Lessons Learned After One Year of Blogging
This week marks one year since I started blogging. This blogging post was updated on April 19, 2023.
I wanted to share with my readers and fellow bloggers what I have learned during that time. I am a big believer in being real, and authentic and sharing knowledge with you as it tends to become wisdom.
I wrote in high school, and university and continued to write even while I was working full-time. It was when I was doing my MBA that I realized I enjoyed doing my assignments and was getting good marks.
I wrote on a piece of paper what I wanted to write about for the blog, the plan, the goals, and how I would go about doing it.
If anyone tells you, to start a blog in 15 minutes and that it is all easy, is lying. You just cannot start a blog in 15 minutes. Blogging is a business and needs planning.
Authenticity is Essential and Cardinal in Blogging
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind – Bernard Baruch
When you are real, original, pure, reliable, credible, trustworthy, and true, that is being authentic. We are human and get scared of being judged for our opinions but that is what blogging and writing are all about. As a blogger, you want your perspective understood, your ideas appreciated and your skills acknowledged, and being real is where it is at and where you will be different. I wrote a piece on marriage and it was my own experience. In a month it had generated 1,000 views because I wrote it from the heart. It was my own voice and original.
Tell a story. Connect with your audience. Relate to them.
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken – Oscar Wilde
For some of you, blogging is a hobby, for others, it is a business. Blogging in honesty means expressing your innermost thoughts and to promote an agenda done with goodness, sincerity, and respect. It is an amazing trait to have. As a blogger, you have to be genuine and put your thoughts and views out there. Never blog to get at someone or hurt others or jump on the bandwagon to a popular trend.
I have interviewed Dr. Valerie Fitzpatrick twice. She is real and vulnerable. One of her interviews on healthy anger got 600 views within two weeks of being published.
Another interview has 18,000 views.
Blogging is About Passion
Passion rebuilds the world for the youth. It makes all things alive and significant – R. W. Emerson
I am passionate about food, faith, family, and finance. Many people asked me to write about fashion and friends. That would be a lot of topics to cover. If you are passionate about a topic, it will not be stressful and you will enjoy writing. Write about something you know and have experience.
Do not write or start a blog for money. It takes time and you will end up getting frustrated. It is the passion that will keep you going.
Concentrate on a Few Social Media Platforms
Don’t spread yourself too thin or you will become invisible – Kelly Crayne
I started the blog around the same time as another friend. I was only on Facebook and LinkedIn. I joined Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest. My friend beside the six I have mentioned joined Youtube, Bloglovin, Perlu, Mix, Snapchat, and Digg. You are now spreading yourself too thin and cannot give any channel 100% and cannot interact with any platform.
Focus on one channel at a time and look at the audience. I write about finance. I have 700 contacts on Linkedin who work in the financial services industry. If I post on how to get out of debt on Linkedin, I will get very few views. However, something on food or an interview on self-development gets lots of views.
My friend who joined 10 platforms, got burned out, frustrated, and left within 3 months.
A pin on 10 reasons not to be like Jax Teller of Sons of Anarchy has taken off.
Blogging is Hard Work
It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up – G. H. Ruth
In order to become a successful blogger, you have to work hard. It involves discipline, connecting, reading, learning, researching, studying, asking for advice, joining groups, getting out of your comfort zone, and working hard.
Be Unique and Different
We are all born originals – Why is it so many of us die copies? – Edward Young
There are more than half a billion blogs out there. That is a staggering amount. How are you going to be different? I blog on food. I do not do recipes. I interview chefs, review restaurants, and cover the history of food. Your blog needs to be like honey, it needs to attract people.
Give Your Readers Value
No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another – Charles Dickens
Your reader has an infinite choice to find information. They need to turn to you for that information.
What value do you provide to your readers? Is your blog important to someone? Does the reader feel they have to read it every morning? Does the reader feel they are learning something? Is the blog entertaining, educational, community-building, providing information, solving problems, or filling in some gap right now?
Focus on a Niche
Focus on identifying your target audience, communicating an authentic message that they want and need and project yourself as an “expert” within your niche – Kim Garst
A niche is to focus on a topic you want to blog about. My personal belief is that by having your food, finance, family, and faith in order, you can live a balanced life. I am sure there are other ways to do it.
You have to find your audience or tribe. Where are they? What do they like? Why do they hang out where they do? You have to know their needs. You have to meet them.
Grammarly is King
So the writer who breeds more words than he needs is making a chore for the reader who reads – Dr. Seuss
As bloggers, we worry about what and how to say it. However, few of us are worried about editing and proofreading. I was guilty of this. An article full of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors undermines the credibility and authority that you have worked hard to achieve.
Before pressing publish make sure you have edited your work. I recommend waiting another day before you press publish. Read, read and re-read your work. Download Grammarly and it will save you a lot of work. It is important to dot your i’s and cross your t’s.
Be Inspirational
You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore – William Faulkner
A blogger has to be positive, provide hope, and inspire their readers. You are an influencer. You have to give your readers hope, and guidance, motivate them and leave them high after they have read your blog.
The Land of SEO and Keywords
When I started blogging, I had no clue about these two words until I attended a seminar. It did open up my eyes. These help in growing your organic traffic. Check our MozKeywords, Google Keyword Planner, SEM rush, and KW finder.
As a blogger, you should write for humans and not for search engines. Do not get caught in stuffing your article with keywords. You need to write quality content. Break it down into headings and subheadings. Ask people to share your blog or the article.
Before I attended the SEO seminar, I had written an article on finance. It was getting zero traction. Today it is on the top page of Google.
Choose Your Words
Not a wasted word – Hunter Thompson
Research conducted by Yoast found that longer articles contain more keywords and have a better chance of being found and shared. It is important that long articles are connected to the main topic. A blog article should contain 1,000 words.
Get a Good Web Host
I have only used Blue Host and have had no issues with speed, cost, security, reliability, or customer service. I strongly recommend as a blogger that you spend some money on hosting. Hosting is the building block of your business. If hosting is down, your blog is down. If it is slow, people will bounce.
WordPress is amazing. It is a content management platform that you use to build and manage your site. The support community is huge, with amazing plugins, templates, and themes.
Look into reliability, email service, customer service, backups, SSL certificates, and security.
No matter what you do, do not choose free hosting.
Data is Telling You Something
Website data helps you build a better relationship with your reader, personalize your website, make navigation better, and email preference, and know their needs – Demand Zen
Track your data daily and use Google Analytics. Look at page views, acquisition, and your audience.
Persistence is Key
I will persist until I succeed. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult. I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking – Og Mandino
Blogging can become challenging sometimes. You get exhausted. The traffic is not happening. There is so much to know and cover from a technological, legal, creative, and financial perspective. But quitting is not an option.
Join Facebook Groups
Only a fellow blogger knows what you are going through. I have been encouraged, motivated, gotten feedback learned a lot, and just feel a sense of belonging by joining groups. These are the groups that I am a part of:
Toronto Bloggers Collective. In my personal opinion the most amazing group of individuals, who are only looking out for the best of everyone.
Bloggers Supporting Bloggers. A great group for Pinterest and blog shares.
Blogging for New Bloggers with Lucrezia and Marina is a must for every new blogger.
Awesome Bloggers to help with your clicking and sharing.
Do Not Rely on Your Blog For Income
Never work just for money or power. They won’t save your soul or help you sleep at night – Marian Edelman
If anyone tells you that you will make thousands in the first few weeks is lying to you. Do not blog for income. You will get stressed and not enjoy the experience or the journey of a blogger. Always have a backup plan. Also, start with Google Adsense and then move on from there.
Never Compare Yourself to Another Blogger
I will not reason and compare: my business is to create – William Blake
You are unique. Your experiences are unique. Never compare your journey or statistics with another blogger. It is a recipe for disaster.
Blogging is a popular way to share information, opinions, and insights with a large audience. With the advent of technology, blogging has become easier, more accessible, and more engaging than ever before. However, to run a successful blog, certain IT requirements must be met, and plugins must be installed.
IT Requirements
Technology is best when it brings people together – Matt Mullenweg
Reliable Hosting: The first and foremost requirement for a successful blog is reliable hosting. A web hosting service is responsible for providing the server space and bandwidth required to run a website. The hosting provider should have a good reputation for uptime and provide quick loading times for your blog.
Content Management System (CMS): A CMS is a software application that allows you to create, manage, and publish content on your blog. Popular CMS platforms include WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla. WordPress is the most popular CMS platform in use today, and it has a vast community of developers who create and maintain plugins and themes for the platform.
Domain Name: A domain name is the name of your blog’s website. It is the URL that people type into their browsers to access your blog. A domain name should be easy to remember, easy to spell, and relevant to your blog’s content.
SSL Certificate: An SSL certificate is a security feature that encrypts data transmitted between a user’s browser and the server. It protects sensitive information such as login credentials, credit card details, and personal information. An SSL certificate is also essential for improving your website’s search engine ranking.
Backup and Security: Regular backups of your blog’s data are essential to protect against data loss. The hosting provider should provide automatic backups or allow you to create them manually. Security measures such as firewalls, malware scanners, and spam protection should also be in place to protect against cyber-attacks.
Plugins Required
SEO Plugin: SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential for driving traffic to your blog. An SEO plugin helps optimize your website’s content for search engines by providing keyword suggestions, meta descriptions, and optimization tips. Popular SEO plugins include Yoast SEO, All in One SEO Pack, and Rank Math.
Social Sharing Plugin: Social media is a powerful tool for promoting your blog and driving traffic. A social sharing plugin adds social media buttons to your blog, allowing readers to share your content on their social media profiles. Popular social sharing plugins include Jetpack, Social Warfare, and AddToAny.
Contact Form Plugin: A contact form allows readers to contact you directly from your blog. It is an essential tool for building relationships with your readers, getting feedback, and generating leads. Popular contact form plugins include Contact Form 7, WPForms, and Gravity Forms.
Backup Plugin: As mentioned earlier, regular backups are essential for protecting your blog’s data. A backup plugin automates the backup process, allowing you to schedule regular backups, store them offsite, and restore your website quickly in case of data loss. Popular backup plugins include UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, and VaultPress.
Security Plugin: Cybersecurity threats are on the rise, and every website is vulnerable to attacks. A security plugin helps protect your blog by providing firewalls, malware scanners, spam protection, and other security features. Popular security plugins include Wordfence, iThemes Security, and Sucuri Security.
Performance Plugin: The speed of your website is critical for user experience and search engine ranking. A performance plugin optimizes your website’s speed by compressing images, caching content, and minifying code. Popular performance plugins include WP Fastest Cache, W3 Total Cache, and WP Super Cache.
Comment System Plugin: Comments allow readers to engage with your content and provide feedback. A comment system plugin enables readers to leave comments on your blog.
Reinvent Yourself
You are never too old to reinvent yourself – Steve Harvey
As time goes along you will change and so will the audience. Go ahead and reinvent yourself. Look at your audience and re-evaluate what is going on.
The last year has been an amazing journey. I want to thank everyone who has helped me along this journey. I am sure I will learn a lot more in the following year.
Please leave comments or email me if there is something I have left out that is important.
Photo Credit: Arnel Hasanovic, Sincerely Media, v2osk, Harishan Kobalasingam, Ian Schneider, Sara Kurfeß, Conor Samuel, davisco, Annie Spratt, Noémi Macavei-Katócz, Andrew Neel, Ty Williams, Merakist, Carlos Muza, Henri Picot, Jens Johnsson
Congrats Jerry! I am sure it has been a very special year. Keep up the good work, we need more people doing what they love.
Thank you, Jerry for including my Facebook group – A Self Guru – Biz Blog Community as part of your list above! It’s been great getting to know you and having you part of our community 🙂 Great post!
Congratulations on following your passion, and finding your audience.
Great article, full of wisdom and a generous spirit.
This is a well written article about the reality of maintaining a blog. It is hard work. You must be consistent. But you must also have the passion to keep with it. It does pay off. Many blessings to you!
I love this post and was very helpful
Yay for a year of blogging! I just started about a month ago and this was a lovely read. I was on the fence about Grammarly so I’m glad you mentioned it. Keep it up!
As a blogger myself, I can absolutely relate to everything said here. These lessons are also great tips for those who are starting out or thinking about doing it. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work! 🙂
Congrats on your one year! You hit the nail on this! Passion and consistency are key. Thanks for sharing and keep up the awesome work that you do!
What a great post! I’m only 3 months in and I’m currently documenting my journey. I will up do this while it’s still fresh and see how my perspective will change overtime.
I already felt same sentiments as you even at just 3 months of blogging. However the one that really stood out to me is didn’t write for SEO, write for other human. As a new blogger, everyone will tell you to focus on this, focus on that, but mainly focus on SEO. I tried and failed miserably as I got writer’d’s block. Maybe I’m still an ameuter but it’s no fun to fart keywords out. It takes away from the free writer’s spirit and storytelling.
Congrats on the hard work Jerry! I’ve been at this blogging thing about a year myself and its really frustrating at times. I’ve started to focus in my niche a bit more and focus on keywords as well but I feel like each time I start getting some traction I take a step back. It definitely takes fortitude to stick it out but I am happy to see others pulling it off. I’ll have to go back over this list and make sure I am doing all I can. I do have to spend more time networking. Thanks for the shout out on our little group.
A complete perspective to convert a passion into success.Congrats on your anniversary. Great read.
Blogging is passion, determination and definitely it is a lot of work. I am always grateful I became a blogger, I love it with whole of my heart. I love the Blog Comments for Comments group on Facebook as well, it is not just a group it is community!
Grammarly is one of the first ‘blogging tips’ I was given when I first connected with the blogging community, and it didn’t take me long to see why! Such an incredible resource to help you take your writing to the next level of professionalism. After all, who wants to read a whole post full of spelling and grammar errors?
Wow, you learned so much in one year! I am still in my forth month of blogging and I can’t wait to know more about this world
blogging really isn’t easy and it definitely can’t be ready in 15 min, i totally agree! and having passion about what we write is awesome to keep us going because blogging isn’t easy as well. thanks for sharing your thoughts! loved it!
YAY, one year, well done. Love the reminder on all the ways we can add value to our blogs.
I started my blog about 6 months ago, and I am really hoping it will gain traction soon. I agree with all your points, thank you for inspiration!
Truly inspiring!
Jerry, I am so glad you became a blogger and we met! I have learned a ton from your blog, your support of mine is incredible, and I am glad to call you a friend. Blogging is not for the faint of heart or anyone who isn’t willing to work hard. But it is easily one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.
There are some great tips in here about starting a blog. I love how you spoke about expectations of your blog growing without any hard work put into it. Hard work and patience are key.
Using the Facebook groups was something I was really reluctant to. But that has been a genius avenue to get traffic and interest. I’m surprised it’s taken me so long to do so.
Good job on hanging in there and creating great content
I love love loved reading your blogging journey and truths! They are all so true! Especially the social media one! I totally hit them all at once and regretted it, but I ended up focusing on the ones that I felt mattered. Great post, as always! Can’t wait to see what you come up with in the new year ❤️
Great thoughts and summary!
Very inspirational post. Definitely things to look into in the coming year
I’m beginning my blogging journey and this is really helpful information! I believe it’s important to be authentic in your writing and not lose yourself in trying to please others or get the same results as others.
This post has tons of great insight and information! It’s crazy that you’ve only been blogging for one year! I’ve just started getting involved in FB groups, thanks for sharing a great list of where to start networking 😊
Such a comprehensive post – thanks for sharing!! Saving to come back to!
Hi Jerry, there are all good lessons to learn as a beginner blogger. I very much agree that blogging is hard work and that persistence is key.
It’s also nice that you included joining FB groups because that’s how I found your blog 😉
All the best!
Congrats! I’m still a new blogger and guilty of not using SEO reliably yet. Facebook groups is a huge help! I was completely intimidated but everyone so far has been very helpful.
Congrats on your first year! I just hit 6 months. It’s amazing how many ideas change as you really get into blogging. Thanks for the list of Facebook groups, super helpful!
I was nodding through each and every section of this! You’re spot on… with all your observations. Looking forward to another great year of content from you!
Congratulations! ❤️I did enjoy reading this and thank you for sharing this group. It’s good to learn other people journey as well!
There’s some really good advice here. I like what you said about being original. It seems like I read a lot of the same topics with the same advice or perspectives over and over again. So, I appreciate when a blogger has put a unique spin on a post and has attempted to stand out from the rest. Good luck to you in 2020!
Such a great post! Offering value is the best thing you can do to grow a following and it looks like you’ve done an amazing job!
Great read! Congratulations on 1 year and here’s to many more!
This is such a good post and will help a lot of bloggers who are starting out. I know this would have helped me. Its very important not to spread yourself thin. When I started I did. I thought I could do it all, that’s not the case. You do get burned out quick. Pace yourself and once you get good at one platform and get on a consistent posting schedule then add another platform. If you see a platform is not working, stop using it. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for these links to encouraging Facebook groups. Great information.
Really good read, thanks for sharing! I am celebrating one year of blogging too and i can relate with what you are saying. Especially tapping in with the community is really important, I had no idea I could have that much support!
You are spot on! And I love your links to some of the other resources I haven’t heard of before. Thanks!
Very well written. Love it!
Congratulations on 1 year!! There’s a lot of great tidbits in here. I’m just getting started and it definitely can be very overwhelming! I keep having to remind myself to tackle thing at a time, not spread myself too thin, and keep trucking!
Thank you for all of those great tips!
This was a really interesting and helpful post! I am a new blogger so I am always looking for new things to learn. And yes Grammarly has been a real lifesaver xD xo, Imaan
Wow. You really learned a lot in one year of blogging. I have been at it for 3 years and I am still chasing success. I started a blog as a way to unload my pent up emotions. Writing for me is therapy! I know there is still a lot more to learn, but I am getting there!
I first off want to congratulate you one one year. I think I am at that but I get very busy and still working on everything. I like the info for SEO. I get so frustrated with that. I also use coschedule to figure out titles for my blogs. So far it isn’t too bad.
There are some great insights here. Thank you for sharing, and congratulations on your first year! Here’s to many more.
These are great points to help keep blogging in perspective and to focus on essentials. I’m glad you pointed out the hard work aspect, too many try to make it sound like it’s a way to easy money overnight!
Wow! So much awesome information here! Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us! Pinned for future reference!!
I love all this advice! I’ve talked about similar topics on my blog. It’s really important to give your readers value. It’s very important to find your own spot and give it your own voice. And blogging ain’t no get-rich quick scheme.
Yes, blogging is so hard. This post was very true and very informative.
Excellent piece of writing. As a new blogger this makes so much sense. I love everything about your blog. You are a real inspiration. Thanks for this great piece.
Thank you fro your post, I found it helpful and encouraging. I’m less than 2 months in blogging myself.
Great information. Would love to hear more about when it’s time to reinvent.
Inspiring post! Thanks for sharing the lessons you learned. This is really helpful especially for newbie bloggers like me. One of the things that struck me the most was that it’s passion that will fuel us and will keep us persevering. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your lessons, as a new blogger I have already picked up on a few tips to keep in mind as I am growing my audience 🙂
Love this post
Blogging is all about passion isn’t it? Otherwise you may run out of topics to write about or get tired of it all together! Nice post.
Very insightful look at a first year of blogging. I’m about a year in and it’s much harder than I ever thought it would be.
These are so helpful! Blogging definitely has to be a passion or you won’t get far if you just do it for the money. I’m from Toronto too!! 🙂
You’ve got me nodding at every point you said! I can totally relate and completely agree with your perspectives! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing your post. Loved reading it!! I think it is very important to be true to who you are when blogging. It is something that stuck with me when I started blogging. Great post!
Very informative, I am new to blogging, these tips will be very helpful. Thanks!
I just started my blog a few months ago so this was a great read!
Thanks for sharing! I’m nearing my one year mark, as well, and can definitely confirm some of this!
I love how informative your post is. I’ll try some of the fb groups you mentioned. Also, it’s so true what you said about hard work and not making money in your first month of blogging. Before I started, I’d actually believed it’s possible to make that much money from the beginning. Because that’s what I had been reading. Now I know not to click on content like that.
Anyway, great post:)
A lot of really good thoughts throughout this. I continue to struggle with niche, since I really just want to write about what I want to write about 😉
Great content for a first time blogger. Thank you!
Amazing post, so many overlooked gems . Love it !
Lovely article! So much great information. Thank you!
An insightful experience you have truly had. Thank you for sharing
Great blog ! I will be implementing all these things . I’m a new blogger and this helped a lot !
all soooo trueee! I’ve only been at this a few months and whoa, there is just wayyy more to blogging than I had expected. I do love it and all but geez, you’re right, blogging IS hard!
Super inspiring! Thanks for sharing your story and all the tips and tricks!
Thank you for posting the Facebook Groups for bloggers. I will join them.
Congrats! I started a blog last summer, but gave up after a couple of months. However, I’m now starting it back up again, so I found this post very inspirational and useful.
Thanks for the transparent words and wisdom. You couldn’t be more accurate at how easy it is to get burned out when spreading yourself too thin when trying to market. I also appreciate the recommendations you listed for assisting with SEO content. It’s a reminder much needed that I need to take SEO more seriously.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Congratulations on your first year! This is a very well written post and I very much enjoyed reading it. It offers great tips and makes you realize the frustration and hard work are worth it. I started my blog in January and there are days I forget why I have started it and am tempted to give up. This reminded me why I don’t! Thank you.
Love the fact that you believe so strongly in being authentic! Some great tips here that I will definitely apply as a new blogger. Thank you. 💕
I am only a few months into my blogging adventure and I completely relate to many of the things you’ve shared in this post! It HAS to be about passion because it is so much work – if you don’t love what you blog about, you will burn out quickly. Thanks for sharing!
So many great tips in here for new bloggers! SEO is key and I’m so glad that it was the first thing I focused on. Looks like you are well on your way. Blogging is hard work for sure. Most people don’t realize how hard it is.
I absolutely agree that having a passion about your content is vital for success!
Happy one year anniversary. Blogging is such a great way to learn so many different things. Whilst you can learn from other people, like you say it’s better to be unique & true to yourself. Thank you for sharing.
awesome tips and oh so right …. you are right on with so many things that you mention here. Bloggers have to be real as we all live in the real world.
Wow. This is the first time ever that someone has written about blogging so truly. I totally agree with you it does involves a lot of hardwork, persistence and passion.
Great read! Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge. As a new blogger, it helped validate I am making good decisions from the start.
This was very helpful for me! I will implement a lot of your advice here. Thanks for writing down so many great things you learned that are helpful for others.
Well written blog post. Just two months into the blogging world, I can truly say that joining the FB groups have helped with getting support as sometimes it can get lone especially with having some sort of engagements on the site.
Amazing post! I realized now that I’m missing on a lot of points
Great Post! It helped me remember some of the important things I was forgetting in regards to my own blog!
Thanks for your suggestions! I am going to focus of mostly Pinterest and just posting new links on my FB page…
Blogging is hard work and many people underestimate or undervalue a blogger’s work.
I have 1 month to go to reach 1 year.. Congrats to you! I have wanted to quit and I have compared myself to other bloggers often!
but, I am still plugging along.. I love your post, some great ideas and a whole lot of honesty! Thanks for sharing!
Great post! I enjoyed reading the lessons learned.
so many good tips for new bloggers like me!! Thank you for sharing your experience:)
Lots of great tips! My first blog failed miserably because I didn’t do most of these things. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent post, Jerry! Those are some really useful lessons.
What an excellent detailed and well thought out post every blogger should read at some point. I’ve also written about my experiences blogging over the years, and definitely have similar thoughts. Blogging really is very personal and in essence – you diary! Great job! 🙂
Really great post. It gets hard at times, but you need to remember your why. Thank you for the tips.
I appreciate you sharing these tips! Thank you!
Cool article! I am a new blogger so seeing advice from a year later is great!
These are awesome tips! You’re totally right- blogging takes a lot of hard work and dedication! I appreciated this post as a new blogger:
These are great tips. I’m a newbie blogger so off to apply as many as I can!
What a great list! I love the different information that you’ve included in this. Way different than other blogging lessons I’ve read.
really a wonderful journey and I can relate to so many points in this post.
thank you for sharing!
This is great! More Millenials and Zoomers need to see your blogs. Keep at it!
Congratulations on your first year blogging! I particularly loved the one about Facebook groups. Gonna head over to join some of the groups you just mentioned. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome post! I’ve only been blogging for a few months but a lot of good tips in here
informative article!
These are very insightful tips. As a new blogger, I am beginning to find out about a lot of these things myself. Though blogging is not hard to do, it takes a lot of hard work to get it to where you want it to be. Sometimes I am so overwhelmed with the amount of information to do that I just got to take it one day at a time. Thanks for sharing – Josie xxx
Great article. I love my Grammarly premium subscription, it saves me so much time when writing. Also, I agree that blogging is hard work. Keep up the good work!
I totally agree with all of this! Excellent points! This information will be so helpful for beginner bloggers so they can learn from your experiences. I wish I would have known about Facebook Groups sooner. They’re so helpful! But better late than never. Thanks so much for sharing these, and for the reminder to stick with it!
I agree that we should never try and compare ourselves to other bloggers, because we are all at different stages in our blogging journey and that is ok. I also agree that authenticity in blogging will make you go a long way as well.
I made so many mistakes when i first started blogging so can relate to this
This is so timely for me. Thank you for great words of advice.
Congratulations on your first year! I find it doesn’t get any easier as the goal post keeps changing.
Gone is the time of just writing good content. now, we need to think about the ever-changing world of SEO, which drives me crazy! 😉
Reading through this and consistently nodding my head, I realize you learned in your first year what it has taken me 3 years to absorb. Good summary here.
I agree with everything you’ve written. Blogging is definitely a hard work and it’s difficult not to get overwhelmed. You definitely need to be persistent if you want to succeed.
This was an amazing post! So insightful!
I totally agree with everything you said! Like really there’s nothing I could add! It took me 2 years not one to learn some of these tho 🙈
Great tips thanks for sharing
Needful content. Keep creating content like this! Tons of love for you
This was such a great read so much information that as a new blogger I did not know about. Going to have to come back and reread this and take some notes. Thanks for sharing.
Love this post!! I started my blog a few weeks ago & it’s already been an incredible journey. Thank you for the tips- they’re really helpful.
Congratulations for a one year anniversary! I have started my blog about 3 months ago and this post gave me motivation to keep going. SEO is important and I have focused on that from the beginning. I have also wrote few post about SEO on my blog which is focused on digital marketing.
Keep up good work and happy blogging!
Thank you for sharing those tips! I just started blogging a few months ago so it’s always interesting to see the lessons other bloggers learned. Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary!
There’s so much great insight here! I bet you have even more great knowledge to share since it’s been almost 2 years now! It’s so true to ensure blogging is a passion and that you do it for you. Money would be great but that can’t be the only motivating factor for you. Thanks for sharing and congrats on the success!
Honestly, as a blogger who has just started, this is very helpful!
People always talk about SEO and honestly I have no idea, saying you went to a seminar made me look up a few that maybe I could join to get more knowledge!
Congrats on one year 🎉🚀
Great post and perspectivd. Kooking foward to joining some of those groups.
Great insights! thanks so much for sharing!
Congrats on your one year blogging anniversary. That is such a huge milestone! You have listed off some of the best lessons about blogging that a person can learn!
Thank you so much for sharing this! I’m happy to discover in your list that I feel I already have most of these things covered in my two months so far. The one that surprised me is the 1,000 word minimum! I think the best part about my blog is how short and easy of a read they all are. Since it’s all storytelling, I want to keep the reader engaged but I think if it made them longer they would eventually just drop off. Really curious about this and interesting to think about as I’m writing my next posts.
loved this read. What a great blogging year for you.
Thank you for sharing! Amazing reference point!
I’ve only been at blogging for 4 months, so it’s great to see what others are doing! But funny enough I have very many similar lessons learned already! Keep up the great work! Thanks
Great tips. My blog is just 6 months old and there is so much to learn. Thank you for sharing this information and congratulations.
wow, these are really helpful. Keywords have been a thing for me.
Great article. It was definitely relatable. In the 6 months I’ve been blogging, I’ve found this all to be true. Congrats on your first year!
I just started blogging 2 months ago., iL definitely remember these lessons., You delivered so much value in this post.
Not only did I learn from this read, I also enjoyed it. Thank you so much
Excellent article w very actionable advice and tips for bloggers! Thank you!
Great information! Will definitely be using some of the tips here to improve my blog.
These are some great suggestions and lessons for newbies!
Loving the tips! I can’t wait till I hit that one year mark.
Good lessons I learned that tools will break whenever they feel like lol
Great post! I am 3 months in and still trying to master SEO!
I loved this post! It was very informative to me since I’ve only been blogging for a month. Thank you so much for sharing and great job!
This was thoughtful, informative and encouraging. Thank you for the tips. I’ve been blogging for 3 months and I absolutely love it… but still feel a bit lost in the SEO area.
Really appreciated these tips. You’ve accomplished so much in a year!
Great advice!
Love your beautiful philosophy about balanced life! This blog is a great read, very insightful!
Thank you Jerry!
I hope to be successful with my blog. Great advice. Thanks so much for your thoughts.
Great advice. Blogging is hard but I love being able to share my thoughts and help others. That is what keeps me going on those “bad” days. Keep up the good work~
What a helpful article
Being just a little over a month into blogging myself, I appreciate reads like this greatly. I will likely come back and refer to this post time and again in the future! Thank you
Waoo! Such a detailed article. It’s good to give your readers value because they will return it back with page views.
Lot of good stuff. I’ve been blogging just over a year myself and found myself agreeing with a lot of your points. I’m a travel blogger so COVID kinda put a dent in my progress, but getting back going hoping for a better 2021.
Fantastic article. I’m bookmarking it for later reference. Especially enjoyed “quitting is not an option.”
Hi Jerry. Very informative article, thank you. And I fully agree about using Grammarly – its excellent.
As a new blogger (about 3 months in!), I gained so much from this article and LOVE how authentic you are. Thanks!
Congrats on the one year of blogging. You are doing fantastic and everything you listed here is spot on!
Thank you for sharing your experience with us and for your encouragement! I found that blogging is definitely not easy – especially for people, who aren’t as social or tech savvy as they thought.
Blogging does take a lot of energy
Great post! Blogging is a lot of work and takes a lot of passion!
As a new blogger, I think the social media advice is really handy! Felt like I’ve spent more time on my socials than making my blog great, so that’s a fab tip! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I think you honestly listed the key things when it comes to blogging! Thank you for compiling such an extensive list and I hope more people will come across this :))
Great post, I learned a lot!
Great advice as I am just getting started and about 2 months in. I’m taking lots of courses to help with SEO optimization, marketing, graphic design, etc
I’m a hobby blogger. I love it and wonder if I should spend more time on it and turn it into something but I know how much work’s involved and I’m not sure if my voice is relevant but your post got me thinking about it again 😊 Loved all the quotes too.
These are all great tips! Congrats on your one year anniversary too. I personally have a blog that’s a little less than two months old, and I’ve found that sticking to it after that initial month of getting it off the ground has been the hardest. I agree with what you said about writing about what you’re passionate about though. It helps you stick to it and actually enjoy what you’re doing. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Yes this list is so true!!!
Great article. Those are great takeaways for one year in. I’m sure I’ll keep growing and evolving. I write about keto and low carb recipes and I’m still feeling the need to be a bit more niche. There definitely is a ton of competition out there, gotta stand out!
Thank you, these tips were great to read as someone new to blogging. Will definitely be checking out those groups too.
Thank you! This is a great, well written, and honest post! I look forward to seeing what I have learned after a year of blogging!
Thanks for the great article I got some good tips
I enjoyed reading your blog; very informative and great tips. You said this blog was designed to empower women, but as a new 👦 MALE BLOGGER, i learned alot. This quote stood out. Thanks for sharing :
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind” – Bernard Baruch 👍 ✔ 👍 true words
This was a great article to read! I’ve been blogging for almost 2 years now, but am just beginning to learn about SEO and keywords. These are wonderful reminders as I begin my journey to really take this seriously.
Congrats on a year! I’m still new to blogging but am realizing that it is very hard and just now diving into SEO. Thank you for this post and tips!
Really great tips here!
I love all the quotes you inserted. – some are my favorites.
Authenticity seriously makes a big difference on blogs!
Blogging is not easy. Thank you so much for sharing these inspirational gems. Very refreshing. Sometimes i feel like giving up on blogging. But love for what i do keeps me going
Yes yes yes! All of this! Great post for anyone thinking of starting a blog. Fantastic tips. Happy Anniversary!
Hey, like many other people commented: your post is really great! I’m blogging for 4 years, sometimes more, sometimes less but I took it more serious at the end 2020. That’s why I have to learn a lot of things related to it. I hope that I can use some of your advice in the future. Thank you! 🙂
Well done for hitting the one year milestone! There are so many important lesson from the 1st year, I couldn’t agree with you more about SEO, and not to compare with others… It’s such a dark and trying phase of the blogging, the fact that you are doing it, sticking with it, and learning is very inspirational! All the best.
Congrats on one year! Sticking with blogging can be daunting in the beginning. Thanks for your advice and insight.
This is such a great post and there’s so much info and insight here Thank you for sharing this. Blogging is definitely hard work. Much harder than some people think! Lol.
Loved reading this and learnt alot from it too
Very insightful and honest article about blogging. I have been working on my blog for over a year and have experienced very similar problems. Every day is a new day to make it better and to keep on learning. You make me feel more inspired.
Lots of good insight. Really helpful.
Very useful post! Thank you for your honest advice 😊
I wish I had come across this post sooner! I needed this a few months ago. I can relate to every single one of these! I love that you had quotes on there.
Absolutely agree with your points!
So true! You have to have a passion for it & love what you do! I learned real fast how hard it is to juggle so many social media platforms at one time and narrowed it down to the ones I truly enjoyed. Thanks for sharing!
These are so true and relatable!
Persistence, persistence, persistence. So important! What great lessons and reminders for bloggers, like me, that are just starting out!
Great tips. I have been blogging for a year and still not really seeing any results. But because of new additions to my family I didn’t get a lot of time to focus on it. Trying harder to get back to it.
I am new within the last few years to blogging, and I couldn’t agree more on all points! It was confirmational and reassuring to read, since blogging is hard work! Thank you for being so transparent about your blogging journey as it has inspired me to keep going with mine! 🙂
These are valuable lessons. I was not aware of these Facebook groups and just requested to join. I am new to blogging and love getting to read about how to be successful.
Great tips. I’m new to the blogging world and this so reassuring and I’m really glad I read your blog.
I enjoyed reading your post very much! I have been blogging for 6 months now and I am still figuring things out. I am starting to see some results and I am so excited. I love the quote you shared about persistence and I agree, persistence is key!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, you gave me tons of awesome ideas.
Great article about how hard it is (yet rewarding) to be a blogger. Thanks for the inspiration to continue my goals.
So helpful to see what your experience is after a year of blogging. I just started out and this is super motivating!
Excellent post! Congratulations on your one-year anniversary for blogging! It sounds like you have learned a lot and it has been quite a journey. I’ve only been blogging for 4.5 months, but have been learning a great deal as well. Grammarly is definitely indispensable. I have heard a lot of good things about Bluehost. I currently have Green Geeks as my web hosting provider, that I am happy with. I use WordPress as well. Thank you so much for sharing. I look forward to reading more of your posts. Best of luck to you.
Wow what amazing responses such an inspiration and reminder for many of us to not give up or give in there’s always ways to re-create our self when we come to a point where we’re stuck your post reminds us that there’s many ways we can always be learning and reinventing who we are. I have found out so many things about myself that I am willing to share and things that I am scared to put out there but it’s why we choose to blog and your post helps lots of us to remember why we chose to be a part of what we’re doing thank you
Congrats! This was very inspiring. I’ve been blogging for a week and I’m still a bit overwhelmed. Grammarly has helped me immensely. I use SiteGround for my hosting but it was either that or Bluehost. Thanks so much for sharing!
Loved reading this and found it very helpful and informative thank you x
I think these are things any beginning blogger needs to know after one year! Sometimes when starting out, it is good to hear these things.
Great tips and fb groups to join….thanks.
Thank you so much for these tips! I am only several months into my blogging journey, but to see people at the one year mark and beyond is so very inspiring. Keep on writing!
I’ve been in and out of the blogging world since 2012. I believe you’ve covered all of the major things that most new bloggers need to know. This is quite helpful for many new bloggers and a great list full of reminders for bloggers who have been doing it for a while.
Wow! Great article! I love how you incorporate all of those great quotes! I’ve been blogging since Nov 2020. I’m learning a lot and Totally agree with all the points you made in this post. I am curious on what SEO seminar you attended?
Thanks for this! My blog has been up for just about a year and I’ve learned so much!! It’s super helpful to see what other bloggers go through
These are such great tips, thanks for sharing these!
This is a wonderful post! As a brand new blogger hearing the experience and lessons learned by someone that is further into the journey is so helpful!
Thank you for sharing your story and tips.
I love grammarly too. Can’t imagine writing a blog post without it.
Everyone says SEO is important, I am curious, do you get much traffic from Google after only a year of blogging or is it a more long-term game?
Thank you!
Yes, SEO and Keywords are probably the biggest learning curve in the first year of blogging! And that balance of writing for people, not search engines, but still hitting the keywords you need to appeal to search engines.
Such a great read. It is evident how much time you put into this
Great message and solid advice! Everyone should be aware of this when starting to blog. Thank you for sharing!
All the best,
Sky
Great post, helped me a lot. Thanks for your advice, Jerry.
I can relate to your post. In 2 months I will complete 1 year blogging and the points you mentioned are true. We need to focus on our niche, content, grammar and so many things.
As a Blogger myself I can completely relate to some of these lessons and I’m so happy you shared these lessons. I particularly like the one about being authentic because I feel like that is the difference between a good writer but a great blogger.
Great post! Congrats on making it a year! All of these tips are spot on. I always provide value with my posts and I’m always myself. Thanks for sharing!
I’m 6 months in, and I completely agree with all of your points. When people find out that you’re a blogger, they automatically think it is because you’re a writer. But it is so much more. Data, keywords, technology, imagery, consumer research and on an on. Thanks for the thoughtful summation and encouragement to keep going when the results aren’t quite there yet.!
Thanks for sharing your insight! Persistence haws been difficult for me in my blogging journey. Still learning along the way!
Great information, thanks for sharing!
I am about to hit my 1 year mark as well and I love these lessons! I can definitely agree with a lot of these!! Congrats on 1 year!
“Blogging is a business and needs planning” absolutely this!! And about spreading yourself too thin, I felt that. I try to just worry about Instagram and Pinterest now. I’ve dabbled in tik tok but it doesn’t pay off for me at all, so I might navigate away from it altogether at some point.
Persistence is definitely key! Great tips!
Blogging teaches us so many things and gives us so much back! And yes, love Grammarly!
Wow, Jerry! Congratulations! 🥳 I don’t know why I didn’t realize that it’s been a year….🤷🏽♀️ You’re right; Getting this far takes commitment. But writing what’s on your heart and in the areas that you’re passionate about I think are the keys to staying consistent. I am so happy to have you as a follow blogger. Your Instagram feed often makes my day! 😊🙌🏾
What a year! and Congratulations! Blogging has definitely been a lot of hard work but certainly can be worth it the more you go. Completely agree on the SEO point – write to humans and not SEO. Also, great points for beginners 🙂
Oh yes!!!!! I sooooo, so much agree with all of these!!! Super spot on!!! Bravo! Great points, very well made. Love the pics too!
Very Good Points- And Points that I needed to be reminded of- I do like what you said about persistance and I too have seen better results by writing from the heart. I feel as if I have found my niche and I began getting some positive feedback from some of the musicians I choose to blog about by their shares, comments and interactions via social media, Mainly Twitter- but I would appreciate it more if they would actually comment like and follow my own page vs my social media post- I realized quickly that this takes work and that there is more to blogging than just writing something fun or cool- thanks for your insight from one new blogger to another I truly appreciate encouraging your words.
You did an amazing job with this article. Thank for being so honest and for putting yourself out there. That was just amazing to read.
As a blogger just starting out, I really appreciate the perspective of being 1 year in. Thank you for sharing your wisdom!
Congratulations on your one year blog anniversary. These are some awesome tips! I wish you many successful years ahead!
These are some great lessons and I wish I had known sooner. You are doing great for someone who has recently started to blog. For me, using Grammarly was a recent lesson. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing! I definitely spread myself too thin with growing so many different platforms for my blog!
Thank you for sharing this. You are so right. We are writing for humans. The articles have to be meaningful and add value to our readers. Exactly like this one did❤
Thank you for sharing your insights after 1 year blogging. I am only at 6 months right now and you are right, it really is a learning curve! SEO is really hard to learn and that is where I am at right now. I appreciate your thoughts about staying authentic and being persistent. I really do hope that makes a difference. My goal from the beginning has been to stay real no matter what. Thank you for the encouragement.
Thank you for sharing. I am 8 months in to my blog and I am struggling with getting traffic to my site. I have joined facebook groups and pinterest groups as well to help get my name out there. And I struggled with not making any money at first but like you said you can not rely on it making money, at least for awhile anyways.
Wow, sounds like you really learned a lot, kudos!
great post for a new blogger like myself!
You have learned so much in your first year! Congrats on making it a year!
Congratulations on hitting that one-year mark. I am almost two years in, and I love the experience—all salient points.
Thank you for sharing this. As a relative newcomer to blogging this was really useful to read. Some great points to mull over.
Great information! Thank you so much for sharing what you’ve learned.
Great post! I am coming up on the one year mark for my blog and everything you mention is so true!!
Awesome post! love all the information you included in the post. The Facebook groups are super helpful.
You basically said it with photos, I loved that! Thanks!
Really enjoyed reading this article, some reinvention and reconnection with passions is definitely needed on my part so thank you for that reminder!
I absolutely agree with all of these! Especially the social media platforms. I started out learning one at a time and just use my favorites. It all gets to be too much trying to do it all. Great post. Thanks for sharing.
This was so insightful and inspiring! I will be reading this again from time to time as I am just beginning this journey. Thank you for sharing!
This was such a breath of fresh air. Im only a couple months away from hitting my first year of blogging and it has definitely had its challenges thank you for reminding me that its a process and i’m not alone.
I can so much relate to what you are saying!! It’s been pretty much a year for me too, I am still loving it, but it is hard work and requires a lot of passion and you have to keep going 😉
Amazing post! I’ve had a blog on and off for years, but I’m just now starting to take it seriously. Your tips are wonderful! Until I found a topic I can talk about all day long, I couldn’t fathom niching down. Now I realize how important it is to have a single niche AND to be passionate about it!
Amazing post! Was great to read this! Thanks for Some new tips I can use!
A helpful read for this 6 month old blogger. I’m in awe you got 1000 views on your first post. According to GSC and GA, I’ve yet to reach that number!
Thank you, Jerry, for letting me know about the Awesome Bloggers FB page! Just signed up to join!
This article had lots of great tips. I used it as an inspiration when creating my blog.
This post is so inspiring for new bloggers and filled with such great tips. I’m new to the game and it’s great when people show me where their hard work has landed them. I look forward to being able to share my journey with others and inspiring new bloggers to enter the chat.
Thank you very much! There is a lot to balance and it is very detailed.
“All of these are definitely what I learned many years ago. Going on 21 years with blogging, so some social networks didn’t exist and the way social networking was done, was a bit different. I think it’s great that you took the time to reflect over what you learned.” Nile Flores
“As a new blogger this is all so very helpful! Thanks for sharing your insights and advice.” Megan Teerlinck
I love that you’re honest about the hard work and passion that goes into blogging! Keep it up!
Very nicely done. Inspiring. There’s a lot of meat in this for me to digest, so I’ll be back to reread this. Thanks for being honest and offering great tips. I’m still learning, but you give me hope!
You really go into detail here, thank you for all the information!! Im about 3 months in and I found this very helpful 🙂
Don’t spread yourself too thin or you will become invisible – This sentence was an eye opener for me. These days I feel like I need a break but often struggle to break free from all these illusions that drive me far from reality. This post was wonderful and provided all the necessary reminders needed to lead a healthy life.
I’ve been blogging for four years and I just learned some new things. I’m definitely bookmarking your post to return to later because these are some great tips. Thank you for sharing.
This is a great article. I came into blogging with the wrong expectations. I had a lot to learn and I am still learning. I will be passing this on to a friend who wants to start blogging.
I’ve recently celebrated my first 6 months of blogging, and I can say I resonate with many of these. You’re doing amazing with your blog – congrats! 🙂
You mention blogging about what you’re passionate about. It’s funny I am a FIRE blogger and I’m in the throws of retiring early. I’ve been a financial professional for years and have a lot of financial tips to share, yet those posts are a struggle. The posts about living life they type themselves.
Thank you for the blog post and your honesty in how hard it can be. I’ve been trying to figure it out for a few years now and I have barely scratched the surface.