Blogging Lessons I Wish I Knew When I Started

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It’s been over 14 years now, but oooof what a ride it’s been so far. I’ve been blogging since 2009, and while there were a few false starts, my current blog has been going strong since 2010. That’s a long time. And looking back, there are so many things I wish I had known at different stages of this journey.

I think, when you’re starting a blog, no matter what the year is, there are always going to be things that you think you know, that you soon realise (or heck, it takes you years to realise) aren’t actually all true. Whether that be the way you’re doing things, the skills you thought you had, the eye for detail or story, or maybe it’s more about the technical side of things.

There have been many blogging lessons I’ve learnt over the year, and I hope that I’ve learned and grown from them, as a blogger and now as a blog coach. So in this blog post, we’re going to take a look at just a few of those blogging lessons I’ve learned – they’re a range of things, from a range of times – in the hopes that you learn something, too, or at least recognise that we’re always learning new things, and not to be discouraged.

Let’s get into it.

Blogging lessons I’ve learnt from nearly a decade and a half of blogging

When I started blogging, I wish I knew

That blogging is more than just writing whatever you want to write. It’s more than putting one word after another and maybe throwing n an image here or there. It’s more than opening a new blog post whenever you feel like it and hitting publish whenever you feel like it.

It’s about finding your voice, gaining confidence, connecting with your audience, and building something meaningful that can withstand the test of time. It’s about learning to plan ahead, and scheduling posts at good intervals and not posting 3 in one day and then nothing for a month.

1 year into blogging, I wish I knew

The basics of SEO. Back then, I didn’t realise how crucial it is to understand how search engines work and how they can drive consistent traffic to your blog. Learning SEO early on would have saved me a lot of time and effort in optimising my older posts later.

SEO is more than just keywords, though. It’s the things we do for and write on our blogs that make all the difference. I knew basically nothing, but I wish I had learnt this blogging lesson from the beginning.

5 years into blogging, I wish I knew

That I didn’t have to choose between writing for myself and writing for my audience. Finding that balance between authenticity and relevance is where the magic happens. It took me a while to understand that my personality and unique perspective are what make my blog stand out. You can have a blog full of information or be helping people in your niche, but also full of personality and the jokes, phrases, images … that make you you. In fact, it’s better that way.

10 years i,n I wish I knew

That perseverance pays off. Many of my blogging friends gave up along the way, and sometimes I wondered if I should too. But looking back, I’m proud that I stuck with it. Celebrating milestones, no matter how small, is important because it reminds us of how far we’ve come. Some of the most popular blogs out there today are ones that were start a long time ago. Perseverance pays off.

Today, these blogging lessons have paid off

While the journey of blogging has its challenges, I’m incredibly proud of where my blog stands today and the blogging lessons I’ve learned along the way. It has become not just a platform for sharing content, but a community where like-minded individuals gather to learn, share, and grow together.

Along the way, I’ve learned that blogging friends are just as valuable as real-life friends. They understand the highs and lows of this journey in a way that others might not.

People return to my blog not just for the information but because they resonate with my voice and perspective. This realisation has given me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone, attend meet-ups, and collaborate with others in the blogging community.

And I also know that these blogging lessons are still just the start, and there is much still to uncover.

What’s something you’ve discovered along the way in your blogging journey? What are the blogging lessons you’ve learned? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!