To be honest, I thought this blog was older than that. Is that weird? I'm pretty happy with how it's growing and progressing and I've definitely gained a lot of clarity about the type of information I want to share here. I'm FAR from where I want to be.... but I'm content. I've met a lot of amazing people through writing here and have had many, many incredible opportunities come my way because of it that I would never have had otherwise. I'm blessed!
I would like to share some thoughts + tips on blogging that I've learned along the way. There are oodles of people who know a lot more about blogging than I do (or, at least, who put what they know into practice more consistently!) but I do get questions frequently so this is a good opportunity for me to answer them!
3 years of blogging about natural living has taught me...
Posting consistently is a good idea. I'm still really terrible at this. But I have gone through seasons where I'm updating more (not just for the sake of posting, mind you, but with good, useful posts) and my blog grows tremendously during those times.
Giveaways are fun but content is better. Hosting giveaways from sponsors I lurrrrve has gained my blog a lot of exposure and new followers but if I don't keep posting good content, they don't have a lot to stick around for, do they? I still like doing giveaways - but you'll never see this become a "giveaway/review blog."
There are a lot of ways to make money from a blog. The number one question I get about Everblossom is "How much money does it make?" and that's really hard to answer! While this blog does make a bit of cash through ads and affiliate sales, most of my income actually comes from freelance work and Grow Your Green Business. Even though that income doesn't come directly from the blog, I have had greater opportunities for that work because Everblossom is here to showcase my writing and knowledge on natural living.
Eeeeeevvvverybody's an expert. I often see bold claims about blogging and business - "Banner advertising is worthless!" "Pageviews don't matter!" that really make me laugh because the truth is every niche is SO different. The decisions a green blogger makes and the decisions a craft blogger makes should look very different, because it all depends on your audience. Same goes for "The best time to post on Facebook is X o' clock AM." Bullplop - it completely depends on when your audience is on Facebook! Guidelines can be helpful but ultimately, experimenting is the best way to find what works best for you.
Connecting with other bloggers is indescribably awesome. Probably the NUMBER ONE thing that's helped me grow as a blogger is connecting with other bloggers for support. The Green Moms Network in particular is a much-loved resource - I've made friends with and learned so much from the other bloggers there. Looooove them. <3
There's no way I could cover every last lesson I've learned over the last 3 years - but I'd say these are the big ones. I hope I never stop learning - and if the next 3 years are HALF as awesome as these have been, I'll be happy. :)
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