauty related. But I realized that a huge part of blogging is photos and text and graphic design. No matter what your blog is about, whether it's food, or travel, or beauty like mine, having a nicely designed blog with good typography and photos that look nice is a huge deal, and it really brings your blog up.
I've been into graphic design for a very long time, and for years and years in high school I took to designing and coding my own websites. I've long since stopped that (I'm fickle with my interests, remember? sigh) and although my skills at coding have depleted quite a bit, I'm happy to get back into graphics and share what I know with anyone who reads my blog. I think my knowledge and skillset with that helps me out, and as it turns out, the few posts that I've written about it have gotten quite a few views. /Silently thanks my highschool loserdom for enabling me to find solace in graphics and basic CSS/HTML instead of parties/
getting your blog out there
I sort of knew this before getting into the blogosphere... but I guess I kind of hoped that my blog would just sort of appear on people's radars so that I didn't have to advertise it or throw myself into too much social media. That was silly.
Before I started this blog, I had a Facebook and an Instagram. And I had only started my Instagram, like, a few months prior. I don't know what I can say, I'm not overly social and I don't think pictures of my cat are terribly interesting. When I joined Instagram it was mostly out of boredom, but when I noticed that I could sort of 'communicate' and keep tabs on my favourite people in the beauty-world, I fell in love and decided to start my own makeup-insta as well (or rather, turn my instagram into more of a makeup and beauty-oriented page-- let's face it, my life is pretty boring and I don't know why strangers would follow me to make sure they didn't miss a picture of my lucky charms one morning). #healthybreakfast #healthjunkie #justkidding #I-should-post-a-picture-of-salad-tomorrow-so-people-think-I'm-fit
Anyway, about a month into deciding I would be serious about my blog, I knew I should start getting more into social networking, so instead of browsing Pinterest just for the hell of it, I made an account and started pinning. I made a Google+ both for myself and for my blog. I made a Twitter guys. I never thought I would, and to be perfectly honest here, I'm not sure how it works and I'm a little scared. I might just leave that one to sit.
Using sites like Bloglovin' and Pinterest really help drive people to your blog; it enables you to discover people with similar interests as yours, and it really does make a huge difference to put yourself out there.
stand out & gain a following
Firstly, I hate the term 'a following' because we aren't a bunch of ducks crossing a street, but you know what I mean. Having a blog is so much more than just showcasing what you have, or what you bought. Sure, we girlies are nosey and I love a makeup collection or an invasive room tour more than anyone, but if it was all someone had to offer, I'm not sure I would be a fan for very long.
Having tutorials, if that's your thing, writing detailed reviews, or offering something that will help your readers learn is important. Giving them advice, helping them to make a decision on a certain product or service, and doing more than just showing off what you have is an important aspect to a blog, so I've learned.
I try to write the blog I would want to read, and I hope that once it kicks off the ground a little bit more, it has something to offer anyone who reads it.
I really hope you guys enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it, and if you're new to blogging, I hope some of these resonated with you as well. If you have anything to add to the list, let me know!
Thanks to creativemarket.com for the stock photo.
Thanks to creativemarket.com for the stock photo.
Until next time, sunshine!
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