5 Things I've Learned After 1 Month of Blogging

Bringing Up Brittany is one month old! Hurrah!

I was always one of those people who mocked anyone who celebrated a month-iversary but, I have to admit, I was pretty jazzed on February 12^th when I realized that my little patch of the internet turned a month old.  A lot of the blogs I read religiously have been around for years, but I couldn’t help but feel a little proud of my accomplishment.  It’s a small milestone but a milestone regardless. 

I have to say that I feel like I’ve learned a lot since this whole thing began—from when I was debating whether or not to start a blog last summer to creating the site to making sure I have content going up a few times a week.  I’m very new to this blogging thing, but I thought I’d share what I’ve learned in the last 4 weeks in case there’s anyone out there who is yes, no, and maybe so-ing creating their own blog.

1. Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. It’s so easy to get discouraged if you’re comparing your blog to those that have been around for years already.  I admit that there have been several moments when I’ve looked at my follower count on Bloglovin, Instagram, Twitter, or my page views on Blogger and heard that whiny voice in my head that kept saying “but so and so has thousands of followers!”  I’ve had to teach myself to not focus on someone else’s success but on my little victories.  The fact that I have people following my blog, reading and commenting on posts, and liking my photos on Instagram is a huge deal.  More readers will come in time if I keep creating content and stay true to myself.
2. An editorial calendar is a must. Since I work full-time and sometimes have to bring work (read: manuscripts) home with me, it’s really important that I think ahead.  I don’t have much time during the week to work on the blog since I get home at 8:00PM, so I schedule posts.  I’ve been trying to plan two weeks to month in advance for Bringing Up Brittany, and my editorial calendar has helped me to keep on top of when I need to write, shoot, or plan a post.  I like the fact that my editorial calendar is a visual aid, showing me when each post should be going live so that I’m not scrambling the night before or day of to get a post up.  I honestly don’t know what I’d do without it.
3. Blog chats are a terrific way to interact with the blogging community.   The idea of a blog chat intimidated me at the beginning, so I was a bit of a voyeur, watching as other bloggers took part.  I took the plunge eventually though and have now participated in a handful of chats.  I’ve learned quite a bit from the discussions, met some bloggers with similar interest, and have gotten a handful of followers from it.  At the end of each chat, there’s also the opportunity to share your link with others and ask people to share theirs.  It’s turned out to be a great way to get some blog traffic and I’ve unearthed some blog-gems that I wouldn’t have otherwise.
4. Blogging is a lot of work, if that wasn’t obvious. Some bloggers make their posts and photographs look so effortless, but I now have an even deeper respect for what bloggers do.  Blogging is a time commitment and a creative challenge, the latter of which I truly enjoy.  A post isn’t really something that you can just slap together in five minutes.  It takes time and energy to come up with a concept and execute it. 
5. White backgrounds and natural light are a blogger’s best friends. I guess I had never thought about it but most bloggers use white backgrounds (or very pale ones) when styling photos.  It does make the objects pop and makes editing a bit easier too.  Unfortunately for me, my house isn’t white surface friendly, so I’ve had to get a bit inventive to get that look.  I’ve been able to mimic a white background thanks to a white flat sheet draped over a table, and I’ve gotten into the habit of photographing multiple posts first thing on a Saturday morning for optimal light.  The photo quality is markedly improved if I’m shooting with morning light streaming through a window.  When days aren’t as bright as I’d like, I use my makeshift reflectors (cardboard covered in aluminum foil) and that seems to work well.

So with one month behind me and hopefully many more to go, I think I’m slowly but surely catching on.

What have you learned about the blogging process since you started your blog?