5 Blogging Lessons to Bring into the New Year

top| skirt| shoes| necklace| clutch| bracelet

Can you believe New Years is less than 3 days away? I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas. I took a little break to enjoy my time with my family, but I will be rounding out the end of the year with two more blog post including this one. Today I wanted to talk about my second year blogging and the blogging lessons I learned this year and my goals for next year, as well as share this classic winter white outfit perfect for New Years.

As I finish my second year of blogging, I am very thankful for being able to learn so much and grow in this past year. Earlier this year when I attended my first blogger conference at Thrive, and I wrote five actions I would implement this year that I learned from the conference. Implementing these actions has helped grow my blog as well as help me as an entrepreneur in balancing my new-found blog business. I never thought in a million years I would be a full-time blogger and making income from it. I remember writing this article a couple of months ago recapping some major blogging mile stones and my “10 Tips to Success for First Time Bloggers“. I can’t believe how much more I learned in these past 8 months. Here are five blogging lessons I’ve learned in 2016.

5 Blogging Lessons to Bring into the New Year:

1. If you don’t ask, you will never know. 

Don’t be afraid to negotiate or to ask for more than they are offering. I have found almost 90% of the times companies are willing to do more, or give more.

2. Know Your Worth 

  I have seen so many bloggers who work so hard, invest in photographers, only to do free post for brands, without any compensation at all, not even free products. If you are constantly renting clothes and investing time and money to do free advertising for a brand you want to build a relationship with, yet expecting nothing else in return you are devaluing yourself and your business. The more work you do for free the less time you have to invest in work that you could get paid for.

3. Hustle Hard

Don’t wait for opportunities to come to your doorstep,  go out and make those opportunities. Reach out to brands you are interested in working with, network with other bloggers and brands, but don’t think you are only limited to the brands who reach out to you.

4. Business vs Personal Relationships

One thing about blogging is you will meet so many wonderful people who eventually become your friends, but remember to be able to distinguish the difference between a business and a personal relationship, and not take anything personal that may be considered business. So whether you are not invited to a particular “blogger event”, or if someone doesn’t like your Instagram picture or blog, doesn’t mean they don’t like you as a person or friend. Avoid cliques and the drama, and it will take your business to the next level.

5. Know Your Why

Last but not least, I think knowing why you blog  is the most important thing I learned this year. It is so easy to get caught in the hype, the opportunities, the free trips, clothes, and the money that we lose sight of why we blog in the first place. It is so easy to get discouraged if you are only focused on the money aspect of the blog, and if that’s the only reason why you blog, well you won’t get far.

I started blogging because I wanted to share my experience as a first time mom, and in this past two years it has evolved into something more. I blog because I want to help others, I want to inspire others, I want to encourage others, and I want to share my story that has God has given me. I blog because I know I can make a difference through my blog.

So this year my goals for blogging will be more than just numbers, but ideals. This next year I will be taking on my first ever interns for my blog. I cannot wait to help mentor them and share my knowledge and my passion with them. Because I know my greatest success is not in how much money I make, or how many followers or page views I have, but it will be from helping others succeed and grow.

SHOP THIS LOOK:

For more blogging tips check out these articles below:

I just want to personally thank every single one of you who have taken the time to read my blog. I would not be where I am without each and everyone of you. Thank you so much for your support. Please comment below if there is anything you would like to learn more of or see more of in this next year. Love ya’ll! <3

P.S. This outfit was taken at the wonderful Brennan’s in Houston for my beautiful blogger mama’s The Ashmore Blog holiday brunch.  If you have never been I highly recommend it! Thank you Brennan’s for hosting us!