7 Things I’ve Learned from 7 Years of Blogging

I can’t believe it’s coming up to eight years since I started my blogging journey, and I have learned A LOT in that time! I’d been deliberating on starting a youtube channel and blog for years, then in 2014, just before I was about to go travelling for a month, I thought it was now or never!

I jumped in at the deep end and started both at the same time! Back then, my blogging knowledge was nada but it has come a long way from what I ever thought I could achieve. Here’s 7 things I’ve learned from blogging in the past 7 years..

1. You don’t ask, you don’t get

I started this journey without an ounce of blogging knowledge. Often, I was afraid of asking simple things for fear of sounding stupid, but I still asked. Most of the time I got the answer I wanted and stupidity was not an issue.

I went from having virtually no computer skills to learning how to create websites, edit videos, write engaging blog posts and dabble in search engine optimisation over the course of 7 years.

2. Being first helps, but it’s not a prerequisite

Blogging as a career was pretty established when I first started, and the idea of being a newbie in a sea of influencers put me off for years. I kept thinking about whether there was anything different I could have brought to the table. However, I’ve learnt that what matters more than being first is being persistent and innovative, creating quality content, offering something that solves your readers’ problems, interests, and many other things.

If you were to ask me now, “being first” would be low on my list of “things you need for success.”

3. You’ll change, and so will your content – and that’s okay

I started off as a beauty blogger at www.nishiv.com, and then a few years into my journey, I realised that I wasn’t as into beauty as I used to be. During this period of time, I have transitioned to being vegan which is why I started this vegan lifestyle blog where I share all sorts of recipe ideas and the best restaurants I have discovered on my travels that cater for vegans. My content changed from beauty to travel and home renovations in the space of 5 years – and that’s okay.

Which brings me onto my next point..

4. People follow people, not just blogs

People follow people, and I only want people to follow me if they feel inspired and entertained by my stories and what I have to say. I love when I have the chance to connect with people on a more personal level through social media. It’s not all about sharing new lipstick launches or the latest vegan mock meat in the supermarket, people want to see more of your life that they can relate to as well.

5. Authenticity is of great importance

The authenticity of my page is also of great importance to me as I would never falsely promote post something for any gain. I take the responsibility seriously of having a public profile with a following and would never post anything misleading. Honesty is everything in this industry. As well as this not sitting right with my personal morals, I owe it to my followers, to never lose their trust. Without trust, there’s no audience and without an audience, I have no job!

6. Anything is possible

You never know what opportunities can come up just through having a social media presence. I’ve seen some of my fellow instagrammers go on to do amazing things. Some have been in national tv commercials, others get flown across the world to review hotels. It just goes to show that literally anything is possible! This influencer has given the best advice I’ve read for any inspiring influencers.

7. Influencer Marketing Really Works

I’ve learned that influencer marketing really works because of the high amount of trust that social influencers have built up with their following.

‘Influencer marketing’ is social media marketing that uses endorsements and product mentions from individuals who have a dedicated social following and are viewed as experts within their niche. What I’ve learnt is that people are way more likely to buy a mascara when they watch a youtube video of a normal, relatable girl reviewing it in her bedroom compared to a high budget TV advert featuring Cheryl Cole.