Just a few things I've learnt since creating my first website over 10 years ago, if you're interested.
Yep, I wrote this. Photos by Linda Smith
Yep, It's true guys, sorry to break it to you, I am in fact a unicorn and not in any way human. Now we have got that big piece of news out of the way, here are my tips for anyone starting out in the blogging world:
Have a trial period
The first thing I'd say to someone that wants to start a blog is to have a trial period. Write a few posts and take a few pictures, test the waters before you commit to it. Being any sort of content creator takes a lot of hard work. This way you can see if it's right for you without feeling the pressure to make it work.
It's about skill not money
The person with the most expensive camera doesn't always take the best pictures, it's all about how they use it. That goes for most things. Don't expect to just throw a lot of money at something and get amazing results. Or to word it differently, if you don't have a lot of money, don't presume that you can't create an amazing and engaging product. Start off by purchasing the basics and up-ing your skills.
Somethings to think about:
- If you want to be a fashion blogger, instead of buying lots of different items - practice styling the ones you have in new creative ways.
- Instead of paying for a template and graphics, try learning how to make your own.
- Instead of buying an expensive camera, learn how to take excellent photographs with your phone.
People are always telling you to do what you love... but with any industry, especially the creative passion led ones, it can take a lot of hard work. Therefore, I encourage you to find what you love in what you do and milk those bits for all they are worth.
I really love coding and graphic design, so I spend a lot of time designing graphics and tinkering with my layout. It's one of the main things that keeps me going with it. I make my photoshoots fun by pulling silly faces and pretending to be different characters, instead of worrying about which pose will look best. It's the little things that bring a smile to your face, that will keep you sane.
Be prepared
Basically, don't go into anything being completely naive. If your platform starts to gain some success (and I'm not talking millions of followers here) people may start to make comments etc that don't sit right with you. Sometimes those are there to intentionally hurt your feelings, sometimes it's just a misunderstanding. You need to be ready for it.
Also, your online persona can become a big part of your everyday life. People close to you might start treating you differently. Then there's always the awkward part of telling new people you meet about what you do, who always seem to offer their opinion.
Keep on going
You're not going to be successful over night. People normally become successful after they've been pushed to their limits and are about to give up. You just have to keep trying and remain hopeful.
Your content or skill etc won't be awesome when you start out, you are constantly learning to improve. I made my first website when I was 12 (I'm currently 23, I know, I look younger, I've heard that a million times before). It took me many years of being a nerdy kid, coding websites and making silly videos after school instead of having a life and hanging with my friends like anyone else, to even be okay at doing this whole thing. Just have patience.
That's just a few of my thoughts about what I've learnt, let me know yours in the comment section bellow :)
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