Wow! My blog officially turned five years old on January 31, 2025! There is so much truth in the saying, “time will pass away,” which is exactly why you want to make sure that you are doing what you want in life. To celebrate my blog’s fifth anniversary, I purchased custom branded cookies from a local bakery, Edible Art Cake Shop, in Charlotte, NC. They created my MBA graduation cake that I also loved! So, they were my first choice as I rejoiced in another milestone.
I vividly remember launching my blog after 11p EST on January 31, 2020. I worked on it for months, probably six, but maybe more. I kept putting it off because I wanted it to be perfect. I got to the point where I set a hard deadline for myself, knowing that if I did not then my website would never have been published. I wrote multiple blog posts that night to honor the commitment I made to myself.
The idea for wanting to start a blog was deeply personal. It definitely was not for external reasons. I was in a transitional period in my life. I was years into my career in local government and my work started becoming cyclical. Not too far removed from undergrad graduation, it was a new experience, and I knew that there was much more to life than working full-time for an organization and coming home. Some days varied, but it seemed like rinse and repeat.
It was also a few years since my mom passed away and I really needed to reconnect to the things that previously brought me joy. I needed to find my different. I purposedly phrased it that way because once you go through such a significant loss from the most important person in your life, you will always be altered. There is life filled with different joy, even if grief chooses to tap dance along the way.
I have learned so much throughout my blogging journey, and I hope my five tips shared below will make your journey a bit easier! They are not technical tips to get your blog off the ground, rather tips that are imperative to its sustainability.
1) Start! Seriously. Discard Perfection.
As I mentioned earlier, the desire to want perfection can hold you back. Aiming for perfection is great, and it will likely always be my aim, but it can be a hindrance from even starting a journey. If you do not start, then you cannot finish. Give yourself permission to be a novice. As you begin, you will find your style. Consistency breeds confidence. The more that you do it, the better that you will get a blogging.
2) Stay Authentic to You
There is space for you in life and on the internet. Who you are is special and your uniqueness makes you stand out in the world, especially a crowded space like the internet. It seems like there is less originality on the internet and more copycats or carbon copies running rampant. I think you will find more happiness knowing that you reached your goals while staying true to you, without losing yourself for likes, comments, followers, and subscribers.
It is important to live with honesty, knowing that you are sharing your story with your audience in an authentic way that brings them value. Creating community should be the aim and not just pumping money from your audience to generate revenue. 3) Identify Your Standard of Excellence
I love the saying that Mike Tomlin, Pittsburg Steelers Head Coach, coined in “the standard is the standard.” I take this as meaning, there is a standard in which you operate, and it serves as your north star. It can provide direction regarding the quality of content that you share on your blog and through your social channels.
One of my undergraduate majors was communication with a concentration in mass media. So, I love seeking quality in how I share content across different mediums. I prefer to film in 4k (24 fps or 30 fps) and with quality external microphones. If that is not available to me, then I will use my phone, but will still edit in Adobe Premiere Pro. I have learned that bad audio is a lot less forgiving than lower quality video. Use the devices that are available to you and upgrade when you are able. The equipment that I use is linked in my FAQs. The same can apply for your blog. If you are only able to start on a free subscription that does not give you full control over your domain, then do so and level up when you have the funds. If you start with a free Weebly subscription and subdomain, it will view similarly to hellotiffany.weebly.com. That's not a real site, just an example. Ownership is a great goal, so add that to your goal list! That advice also applies to add-on software. Prior to using Adobe Premiere Pro, I used Adobe Premiere Elements which allowed me to save money and get better accustomed to editing photos and videos with Adobe. Once you have the basics down, adding more expenses can be better justified. Save your money until that time. 4) SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is something that has carried my blog to new heights! When I started as a blogger, I did not realize how crucial this would be to getting my content seen. Sure, it is nice to have your friends and family view your blog. Yet, there the world is so large and people Google topics everyday and great SEO can expand your reach.
For Halloween in 2019, I created a SpongeBob SquarePants DIY Costume. Kyrie Irving had just realized a SpongeBob SquarePants collection with Nike and I was excited to build my outfit around my sneakers. So, naturally, when I posted it the blog’s title and SEO were geared towards my shoes. After I shared it to Pinterest highlighting the costume, I realized people cared about the costume itself and how it could be recreated. This led me to update my SEO Post Title and SEO Post Description to include “Do-It-Yourself (DIY) SpongeBob SquarePants Costume.” Its average position is now first on Google Search for both images and website links. I think the more clicks that you get, the more Google and other search engines realize that its something people want to view. So, linking blog posts on Pinterest can be a game changer in getting additional eyeballs on your content as that platform encourages outbound clicks. 
5) Have Fun!
In deciding to start a blog, hopefully its for internal reasons. This will sustain you when external reasons, such as money and likes, take a while to develop. I shared the motivation behind my blog’s start earlier. Dig deep and remember your “why” when the road gets a little bumpy or you feel stagnant. Ideally, this will allow you to still have fun as you release your creativity in such a public manner.
Speaking of things being public, remember that once you release things to the internet, they no longer fully belong to you. Even if you delete them, they still live somewhere. I share this reminder to say that expressing yourself online can allow for people that you have never met to feel as if they know you when they really do not. They just know what you share online. In this regard, be mindful of how much personal information you share, especially regarding your location or personal business. I often share event recaps after I have left a certain location. This helps to protect my safety while still allowing for connection with my audience. Stay safe as you create!
If you are looking for more specifics of starting a blog, such as how to purchase a domain or what equipment and subscriptions will be a major help, I’ve got you covered. In 2021, I wrote “Want to Start a Blog? What it Really Costs: Year 1 in Review,” which includes a cost breakdown that every new blogger could find valuable.
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