7 Lessons I’ve Learned from 7 Years of Blogging

Unbelievably I’ve been blogging for seven years! To mark the moment I decided to share 7 lessons I’ve learned from 7 years of blogging.

First though, some history.

I started blogging when I was at university, initially to talk about make-up. Later I started a more series blog via Blogger to talk about books, called: EllesBellesBooks. A year later I started a second blog also via Blogger called EllesBellesGradBlog (great name! *sarcasm*) to share details of my life in my final year of university so that my friends and family knew what I was up to.

Later, after graduating university but before I got a job I threw myself into developing my blog for something to do. This is when I bought my own domain – EllesBellesNotebook – and joined my two blogs together to create a book, lifestyle, and careers blog. The one that you’re now looking at.

I am still very much an amateur blogger, despite doing it for seven years. Blogging is something I do purely because I enjoy it. Money is not my aim for this blog, in fact, I only began to monetise it a few years back when I started accepting sponsored posts. I don’t run ads or spend money on my blog – besides paying the annual cost of my domain name – as I want to keep it original and authentic.

But, without a further here are those 7 lessons I’ve learned from blogging for 7 years.

Spelling and grammar is important

As much as I hate to admit it, this is true. Proofreading, a good checker (thank you Grammarly!), and patience are key to getting this down pat. And it’s a lesson I’m still working on every day.

SEO is not just an abbreviation

SEO is key to getting an audience for your blog. It stands for Search Engine Optimisation, and it does exactly what it says on the tin: optimises your blog so that it appears higher up the list on a search engine, like Google. SEO includes things like using repetitive keywords in your text, headers, and images as well as compelling copy that is genuinely connected to the selected keyword.

You need to share your work #NoShame

If you want your blog to be read, you need to share share share. No points for being coy, be shameless! Get your content out there and get to know your core audience.

Write your truth — lies are easy to spot!

If you share a ton of guest-written content or ad posts that don’t fit with your usual brand then your readers will notice. It doesn’t trend well and you’ll likely notice a drop in your rankings and readership.

Utilise Pinterest to pin your images

Pinterest was practically made for blogs! It’s a virtual mood board app – and it’s addictive! – plus millions of users use it daily. Create some aesthetically pleasing Pinterest images for each of your blog posts and be sure to pin them to collective pinboards, groups and your own profile for maximum reach.

Post often, but take a break when you need it

By posting often and within a schedule – i.e. three times a week on Mondays, Wednesday’s and Fridays – your readers (and search engines) will come to know what to expect. That being said, a blog should be fun to work on. When it stops being fun take a break. No one will mind if you miss a week, or even more.

Get your own domain!

And finally, if you’re serious about blogging and you genuinely love working on it, get your own domain! It makes all the difference, not only professionally but it’s an investment that holds you accountable. Buying a domain takes you on the step from blog to brand.

So, quite a few lessons learned there! And many more to come, I expect.

Like I said, my blog is a hobby rather than a career. I’m not looking to become the world’s next influencer. To be honest, I have the somewhat 90s opinion that EllesBellesNotebook is kind of like my online diary, or bullet journal if you will. And that’s how I expect it to remain, at least for a few more years. We’ll see where we’re at 7 years from now!

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