Whoa! First off, 8 years?! Somehow starting my blog from my college apartment floor has lead to 8 years of content, events, happy hours and SO much more! Before I get into the lessons in blogging, let me just say THANK YOU — to you, whether you’ve been hanging out on Southern Flair for a week, 2 years or all 8 years (which is probably only my mom)!
Blogging was brand new when I started back in 2010 — before Instagram (thank god!!), before algorithms, before it was a real career path, and I’m truly glad I’ve stuck with it.
It’s been difficult at times as a full-time teacher to maintain my blog every week, plus when you add on everything that comes with blogging in 2018 (Instagram, Instastory, Facebook groups, newsletters, products, mailing list opt-ins, content marketing, ALL OF THE THINGS!!)
But at the end of the day, my little blog and the community that’s here is one of my favorite things. Ever.
ALSO SEE: Why Discomfort is My Word Of the Year
For my 10 year anniversary, we will have to do some crazy big party (!!!), but for today, I’m sharing 8 lessons I’ve learned in 8 years of blogging.
This will give you an inside look at some of my thoughts — whether you’re a blogger, want to be a blogger or if you enjoy reading blogs. I hope you can take some tips and advice from this post no matter what profession you’re in!
1. Zig when everyone else zags
This lesson is #1 for a reason! This is my most valuable piece of advice to give any blogger, business owner or girl who shows up to work every day.
You gotta zig when everyone else zags. Go against the grain.
Find your strengths and show up with those every single day. Find out what makes you different and unique and stick to that. When everyone goes one way, you go the other.
Cue Fleetwood Mac – “You can go your own waaayy”
Another way to put it: I once heard someone suggest that you “find your tilt.” How can you take something and tilt it just a little to make it different? To make it yours?
Sure, I’m a lifestyle blogger (so are MILLIONS of other girls), but I stick out for one reason — and that’s because I focus on local content here in Baton Rouge. That’s what I’ve done over and over and over until people know me for THAT reason.
It’s different, no one else is doing it, so going with a local focus was my way of zigging when everyone else zagged. SO whatever business or profession you’re in, think of a way you can go a different direction than the norm to make yourself stick out.
What do you want people to know you for? And how can you do that in a unique way?
A few years ago, I knew with the growth of Instagram and the boom in blogging, that if I didn’t do something different, I’d blend in with everyone else. I had to find my part of the blogging world that was different and untouched.
I can write about similar topics as every other lifestyle blogger, but I can put MY spin on them that makes them different, new and original. :)
You will never influence the world by being just like it.
2. Follower numbers aren’t everything
Oh, I’m gonna preach on this one!!!
In fact, I want to do a post more in-depth on this later, so I’ll just skim the surface here.
Do you get SO caught up in how many Instagram followers you have?
Well, stop it right now!!!
It doesn’t matter if you have 10 or 10,000 — as long as you have REAL people who are genuinely interested in what you have to say, you win.
What good is 10K followers if majority of them don’t care? Or if they only followed you for a follow? Um, no thank you. Bye.
Several years ago, I would wake up in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT to check Instagram. I even had an app that told me WHO the evil person was that unfollowed me. I was a certified CRAZY person.
Then, I realized every girl on planet earth is NOT my audience. I have a very SMALL group of women that I am talking to on a daily basis — those women who live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana or surrounding areas.
It’s taken me a VERY long time to get comfortable with this, but I’d rather have a SMALL group of a CLOSE community than a LARGE group of faceless followers.
Don’t get caught up in the numbers game (because that’s all it is… a GAME), and definitely don’t let your follower number define who you are OR your success.
Reach ONE person in a genuine way each day, and you’ve made a TRUE difference.
3. Progress is better than perfection
Where my perfectionists at?
Trying to get something perfect before I hit publish or announce it has lead to A LOT of procrastination.
Maybe I dwell on the title, or maybe I stress myself out over the perfect image or maybe I tweak one post for a month before making it public.
Actually, I’m currently working on a second website for my social media consulting and freelancing business and I’ve tweaked it here and there since JANUARY (almost 4 months!!) — um… do you know how many potential clients I’m losing like that!?
Yep, sometimes just going with it and adapting and evolving over time is better than dwelling on making it perfect ahead of time.
At the end of the day, something isn’t going to be perfect anyway. Hold yourself to high standards, but it’s better to put something out in the world, then take the tiny steps to polish and improve it.
Stop making excuses. Just do the thing.
4. Be Real
Who else is tired of all the “perfect” lives you see on social media?
The perfect hair, outfits, vacations, meals… I’m over it.
It’s not real and it’s depressing us to see it. Research shows Instagram is the MOST damaging social media platform when it comes to young people’s mental health.
Plus, all the “perfect-ness” is all starting to look THE SAME.
I crave realness from people now. I think thats why I like watching Instastories so much more than scrolling my feed now.
I’ve also learned the connections I’ve built with you guys are so much deeper when I’m just showing up as a normal girl — in my pjs, hair on top of my head and no makeup.
I’m not trying to pretend like my life is perfect.
It’s not. I’m tired. My house is messy. I’m probably wearing the same clothes for 3 days. And my dog probably just peed on the floor.
But I believe in being relatable and building those REAL relationships and having those REAL conversations.
So if you’re camera shy hopping on Instastory when you might not look your best, go for it, girl. Be real and be you and people will love you for it.
And the people that don’t love it, then they aren’t your people anyway!
5. Community is King
There’s an old saying in the blogging world that “Content is King.”
Everything starts with good content. And I believe good content is still a top priority, but now I’m realizing the value in communities.
Starting my Happy Hour Club and putting real faces to people and creating content that real people can talk about and share and come together over has turned into a top priority.
Blogging isn’t about me. It’s about my reader. And it’s about building a community for US. And it’s about making connections with like-minded people.
Be part of something bigger than yourself.
6. I can’t do everything.
I am the type of person who has ALL THE IDEAS.
And sadly I’ve learned I can’t do ALL THE THINGS.
Then when I can’t do all the things, I feel like a failure. Or I overwhelm myself with all the things I want to do — and in the end get nothing done because I’m stretched too thin in too many different directions.
And my brain basically explodes.
I’m slowly learning to focus small on certain projects and finishing those projects before adding more to my list.
The idea of working smarter not harder is constantly on my mind. I haven’t mastered it yet, but at least I’m aware of the issue! haha
My Full Focus Planner and focusing on my top three tasks each day has really helped with trying to take on TOO much at once!
7. Comparison will kill your soul.
It’s really easy to fall down the rabbit hole of comparison on social media these days. You can feel like you’re not doing enough fast enough or good enough.
Everyone always seems one step ahead or you kick yourself over not thinking of something first.
I chatted with a group of ladies the other day about unfollowing people that no longer make them happy.
If someone’s life seems so perfect, or if you feel bad about yourself when you look at them or their feed, then UNFOLLOW them. Stop doing that to yourself!
It doesn’t mean that you’re not a fan of them and don’t support them, but sometimes you just need to keep your head down and focus on YOU vs what everyone else is doing.
Just remind yourself that you’re right where you are suppose to be.
Your story is unique and so different & not worthy of comparison.
8. Make a plan to execute. But don’t plan as a way to procrastinate.
No one would run a business without a business plan, right?
Blogging works the same way.
I always plan a calendar of my entire year, which includes blog post series ideas, collaborations, events, giveaways, etc.
Then, I plan quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily. I’m a crazy planner.
I believe a plan is necessary — and firmly believe in planning with the end in mind — gotta know where you’re going before you can get yourself there.
But I’ve also realized sometimes I OVER plan as a way to procrastinate. Anyone else?
Do you ever find yourself making to do lists only to realize that making the list may have taken longer than some of the tasks themselves? Ha, me too.
I truly love planning, I love brainstorming and I love using my imagination and creativity, but sometimes I fall short on executing those things.
I’m starting to get better about catching myself when I start OVER planning. When it gets into borderline procrastination mode, then I know it’s time to get away from the lists and the systems and just do SOMETHING. Even if that something is SMALL.
Once I accomplish that, then I can go back to my plan and see what my next step is.
I’ve also blocked off certain days each year to do big quarterly planning and certain time each month for monthly planning. Then, I try to keep making to-do lists and planning each day under 10 minutes.
Here’s to 8 more years:
Who knows what blogging or social media will even look like 8 years from now! We’ll all have the internet implanted in our brains and be riding in flying cars, I’m sure, but I’m ready to get creative on keeping this SF train rollin’ :)
I’ll be sharing more Q&As on my blogging journey, goal setting and tips & tricks coming up, so leave a comment asking any questions regarding blogging, social media, being an entrepreneur or just anything you’re interested in!