Yesterday I got a cute message from WordPress on my 1 year blog anniversary.  I wanted to celebrate by giving back, especially if you are trying to find your way as a new blogger. First off, congratulations on taking the plunge- it will be a rewarding, fun experience if you invest time and effort. Make no mistake, starting and maintaining a blog is hard work, from the initial setup to the content creation to the images, to the marketing, monetizing and consistency involved in making it a success.

Blogging initially took up a LOT of my time; navigating the waters when it seemed saturated was daunting. Overcoming self doubt was a tremendous task. Empowering myself with the strategies needed to move forth in the face of failure, critique and rejection demanded me to create an unshakable mindset. Staying true to my vision was and is what I aspire to do, always.

I wanted to share a few tips which will be helpful to you, if this is a path you are pursuing:

1. Picking a URL
   – Keep it short.
   –  Make it easy to remember
   –  Don’t have duplicate letters together
   For example: dresssale (3 s’s together)
   – Use words that are easy for people to understand and type

REMEMBER:
-You can change it later
-Test drive it if possible (example: Facebooks ads)

2) Figure out your Niche/ Building your own ‘Brand’
– Draw on your own stories, not your research
Come up with those things that are exclusive to you; use your own life stories as the background of what you use to inform your audience. This allows you to develop your own unique content while being relatable and authentic.

– Don’t look at other people’s stuff when developing your own content
When writing your own content, stop reading the blogs and listening to the podcasts and tap into your inner self. Why? to ensure that you are not regurgitating what your mentor is putting forth but rather saying the things that are core and essential to you!

– Would you actually say this?
Give yourself the reality check of “would I actually say this in person or would people think wth if I said that?” If so, its likely you are trying to be someone you are not. Try to project your natural voice. Being someone you are not is exhausting and will be a charade that tires you.

3) Join Blogger Support groups
One of the first things I did when I started blogging was joining a number of groups, on the WordPress community, on Facebook, Twitter and externally. Many of those persons were just like me, navigating “blogosphere” and together we were a support system for each other, when the rest of the world didn’t understand the time and effort that was being invested. Beyond the moral support though, we critiqued each other’s work, gave tips, answered questions, shared resources and ultimately grew together.

Those are 3 main topics I wanted to share some tips on. I hope its helpful. If you have additional questions, send me a message or leave a comment- I’d love to help you any way I can 🙂