Bloggie Wednesday: 10 Lessons I’ve Learned In My 7 Years Of Blogging

Bloggie Wednesday: 10 Lessons I've Learned In My 7 Years Of Blogging

Β© Yury Zap

Whaddyaknow, this year (and this month in fact, hence all the giveaways I’ve been running in May) Beautyholics Anonymous celebrates her 7th anniversary. I didn’t think the blog would stay on for so long and go this far. In fact, I was more than ready to give it up in 2010 when I had completely run out of blogging juice (I blog almost daily now but back then, it was something like 3 posts a month). Who knew that I would continue on for the next 4 years? Who knew I’d actually turn it into my full-time job? Who knew I’d be meeting so many people I never thought I’d even get the chance to?

I certainly didn’t. And what an adventure it has been.

Seven years may seem like a long time but I’ve met bloggers who have been doing it for well over 10 years and they’re still loving every minute of it. For all its ups and downs, blogging has brought me more friends and opportunities that I never thought I’d get. It got me out of my rut when I first moved to Australia 6 years ago. It made me lifelong friends that I wouldn’t give up for the world. It gave me wonderful experiences that I would carry with me for the rest of my life.

I’ve learned a lot going about this blogging journey and I thought I’d share 10 lessons I’ve learned about blogging with you. Some I had to learn the hard way, the others were thankfully better.

My blog is only as good as my last blog post

If a magazine editor is only as good as her last cover, then I can say the same for a blog and its last post. I can produce the best content that I believe I could write but at the end of the day, what anyone who stumbles upon my blog will see my last post first and if it’s not a good one, then my blog will not be good enough. It’s a harsh reality and a lesson I’ve learned to always write the produce the best blog post that I can.

It’s a privilege to receive products for review and never something to be taken for granted

I’m thankful for every single product I’ve been given. Without them, this blog cannot function 100% the way it is now because I don’t have unlimited funds to always be buying new products to try and review. Without them, I wouldn’t have stumbled upon so many fabulous products that I’ve overlooked. While I cannot possibly review every single product that I’ve been given, it’s a privilege that I don’t take for granted.

When ads make the blog look like crap, I have to let them go even if I make less money

For years, I’ve been having on-and-off issues with my advertising network and lately, I’ve been seeing a couple of unsightly ads on my blog where the background was re-skinned to fit the advertisement and my content pushed down to accommodate a video above the banner. This is a premium advertisement that would bring me higher revenue than Google Adsense but I opted to take it down because, quite frankly, it just made the blog look like crap. It distracts readers from the content. I’m very proud and possessive of my baby and I would rather earn a lot less than lose my readers to a few more advertising dollars.

If I don’t ask, I don’t get

This is something I’ve struggled with almost all my life and I have blogging to thank for to push me out of my comfort zone, to open my mouth and ask. Ask for ideas, ask for help and ask for opportunities. I can’t even begin to tell you how much the blog and I have grown just because I finally dared to open my mouth and ask. And not, in the words of my mum, “be a timid mouse”.

Lots of storage space is needed because where the heck are you going to put all ’em lipsticks?!

If you’re a beauty blogger, you’ll know what I mean. And that’s all I’ll say about that. πŸ˜›

It’s okay to be envious of other bloggers’ achievements

It would be foolish and highly unrealistic of me to say that I don’t feel even the tiniest twinge of envy when my fellow bloggers win awards, get amazing opportunities to go places, have sky-high traffic to their blogs and so on. I’m human after all. I’m happy and excited for them but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel envious and sometimes wonder, why not me? Whenever the green monster surfaces, I tell myself that it’s not a matter of why not me, but what it is that I can do better for it to BE ME. Don’t let envy be what stops you from blogging or let it allow you to resent other bloggers. They’ve put in the hard work on their blogs and they deserve their achievements. But hey, it’s okay to be envious.

Writing product reviews alone is boring as arse

I’ve mentioned this before but I’ll say it again. As a reader, wouldn’t you find it boring as arse to only read product reviews on a beauty blog? I do, and I sure finding writing them alone dull. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy reviewing products but when you’ve written, photographed and published 10 reviews back-to-back (and probably don’t want to look at another beauty product for a while), it’s time to come up with something different. I find it so important to mix the blog up with different types of stories. While a beauty blog is usually mostly about product reviews, it doesn’t have to be. Throw in a few beauty stories, anecdotes and even just pictures (Wordless Wednesdays used to be very popular) and it breaks up the mundane. I took a risk in writing my Bloggie Wednesdays series because it is quite strange to suddenly read about blogging amidst beauty stories and 2 years later, it’s still a hit.

Meeting new people is awesome

I used to be very awkward when meeting new people. I wouldn’t know what to say and most of the time, I’d either be a wallflower or I’d stick to my circle of familiarity like glue. Blogging completely shoved me out of my comfort zone and taught me lessons on how to meet, socialise and network with different people. While I wouldn’t say I’m really good at it now, it’s a vast improvement from sticking to the wall. And meeting readers like you is pretty damn awesome, if I may say so myself. πŸ˜‰

It’s important to know the basics of web design like CSS and HTML

I know it’s probably a bit silly for me to ask you to learn the basics of web design like CSS and HTML when I could just ask you to hire me to fix your bloggie technical problems for you (the Chinese calls it “breaking my own rice bowl” πŸ˜› ) but I cannot stress this enough – a blogger has to at least learn the basics. In a blog’s lifetime, there will be times when something goes wrong somewhere. There’ll be times when you’ll want to tweak your fonts, change the width/height of your sidebar, change the banner, etc. What happens when you accidentally make a mistake? Learning basic CSS and HTML will ensure that even if that happens, you’ll be able to at least understand what’s going on at the backend of your blog. I’ve had plenty of hair-tearing moments throughout my years of blogging troubleshooting code, plugins, widgets and so on. I can assure you, when you know the basics and are able to fix problems on your blog, that feeling of immense satisfaction is amazing.

Step back and take a break

The problem with working for yourself is finding it hard to take “annual leave” like we would if we’re working for someone else. Many a time I’d be pushing through with blog post after blog post till my brains are almost fried from burning out. I don’t like taking breaks from the blog because it would seem like a massive change from almost daily posts to zero posts for the next few weeks but when it needs to be done, it needs to be done. It’s good to take a step back once in a while and take a break, just like you would at work. Come back, refreshed, brimming with ideas and start tackling again.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the 10 lessons I’ve learned in my 7 years of blogging. It hasn’t been an easy journey but it’s one that has made me grow so much. Most importantly, I have all of you to thank for where the blog is today.

Please stay tuned to Friday for the final giveaway of the month. I think it’s going to be a good one! πŸ˜‰

Bloggie Wednesdays is a series of articles just on blogging. They contain tips, how-tos, discussions about anything and everything you need to know about blogging and how we can be better bloggers. If you have any suggestions, tips and tricks about blogging you would like to share with us, or if you have any questions you would like me to address, please let us know in the comments.

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28 comments… add one
  1. ponikuta

    Gee, my blog must be boring for you then. Review galore!
    ponikuta recently posted..LonVitalite 24k Gold Active Yulan Oil Facial MaskMy Profile

    1. Tine

      You said it, I didn’t! Haha nah just kidding. I enjoy your anecdotal stories, blog more of those! πŸ˜›

  2. Allison

    Yes, reviews galore! But maybe I’ll take a break one day next week and do a blogpost on my spring garden. That outta change things up. Thanks, Tine! And congrats on lucky #7!
    Allison recently posted..Giveaway: Reviva Labs Peptides & More Anti-Wrinkle CreamMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Thanks Allison! Oh I didn’t mean that lesson to be offensive at all; it’s just something I learned over the years. I’m sure you’ll enjoy changing things up too. πŸ™‚

  3. Angie

    Tea-spitting-out moment – ‘boring as arse’ muhahahah love it! I’m thinking the same thing at the moment, thinking of ideas to break up the reviews with something that gets readers to know who I am and my personality a lil more. And thank you for ‘my blog is only as good as my last post’, I never thought of it like this and it’s SO true. Definitely going to keep this in mind for future posts. Don’t ever stop Bloggie Wednesdays, love them!
    Angie recently posted..Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate OilMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Hehehe oops sorry I made you spit out your tea! πŸ˜› Kirstie Clements (ex-editor of Vogue Australia) mentioned in one of her books that an editor is only as good as her last cover and it really made me think that it’s the same for blogs, that our blogs really are only as good as our last post because it’s the first thing people see. It’s good motivation to make sure you always come up with the best that you can. πŸ™‚ x

  4. Paris B

    Congratulations on hitting the big 7! Absolutely agree with everything you’ve said, having gone through the same thing as well. If there’s one more lesson I’ve learned after hanging on this long is this “Don’t take things too seriously” Perhaps it’s most applicable to me because it’s not my full time job, so I’ve learned to let go a little and not allow the blog to consume my life. In that way, I almost feel like it’s maturing a little better. Or maybe it’s just me πŸ˜€ x
    Paris B recently posted..Your Say: Do you use hotel toiletries or do you prefer to bring your own?My Profile

    1. Tine

      Haha thanks! And congrats on hitting your big 7 too! Damn, we’re like two old blogging fogies. πŸ˜› As I’ve made this my full time job, I have to take it seriously like I would a job but for those who aren’t blogging full time, I fully agree to not take things too seriously. It’s very easy to let the blog and social media consume our lives. Scary man!

  5. Fiona

    7 years, wow. Congrats! Love love loveee your Bloggie Wednesday. You are always real in everything you write and you always share with us your thoughts.
    I think it was a few months back that most blogs had this expandable banner that pushes the content down to accommodate advertiser’s video? That’s a little bit annoying but it is understandable that is one of the revenue source. I’m in digital advertising line and we always customise these ads according to the platform requirement. Instead of rejecting the ads you can tell the ad/media agency what your site can do and what can’t be done. Usually it’s alright πŸ™‚

    1. Tine

      Thanks Fiona. Really appreciate your kind words. πŸ™‚ x
      Yeah I had to opt out of my advertising network’s expandable banners and reskins. These are the ones that make the best $$ but I’m so fussy as to how my blog looks like that I’d rather let those go. Ah well. πŸ˜›

  6. xin

    congrats on the big 7! hope the 7th year itch won’t bite πŸ˜›
    have to agree on the unsightly ads, sometimes i hop to a blog and all i see is those ads, usually that’s the time i hit the X!
    xin recently posted..My Brush Frenzy – of Hakuhodo and Lam Sam Yick BrushesMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Haha thanks Xin! So far, no itch … yet. πŸ˜‰ x

  7. Anna

    Wow 7 yrs!!! Great determination. I’ve stopped blogging, not because I don’t like it, but I love reading other bloggers like u, be interactive with replies, rather than manage my own blog lol I’m so weird hahaha
    Anyway, always love ur blog, keep it up, excellence is 10,000 hours. So your blog is truly excellent!

    1. Tine

      Thanks Anna! So glad you enjoy my blog. Wow, 10,000 hours! That’s one heck of an excellence! I’m truly honoured! πŸ˜€

  8. Victoria

    Congratulations Tine on your 7 years of blogging

    1. Victoria

      I actually typed a much longer comment on your post using my smartphone but somehow the comments have disappeared. LOL. Just wanted to add that I am really proud of your achievement to blog for 7 long years and would like to wish you and your blog all the best in the future :-). I will continue to be a regular reader and place my comments wherever possible πŸ™‚

      1. Tine

        Haha no worries Victoria. Thank you so much! Your comments are gold to me and I really appreciate them your time in reading and leaving them. πŸ™‚ x

  9. Efrain

    Seven years? Wow that’s a lot of time; you have to be proud of it.

    Happy seventh anniversary!
    Efrain recently posted..A dos aΓ±os de haber tomado isotretinoΓ­naMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Thanks Efrain! x

  10. Beth and Beauty

    Congratulations on 7 years! I agree breaks must be taken when needed to recharge. Thanks for so many great tips!
    Beth and Beauty recently posted..Beth and Beauty’s Kat Von D Chrysalis Purple Eye Look/TutorialMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Thanks Beth! It was my pleasure. Glad my tips have been helpful. πŸ™‚ x

  11. Marianne

    Congrats on the 7 years Tine! I’m so glad I started my blog and I can’t wait to see where it will take me πŸ™‚

    1. Tine

      Thanks Marianne. All the best in your blogging journey; it’s going to be an awesome one, I’m sure! πŸ™‚ x

  12. Me my best and I

    7 years – wow & no itch πŸ˜‰ Boring as arse indeed, I need to try and think how a product fits into a story to entertain myself or I just lose the will to even complete the review- yawnsville

    1. Tine

      Trust me, the itch is there. I just have to learn not to scratch it. πŸ˜‰
      Right? Right? Reviews are not that easy to write especially when it doesn’t interest the writer. I too have to do exactly that, to find out the product can fit into a story to entertain myself. Or else I’d be bored writing it, which would be even worse for the reader.

  13. Peteris Krumins

    Congratulations on 7 years of blogging! Pretty incredible how fast the time flies. Feels like just yesterday you had your first blog post. I actually also just celebrated 7 years of blogging at my catonmat blog, and I wrote an article about it. Check it out: 7 years of blogging. It would be very awesome if you shared your visitor numbers and top posts as well.

    1. Tine

      Congratulations on hitting the 7-year milestone too! πŸ™‚

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