Back in June 2008, I posted my very first blogpost. It started out as a hobby, with pretty bad photos, no social media (Instagram didn’t even exist back then!) and updates that came up sporadically, whenever I felt like it. Now, seven years later, Style by Jules has transformed into a personal style blog with daily updates, better photos, social media and themed posts within the field of personal style and fashion. You can read more about that process here.
There are lots of things I’ve learned from seven years of blogging. Today I’d like to share seven of those lessons with you.
Take your time to deliver quality
As I just said, when I first started blogging, I didn’t care too much about how it looked. I just wanted to share my thoughts and ideas, and that was it. Although that pretty much still is the core of blogging, it takes time to create genuine, quality content.
Stay true to you
I think it’s important to have a clear, personal style. Which doesn’t just speak through outfits, but also through writing and photography. Once you’ve found it, it’s important to stick to it. It makes you, and your readers know it. It adds something personal, which is one of the pillars of blogging.
Remember why you started
For me, it’s important to remember why I started and how much I enjoy blogging. It’s the one thing I love doing most, as it combines all of my hobbies: writing, photography and styling. I still have lots of fun doing it, and I’d like that to show through my blogposts.
Take a break sometimes
It’s okay to sometimes step away from the computer and your phone for a little while. It feels scary, as everybody knows that the online business never stops, and you don’t want to stay behind. Because I like blogging so much, work (blogging) and play are usually intertwined, and the risk of overworking is always around the corner. To prevent yourself from getting a black out, you simply need to take a break. Might be for half an hour, or a whole week: if you need it, do it. In the end, it will get you re-inspired.
Work with a schedule
Since I’ve been working with a schedule, I feel like I simply have more time on my hands. It makes everything clearer: from the thoughts and ideas in my head to the eventual blogposts. However, I noticed over planning can have the opposite effect, as it often kills creativity. If you can’t come up with a new topic for a post that, according to the schedule, needs to be up on the blog soon, don’t push yourself. Maybe it’s time to take a break.
Dare to try out new things
Sticking to a blogging formula that you know works, is a good thing. But sometimes it can be necessary to try something new, most definitely in the ever-evolving world of blogging. Dare to step out of your comfort zone. It might fail, but at least you’ve tried, and you’ve learned from it. I even ventured into advertising recently with my first ad for the wonderful Cutler and Gross Glasses. It wasn’t as successful as I would have wanted, but hey, that’s learning. It also brings me on to:
Analytics, analytics
It’s probably the least fun aspect of blogging, but knowing your statistics is very important. If you master your analytics, it’s a lot easier to become successful. I use Google Analytics for my blog, and it shows exactly who my followers are, where they come from, how they ended up on my blog, how often they visit and what they like to see best. Knowing all this it’s much easier to adjust your blogging strategy and keep making your blog better.
Now, over to you: Do you have a blog? How long have you been blogging and what are the most important lessons you’ve learned so far? Let’s chat about it in the comments!