Hi guys!
So today I am writing about blogger confidence!
I am always asked for blogging advice, so I have decided to start writing some blog posts featuring my top tips and advice for those who want to be successful at blogging. The thing is, in order to be a success at anything you do, you need to have a good attitude and the right mind set, which is why I have decided to base this particular blog post on the subject of blogger confidence.
Most of you know my own story by now, but for those who don’t I will recap.
Throughout my teens and for most of my twenties, I didn’t have a clue as to what I wanted to do with my life or where I wanted to go. I always knew I wanted to be in business, I just didn’t know what type of business I wanted to be in! What my twenties has taught me however is that you will always end up where you are meant to end up. I was always a hard worker, I always put 110% into everything, but I wasn’t academic.
Whenever I was unhappy in a particular place, I either looked for the silver lining or I got out of it.
While working as an part time receptionist in a radio station after being made redundant from a dream job a a few months prior, I wasn’t overly happy where I was in life. Yes I enjoyed my job, but at the time, the future just wasn’t exciting. After-all I was in a temporary position and there was nothing permanent or exciting to look forward to and I felt stuck! Stuck in a rut.
Instead of wallowing in misery however, I decided to take advantage of the steady stream of celebrity traffic passing my desk each day, and so one day the idea went off like a light bulb in my head, and I started my blog- SoSueMe.
Richard Branson was right, there are opportunities to be found everywhere you go.
The most important part of being a blogger is having the right attitude. You also need to have a positive mind set and an incredible work ethic. No one knew who I was, I had no celebrity status, I knew NO ONE in the media game, I had no one to learn from, I had no one to guide me – I was simply a girl with drive and ambition determined to do something with my life, as cheesy as that sounds.
SoSueMe slowly, but surely grew into this national sensation and people from every country were clicking in for a read. It was simply amazing to see that happen, but the graft was certainly there.
A lot of people always ask me the same question and that is ‘how did I turn SoSueMe into a business’. Quite frankly – it happened through long hours, hard work and sheer determination and it certainly didn’t happen over night.
Sometimes blogger newbies expect to start making money from their blog almost from the get-go. What they don’t realise is that today’s top bloggers all toiled away on their blogs for years before they even earned a red cent. I include myself in that!
If you are truly passionate about blogging and don’t shy away from a hard slog, then you are already off to a great start. Of course, it always helps to have a little guidance too, which is why I have decided to share with you some lessons I learned from my own experiences.
- Enjoy it
I think the most important piece of advice I could give you is not to stress too much when you first start out. Blogging is meant to be fun.
If it’s stressing you out, you won’t enjoy it! Relax and let the readers see your personality.
Don’t try to be imitate anyone, just be yourself.
2. Think Big…Because Why Not?
When I first set up my blog, I didn’t spend too long thinking what if it fails. If anything, I imagined it being huge, maybe, one day I said to myself. The blog wasn’t even online at that point but I still visualised it becoming a huge brand in years to come. Visualization is SO IMPORTANT!
When I was trying to think of a name for the blog, I remember my goal was to create a name that people would remember. Now, I wasn’t naïve by any means; I knew there was a chance that it might not take off.
Even still, I envisioned mine being a big success. I asked myself well WHAT IF my little blog one day becomes a business?
If you pair an ambitious mindset with a good attitude and an admirable work ethic, then you are already well on track towards making your dreams come true.
And remember, if your dreams don’t scare and excite you, then they’re not big enough. I know that line is SUCH a cliche but it’s true.
Prior to the release of my first book, I was terrified. I don’t think I had ever felt nerves like it before! Similarly, when I attended London Fashion Week for the first time, I felt so alone and scared because I was at this huge event by myself, and surrounded by all these industry heavyweights.
That feeling of nervous excitement is vital; it’s what keeps you going when times get tough. The thing is, what starts off as nerves tends to turn into adrenaline and excitement somewhere along the line.
In my experience, if a project scare you, it’s worth seeing through!
3. Don’t Let Fear Stop You
Whenever a daunting opportunity arises, I grab it without question.
If it’s something I’m unsure of I won’t let that stop me, I will just figure out how to do it later and then successfully see it through. Being thrown into the deep end often produces the best results so don’t panic, just grab the opportunity and run with it!
4. Comparison Will Never Make You Happy
Don’t waste time with comparison. If anything, it will slow you down and break your focus.
Compete with yourself, not other bloggers. Judge yourself on your personal best and you will accomplish anything you put you mind to. Remember that while someone else might be currently more successful than you, they too were once where you are right now. No one starts off at the top.
5. Online Arguments
Invest your energy in your work, not in meaningless disputes. New blogs usually don’t tend to attract many trolls, but then trolls do have a knack for popping up anywhere anytime!
Always keep in mind the great quote,
“You don’t have to attend every argument you’re invited to!”
Another piece of advice that I try to live by is,
“You’ll never reach your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks.”
Ignore the people who try to provoke you and instead just keep moving forward with your own goals and plans.
Let your success be your two fingers back at em’ 😉
6. Stop Saying ‘Someday’
We are all guilty of this, but I try all the time to act on the NOW!
You have everything you need to get started right now. There is always a way to get your foot in the door. If I had waited for ‘tomorrow’ to set up SoSueMe, then it probably would never have materialised, or even be where it is now.
When I think back, I started at just the right time. The market wasn’t flooded with blogs, and blogging in itself was a relatively new invention. This gave me ample time to find my feet and make the sort of mistakes new bloggers wouldn’t get away with today like crap layout, blogger overkill, and other general errors.
Your blog doesn’t have to be perfect when you start.
I would recommend keeping the design clean and simple and as you progress further and gain more experience, you will figure out the kind of style that would work for your blog.
But start now, what are you waiting for? Chase those dreams and goals!
I really hope those tips helped in some way?
I will be posting more and more blogging tips here so keep an eye out for them!
