10 Things I Wish I Knew As A Newbie Blogger

I can't believe my little blog turns four years old this year. FOUR. Four whole years of creating my own little corner of the internet.

I kind of feel like my blog has grown with me, and when I look back at everything I've done, it is almost literally a diary of my life between the ages of 21-25.

Despite me being a weathered blogger by now, there are a lot of things that I wish I'd known back then when I started out all that time ago. So if you're someone who's thinking about starting a blog and looking for a little advice, or an experienced blogger who fancies reading a post which will make you involuntarily nod all the way through, read on...

1. Blogging is in no way just about getting to write, which in my case, was the whole reason for starting. There's so much more, taking photos, editing photos, scheduling promo tweets, being active on every social media platform going, engaging with other bloggers... it goes on and on...

2. Instagram will be the bane of your life. Follower count goes up but engagement goes down, photos you put loads of effort into will do poorly... such a headache.
It'll always be my favourite social media platform though. It's a vicious cycle.

3. Comparing yourself to other bloggers is so damaging. Just don't do it.

4. Your expenditure will skyrocket and your blog will be the main reason to justify it.

5. The blogging community can be clique-y, empowering, bitchy, supportive, uplifting, drama-filled and wonderful all at the same time. Confused? Me too.

6. Don't be afraid to have an opinion, even if it is a little controversial. That may well be what makes you stand out. (But also make sure you can respect other opinions and have intelligent conversations)

7. You HAVE to take breaks when you feel the need to. Don't worry, your blog will still be there when you're ready to come back to it.

8. But when you do take breaks, you'll miss it more than you realise.

9. Make sure you hold onto the bloggers who show you endless support. They're invaluable.

10. Your blog will go from something you rarely talk about and try to keep on the down-low, to one of your proudest achievements.

Fellow bloggers! What do you wish that someone had told you when you first started out? Let me know in the comments!

Love,
Sian xo