Blogging 101 {Pt. 5}
“All good things must come to an end.” This isn’t a quote that I exactly enjoy, but it’s so very true. After five weeks of doing the Blogging 101 series, today is the last installment. We’ve covered a whole gambit of topics and I hope that you have learned things along the way. As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, it’s been neat to hear the stories of how this series has inspired my readers– if you feel like sharing your story, I’d love to hear it!
Disclaimer: I am NOT an expert on blogging- I have so much more to learn myself. Throughout the years that I’ve been blogging, I have learned a lot, seen so many things and gained a lot from this world. I’ll share the good, bad and ugly {okay, there really isn’t too much ugly, but just thought I’d throw that in}.
Today’s topics: following trends and staying connected.
If you missed the earlier posts, here are the topics I have covered previously.
This topic may be controversial for some, but it’s one that is important to me. I will confess, I’m not always the most trendy crafter or blogger around. It took me ages to jump aboard the washi tape bandwagon and I was SUPER hesitant about the sequin trend in the beginning. Whether you’re a fashion blogger, or a crafter, being aware of the trends {ie following other blogs/ websites that are up-to-date & trendy}, is a must for those who want to be a relevant blogger.
I don’t partake in every single trend, but I think it’s important to know what the trends are and as much as possible, incorporate them into your creations and posts. You can pull inspiration from trends in a variety of ways– colors, layouts and/ or products. You may notice that I stay current on many trends, but at the end of the day, I also remain true to my style. I’ll be the first to admit that there are many trends that I love, but they don’t work for ME and my crafting aesthetics. It may take a little while for you to find the right balance of being true to your style and going outside your comfort zone, but you CAN find it. Trust me.
This is going to piggy-back on the being a friendly blog neighbor point from Blogging 101 Pt. 2 a little bit. As I mentioned before, it’s important to be a good blog neighbor, especially when you’re a beginner blogger. Once a blogger achieves as sense of “popularity” or “fame”, I’m sure it can be easy to disconnect and become submersed in your own little world and focus solely on what you are doing. Notice, I am saying this in somewhat uncertain terms.
I personally haven’t achieved hundreds of thousands of followers, reached my dream monthly page view number or had a post go viral on Pinterest {yet}. However, I WILL say that if these things did happen down the road, I would absolutely still stay plugged in and connected to the blog community. Am I trying to stir the pot here? No, not at all. I believe it to be extremely important to start and maintain relationships and friendships, no matter what stage you’re in as a blogger. Not only could these relationships develop into future collaborations and be a spring-board to take your blog to the next level, it could also bring you an even greater reward: true friendships. That, blog friends, by far the greatest thing I have gained during my 4 1/2 years of blogging.
This going to conclude the Blogging 101 series. I believe I have covered all of the topics that I wish I had known when I first started this world of blogging. Granted, there are several smaller topics I could have covered, but honestly if I did this, the series could continue on for a year. *wink* If there are more intermediate blogging topics you would like me to cover, I just might start a Blogging 102 feature down the road. I know many of my readers are in the beginning blogging stages, so I’m not sure if there would be enough interest….
Thank you to those who have followed along and shared this series with others. I can’t wait to see how you incorporate what you’ve learned onto your beautiful blogs!