I've been blogging for 3 1/2 years, and it's been a journey. I'm happy I never gave up, and I took a risk to share my work with the world. Today I'll be sharing 7 lessons I learned from blogging.

KNOW YOUR WHY AND DON'T CHASE THE MONEY

When I started blogging, it wasn't for the money. It was my outlet to express myself, share my story, and motivate others to chase their dreams. I was going through depression and was in the process of moving to a new city to pursue my dreams. Moving to a new city was my first time taking a significant risk, and I wanted to inspire other women to do what makes them happy. I'm a girl from the hood who can show you anything is possible as long as you have passion and hustle.

FIND YOUR NICHE (IT TAKES TIME)

When I started blogging 3 1/2 years ago, I didn't have a specific niche. I was sharing my journey like a hobby. As the years went on, I started to fall more in love with the process of connecting with other women. I started finding more about myself and my style, growing my confidence, and making self-care a priority. So my focus began to shift. I did a poll on Instagram asking my audience what content they would like to see from me. Many people voted fashion, and they said they love my inspirational stories/messages. Eventually, I found my niche in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. I share fashion content to inspire women to wear whatever they want as long as it makes them feel good. You don't have to spend lots of money on designer if your bank account doesn't match. As women, we can make a cheap outfit look like money! When it comes to beauty, I share lots of things about skincare because I struggled with acne my whole life and finally decided to learn more about my skin to help build my confidence. Makeup is a lover of mine by choice, but I like to share products that can help other women, especially black women. Anything I share will motivate or bring entertainment to my audience. 

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

I know we see this all over the internet! Multiple memes, multiple quotes. It's the truth! To be successful, you have to do the work and show it for yourself. Consistency will take you far. What separates you from everyone else is how you choose to show up for yourself, and your audience will see how serious you are about your craft. We all have busy schedules, and some of us are working full-time jobs while putting in full-time hours into our content. When you're passionate, you will make time and sacrifices to show up for yourself. When I started to become more consistent with blogging, my audience began to connect with me more, and I could secure more paid brand deals. 

USE WHAT YOU HAVE UNTIL YOU CAN GET MORE

When I started blogging, I was very intimidated by the equipment I saw other content creators purchasing. One, I was broke AF, and I couldn't afford to pay for $1000 plus cameras, at least not when I'm first starting out. So I would shoot on my iPhone, and honestly, I use my iPhone more than a camera unless I'm working with photographers. I'm big on investing in lighting because if you know how to work the settings on your iPhone and the quality of the new phones today, many people won't tell the difference. When it comes to shooting outfits, I'm quick to hit up the thrift store and create looks with the items I have in my closet. 

YOUR INTERNET FRIENDS WILL BE YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM

 When I first started blogging, I was lonely. I didn't know many people who were doing what I was doing or can relate to the struggles I was experiencing. Once I moved to Atlanta, I pushed myself to find a community of creators. I started attending events in Atlanta that I found on Eventbrite or social media hashtags. I met my best friend at my first blogging event we connected immediately, and she was in the same predicament as me. She just moved to Atlanta from New York and was starting her journey as a blogger. We became each other support system, which grew our bond. Also, I met a ton of friends on the internet. Once I started posting consistently, more people came across my profile, and we slid in each other DMs. Your creator friends will support you to the end because they understand the process and the struggles you may be experiencing. They will hype you up on every post and repost your work because they know the value of support and what brands like to see. Shout out to my internet friend Tam! She came across my profile from one of my IG reels, and she also noticed that I was consistently sharing a brand in my stories. She helped me land a brand deal by sharing the PR/Influencer Manager contact. I appreciate that because pitching brands, it can get frustrating not finding the right person to pitch. We must stick together in this industry. Influencer marketing is a growing business its not like you can get a degree in this industry, so content creators try to stick together as we work to grow our business. 

DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS

Never compare yourself! When I first started blogging, I would get so discouraged. I was so focused on the content other creators were posting. I would compare my feed to their feed. I started with a bright feed because that was in style, and I thought that would classify me as a blogger. As I grew and found who I was and what I wanted to represent, the bright feed didn't work for me anymore. I tried to focus on brown tones, which can make my skin tone pop out and represent a black woman most authentically. It works for me. I learned you have to do what works for you and keep that tunnel vision. When you think about the noise that will block your vision and cause a distraction to your journey, what works for you may not work for everyone else.

BE PATIENT WITH YOUR JOURNEY SOMEONE IS ALWAYS WATCHING

Don't stop showing up for yourself because you don't see the results. Revisit your strategy and take a look at your analytics. Sometimes we don't see people clapping behind closed doors. Many creators look forward to the compliments, especially after putting out work that could have taken hours to produce. Remember, someone is always watching even if they are not clapping in public. I was discouraged by my number of followers. I was holding my value to my audience size. I realized if you can connect with 3,000 people and get to know that audience, how can you connect with 25,000 people. If I can drive sales with an audience of 3300, I can add value to the brand. I use to think I needed a certain amount of followers to receive paid brand deals. That's a lie! When you start to research your audience and find ways to connect with them to help them solve problems, you will change the game. This year, I secured one of my most paid brand collaborations after 3 1/2 years of blogging. Remember, someone is always watching. Keep that tunnel vision and be true to you, and it will work out.