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86 things I’ve learnt in 3 years of blogging

HELLO EVERYBODY. Hey, saying that reminds me of something. Remember when you were in assembly at school and the teacher would like ‘GOOD MORINING’ and…

by  Corinne

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HELLO EVERYBODY.

Hey, saying that reminds me of something. Remember when you were in assembly at school and the teacher would like ‘GOOD MORINING’ and you had to reply ‘GOOD MORNING MR FITZ. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY’

Or was that just my school?

Nostalgia aside, I wanted to share with you some of the things I’ve learnt about blogging over the last three years.

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When I started this blog over 3 years ago, I honestly though it would be something I’d do for a few month and then give up. Though I desperately wanted it to stick, I know what I’m like.

I have a addictive personality. I fall in love with things easily. Passion grows quickly inside me and it’s intense, man. Like, wooooahhhh. I hope when you read that, you read it in an American stoner voice in your head. Because that is how it’s meant to be read. If you didn’t, let’s try this again: Passion grows quickly inside me and it’s intense, man. Like, wooooahhhh.

But on the flip side, this passion is often fleeting and I can be fickle as fuck. I’m impulsive and I’m obsessed and consumed with something for a while, but then I get bored and move on to something else.

So I’ve surprised myself that I’m still going at this. Blogging has changed me so much over the last few years. It’s changed my friendship circle, my social life, the things I know, my views and options and I love it. I’ve learnt so much, both about blogging and about myself or human nature in general.

Here’s 86 things I’ve learnt about after 3 years of blogging…

86 things

  1. Headlines are the most important part of your blog post.
  2. You can’t get readers by just blogging alone.
  3. How you end a blog post is SO important, but nobody ever talks about it.
  4. There are SO many blogs out there about blogging. Google them. They’ll help.
  5. Unless you’re one of the lucky few, it will take MONTHS of blogging until you get PR samples.
  6. It will take YEARS before you earn a decent amount of money.
  7. People who work in PR are human. Don’t be mean to them if you’re not interested in their offer!
  8. You need to engage with people on Twitter, don’t just dump your blog post and run! *meek smile*
  9. You can quickly become obsessed with your stats and spend more time looking at them than being productive.
  10. You will meet some AMAZING people through blogging.
  11. It’s better to stay out of drama on social media – no matter how frustrated you feel.
  12. Blogging about personal things generally bring out the best comments from your readers.
  13. Having Internet friends DOES NOT mean you’re a loser. If it does, I am a loser and proud.
  14. You don’t need a fancy camera, but it does help – only if you learn how to use it.
  15. Your composition and lighting is more important than your camera.
  16. Editing photos if your friend.
  17. Your photos should be the same width as your post.
  18. There are so many tools to help you make graphics.
  19. Anyone can start a Twitter chat. Even me.
  20. You’ll get sent irrelevant press releases.
  21. Asian dress sites will want you to write a post with 30 do-follow links for $10.
  22. It’s best to ignore some e-mails than to waste your time trying to prove a point.
  23. They’ll be people who have better blogs than you, use them to inspire you.
  24. You can edit the URL to your blog post!
  25. You will probably get a negative comment at some point. Like when I got called too fat for my clothes.
  26. Using negative words in titles can help click rate.
  27. But don’t use click bait titles UNLESS you can deliver!
  28. Bitching out companies on Twitter looks really bad on you. Apart from when it’s Royal Mail. Everyone hates Royal Mail.
  29. Twitter chats are a THING and they can help you grow your knowledge and Twitter following!
  30. Blogs aren’t magazines, you shouldn’t write formal posts that read like newspaper articles.
  31. Finding your own voice with writing can take time, but will set you apart from others.
  32. No matter how much you proof-read – you’ll always find mistakes later down the line!
  33. Scheduling yer Tweets is a God send.
  34. SEO seems so scary at first, but the basics are pretty easy when you take time to read about them!
  35. Make sure your headlines are short enough to Tweet.
  36. List posts do well 😀
  37. It’s SO HARD to get traffic from Facebook.
  38. AND PINTEREST.
  39. What works for someone else, won’t always work for you.
  40. It’s a good idea to end a post with a question to encourage comments.
  41. You’ll can take 1000 outfit photos and hate them all.
  42. Winter can be your enemy because LIGHTING.
  43. Sometimes you won’t be able to write a post. Stupid blog slumps.
  44. You can never do enough to promote and improve your blog.
  45. Your blog will evolve over time – don’t worry if it’s not fantastic right now.
  46. The first time someone ReTweets on of your posts, you’ll feel on top of the world!
  47. The first time someone links to your blog in their post, you’ll feel on top of the world.
  48. 1000 followers doesn’t mean anything if they’re not engaged.
  49. 1000 followers does not mean 1000 people will read every post.
  50. A post can do AMAZINGLY well without you even expecting it.
  51. It’s hard to take a break from blogging.
  52. You won’t remember what you did before you blogged.
  53. Every time you go out, see friends, go for a meal – BLOG POST CONTENT.
  54. Linking a previous post or two within your blog posts can help Google crawl your site.
  55. Trying to stuff too many keywords in your post can make your posts seem unnatural.
  56. Always right for the human above the GOOGLES.
  57. Google guidelines are not law.
  58. You can’t take images from anywhere and post them on your blog. You need permission.
  59. Even a link back to the original image isn’t enough!
  60. There are many rules about how to run a blog competition.
  61. You can’t ban ‘compers’.
  62. Buying your own domain isn’t that expensive.
  63. Directing your domain to your blog isn’t as complicated as it seems – there are so many step by step guides.
  64. Moving to WordPress is also not that complicated either – you can import your previous posts with just a click!
  65. Asking people to share your blog post apparently gets more people to share it.
  66. You can edit the ALT tags of images to help SEO.
  67. The next DA update can become more exciting than Christmas.
  68. Commenting on other peoples blogs is a great way to get new readers and comments back.
  69. Never ask for Follow for Follow.
  70. It’s possible to post every day. You just need a routine.
  71. Sometimes you will feel like you’re talking to yourself.
  72. People will unfollow you on Twitter ALL THE TIME.
  73. You’ll never be liked by everyone.
  74. Sometimes everything will feel overwhelming.
  75. You’ll learn about current events via Twitter rather than the news.
  76. Your vocabulary will improve.
  77. You’ll start to realise getting free things isn’t as great as it sounds. Be picky with what you accept.
  78. You’ll have a million ideas for blog posts and get frustrated because lack of time.
  79. Bloggers are helpful and usually happy to answer any questions.
  80. You’ll start projects you won’t finish.
  81. The more blog posts you write, the more ideas you’ll have.
  82. The blogging community is actually quite small.
  83. There’ll be bloggers you know of, but don’t pay attention to.
  84. Just a simple Tweet to one of these bloggers could be the start of a great friendship.
  85. You’ll love some posts more than others.
  86. Blogging can change your life.

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What have you learnt about blogging?

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60 comments

  2. Love these, Corinne! Can definitely relate to many of them. Blogging is amazing in many ways and I truly believe it’s a hobby that’s here to stay for many of us. Just like you, I get bored easily, but for some reason I’ve gone back to blogging several times – the many lovely people in our little community helps 😉

    Tess x
    thelyricstolife.com

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  4. Great list! So many points that I was nodding along to! 🙂 Some great tips here too about SEO…it’s such a fine line between being casual and cool about optimising your content, and totally obsessing over it!

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  6. I learn to make new friends and keep them I still have bloggers from the time I started so I feel bless. I also learn like you stated people follow and unfollow in every media. I do not have Facebook now I’m kind of glad I don’t if no one bother to see your blog through it. I do not stress about increase of followers or my content I write because I enjoy it. Great post Corinne have a nice day.

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  7. So helpful, some of them I hadn’t even thought of before. Great tips! Thanks! I’m a new blogger only been doing it for just over a month so it’s really helpful getting tips from someone with experience and a successful blog!

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  8. These are so true. I haven’t been blogging nearly as long as you have, but even I’ve experienced a lot of these. I think #69 is really important to get across. Follow for follow doesn’t encourage engaged followers, it’s just a number bump. They are so not worth it.

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  9. I loved reading this post, I can relate to a lot of these things. Twitter is pretty much my BBC News substitute haha. And headlines are really important, unfortunately I’m pretty uncreative when it comes to them. And you’re right, blogging changes your life a lot, I honestly don’t know what I did with my time before and I am really happy I have managed to stick to it, the blogging community is amazing and so supportive. :)xx

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  10. I loooved reading this, I agree with so many! And how funny that I just opened two of the number 21 emails haha. I’m so pleased you decided to stick with blogging, your blog is one of my faves! x

    Josie | Sick Chick Chic

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  11. Thank you for this post. I only started a few months ago, but agree with so many of your points. Blogging really changed my life as well

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  12. I totally agree with all these things you said! I never thought blogging was challenging, and it can be life changing for some. Domain is expensive… finding a good and reliable one is really hard, cheaper option is never the best (lesson is learnt the hard way).

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  13. During primary school I used to have to say “Good Morning Ms/Mr … God bless you.” At the time I thought it was so normal until I accidentally said it in my high school. I’ve actually found that my vocabulary has improved too, there’s only so many times you can say something is ‘amazing’.

    Sally ~ DiagonSally

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  17. This was a fun one. I didn’t know that using negative words in titles could help with click rates. I’ll have to try that.

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  19. Blogging really can change your life, I am so so different these days than back before I started blogging. Blogging has given me incentive to do more, try different things and be a more confident person. I’m so proud of my little blog and what it’s achieved so far. Blogging’s not always easy, and yes, I think we’ve all cried about it for one reason or another, but that’s what being so passionate about something does to you.

    Yay blogging 😛

    Sarah 🙂
    Saloca in Wonderland

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  20. Love this post! You’re so right on all counts! I was nodding along as I read them! Literally every time I go out for a meal I either think “oh blog content” or “that’s my insta post sorted for today” haha!
    Emily xx

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  22. I related to this a lot.

    I used to share some personal things on my previous blogs, but mostly just stuck to my nerdy interests and books. I plan to add a bit more of a personal feel to my new blog.

    I participated in my first Twitter chat today. It was so much fun! 🙂

    This was such a great, comprehensive list. I really enjoyed reading it!

    xo, Alexia
    http://www.alexiapbullard.com

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  23. I really love this. I feel like even though I only started out a few months ago, there are quite alot of things I’ve already learnt, and you point them out so well. I relate to this on a really high level. I feel like the best thing in the blogging world, is the people you get to me, and the bloggers you get to interact with, even if it’s just a few times a week.

    And yes, people will unfollow you all the time on Twitter. I don’t even expect to hit the number I want because once I do, I’ll lose them again ahahahah

    There’s so much more to blogging, I love how you pointed out things everyone thinks about but no one really says them out loud.

    Ella x

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  24. “It’s better to stay out of drama on social media – no matter how frustrated you feel.” This is the perfect advice. I had a few moments when I really wanted to say something, but it wouldn’t have been beneficial to anybody.

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  25. Wow! I love this post it’s very well rounded and had me giggling in parts, as a fairly new blogger gives me some insight into what to expect and look forward to. Thanks for sharing xx
    ~Eme

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  28. Great list – all so true! Especially the last point. And the point about not knowing what you did before blogging. And the one…well, you get the point 😉 xo

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  29. Totally read it in a stoner voice without being prompted, you nailed it!
    This is such a great post and some of these points are things I wish people would remember more often. Number 7 in particular is one that annoys me to no end. I hate seeing the snide emails bloggers send back to PRs when there’s no budget or whatever else. It doesn’t make the blogger look cool, it just makes them look like a total douche.

    http://www.raisethewaves.com

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  31. I really like this post!
    Since I am a new blogger (started in January) I still have to learn so many things (like scheduling tweets), and your post gives me a glimpse of that and, therefore, helps.

    I have a question If you’d have time to answer, it would mean a lot to me:
    I am using wordpess domain, the free one. I’d like to be on my own domain now (so my url would be without the word wordpess), but I am afraid I’ll have to start fresh on bloglovin and also loose my email subscribers because the url will be different.
    Will that happen’ or will I keep my subscribers and bloglovin followers and page even if I change my blog url?

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  32. What a great list. Oh, how these things are so true. I still haven’t been able to blog every day, as each review I write takes hours, plus time to takes photos and edit them — but I’ve concluded I need to do 3-4 posts a week. I too haven’t had success with Pinterest.

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  34. Love this Corinne! I’ve also been blogging for nearly three years but mostly sporadically. This year I’m getting serious and this post is SO helpful
    I’ve learnt that it’s easy to just stay in your corner and blog in a little invisible bubble, but if you just put a foot out you’ll start to see there’s so much more out in the ‘blogosphere’!

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  35. This is an awesome list, I’ve just moved away from wordpress.com to self-hosting! Feel like I’ve lost all my followers and commenters. Still always got so much to learn. Looking forward to seeing how it transforms over time.

    Thanks Jessie

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  36. Cheers for this post, I’m always looking for new tips, 32 is so true, I always proof read over and over and still end up finding mistakes once I’ve posted, but we’re only human 🙂 Also didn’t know about editing URLS will do that from now on.

    Meme X

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  37. Lovely blog post Corinne – so inspiring, always on the look out for helpful posts. I’ve had my blog for two years but only recently started posting on a much more frequent basis. All of your posts are so helpful and I love your style of writing Like wooahhhhh mannnnn haha xxx

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  40. I’m American so the stoner voice comes naturally lol (“Dude!”) ! ;-0 I enjoyed your list, I admit I struggle with a lot of these. I’ve been blogging for a year and a half now and some days it’s like What Am I Even Doing?! And I am totally a head in the sand “La la la SEO does not compute” type blogger, so you know, I’m doomed to stay invisible basically! 😉

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  41. ‘No matter how much you proof-read – you’ll always find mistakes later down the line!’ ~ Can’t tell you how much I can relate to this!

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  43. Loved this, some made me chuckle – reading a list like this makes me realise how little I knew at the start, and how much more I know now. But there’s an awful lot still to learn and more importantly deliver on – I’m so behind all the things I want to/nee to do.

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  44. I love this list, and even after only running my blog for a couple of months, I have found several of these to be true!

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  46. Love this post. It made me giggle in places & I see a lot of myself , especially everything is a potential blog / photo opportunity
    It’s hard to let go sometimes.
    Thanks for sharing X

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  47. Hi Corinne, this is a fantastic post. I often get frustrated and feel like I’m not progressing and it’s great to see that others feel the same. Also you’ve done so so well in 3 years! What do you think was the most crucial is delivering you success?
    Www,FeastStyleThrive.com

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  48. Love this! Very helpful as I am a newbie blogger! Actually a lot of your posts have been really helpful so thank you for that!

    Budget Girl Xo

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  49. Is it wrong that I read the rest of your post in the American stoner voice? If it is wrong, I don’t want to be right!

    Reading your blogging tips are always informative and I feel like I learn something. Like the “can’t take images from elsewhere”. My blog is mostly about gaming and mixed martial arts with whatever else takes my fancy. I constantly used Google images of the fighters for my posts. Better think of something else in future!

    Thank you for the tips. Please keep them coming! They really help greenhorns (figured I’d keep up the American theme!) like me

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  50. Such a great post I can resonate with pretty much all of those. Blogging does take over but it’s pretty cool the lack of light in winter sucks majorly !!’

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  51. Love, love, looooove this. It’s very inspirational and it makes me excited as to where I will stand in 3 years with my blog. I can’t wait!!

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  52. Another fabulous blog post. I’ve actually never really stuck with a certain blogger but I genuinely come back and read word for word. X

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  53. I’m a loser too 😀 Internet friends are real friends aren’t they?! I read this when I first started blogging and took some tips from you – still love looking at your list and totally agreeing with everything you have listed 😀

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  60. Love love LOVE this post! I’ve had it bookmarked for ages to read when I had time. You’ve learned so much. I can relate to lots of these too. SEO is still a bit daunting to me but I think if I took the time to read a bit about it I’d be ok. The one about linking other blog posts has totally worked for you here- I’ve opened up links to 2 of your other posts 🙂
    xx

    Reply

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