One year ago today I clicked the word publish on this blog. At that very moment Theta Mom was born but never did I imagine how this Mission would resonate with so many and how a true Community would form with the same principles.
Today, I am sharing some posts that directly relate to my blogging experience over the last twelve months. I hope you gain some insight and find inspiration as you read through them. I certainly don’t have all of the answers as I am still learning and navigating my way through this thing called blogging, but what I can offer is what I have learned thus far.
So here are my ‘8 Rules of Blogging’ I’ve come to live by:
1. Set some blog standards. Make some privacy decisions that are right for YOU. Decide whether to share names, other personal information, photos, etc. and make sure it is at your discretion and comfort level. Forget what everyone else is doing – it’s YOUR blog. You call the shots so make your own rules that work for you and live by them.
2. Focus on writing compelling content, creating a clean blog design and integrating social media to get return blog followers. Many followers will come and go but you want to build a readership that will stick around for the long haul.
3. Build your following through the power of social media. Get yourself out there! You could have the most gorgeous blog design and amazing content but if nobody knows you exist, the blog following will not be established. Get active and stay active through various social media platforms that work for you. Network, engage in conversation and continuously put yourself out there.
4. Blogging takes a lot of time, dedication and hard work. You need to balance blogging with the rest of your life or you will quickly land in bloggy burnout. I was on this very road and if I didn’t put my blogging in check I most certainly would have burnt out. Forget the guilt, stress and pressure ‘to keep up’ and remember why you started blogging in the first place.
5. If you choose to perform reviews and giveaways on your blog be sure you know who you are working with. Do your homework on each company and don’t accept every pitch that comes your way. By being very selective with whom you work with will actually make you more marketable.
6. Don’t measure your blog worth in numbers because that’s all they are – a bunch of numbers. Measure your success in rich content and the connections that you make along the way. When you write a post you are most proud of, that is true validation.
7. No matter how successful you are at blogging you will receive some negative comments and not everyone will like you. In fact, some will continue to carry on conversations about you elsewhere. Don’t ever let this get you down. It’s their issue NOT yours. Be confident in what you do and continue to rise above the nonsense because in the end that’s all the negativity is – nonsense.
8. Above all else, blog with a purpose. Find your niche, know who you are and blog to your heart’s content. As long as you stay true to yourself and maintain authenticity in this process your readers couldn’t ask for anything more.
And to my readers, a very special thank you – for making my first full year in the blogosphere such an amazing experience. This blog wouldn’t be all that it is without the support of this readership. I adore each and every comment, subscription, tweet and email.
More than you know.
