Originally posted July 30, 2015.
I’ve been in the blogging business for a little over three months now. While every fiber of my being screams that that is barely any time at all, I cannot help but feel like I’ve been immersed in this world for much, much longer. I have made it my top priority to take this hobby and turn it into my second job. Not in a money sense, not at all, but in a creative, time consuming, goal oriented way. For the past three months, almost all my free time has been poured into learning, crafting, creating, exploring, and making this blog into what I dream for it to be. I’m still working out major kinks, making tons of mistakes, and hitting every road block imaginable. During these first 100 or so days, there have been some huge, glaring problems that could not be ignored. But trust me, I’m learning. I’m fixing these rookie mistakes, and hopefully I won’t forget them any time soon.
1. Not having a schedule and backup pieces.
The worst thing you can do for yourself and your blog is not have a editorial schedule. The first two months worth of posts on this blog were created in a few hours, right before being published. Not only did my posts not reach their full potential, but it also made me feel extremely stressed. I now have a huge desk calendar that has every day filled out for the whole month. Beyond that, in the “notes” section, I have back up ideas (usually extremely easy) for when I’m not feeling great, I want to double post, or just not wanting to post what I had planned. Putting all this together, I have more content I’m proud of, I’m less stressed, and I’m having way more fun!
2. Not Experimenting.
I think this is something I’m always going to be learning and growing out of. Which is ridiculous because the whole point of OA and this journey is to do just that with my life. Experiment. Get out of my comfort zone, try new things, push myself, take all those amazing adventures. But as it turns out, when I first created Ordinary Adventures, I was deathly afraid of pushing the envelope. What if that’s too personal, or not high quality, or not be the best thing I’ve written on my blog? While I do try to top myself everyday with my stats and my content, I’ve discovered that getting out of my shell and experimenting with my blog, is healthy and awesome.
I love it when I see my blogging heroes try something new, or drop the ball a little. I love it when I see my inspirations in blogging do something fun and out of their normal range. It shows that they’re evolving, having a blast, trying new things. It took me a while, but I realized, why wouldn’t my readers and I love it when I do that too? Especially as OA just starts putting down roots, I’m excited to experiment, show rough drafts, try new content. You’ve probably noticed the different styles of titles, featured images, content range, photographs, categories, and on and on and on. I’m experimenting with everything to get it to it’s highest potential. And not only does that help me discover what I like and want for my blog, but what my readers like and want as well! Don’t be afraid to throw something new into the mix, it could be a big hit for everyone! And if not, at least you won’t be wondering, just back to normal the next day.
3. Waiting for things to happen.
Think of all the things you’ve accomplished. Safe to say you achieved them by working hard and making them happen. I know that’s the case for me. During my first few weeks of blogging I surrounded myself with doubt, and not believing in Ordinary Adventures. I was anxious when my daily views could be counted on one hand, and I didn’t understand why I wasn’t headed towards huge success already! I was holding myself back and then discouraged at the results. This is the hardest mistake I’ve had to correct and one which I still am. Mostly because it’s hard to tell when you’re slipping back into making it and how to get over the hurdles it presents. But I’ve come to realize that I receive more buzz, more views, more stats, more everything when I work for them.
At first my mind set was:
– My pictures are terrible = I guess I can’t do those cool montages and ideas that need quality photos.
– I’m not getting many views = I guess my writing and blog are bad.
– I want to create all those cool post ideas = But those requite a camera, and time, and witty writing…
– I want OA to have a future = But that could take years to achieve, if ever!
No wonder nothing was getting done! I finally snapped out of it and made the decision that my favorite hobby was worth an investment. I was going to get the ball rolling myself!
– My pictures are terrible = I got a new camera and I am learning how to use it.
– I’m not getting many views = I created social media pages, started interacting with WordPress, I put my name out there.
– I want to create all those cool post ideas = I am forcing myself to learn how to use a camera, manage my time, and practice my writing.
– I want OA to have a future = It won’t have one unless I give it one. It’ll take years, but they’ll be fun, hard, amazing years.
My biggest mistake at the beginning was not putting in the hard work when it was needed. I just hoped things would happen for me and my blog. Blogging isn’t easy though, it’s not a get rich quick scheme, it’s a lot of work! But when you do the time and the work, things will (usually) happen, and it’s so worth it.
Cheers,
— Brey
Great stuff! I’m working through those mistakes too, thanks for sharing!
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Absolutely great post to read! Might help me getting things done. Doing the things I really want without doubt, because I know I work for it. Your blog is gonna grow like a boss! love your writing (:
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I looooved this!!!! Very helpful and motivating:) Thank you!
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This was extremely helpful! I’m new to this, so I’ll definitely be taking some notes 🙂 Awesome piece, great advice!
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Thank you so much for this. I start getting discouraged and I have to pump myself up sometimes. This definitely helped a lot
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I’m still trying to figure out the blogging world, but great tips! I’m looking forward to reading your posts!
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you are awesome.
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❤
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Point one. Do you post on a schedule as well as write on one I’ve often thought I should have dedicated days but my life doesn’t allow for this much but I guess I could have a schedule of scheduled posts
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Thank you for a great and very helpful post. I am also quite new in the bloggingworld. I really recognize myself in wanting so much that it is hard letting the blog go between posts and just let life happen. Nice blog by the way 🙂
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I’m a huge noob when it comes to blogging, and I LOVE this! Thank you for sharing!
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This post has 1300 likes and 370 comments.
In three years, and over 800 posts, I have never achieved a FRACTION of that, even on my most-read post. Take it from me, Brey, you are doing it very right. Congratulations!
Best wishes, Pete.
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Interesting to read. I’ve been doing Winding Road for about six weeks and what I’ve found is that it is turning into seven separate strands on different subjects That makes it much easier for me to come up with material, and I keep my mind open to ideas for one-offs at the same time. Also, so it’s not always ‘me’ I write several of the strands as different characters, which again makes it easier. That’s what works for me, anyway.
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Interesting to hear how you go about it. I’ve been doing Winding Road for about six weeks and it’s turning into seven separate strands on individual subjects, which makes it easier for me to come up with material. Meanwhile I always keep an eye out for one-off pieces. Also, I write several of the strands as different characters, so it’s not always ‘me’ and my thoughts. I do movie reviews as a 30-something London woman, football topics as a fictional referee and so on. Might not work for every blogger but it does for me.
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This is great. I can absolutely relate. But I love how much effort you’ve put into your site; it clearly shows it is working for you! Congrats!
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This is really eye opening! Took away loads of tips!! Thank you 🙂
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So good to hear your journey! Definitely helping me to stay motivated and inspired – you’ll kill it! X
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thanks for the post! i’m dealing with these mistakes too.
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