10 Surprising Lessons From My First 6 Months of Blogging

These are the beginner blogger tips I wish I understood sooner in my journey.

As a new blogger, you will wear many hats and learn lots of new things at once.

But it is all worth it in the end when you see your efforts unfold into wins that directly correlate to you.

I hope that sharing what I’ve learned helps you recognize these things sooner so that you can overcome them quickly, and move towards your blogging goals faster.

The beginner blogger tips that we’ll cover in this post are:

Research will save you time.
Invest in yourself and your blog.
People don’t care about you that much
It will be a lonely (but rewarding) journey.
Taking breaks is essential.
You will wear many hats.
You will only go as far as your mind allows you to.
Instant success is unrealistic.
You will not get support from everyone.
It pays off to start before you know what you’re doing.

Related posts: Why I Started Blogging + Resources

^{This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure}^here^.

10 Surprising Beginner Blogger Tips After My First 6-Months

1. Research will save you time.

Research what others are doing and learn from their experiences.

This will save you so much time (and money) in the long run!

Make sure to diversify who you’re learning from because different tactics will work for different people.

You will start to see patterns emerge over time of what’s consistently worked for others and will build a bank of tips and tricks to use for yourself down the line.

2. Invest in yourself and your blog

I highly recommend spending the extra cash on products and services that will set you up for long-term success.

Spending the money now can save you a lot of hassle down the line and avoid redoing many things later.

For example, you can easily start a blog for free using sites like Blogspot or Blogger, but doing so will limit how you can monetize your blog later.

Whereas, if you start off self-hosting, you’ll be set up for monetization right from the start!

Additionally, if you want to make blogging your full-time job, you should treat it as a full-time job.

Make the investment because that will increase your motivation to make that money back two-fold!

Here’s a list of some of the best investments I’ve made:

Grammarly (how I make sure all my blogs and social assets are grammatically correct)
Bluehost & WordPress.org (how I self-host my blog)
17th Avenue WordPress Themes (easy to use website themes)
A Self Guru – Legal Bundle (peace of mind that my blog is protected legally)
Canva (how I create all my blog creative assets)
Blogging courses for blogging, Pinterest, affiliate marketing, etc.

For more detail about these resources, check out this post: Why I Started Blogging + Resources.

^{Some of these are affiliate links which means I may make a commission after your purchase at no extra cost to you. I will never recommend something I haven’t tried. These are all products I genuinely use and love. Read the full disclosure}^here^.

3. People don’t care about you (that much).

One of the biggest beginner blogger tips to remember is that you need to write about things that benefit or help the reader.

That’s super important to keep in mind, especially when it comes to getting people to your site and staying there.

People who find your blog don’t know you and don’t care to read about your life updates (at least not at first).

Readers find your blog because they’re looking for an answer to a problem or question they have.

You can find ways to infuse yourself, but don’t make that your blog’s core focus at first.

It will take time for you to build a loyal readership that gets invested in your personal life.

Bonus tip: Remember to be thoughtful about how you use all your social platforms.

For example, Instagram is where you can show more BTS (behind the scenes) / personal content to build brand affinity.

In contrast, Pinterest is NOT the place for that. Pinterest is not a social platform; it is a visual search engine.

4. It will be a lonely (but rewarding) journey.

Blogging is time-intensive. You will spend a good chunk of your time writing and learning – all of which will be done solo.

You will need to learn how to balance personal and blogging time.

Absorb beginner blogging tips and learn how to optimize and create efficiencies in how you work.

5. Taking breaks is essential.

I firmly believe that taking breaks and creating time to try new things will make you a better blogger.

Inspiration can come from anywhere so it’s important to indulge in other things outside of your computer screen.

Additionally, the creative process takes a lot of mental energy, and breaks will help you avoid feeling fatigued or burnt out.

6. You will wear many hats.

When you start your blog, you will be a one-person show!

You will be an accountant, PR director, social media manager, writer, graphic designer, etc.

There will be much for you to learn, which is why blogging courses and online classes/videos will be your friend!

I invested in Skillshare because it was a way for me to learn various new things from teachers who are experts in their field.

Here are only some of the classes I’ve taken so far:

As you can see, I’ve taken a wide array of classes because even though blogging is a creative field, you also need to have some business chops too!

If you’re interested in trying Skillshare, check out this link to start a free 14-day trial of Skillshare Premium: https://lifestylebyremi.com/skillshare.

^{These are affiliate links which means I may make a commission after your purchase at no extra cost to you. I will never recommend something I haven’t tried. Read the full disclosure}^here^.

7. You will only go as far as your mind allows you to.

You will be your biggest motivator and also your biggest critic.

A healthy mindset is essential for success, especially when starting a blog or any new business venture.

You are putting yourself out there and doing something new, which can be daunting.

But it’s important to learn how to get past your ego and insecurities.

You will not reach your full potential if you let insecurities or fear get in your way.

Related post: How to Get Out of Your Head

8. Instant success is unrealistic.

Blogging is a long-term game, and your numbers will fluctuate, especially in the beginning.

As a beginner blogger, you are building a foundation for your blogging business.

It will take time for you to gain high traffic and build your email lists, but that shouldn’t discourage you. It’s normal!

Right now, you are still learning and optimizing to find what works best for you and your brand.

The longer you’re blogging, the easier it will get down the line. Push through and keep going!

9. You will not get support from everyone.

There will be people who are 100% here for your blogging journey and others who don’t want you to succeed or don’t think you can.

Some people may think you’re on a fool’s mission – but don’t listen to them. Their thoughts are more a reflection of their own limitations than of you.

You don’t need validation from others to succeed. You just need yourself to believe.

If you feel aligned and this makes you happy – go for it. Just do it!

Don’t let the naysayers get in your head and in your way.

10. It pays off to start before you know what you’re doing.

Don’t hold off on starting a blog or a new business venture until after you know everything.

There will always be something new to learn. You will constantly be learning as you go.

Sometimes the fastest way to learn things is by applying and putting your newly learned skills to use!

Don’t be afraid to make some mistakes in the beginning. It’s all about growth!

You will get better as time goes on.

Related posts: Why I Started Blogging + Resources

Leave a comment down below if these beginner blogger tips were helpful! Or, let me know if you’d like me to expand on anything.

Starting a blog was one of the best decisions I’ve made! I love being able to flex my creative side, and all my wins are a direct reflection of the amount of effort I put forth.

Are you thinking about starting a new blog? Feel free to shoot me an email (hello@lifestylebyremi) or leave a comment down below with any questions you may have about blogging.

I’m no expert, but I’m always open to sharing what’s worked for me.

Wanna know the best way to stay up to date with all the latest posts? Subscribe to receive my bi-weekly newsletter highlighting my latest blog posts and sharing life updates that I may not write about in the blog!

^{This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure}^here^.

10 Surprising Lessons From My First 6 Months of Blogging

The beginner blogger tips that we’ll cover in this post are: